October (less a few days).

Immediately after the Beast event three of us were heading south taking ambulances down to Kendal ready for a final day of training prior to 'The Pipe Job'.  Training had already taken place from the 27th to the 30th of August covering safe working procedures for confined access, casualty management and evacuation from a confined work space, fire safety, water hygiene, VAS driving (Vehicle Access System) and a refresher on emergency life support and defibrillation. 

Monday 30th September.  From the Travel Lodge on the M6 just south of Kendal it was a short run up to Land and Marine's training base where we met up with the remainder of the Rescue Medic team to be introduced to Radon Awareness, everyone on the team was then subjected to a full medical examination, this followed by training and an examination in administering breathalyzer tests using the Alcometer 500 (the same instrument the police use for roadside breath tests) and carrying out drug tests on urine samples, a very sophisticated set up which registered even when only miniscule amounts of suspect substances were present in the urine.  A talk on tunnel hygiene completed our training and all that remained was to get our issue of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and disperse to our allotted work zones, find the accommodation booked for us and prepare for work!

Based in Waddington about 30 miles north of Manchester this was the view from Apple Tree Cottage front door.  Five star accommodation, see www.orchardcottages.co.uk (and the village pub is just out of shot right!!











The job was to provide medical cover for the six teams of guys who would be working underground in a 2.6m diameter water pipe which had been drained for a two week period in preparation for a detailed survey and critical repair work.

Sunset over Bowland Forest on the way to night shift.

 





The interior of the pipe was photographed (these photos taken by ROV during the planning phase of the contract), ventilation fans were installed to create a positive through draught to minimise any danger from possible gas ingress, a communication cable was clipped to the wall and marker plates with GPS coordinates were fixed to correspond with the pipe plans.  To facilitate the work being undertaken electric trucks were to be used and to get them into the pipe meant cutting a large access port and lowering the vehicles into the pipe.

Night shift and the VAS are due to go in; the site foreman talks to the guys down the hole.

 

 

 VAS and Equipment Bogie.  All this gear was lowered through the cut into the pipe with just the toilet cassette and VAS batteries being lifted out at the end of each shift and the second set lowered in in preparation for the next shift.

 

15th and job done, all tools, coms cable and VAS out; last job was to put the lid back on!

 

Pieces of the pipe top ready to be lifted back into place!  Once sealed the tap can be turned on!!

 

Back home and two weeks of catching up on odd jobs, squaring stuff away ready for winter, a drain repair on a neighbour's van, help out at a CLAN coffee morning and give a talk about my 'wee bike ride' to the Parkinson's Support Group.

 

October just about done, the last few days can get a mention in November's episode!

September (Autumn already!)

A bit more work to boost the coffers to fund another wee bike ride!!  Time to start planning!!

Since getting back in July most weekends have been spent tidying up damaged mountain bikers, most of them fraying at the edges (knees and elbows mainly) caused by high speed contact with planet Earth.  Occasionally they do a 'proper job' and break some of their internal scaffolding or even rupture some of their squidgy bits that do important filtering jobs, or other squidgy bits that do procreation!!

Tuesday 3rd and a pleasant ride to The Oaks in Elgin for a 1030 appointment with Heidi, Moray's Parkinson's Nurse Specialist; a charming young lady relatively new to the post but already making an impact with the 'movers and shakers' of the area.
Back on the bike and off to blag a coffee at Jim and Gillian's!  Coffee, a spot of lunch in the sun, help to haul out the trailer tent for an airing then off to play!  Jim does a rapid change into bikey gear and we're off up the road, a bit of 'exploratory riding and some pushing), creative navigation got us onto the Sustrans cycle trail to Hopeman and then the old railway track, now part hard packed gravel part asphalt, into Burghead.

There is a track honest, it's just a bit overgrown since I last rode it!!  (Jim's GPS thinks I'm telling porky's).





























Weekend 7th-8th, Scottish Downhill event, lots of customers, gravel rash, broken bits and three ambulances to hospital. 

Tuesday 10th, PSA test and my quarterly implant to keep the gribblies at bay; back home to check through my 'Wee Bike Ride' powerpoint presentation ready for an evening showing to the Cancer Support Group.
Later:  well, no one fell asleep, heckled or threw anything so I'm guessing the show was acceptable!!

Spinning, dentist and assorted odd jobs filled the rest of the week, bringing me to an 0500 kick off on Saturday 14th driving to Nairn for the start of the Rat Race Coast to Coast event.  Elite start time 0630, run to Cawdor, on to bikes and ride to Fort William, dump bikes, walk/run to shore of Loch Leven, paddle to Isles of Glencoe Hotel and finish.  Ordinary mortals overnighted at Fort Augustus and went on to complete the route on the Sunday.
                     



Start time looms!

 

Riders nearing Fort Augustus.

Day two:  PM Arriving at the transition point, Glen Nevis, Fort William (wet).

 

The following two weeks were taken up with an appointment with my Parkinson's consultant (You're doing fine, keep up the activity, cycling etc.  If you have a worry about posture best see a physio first and see what they suggest rather than mess around with your medication).  Wednesday morning, spinning session.   PSA result in, still looking at < 0.1.  Prep for 'The Beast' at Knockburn Loch.

 

The Beast, a 10k XC obstacle course!  Providing safety cover on the 'run' section with Becky.

Three happy competitors!

 

Which way now??  At the end of the day even the few bods with minor injuries said they had had a great time!!

 

October looms and a two week contract in Englandshire!