[music] Simon Richardson: These voices and this tranquility
spoke of spring. They told me what an evening it was at home. I knew the blackbird was whistling
under the broad oak and farther away, some very far away, nightingales were singing in
the chill. James Lowsley-Williams: Coffees, team.
Manon Lloyd: Thanks. Conor Dunne: Thanks, mate.
James: Right, where's Si then? Conor: He's back there.
James: Back there? Why? What's he doing over there?
Manon: Poetry, I think. James: Poetry?
Manon: Go and see if he's all right. Take him his coffee.
James: Why? Simon: Under the pale lights fitly reflected
in the faces of the earliest primroses. The sound of lambs in a rookery more distant blended
in soft roaring. Edward Thomas is renowned as being one of the most profound writers
of English rural prose. During Easter 1913 he set out on a bike ride from London, heading
130 miles west over three days until he reached the coast. He did it in pursuit of spring,
leaving a wintry city behind and using his journey to search for signs for the change
of seasons and his account is one of the most moving and enjoyable I've ever read. Despite
it being 108 years old, I find it really resonates deeply with me.
James: Sorry, mate. Coffee. Simon: Legend.
James: So, what are you doing? Simon: I was just telling the viewers about
this really underrated writer from the early 20th century.
James: This isn't Radio 4, mate. Shall we get cracking?
Simon: Yes, okay. Good idea. [music]
James: Right. Are we ready, team? Team: Oh yes.
Conor: Let's do this. James: Route up. Right, shall we go?
Manon: Let's go. [music]
James: Every good ride starts out on cobbles. [music]
Manon: Oh God, he's off already. [music]
Every bike rider who lives somewhere with a distinct season knows the feeling of catching
the first glimpse of spring, bringing with it a rush of happiness and optimism. Edward
Thomas felt it and we feel it today. So in tribute to the man, we're riding in pursuit
of spring too. Riding close to 100 miles from point to point, city to seaside. Departing
from Bristol in the southwest of England and heading for the south coast and Weymouth.
Conor: Our route takes in the climbs of the Mendip hills, descending the Cheddar Gorge,
Glastonbury Tor and the neolithic new giant Cern Abbas. We then hit the terrain of another
giant, literally this time, as we ride through Thomas Hardy country and then down to the
coast where the plan is to eat fish and chips on the beach before hopefully catching the
train home. [music]
James: Now, if the dream of the first-ever spring ride wasn't enough to get you going
then this is actually our first group ride that we've been able to go on for quite a
while. Simon: Oh, yes.
James: If you can't tell, we're pretty excited, aren't we team?
Simon: Woo-hoo James: [unintelligible 00:03:14]
[music] Simon: We've just had a moment, haven't we,
Conor? It actually suddenly feels like spring. Conor: It does. The sun is coming out. The
temperature's warming up. First time in the day, shedding some layers, good feeling.
James: Yes. Conor: Woo-hoo.
[laughter] Conor: Yes.
[music] Simon: Manon, what are your ambitions for
the ride today? Manon: Well, I'm going to aim to sit in. I
do not want to touch the front. I don't want to see the wind but I do want to win at the
sprint for the fish and chip shops down the seafront.
Simon: Sounds like a solid strategy to me. [music]
Now, you don't need to be an English scholar to understand the thrust of what Thomas was
on about. You just have to be a bike rider because the passing of winter and the onset
of spring is just so important. There's the weather for a start. You always notice that
first ride where you can take your winter gloves off or you don't have to start with
overshoes and a winter jacket, but it's more than that as well. It's like the landscape
that you ride through, going from brown and grey to vivid and green and even the light
changes from pale and watery to clear and strong. It's just so exciting.
Manon: Oh, give it a rest, Si, please. Simon: Okay.
James: Yes, Si, give it a rest. Simon: Sorry, yes.
[music] Conor: We're uncaged after a winter of freezing
temperatures and misery. Manon: Absolutely lovely.
Conor: Like a daffodil blooming in the spring, reaching--
Manon: Leave the poets to Si, please. Conor: Yes, I'm sorry.
[music] James: You can do it.
[music] Conor: There it is, Glastonbury Tor. A pure
historical and geographical marvel. Now, we're riding through the Somerset Levels here and
the Tor rises rather dramatically to 518 feet. According to Arthurian legend, it's where
King Arthur was taken to recover from his mortal wounds at the battle of Camlann. Also
where his sword of Excalibur was forged. Manon: Now, that's all well and good, Conor,
but apparently there's a pretty cool festival around here. I think it's the Glastonbury
Festival. Conor: There is that. There is that festival
of frivolity. I agree, but in terms of history and geography, it's just a marvelous location.
Manon? Is it something I said? [music]
Simon: Hank, the sun is out.
James: [laughs] Oh, buddy. Simon: Look at that.
[music] Conor: There is, guys, St Michael's Tower.
A roofless tower, dating back to the 14th century and there's actually a rather a spectacular
example of a stone carving on the tower depicting Saint Brigid of Kildare, the second patroness
of Ireland and she is found to be milking a cow on the-- Guys? I'm trying to give them
a bit of history there. I better catch them up.
[music] Manon: We were all getting hungry, so it was
time for a cafe stop. [music]
Conor: Shall we rock, paper, scissors it to see who gets it?
James: Well, I don't want to pay. Manon: I don't want to pay.
Simon: Only fair. Conor: Yes, go on then. Right.
[music] James: Take one for the team.
[laughter] [music]
Simon: Edward Thomas's route went from east to west. Ours is going from north to south,
and happily, they do bisect and it's at this place here in Glastonbury which-- I don't
know how you'd describe it, Conor. It's a fairly eccentric little town, isn't it?
Conor: Yes. It's quite hard to put your finger on it. It feels a bit like a kind of melting
pot of-- Simon: weed?
Conor: Yes. Simon: If you want to buy some crystals, this
is your place. Conor: Yes, it's a great place for that.
Simon: That's my favorite crystal shop and my second favorite crystal shop is next door
and there's another really good one further up past the six crystal shops on route.
[music] James: With around 70 kilometers to go, we
really needed to pick up the pace. [music]
Simon: Hank, this is the edge of my cycling universe, right? You always have a limit as
to where you ride from home and that's the cool thing about point-to-point is it takes
you out of the known universe. The second climb of the day, that's my limit at the minute.
I'd normally turn left and go home. This point here was as far as I ever came when I was
training full-time. Beyond this is terra incognita. I don't know what's out there.
James: We are literally dropping off a cliff here, in your mind map.
Simon: We're dropping off the edge of the known cycling universe for Simon Richardson.
[music] Conor: Guys, I'm just looking at the time.
It's quarter past three now. The train leaves at quarter past five. It's getting a bit tight
if I'm honest. Simon: That does sound quite tight because
we've got, what? 50-something K to go? Conor: Yes.
Simon: And we want our fish and chips. Conor: Yes, and a swim.
Simon: Oh God, in pursuit of spring, it's changed into in pursuit of the train.
Conor: Yes, it is. If we miss it, well, did I tell you that the next train's at eight
o'clock? Simon: Eight o'clock? Oh God.
Conor: Come on, guys. Let's go. Simon: You know what's quite sad about Edward
Thomas? James: Hit me.
Simon: He was 37, my age, so he was too old for conscription into the army but he volunteered
instead and died fighting in the trenches in 1917. His ride took place three days later
in the year compared to ours. 108 years ago, March 21st he set out. 15% according to my
Wahoo. James: Lazy Williams dancing on the pedals.
Simon: Like Contador. Conor: I'm not getting dropped, I just picked
some wild garlic which is quite prolific to the area, actually. Like the shade, short
season. [music]
Where did this come from? That was a steep one guys.
James: Hobbit cam. How you feeling? Conor: Hobbit cam, secretly I'm actually suffering
quite a lot. The form was good for an hour, but now, wheels coming off a little bit, but
hanging in there. Going strong. A few history lessons to come as well, so watch out.
[music] After 120 kilometers in the saddle we're starting
to feel the first hints of fatigue, but nevertheless, I decide it's time for one last history lesson.
James: Oh my God. [music]
Conor: Guys I'm so glad you've stopped here because this is a rather fine example of a
chalk hill figure. Now, it's actually 180 feet long.
James: Which bit of him? Conor: The whole figure. It's actually the
largest in Britain. As you can see, it depicts a nude figure wielding a club with a rather
prominent erection. [laughter]
Fuck it. It's got a rather prominent erection, okay? There's a disputed theory about why
this is on the hillside. So most evidence points to it being created in the 17th century
as a parody of Oliver Cromwell. It was commissioned by the gentlemen who own this land and there's
also a theory about what it does to people. People think it's kind of associated with
fertility, so if you're struggling to conceive, what they say is you go to Cern Abbas, you
have sexual intercourse on the hill figure and if you actually do it on the phallus--
[laughter] James: On the what, Conor?
Conor: If you have sex on the hill figure, particularly on the phallus, you will boost
your chances of conceiving. So couples have been coming here for centuries.
Simon: Literally. Conor: Yes.
[laughter] Okay, history lesson over for this one.
Simon: Onwards. James: Good history lesson, buddy.
[music] Simon: Piddle Lane. Genius.
Conor: It is warm. I'm perspiring. Simon: What are you doing mate?
Conor: I'm getting really hot, actually. I was really sweating. I've got a merino base
layer on because in Bristol it was so cold. Just had a little moment here so I thought
I'd just make the most of it. I'm just going to change a few clothes, reduce the layers
and make the most of the sunshine. And at a quite busy junction, so probably not the
best place for a change. Simon: We've made it to Dorchester. As you
might be able to tell from the length of the shadows, time's getting on. Conor, can we
have a train update? Conor: Train update, 40 minutes until it leaves.
Simon: How many K have we got to do, 20? Conor: About 20 kilometers.
Simon: Go on, Conor? Conor: I'm just trying not to admit to Hank,
but I do have a shaky feeling in the legs, but I'm trying to poker face it as I have
done for most of my cycling life. Simon: So basically you're saying you've blown
your doors? Conor: Yes.
[laughter] Simon: Look at that. Manon framed against
the beautiful south coast. Manon: Been waiting for this all day.
[music] Simon: We went in pursuit of spring, Conor.
What we found is not only spring, but the Riviera. The English Riviera, mind, but still,
we're cutting it mighty fine. Admittedly it's only 7 K, but we've got to buy tickets, we've
got to find the station. I've got this plumbed into the seafront, not the station.
Manon: What about the fish and chips? Simon: Forget the fish and chips, Manon.
Manon: No. Conor: Come on guys.
Simon: Oh yes. This is perfect for a lead out. Right, come on, Manon.
James: That's right, Manon. You've got to sprint.
Conor: Get in behind the giant. Thankfully I'm not nude on this drive. Manon take my
card. You take the money, Manon. Come on. Go. Go.
[music] Simon: There she goes, there she goes. Yes,
what a beautiful victory. Well done, Manon. That looked like quite a comfortable win in
the end. James: Yes.
Simon: We made it. [cheering]
Conor: We're on the sea. It's beautiful as well.
Simon: That is actually nicer than I was expecting, if I'm honest.
Conor: Absolutely beautiful. Simon: Bristol to Weymouth in pursuit of spring.
That is cool as, isn't it? What a first epic ride of the year.
Manon: For a second, we completely forgot about making the train home.
Simon: Right, time check. How long have we got to go to the train.
Conor: Cutting it really fine now, Si. James: We're going the wrong direction.
Simon: What? James: We're going the wrong direction. We've
got to do a U-ey. Genuinely, we've got to do a U-ey.
Simon: U-turn. Quick, quick, quick, turn around. [music]
Oh God, quick. We are not going to miss this train. We are not going to miss it. Okay,
we might do it. We got four minutes. [music]
There it is, there's the station. James: Have we made it? [unintelligible 00:17:22]
Manon: Is that a train to Bristol? Train Attendant: [unintelligible 00:17:27]
Simon: No. James: Are you kidding?
Train Attendant: It just went. Manon: When's the next one?
Train Attendant: About another two hours. James: No.
Simon: It's not the end of the world is it, missing the train?
Manon: No. Worked out quite well, really. We've got fish and chips.
Simon: You can eat a lot of fish and chips in two hours.
Conor: Honestly the best fish and chips I've ever had, and also, I've got my Cern Abbas
sausage. Simon: You and your sausage.
Conor: It's as good as it looks. Manon: Great ending.
Simon: Well, I got to say, the first epic ride of the year, that did not disappoint.
That absolutely smashed the expectations. James: Who's got the stats?
Manon: Not to brag, but I got 19 QOMs. James: What?
Manon: Yes. Simon: 19 QOMs. Fair play. We were shifting
going down there. James: Top speed 75 K an hour. Not bad. Average
28, not too bad Simon: It was a lot of stopping. Well, hopefully
you have enjoyed this video even half as much as we've enjoyed the ride. Please give the
video a big thumbs up. We'll probably still be here waiting for the train by the time
you watch this. James: Oh we will.
Manon: It's going to get dark soon. Simon: Yes, actually that's our helicopter.
We're sorted. [00:18:58] [END OF AUDIO]