SEASON'S GREETINGS

No wonder the sun was seen as a god by the ancient races. Agriculture and life itself depended on its benediction. It was so important that, to mark is passage, 5000 years ago, a long forgotten people built Stonehenge. The alignments of the mid summer and mid winter solstices can be seen from the stones.

Many now believe that the mid winter one was seen as the most important to those peoples. The gradual darkening of their days towards winter must have filled superstitious folk with terror as the sun "left them." Thus that mid winter solstice must have been the cause of great celebration as the priests "recaptured" the sun and brought it back to them.

When the fledgling Christians decided to superimpose their feast days on the old Pagan ones it must have seemed natural that their most important one, the birth of their Christ, should coincide with that mid winter solstice.

I tend to experience SAD symptoms at this dull time of year, so the lengthening of the days after 21st December gives me a shot of pagan joy. Slowly at first but then quickening, the the light at mornings and evenings increases - over the next 6 weeks we shall get 33 minutes of longer daylight. It cannot lengthen fast enough for me!

So Seasons Greetings to my readers. These times seem somewhat stark, so I am signing off with not a pretty Christmas carol, but "Fairytale of New York", by The Pogues, with Kirsty MacColl. Its opening lyrics are:

It was Christmas Eve babe

In the drunk tank

An old man said to me

Won't be seeing another one

And then he sang a song

The Rare Old Mountain Dew

I turned my face away

And dreamed about you.

Got on a lucky one

Came in at eighteen to one

I've got a feeling

This year's for me and you

So happy Christmas

I love you baby

I can see a better time

When all our dreams come true.

They've got cars big as bars

They've got rivers of gold

But the wind goes right through you

It's no place for the old

When you first took my hand

On a cold Christmas Eve

You promised me

Broadway was waiting for me

You were handsome

You were pretty

Queen of New York City

When the band finished playing

They howled out for more

Sinatra was swinging

All the drunks they were singing

We kissed on a corner

Then danced all night...

EMPEROR'S NEW ( Cycling) CLOTHES

Winter cycling is always cold. In the good old days, when I was cycling on a "proper" bike and generated my own heat it was less so than now. Now means using an ebike as a stroke has left me with a weak left leg. Easier to ride, but less extra heat is generated so more clothing layers are needed to keep the winter at bay.

Recently, reaching my 80th birthday, I decided to treat myself to some new cold weather cycling kit from the top down. I have an odd shaped skull (narrow front to back) so the usual head measurements work wrongly for cycle helmets, which seem to assume everyone has a round head. Although I have experimented in the past I have never found a comfortable one. So in 65 years of club/touring cycling I have always gone bare headed or with a baseball cap. However, whilst "present" buying I decided to try another helmet which is "one size - adjustable". I deemed it wise to get one so other road users might see me coming, so opted for a fluorescent yellow Centro Commuter Cycling Helmet

Helmets have cutaways for ventilation - not a good idea during the winter, but useful in hot weather, also my ears are in danger of frostbite at this time of year, so a Mavic Winter Underhelmet seemed desirable. This particular make provides side slots for specs, thus saving them being pushed between the underhelmet and skull and creating draughts,

Now the main man needed addressing (or dressing). I needed a warm base layer so opted for a Thermal Long Sleeve Fleece Lined Base Layer 

A thick shirt of some kind will go over this but I decided to get a roomy, thermal top layer in the form of a Funkier Tornado  TPU Thermal Jacket

There was a time, long, long ago when the lads in my cycling club eschewed long leg protection in winter and continued in shorts (although we did succumb to knee length socks when it got really cold). These days my 80 year old arthritic knees (probably contributed to by that youthful machismo) demand long cycling trousers in winter and even then, when it's coldest, thermal "long john" pants go underneath. So a new pair of Tenn Waterproof Breathable Cycling Trousers were added to the order

Finally, I have always found mitts are warmer in winter than gloves and I raided the local golf club's shop for a new pair of Nike Cold Weather Golf Mitts since my old ones needed renewal.

Some might say "why bother" when the weather is cold and inclement, but I find it gets me out, gives me exercise (albeit less than "real" cycling) as the legs need to revolve to keep the ebike going. I can view the countryside up close and interact with people along the way or when "coffee stopping" . Better, by far, than vegetating in an armchair! Some lines from one of my favourite poems, A. E. Housman's "A Shropshire Lad" come to mind:

Clay lies still, but blood's a rover;

Breath's a ware that will not keep.

Up, lad: when the journey's over

There'll be time enough to sleep.