You Tube Footage Of The Ride

Watch the bike riders cycling their way over to the Copenhagen on YOU TUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_jXgiuA6Pc

The Arrival

Our final morning was marked by light clouds and fierce North Easterly wind. The route was a little more complicated than previous days and I navigated carefully only to arrive at our coffee stop 20 minutes ahead of everybody. (This included me over shooting a turn by 500m and stopping to take a photo of some swans on the salt lakes as we took a cycle path up the coast.) I was just about to set off for the home stretch into Copenhagen when we were informed that our route into the city was blocked by police. We took the main roads instead and arrived late for our grand entrance. People did cheer us on and there was a small crowd to greet us as we arrived at the Cathedral square. The police had apparently moved on a sizable crowd, but the Archbishop of Canterbury was in among the few who remained. I then made a quick change into my marching outfit. We joined the coach loads of Christian Aid campaigners at the main march. It was a diverse mix of campaigning groups including a very vocal bunch of students calling for nothing short of revolution. The anarchists passed by and probably made up the bulk of the reported 300 arrests later in the afternoon. One of our group was on hand and described how the police moved in on a specific group while informing the other marchers that they were acting to keep them safe. As darkness fell the temperatures dropped and we didn't make it to the Bella Centre where the talks are being held. Sunday morning was marked by a symbolic handing over of some half a million petitions calling for climate justice. We had noone less than Archbishop Desmond Tutu handing them over to the UNFCCC chief. This was shortly followed by the ecumenical service in the Cathedral. We queued up in the cold with several hundred others while hordes of dignitaries were channelled in front of us. I had a seat right at the back with a big TV camera behind my shoulder. The format and choice of hymns was very good. The Queen of Denmark arrived along with some politicians but they were all sidelined by the church leaders taking part. Archbishop Rowan gave the address entitled "Love conquers all fear". It was simple and effective. The highlight for me was a choir from Greenland. This reminded me that Climate Change is very much a reality for the Danish in remote parts of their nation.

Letter of Solidarity Delivered

Ben hands over a letter of solidarity from President of the Methodist Church in Britain, to Golam Rabbani, from Climate Action Network in Bangladesh: http://tinyurl.com/ycfqrfz (The pictures of Golam and Ben were taken this morning.) Here is what Revd David Gamble, President of the Methodist Church in Britain, wrote in the letter: Dear Golam, As world leaders meet this week in Copenhagen to discuss the action they will take on one of the most pressing moral issues of our time, I write to express the solidarity of the Methodist Church in Britain with the people of Bangladesh. Your country has already endured the suffering of extreme weather conditions. Church leaders along with many Christian people joined other concerned organisations and individuals in a very well supported and publicised demonstration of concern on Saturday 6th December, when more than 40,000 people took to the streets of London. During that afternoon, representatives met with our Prime Minister and the Government minister who is taking the lead on this issue at Copenhagen. The demonstration was preceded by a service in Westminster Methodist Central Hall, attended by around 2,000 people. At this service we heard first hand from Umme Kulsum (Prodipan, Bangladesh) about what is already happening in your country. She confirmed what we have already read in media reports stating that climate change experts are aware that Bangladesh is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. We continue to hold the people of Bangladesh in our prayers as we take actions to change our own lives, as individuals and as churches. May your work continue to help contribute towards a sustainable future. Yours sincerely, Revd David Gamble President of the Methodist Church in Britain.

A Biting Wind

It was still dark when we gathered for our second day of cycling. The front of the hotel was a blaze of fluorescent jackets as other guests came down for breakfast. The previous evening had given us some maintenance time on our bikes followed by a fun group time. This included a quiz which much to my team's shock, we won! The rain subsided overnight and it was just a question of how cold the wind was going be. It was distinctly colder that our cycling through suffolk and essex. It ranged between 3 and 6 degrees C depending on whether we were in the open countryside and the towns. The wind was almost in our faces, a biting North Easterly. We were straight into the countryside our route initially took us over gentle hills with few hedges. After our first pit stop we cycled through the centre of Odense. Despite it being a large urban area the cycle paths rapidly conveyed us though to our lunch stop at a church on the other side. My morning had been jaded by a pair of punctures. Thankfully one of the support team stayed behind to keep me company. It cost us almost half an hour, but we made good progress and caught up the back markers. The last stint was the most gruelling. The wind had picked up and the temperature was dropping. Three of us teamed up and made good progress sheltering behind each other. Again coming into the finish we took a wrong turn. With the insurmountable obstacle of a railway line, we were able to find our whereabouts on the and correct our error. To our surprise we arrived first of all the cyclists including those who had left early from lunch. As the last bike was being loaded onto the van, the sleet started to fall. In the relative warmth of the minibuses we transferred to our hostel for the night.

Safely to Harwich

Following the briefing and some group photos, we set off from Stansted at 8.30am. The first two hours were at a modest pace and from our bikes we introduced ourselves. The group came from all over the Great Britain. But if anything, I think I have identified a Westcountry bias to the group. Much to our delight there were elements of a cooked breakfast at our first pit stop. I was very pleased to have arrived 4th and thereforenot last. Before the muscles seized up we were back on the trail. The route not only came in a compact book but was also marked with bright yellow arrows. One group, overshot a turn and sadly missed the first break. (They've been referring to themselves as 'the breakaway group') But I caught them up and refrained from telling them about all the things they had missed out on. Everybody safely made it to lunch in the car park next to Dedham Mill. The beauty spot known from a number of John Constable paintings. There was one puncture and one split tyre amongst the group during the morning. An unnamed individual did fall off their bike, but they were apparently stationary at the time! The last 15 miles involved more of the long medium-gradient hills, but always rewarded by a speedy bit of coasting afterwards. I was cycling on my own for much of the afternoon and this gave me time to muse on how the countryside has changed since Constable painted his famous Haywain. I was just thinking about the lack of horse drawn transport that makes the central subject of this picture when around the corner came this horse and trap. The approach to the dockside meant going into central Harwich. I hadn't consulted my map and following me nose, arrived in Old Harwich, the old port with a stone lighthouse. With no ferry in sight, I knew I had made a wrong turn. In fact I had overshot the terminal by well over a mile and had just strayed off my printed map. Doubling back, I soon found my way to the rendezvous. Having stowed our bikes, we checked in for the ferry. Though there were police at the customs area, none of our group were identified as troublesome elements and we were able to get showered and fed for an early night in our cosy cabins.

The packing is done

There is always a time for talking, but now it's time for the action!

I have finished the packing. There were some hard choices between the sensible cycling gear and my rather bulky creature comforts. Everything looks in place and all I have to do is wake up on time. A staggering 4.45am to get to the start on time. The good news is that my bike is in good shape having been serviced over the weekend. The uncertainty is how good a shape am I? I think the first day won't be too punishing and we'll have time to recover on the ferry. That's assuming we aren't tossed around in stormy seas.

I have looked at the weather, and the MET office guys have given some rather positive projections on what to expect. Cloudy tomorrow, but for our big day of cycling on Friday, some calm, clear and crisp anticyclone winter glory!

All I have to do is get a good night's sleep and then get on my bike!

The Wave

The Wave yesterday was a great day out. It all started off with a simple ecumenical service in Central Hall Westminster. The hall itself was at full capacity and several hundred were prevented from joining the 2000+ people inside. After the service folks headed up to the start point in Grosvenor Square. With everybody spread around the edge, it wasn't easy to get an idea how large the march was. Leading the way was an open-topped campaign bus with a girl leading some chants. I would like to say she was doing a great job, but her voice was getting hoarse and it was actually quite abrasive. (maybe that's the point?) I decided to stay quite mobile and managed to find the Methodist President and Vice President near the front. The march drew to a close around Parliament, but on both sides of the river. Once this giant loop had been brought together I decided to track down some of my friends. As they were near the back I headed towards the start point on my bike only to find the end of the march was still over a mile away, outside Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly. That's impressive! With my event manager hat on, I estimated over 50,000, so it was a little frustrating to have the figure of 20,000 quoted by the police. (I am guessing they didn't want to admit that they only prepared for that number, and a few more turned up.) And just to remind us what we were marching for, at 4pm it started to rain. I have to confess I took cover in a pub, where I found a warming drink and a mince pie.