About the only good thing about this time of year. Other than my birthday, of course! Is now it’s starting to get colder, I can start cycling wearing wetsuits again!
UK TV programmes to watch this week : 30/09/2023
Endurance: Race to the Pole (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 2nd October 2023) ** NEW SERIES **
The Discovery Expedition, 1901-1904. Series 1, episode 1. Ben and Dwayne Fields tackle the trials and tribulations faced by the expeditions racing to become the first to reach the South Pole at the beginning of the 20th century, experience decisive moments that saw Roald Amundsen reach the pole first, Ernest Shackleton become a seasoned explorer and Robert Falcon Scott reach the pole only to die on the return journey. In the opeining episode, Ben and Dwayne land on Antarctica and transition from modern polar explorers into their historical clothes and follow in the footsteps of Britain’s three-year-long Discovery expedition, which began in 1901.
Norfolk and Suffolk (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 8:58pm | Wednesday 4th October 2023)
At a Second World War airbase in Norfolk, 30 members of the Women’s Institute take to the air with the Norfolk Gliding Club. Elsewhere at Thetford Forest, Geoff Scrivens and his team erect two giant tipis in time for a wedding, which takes place as the sun begins to set, and in Lowestoft in Suffolk, the 77ft fishing smack Excelsior is readying for sea.
Celebrity Race Across the World (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 4th October 2023) ** PICK OF THE WEEK **
As they approach the halfway point, the teams must travel from the Mediterranean island of Corsica to the third checkpoint in Zermatt, a mountain resort in the Swiss Alps. Harry Judd and his mother Emma hold a slim one-hour lead having jumped from last place to first place in the previous leg. The pair plan their route to Zermatt via Italy where they take a horseback tour of Lake Como which reawakens Emma’s childhood passion while Mel Blatt and her mum Helene opt for a route through France. Billy Monger and his sister Bonny decide to have some fun after a challenging last leg but Bonny will need some convincing to go with Billy’s caving idea. Alex Beresford and his dad Noel arrive at the checkpoint over 24 hours after the race leaders but are determined to catch up.
Grand Designs (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 4th October 2023)
North Lincolnshire 2023. Series 23, episode 2. Kevin McCloud meets college deputy principal Danny who plans on building a four-bedroom house in his garden in North Lincolnshire. He plans to build a stylish, sustainable but affordable home among the trees with dramatic bedroom pods raised on steel stilts on the edge of a fishing pond to help his three children connect to nature. With plenty of ambition but no experience as a self-builder, his £300,000 budget doesn’t seem to match the scale of his project.
Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 5th October 2023)
In a Split Second. Series 8, episode 2. In Whitby, north Yorkshire, the crew race to the rescue of two fossil hunters who are cut off by the tide – and soon find that they too are in grave danger. On Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, in Swanage, a trainee yachtsman has suffered a mysterious head injury and is in need of urgent treatment.
All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 5th October 2023) ** NEW SERIES **
Broodiness. Series 4, episode 1. Return of the drama, starring Nicholas Ralph and Samuel West. It is Spring 1940, and without Tristan, Skeldale House is busier than ever. James and Helen dream about the future, hoping that he won’t be called up. And a chance encounter with young lad, Wesley Binks, leaves James worrying if his dog, Duke, is being mistreated.
Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 6th October 2023) ** NEW SERIES **
Pennines and Northumberland. Series 6, episode 1. The comedian returns for a fresh batch of adventures, beginning with a trip to the northeast corner of England, taking in the Pennines and Northumberland coast. Susan enjoys a stretch of Heritage Coast and the rolling countryside of the North Pennines. She also explores the Northumberland National Park.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.
WOW! That’s me now 44!
WOW! I turn 44 on Friday!!
WOW! I turn 44 this Friday!! Where does the time go?!?!
Want to make my Birthday even better?!?! Please, do check out my Amazon wishlists:-
Well that was another “fun” cycle!!
UK TV programmes to watch this week : 23/09/2023
Badgers: Their Secret Worlds (Channel 5/HD | 7:00pm to 7:55pm | Wednesday 27th September 2023) ** NEW SERIES **
Part one of two. Steve Backshall reveals the secret lives of badgers in the UK, with hidden cameras following their every move both inside and outside of their badger setts. In the Gloucestershire countryside, Steve has a wonderful wild badger encounter, and later, a young cub recovers from a terrible injury at a rescue centre.
Celebrity Race Across the World (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 27th September 2023) ** PICK OF THE WEEK **
Mel Blatt and her mother Helene get a head start as the celebrities head to the second checkpoint in Bonifacio on the island of Corsica. Weatherman Alex Beresford, who is competing with his father Noel, is determined to finish ahead of racing pundit Billy Monger and his sister Bonny who narrowly beat them to the first checkpoint while drummer Harry Judd and his mum Emma just want to get out of last place.
Badgers: Their Secret Worlds (Channel 5/HD | 7:00pm to 7:55pm | Thursday 28th September 2023)
Part two of two. Cameras continue to follow the Bluebell badgers, watching the cubs head out on an adventure for the first time. Deep in the specially rigged sett, the life of Peggy and her cubs continues to captivate – the youngsters are growing up fast and are becoming a handful.
Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 28th September 2023) ** NEW SERIES **
Training to Save Lives. Series 8, episode 1. In Calshot, the crew’s medical training is tested to the limit as they respond to a young man who has lost consciousness in a jetski accident. Jon, the full-time coxswain at Dover, needs all of his experience to rescue two anglers who are in danger of being washed off a pier.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.
Well that was a “fun” 14 mile cycle!!
UK TV programmes to watch this week : 16/09/2023
Living Next Door to Putin (BBC 1/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 19th September 2023)
Katya Adler continues her journey along the Russian border, going from Estonia into snowy Scandinavia. In Finland, a country scarred by past war, she discovers a state of hyper-preparedness as she delves deep into the bunkers beneath Helsinki. In Norway she discovers a more relaxed attitude but one where personal relationships are breaking down in all sorts of ways.
Norfolk and Suffolk (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 8:58pm | Wednesday 20th September 2023)
On the Norfolk coast, cameras following surfing instructor Duncan Borretton on Cromer Beach leads a group of beginners into the wild North Sea. Elsewhere on West Runton Beach, paleontologist Dr David Waterhouse unearths fossils dating back millions of years, and painter Ed Cooper hopes to capture the special Suffolk light that so captivated Gainsborough and Constable long ago.
Celebrity Race Across the World (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 20th September 2023) ** NEW SERIES + PICK OF THE WEEK **
Four famous faces are each partnered by a family member on a 10,000km race from Africa to the Arctic, ditching their luxury and learning to travel on a limited budget. Taking part are McFly drummer Harry Judd and his mother Emma, racing driver and pundit Billy Monger and his sister Bonny, All Saints singer Melanie Blatt and her mum Helene and broadcaster Alex Beresford with his father Noel.
Monster: The Mystery of Loch Ness (Channel 5/HD | 10:00pm to 00:00am | Friday 22nd September 2023)
The definitive story of Loch Ness and the monster that purportedly lurks there. The programme makes detailed forensic examination of evidence of its existence, both photographic, film, anecdotal and cultural, as well as first-hand stories from those who claim to have seen the monster.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.
Middle of September 2023 most popular photos
Below are the top five most looked at photos on this website so far during September 2023.
Number 1 (87 views) : Myself at Clifford’s Tower
Number 2 (85 views) : Hunter inline skinsuit Team Britain 2018
Number 3 (28 views) : Hunter inline skinsuit Team Britain 2018
Number 4 (25 views) : Hunter inline skinsuit Team Britain 2018
Number 5 (22 views) : Hunter inline skinsuit Team Britain 2018
Love these photos? Many more at www.gordon-valentine.com/zenphoto/me/2023/
Only the second cycle in white Lycra during 2023
WOW! This is only one second cycle of the whole of 2023, wearing white Lycra! Yes, the other cycle was yesterday!
You can check out the route at www.strava.com/activities/9820840446