Had my newest bike for a whole year!

Can’t believe it was a year ago today, that I got the Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc ’16 from Edinburgh Bicycle Co-Operative. Of course, I need to thank my Mum once again for getting it for me! Since getting him, he’s done 4,467.8 miles! Not been serviced once in that time! Which I do really need to change!

I will leave you with some photos of him! πŸ™‚

Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc ’16

Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc ’16

Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc '16

Vermarc Etixx Quick-Step Cycling Team

Cannondale Pro Cycling Team 2014

Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc ’16

So happy my new bike got delivered today from Edinburgh Bicycle Co-Operative. It set me back Β£550. The only reason I got it, was since my Mum give myself and my bothers Β£1,000 each, for her 70th Birthday! Think I’ve got the worlds best MUM!!! πŸ˜€

I’ve still to give it a test ride. I really wanted to give it a go today, but trying to get over a bad cold/flu bug thinly!

Of course the big question is, do I remove the bell??

13 years at the Peterborough Greyhound Stadium

OMG! I can’t believe it! I started working at the Peterborough Greyhound Stadium on the 19th April 2003. Meaning I’ve been there for a full 13 years!! Where has that time gone???

I will leave you with some photos taken over the years at work…

Red Nose Day 2005
Red Nose Day 2005

Children In Need 2006
Children In Need 2006

Children In Need 2008
Children In Need 2008

Children In Need 2009
Children In Need 2009

Bar team 2011
Bar team 2011

Children In Need 2011
Children In Need 2011

Sports Relief 2014
PBK Team Long Sleeve Skinsuit 2009

Hard at work!
Hard at work!

Children In Need 2014
Children In Need 2014 @ theDogs

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 19/04/2014

All About TWO(YouView app screenshot)The Crimson Field (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 20th April 2014)

Drama series presenting one of the untold stories of World War I. Thomas wrestles with a growing attraction to Kitty, and while he may not be making much headway with her, he is having more success on the wards with a pioneering wound irrigation system. His test subject is doing well but a fellow surgeon of the old school, Major Yelland, is dismissive of Thomas’s techniques and seems determined to bully him. Will Miles be able to placate his increasingly riled friend? Elsewhere, a terrified patient faces court martial. There is little anyone can do and yet his presence unnerves the staff and patients, a constant reminder of the perils of overstepping the rules. This warning is particularly pertinent for some, as a proud Irish NCO faces rebellion from his young protege and Joan unearths a dark secret from one of her patients.

All About TWO (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:40pm | Sunday 20th April 2014)

Quiz and celebration of 50 years of the BBC’s second channel, hosted by Dara O Briain. With Richard Osman supplying extra facts and figures, celebrity teams and guest spots from the channel’s past and present, All About TWO tells you everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the channel but didn’t know you wanted to ask.

Amazon’s Retail Revolution: Business Boomers (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 21st April 2014)

Documentary series on businesses that have boomed despite tough economic times. This episode reveals how Amazon grew from a garage business to a Β£100 billion global giant over the course of two decades, and examines how the online retailer has inspired, shaped and squeezed the rest of the retail sector. As of 2014, British people do more of their shopping online than any other nation and as this film reveals, this is largely due to the influence and success of Amazon. Whilst founder Jeff Bezos has been criticised by publishers, retailers and even the French minister of culture over the sheer size of Amazon and its practices, Amazon defends its record for providing customers with competitive prices and choice. Plus, a look at the future of Amazon as it enters new sectors such as groceries, ebooks, film production and cloud computing services.

The Ships That Made the Commonwealth (BBC 2 Scotland & BBC iPlayer only | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 21st April 2014)

Documentary series exploring the stories of four ships built on the river Clyde. In this episode, David Hayman meets some of the men who sailed on HMS Hood and travels to Scapa Flow to experience what life was like for those people working to protect the vital North Atlantic convoys. He tries his hand at riveting, in order to understand what it took to make this battlecrusier strong and watertight and investigates the flaws that were present from the very beginning.

Watermen: A Dirty Business (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 22nd April 2014)

Series focusing on the men and women who take our calls, come to unblock the drains and keep the sewage flowing. This episode is all about fat. From a clogged lift shaft in a nursing home to the sewers under Manchester’s city centre – hundreds of litres of this greasy and gross substance is poured down the drains each week in the north west and we see just how messy things can get. Manchester’s waste water treatment centre treats 714 million litres of sewage a day, from false teeth to lumps of fat the size of a small car. It can take up to a week removing the leftover grease and fat from the gigantic tanks.

Parking Mad (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 24th April 2014)

Documentary series about the world of parking, following the work of those in the public and private parking sectors and telling the stories of motorists involved in parking disputes. In this episode, West Bromwich residents are up in arms over losing the parking spaces outside their own homes – to the police. The council’s representative braves the wrath of the residents at a public meeting and has a helpful suggestion to make, but will the residents accept? In Devon, one resident drives all over the county trying to ensure that the council sticks to the letter of the parking laws. On a roadside operation in Croydon, the bailiffs try to get Β£516 off a man who says he only has a pound. Meanwhile, in Selby, local businesses and residents are outraged at the new stricter enforcement of parking controls that sees the number of parking tickets (PCNs) issued increase fivefold.

Inside Edinburgh Airport (BBC 1 Scotland/HD & BBC iPlayer only | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 24th April 2014)

The second of a two-part documentary charting how Edinburgh Airport is adapting to change under a new management team. In this edition, a flock of birds threatens to cause chaos, a full-scale emergency operation is branded chaotic by a police officer, and retailers hope for a boost in sales as Japanese tourists descend on the airport. Plus, BA unveil their new million-pound Edinburgh lounge, the biggest investment the airline has made in Scotland.

Have I Got News for You (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 9:30pm | Friday 25th April 2014)

The popular news quiz, with team captains Paul Merton and Ian Hislop, guest host Martin Clunes and guest panellists Camilla Long and Johnny Vegas.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide β€” www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

Wetsuit cycle : 19-Apr-2013

Since it was a bit on the cold side yet again. I was summer was here at long last, but good old British weather has other ideas! But at least, it give me areason to get the wetsuit on and take the following photos…

Wetsuit cycling

Wetsuit cycling

Wetsuit cycling

Check out many more photos like this at www.gordon-valentine.com/zenphoto/wetsuit-cycling/

Vlog: First multi location vlog, cycling in wetsuit

Here is my first vlog filmed in more than one location, then edited together. Since it was pissing it down, I had my wetsuit on, under my cycling gear.

Check out www.gordon-valentine.com/vlog-locations/ to see the location’s I filmed this vlog.

It was another wet day, so great for wetsuit cycling

Since it’s done just about nothing but rain for the pass two days. I made up my mind to make the most of it and put a wetsuit on and get out a nice cycle :).

More photos from this set can be found at www.gordon-valentine.com/zenphoto/me/2012/page/4

Poll: What should I wear in my next vlog?

I have just added a new poll. Which can be found on the top right of each page. This poll is about, what should I wear in my next vlog?

You can vote from three of the following:-

  • Biker leathers
  • Cycling gear (Lycra)
  • Gas mask
  • Handcuffs
  • Neoprene Sleepsack
  • Straitjacket
  • Wetsuit