I’m definitely in the race, and this is one of my other favourite rides I’m using to train with. This time I persuaded my son Ross to come with me as we explore Holes and Upton Country Park
We’re really lucky to live here. This cycle path is less than 5 minutes from my house. So it’s a glorious Autumn morning, I’m definitely in the race, and training is going well. I’ve actually got my son Ross to come out with me today, so I’m not wearing my lycra bottoms. Don’t want to embarrass the poor boy. Ross is on the mountain bike, and I’m on the hybrid but I think he’s regretting that decision. Never mind. We’ll soon swap if he wants to. So continuing the theme from the last film, bike apps just show you a map with numbers, not WHY you do a ride, or what you see en route. So I’m filming my favorite routes, and explaining why I like them. This one’s 5 and a bit miles long, and great for a quick training session. Plus it’s mostly not on busy roads! He’s behind me, he’s doing well. Still okay on that one? You knackered? Try this one. Seriously, it’s lighter. So I’m on the mountain bike, and Ross is on the hybrid. Poor boy’s a bit unfit. And here, we’re off the Holes bay, and into Upton Country Park. I try not to go too fast along this bit because, Mountain bike’s pretty sure-footed, but the hybrid does have a little tendency to sort of like slide on gravel and Ross hasn’t ridden a bike for at least a decade. So you can either go to up to Broadstone here, or as we’re doing, through to Upton Country Park. "You alright"? "Can you see why I like riding on a morning like this"? Normally I bang through here at a rate of knots. Obviously giving pedestrians right of way of course. When I came through here yesterday, there was a park run on. I was looking out for my mate Dougal who does running. He was here, but I didn’t see him. From Asda, it’s a pleasant ride beside Holes bay, and through Upton Country Park to Upton house. There’s a bit of history to this place. Lovely Gardens, pan over to the house. Probably cut to drone shot. Upton House was built on profits of the town’s trading links with Labrador, Canada. It was bequeathed to Poole Council in 1957, who were rather shocked by this. It was 12 years after the end of the war, and they had no budget to maintain it. So they hurriedly let it out. Their tenant was Prince Carol of Romania – A London-based carpet salesman. This didn’t work, and the tenancy ended 8 years into a 22-year agreement. He left in 1969 having done no maintenance whatsoever, leaving the council with a totally overgrown park, and a dilapidated house with no electricity or heating. The council decided to make it into a public amenity, quietly set about restoring it, and it opened in 1976. "You starting to recover a bit"? "Yeah". "So we’re downhill, then we get pretty much over there we’re back on roads. So we leave Upton Country Park, under the railway and into Hamworthy. And Ross will be very pleased that there’s no more gravel. I don’t think he’s enjoying that. Well, when I say no more gravel there one very very short bit So we just go up to there, and we head down and there’s another path all the way along. So this is another bit I like. The other side of Holes bay, Hamworthy side. All these lovely open marshes. There’s a lovely view of the reed beds. You can see Upton country Park’s over the other side, and there’s a railway along there too. "How you coping"? "So you’re not quite up for the 54 yet"? "Okay". "Let’s keep going he says. Let’s do it". "We hang a left here". Hamworthy yacht club’s on the left. Well, I think it’s Hamworthy Yacht Club. Not being a yachty person I wouldn’t know. It’s Cobs quay. I remember when that bit of land was all power station. "You won’t remember that as being power station will you"? I’m not old enough to remember it being built, but I was definitely old enough to remember it coming down again. We stood on Holes Bay road watching the towers blown up. So we’ve got to go over the twin fails, and home So we’re at the Twin Sails bridge, known locally as "Twin Fails". Very pretty, but very problematic. Opened in 2012 and beset by problems. The road surface fell off when lifted, loads of hydraulic problems and most recently bits falling off. It’s spent a lot of time in its short history out of action. Poole lifting bridge however, was opened in 1927, and apart from routine maintenance – just works. So this piece of artwork – I don’t know what it’s meant to represent, but I know what everybody THINKS it does. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind? It does look quite nice at night though. Leaving Upton House, there’s more of Upton Country Park and a bit more of Holes bay, a bit of road riding past the old power station, over twin sails, past the sculpture thingy, and back to Asda. And a quick spurt home. "You’ve done really well Ross – bet you’re knackered aren’t you"? "Yeah. When you’ve got padded arse trousers that helps". * Music *