A lot has changed in London over the past 125 years but it's good to see Cycling continues to be as popular now as it was back in 1895. The Clarion socialist newspaper which was largely responsible for the creation of the Clarion Cycling Clubs today gives us a great insight into the formation of the London Clarion Cycling club. On Saturday 25th May 1895 the Clarion newspaper declares that 'the South London "Clarion" Cycling Club is now an accomplished fact, and has commenced operations'. A Clarion Call was made to "All Cycling Socialists from Erith to Clapham and from Blackheath to Croydon sh ..read more

Mont Blong described the events of Easter `Sunday, 14th April 1895, in the following week's Clarion [newspaper] .... we marched two-hundred strong to Dove Dale. Preceded by the (Potteries) Clarion bugler, the Clarion Scouts took the open road in fine style and as they passed the market-place raised a Clarion whoop, which so alarmed the Yeomanry who were preparing for a church-parade, that one or two dropped off their perches.' The first Annual Conference of Clarion Cycling Clubs started about 1pm on the lawn just outside the Izaak Walton Hotel in Dovedale. Dangle was in the chair, "which offi ..read more

Talking About It   I carried on talking about the ride, and raised a little more money in doing so, to various groups, including  Strawberry Thieves Three branches of Unite the Union Bromley Trades Council   Special Meeting/Attila the Stockbroker   We arranged a special local event at New Cross Learning to give a slide show and talk about the ride to local Stop the War, CND and Friends of Palestine and other friends, with food and entertainment.   I asked the poet and musician Attila the Stockbroker if he would be able to provide some of the latter, and he not only agreed, but decided that he ..read more

Own Bikes   On the way out through Tel Aviv, whatever the profiling may have been on the way in, they seemed to focus more on the people with their own bikes, who were delayed and checked much more thoroughly.   I obviously have an honest face, and went through without a single question (actually not so on a more recent trip to Palestine).   The Flight   We were on a British Airways flight from Tel Aviv to London, which was delayed by an hour specifically of the time it took for our group to get through.  We didn’t expect to be too popular for many reasons.   One of the more talkative cyclist ..read more

Refugees in Palestine   Many Palestinians live in refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere, but many also live in refugee camps in Palestine, having been expelled from parts of Palestine that are now Israel.   About 560 000 live in camps in the Gaza strip, and about 230 000 live in camps in the West Bank.  One of the latter is Aida Camp in Bethlehem.   It is said to be the most tear gassed community in the world.   The Key Symbol   The key is symbolic. Many Palestinians keep the key to the home that they were thrown out of, even though it’s unlikely to have the same door or lock if it’s ..read more

​Shuhada Street   Palestinians can’t go down this street, but we were allowed to, as are the occasionally muscular settler jogging up and down. This was once a busy market ..read more

Hebron   The remaining sections of the market are walled off from the rest of what used to be busy market streets, and are now referred to as the Ghost Town. Some Palestinians still live in the Ghost Town, although there are many streets where Palestinians are not allowed to walk, and many more where they are not allowed to drive. To get to the Ghost Town, you have to go through one of the checkpoints, like this one. At this checkpoint to get from the remains of the existing market into the ghost town, we are asked if anyone was Muslim.     Even once through, soldiers again as ..read more

Hebron   It was right to come to Hebron late on. In most of the West Bank, the settlements are out of town, surrounding the towns.  As the “resting place” of Abraham, Hebron is of particular significance to the most extreme of the religious settlers.     There is a settlement in the heart of town, with about 500 settlers guarded by about 2000 soldiers. The settlers themselves wander around in everyday clothes carrying large automatic weapons.  It feels completely deranged.     Any other city, even in Palestine, with such a history and so many ancient sights would be bustling with tourists and ..read more

Bethlehem ..read more

Barriers   I spent a day out of cycling/trekking to visit some projects with Tom.  This involved being in a taxi, from where this image of a settlement behind the wall was taken Palestinian taxis cannot travel everywhere.  To cross into Jerusalem, they have to have Israeli plates, but that’s not always enough.   The road that can be seen in the next image is of a road that only vehicles with Israeli plates can use. Our driver told us that, even though he has Israeli plates, he was stopped on this road because he was a Palestinian who wasn’t carrying an Israeli passenger. Bethl ..read more