Autumn camping

I wandered along to St Paul's last week. I was interested to see the Occupy the London Stock Exchange campsite for myself. It was a very cheery place to be. There was a first aid tent and a legal tent, a food tent and a piano tent. A library and a tent university. There were lots of people, some of them demonstrators, some of them onlookers and quite a lot of media. The demonstrators were quite happy to chat to everyone and the whole feel was very sociable. The health and safety conversations had begun; tents were being moved, barriers had been put up to ensure that fire exits were clear. The barriers were being decorated with flowers and pieces of ribbon.

There are lots of signs and drawings (all hand written/drawn)- and it seemed lots of points of view. Whilst the protesters have been criticised for the lack of clarity in their demands, I liked the 'another world is possible' tape that was around the site - it's surely time to think of alternatives.

It was very cheering to see St Paul's surrounded with so many people. Having people living close to the cathedral seemed to feel true to its history. There would have been lots of people and stalls around churches and cathedrals. They used to be living places and not just buildings to be looked at. By comparison, Paternoster Square (now the home of the Stock Exchange) was empty and seemed sterile. Now it's full of police and security guards watching the protesters (from the safety of their barriers).

I've been asked to leave the square for taking photos in the past. It was a couple of years ago and I hadn't actually realised that the Stock Exchange was there until I was asked to leave. I was taking a photo of the Elizabeth Frink statue when the security guard told me that no-one was allowed to take photographs. Our 'free country' has all sorts of rules and these days a lot of them seem to be about preventing people taking photos.

The day of my visit was the day when the church was beginning to complain about the loss of visitors and I thought I'd pop in and add some cash to their coffers. It was easy enough to get into the cathedral. There were more people around than usual but no risk to my health and safety (or anyone else's). But I was rather shocked to find that it costs nearly fifteen quid to visit (£14.50) which seemed a bit steep when I only had half an hour to spare.

But it did make me wonder whether it was the money that was bothering the Cathedral. Perhaps not surprisingly, if you check out their list of Patrons and Supporters it includes most of the banks and the London Stock Exchange.

Sunday 9 October – Salisbury to London

My mother and I go to a Woodfair at the Larmer Tree on Cranborne Chase (an area of outstanding natural beauty). It’s beautiful day although a big breezy which means that the barn owls can’t fly. I’d rather like to become a falconer and like to watch the birds fly – one of these days I will get around to doing a course (it’s been the only thing on Groupon that’s ever really appealed).

There are lots of people and lots of dogs. Dogs and people of all shapes and sizes, including an enthusiastic three-legged terrier who bounces along but seems a cheery little thing. There are stalls and displays, things to buy and things to eat and drink.

There is also a village from 1068 – lots of people dressed up and with a small encampment – spinning, cooking, wood carving and a long boat. This is the area of the fair that seems to be attracting the biggest crowds. People are fascinated to find out what the group do and some seem keen to sign up themselves. As I’ve travelled I’ve seen various re-enactors. Georgians as well as the usual Civil War types and it seems to be becoming increasingly popular. And people seem to take it all very seriously. It’s not just about dressing up, it’s about how they lived, and their craft skills.

History seems to be becoming an ever bigger business and important for tourism and regeneration. Towns and cities package and sell their history as a means of continuing to make money. Whilst there is plenty that looks to the past, there is much less about the future. In all my travels only one museum has talked about the future (Swansea).

And now it’s time to return home to London. My car in chaos and many bags to be unpacked. As always I return full of good intentions to keep writing my blog, but it rarely lasts more than a few days so we shall see.

Saturday 9 October - Ledbury to Salisbury

Ledbury is abuzz when I go out to wander round. It’s the first place I’ve been to where there are foreign tourists – all good for the economy. It’s a pretty main street with lots of half-timbered buildings (and the usual housing estates and ring road behind). There are lots of shops selling pretty things aimed at tourists and some for the locals as well. There is a market and lots of apples – this is good orchard country – and I stock up on lots of different varieties of local apples. It all seems rather lovely and idyllic and I wonder why these towns seem to be able to deal with change when others have been decimated.

This part of the world was part of the first industrial revolution – the world of sheep and wool. So I guess it’s had time to adapt and scale down to fit the times. Perhaps the old 19th century cities will eventually find their right size and the challenge is to work out what to get rid of rather than trying to conserve things. There seemed to be a lot of knocking down going on in Stoke-on-Trent.

I drive through Malvern but still struggle to find somewhere to stop. Here it all looks very Edwardian; large houses along the hill line looking out across the plains. Elgar’s music seems to hang in the air (and the business part is called the ‘Enigma Business Park’. Then I zigzag my way from the Malverns to the Cotswolds. It’s rich countryside and there are orchards and many, many polytunnels – so while the British economy has transformed itself, in these parts there is still plenty of farming.

And as I get into the Cotswolds, there are increasing numbers of tourists. There are coachloads of Japanese and Europeans as well as British tourists. It’s difficult to find anywhere to park. The steep single street old town centres were not built to deal with large numbers of tourists. There are still sheep in the fields but although prices are better than they were, most farmers need more than one job to keep going. It used to be said that a farm will keep a family, now they say it takes a family to keep a farm. Judging by the farmers’ markets, bags of hay for pet bedding (which sell at vastly higher prices that bales of hay) there are plenty of people living in a multi-job world.

I stop in Bourton-on-the-Water for lunch and petrol and find neither. The density of tourists increases here. Long ago I went to school here and it’s not massively changed. It was a tourist spot even then and somewhere I have photos taken at the model village. But the quest for petrol is becoming more urgent. It is one of the ironies of our reliance on cars that there are fewer petrol stations. There are now petrol stations only on main roads and at supermarkets but you can go for miles in the countryside without finding a petrol station. I drive on backroads if at all possible and by the time I get to Burford the needle is getting alarming low – but I find no petrol – I drive cautiously to Lechlade but still no petrol. By this time I need local advice – Farringdon (7 miles) or Fairford (3 miles), so Fairford it is. With the confidence of a full tank of petrol I'm heading to Salisbury and an enthusiastic welcome from the dog.

Friday 7 October – Trentham Gardens – Ledbury

Trentham Gardens is a 21st century space. The house and gardens are old and have been regenerated. In addition there is a shopping village, a garden centre, the hotel where I’ve been staying and a Monkey Forest (about a mile away). The car parks are large, so large that I end up driving from the hotel car park to the shopping village car park and then to the garden centre car park (it was raining quite hard). I am slightly wary about taking photographs, I have a hunch that there may be restrictions here as well. There is a mix of shops: an organic deli, several art shops, clothes shops (Superdry and Weird Fish are both here), newsagent, cafes – all in what seem to be large and sophisticated sheds. But it’s Doggie Fashion that catches my eye. Sadly it’s not open so I can’t see the full range but there are little pink coats with sparkly things on them exactly like those for children. The signs say there is a dog bakery and I can see the dog ice cream freezer. There is a bowl for water outside and a sign saying ‘wet and muddy dogs not welcome’ – although it is kind enough allow clean and dry dogs. A lot of dog walkers seem to come to the gardens and there is a Tibetan terrier that looks very happy to be wet and muddy (obviously not a shopper).

Gardening supplies are relegated to a small part of the garden centre. I wander through the forest of artificial Christmas trees and Narnia comes to mind – a place where it is always winter but never Christmas. But here everything is getting ready for Christmas and there are sparkly things all around me. After being in so many towns and cities I’m beginning to wonder if we now spend more time preparing for festivals than actually enjoying the event. I’ve seen so many pumpkins, witches, skeletons and other Hallowe’en paraphernalia over the past couple of weeks – or perhaps it’s just my inner grumpy old woman. There are bulbs and seeds and plants – but there are also cards, kitchen stuff – their colour more dramatic than any of the flowers, clothes, ‘outdoor living’, and candles. Always candles and now we should all be aspiring to the Yankee Candle. No sign of recession or downturn here – it’s still early in the day and there are lots of people wandering about. Although there was no-one on the tills when I went to pay for bulbs, so perhaps it’s all shopping but no buying.

Shopping but not buying seems to be what’s going on around the country. The high streets have people but in many towns people seem to have come out to look at the shops, to buy food and essentials. Perhaps to treat themselves to a coffee, a biscuit and a chat with friends but not to spend any more money than necessary. People at the cash machines are taking out £10 or perhaps £20 at a time. Go into M&S and the food section is busy (baskets in varying degrees of fullness) but the real crowds are clustered about the reduced rails and everywhere else is pretty empty. And this despite the fact that it is getting colder and the jumpers that seemed so mad last week now look cosy and comforting.

I am determined not to be beaten by the complexity of Stoke’s one-way system – last night I was caught in a seemingly endless loop – today I shall work out how to escape it. And I realise where I was in the wrong lane and find my way to Hanley town centre. As with so many other town centres there are plenty of empty shops and the loos show the ominous blue lights that say heroin. But there is also a skin tone and particular cheekbone angle that says the same. There are diggers knocking down a large space in the centre of town and a machine that seems to eat bricks – all part of regeneration. The cultural quarter seems to be made up of Emma Bridgwater pottery shop, Victoria Hall, BBC Radio Stoke (which may be cut back now) and Gala Bingo. Somewhere there is a ceramics biennial but I don’t have time to take a look (on until mid November if you fancy a trip to the Potteries). Debenhams, M&S and Waterstone’s are here – but Wilkinson, B&M are busier.

Then I have to get on the road again and it’s down through the West Midlands – Sutton Coldfield, Aston, Birmingham city centre, Handsworth, West Bromwich, Dudley, Kidderminster, Worcester, Malvern and now Ledbury. I had planned to stay in Malvern but it’s strung out along the road (all double yellow lines) and traffic behind me and so I found myself in Ledbury. It’s getting late and this blog post too long.

Thursday 6 October: Atcham – Trentham Gardens

I have ended the day not that far from where I started but have visited a number of places I’ve been to before and wanted to know if/how they have changed over the past couple of years.

I started in Shrewsbury (it’s a Tudor town so I guess has seen bigger economic challenges than many places). Shrewsbury is looking little changed – I wonder if the hills mean that the edge of town sheds have had less impact on the centre? It’s a sunny day and there are lots of people out and about. There are a few gaps in the shops but not many. As with most towns the gaps are more apparent at the edges of the town. I don’t know why Shrewsbury has survived the downturn apparently unscatched while so many others shows their wounds. There is an old flax mill on the edge of town and I wonder if Shrewsbury went through big changes earlier and has shrunk to a sustainable shape and size. Or perhaps it has the right balance of local money and tourist money and is close enough to be a nice day out for the comfortable middle classes from both north and south?

I decided to do a little time travel and visit The Iron Bridge – the first cast iron bridge built across the Severn and needed to link areas that were industrialising rapidly. There are now 10 museums in the areas (including Blist Hills – ‘time travel’ to the Victorian era and known to fans of the Victorian Farm) and the only sign of industry are the towers of the e.on Ironbridge (coal fired) Power Station. Now the area is full of tourists and shops selling souvenirs and pretty things that have nothing to do with the area. I was being a little sniffy about the changes but it seems that it’s always been a tourist area – the Tontine Hotel was built to accommodate the tourists who came to marvel at the new technological achievement of a cast iron bridge.

From here I went to Telford and realise I still struggle to navigate these 20th century towns. They are built in circles (mainly the roundabouts that carry the cars to the appropriate zone) and once again I circle the town before finding a way in. But eventually I find one of the coloured car parks and realise I have to enter the shopping centre paying attention because if I don’t remember where I came in I will have no idea how to get back to trusty Ka. Telford is a new town, a product of 1960s new world optimism. It has aged better than many but is showing signs of economic struggle and there are now empty shops. I am told off for taking photographs. The security man seems slightly embarrassed and relieved when I put my camera away. I had a hunch this would happen, there is something rather controlling and near fascist about these all-encompassing shopping centres. Everything is on CCTV and the security man is wearing an earpiece. I guess these are the jobs of the 21st century ideas economy – watching what people are doing and telling them off for perceived infringements. I am told that this is private property and that is why I am not allowed to take photos. Whilst the rules seem ludicrous, the people working in the shopping centre all seem to be very nice and friendly. I guess these days you just take whatever work you can get.

I am momentarily tempted to ignore the instruction to see what happens but was on my way back to the car park and out of this crazy town (there is no town other than the shopping centre – a weird enough concept and the picture I had just taken was a photo of the ‘street’ name. I stop at the lift where the rules of the shopping centre are posted. There is mention of no alcohol, being ‘properly dressed, no swearing, no violence – but no mention of no photography. I consider taking a photo of the rules but wonder if this will lead to being frogmarched to the management. I have been warned that this is what happened to the last person who ignored the instruction to stop taking photographs.

From 20th century control freakery (the downside of all that mid century modernism is that it felt increasingly controlling – a new version of ‘nanny knows best’) I escaped into the 18th century and visited the Wedgwood museum. Another trip into the early days of the Industrial Revolution. One of the challenges for Wedgwood was changing its products to meet the changing tastes of the middle classes – this is has been a 21st century challenge for the Wedgwood brand which went into administration in 2009 and is now owned by a New York private finance company (can’t remember which sort). But the first challenge of changing tastes came in the 1780s when the popularity of Wedgwood meant that the original designs were regarded as too popular and so Josiah Wedgwood developed new products and designs. So anything case of ‘all change, no change’. The middle class may be key to economic growth, but are also keen to demonstrate their status.

Then it’s on to Stoke-on-Trent which seems to be a collection of 19th century towns wrapped into a late 20th century road system and once again I am confused. I try to find the ‘centre’ and find myself in an apparently eternal loop between Hanley and Stoke Town. I find the centre of Stoke Town but Hanley is my challenge for another day.

Wednesday 5 October – Ely – Atcham

I set out early and my first stop (after buying more petrol in Ely) was March. March is a small town on the edge of the fens – including the fabulously named Pidley Fen. I wondered how it would be - if bigger towns were badly hit how would it be for the small towns? It seemed to be in relatively better shape than Grantham. I think perhaps small towns have found a balance away from the big brands and retail chains. The stalwarts (WH Smith, Boots, Greggs, SpecSavers)are there but otherwise most of the businesses are small local businesses. Perhaps this is the transition that some of the larger towns are going through. It seems as if many of the small towns have struggled to attract the attention of the chains for decades and have found their own balance; a balance that is closer to the high street of the past.

Then I went on to Peterborough which seemed the complete opposite of March. Much bigger and the roads seemed designed to sweep me into the shopping centre. A big John Lewis and Waitrose - the healing balm of the middle classes. Here the national chains are present. But even here there are lots of empty shops. Some in the main part of the shopping centre and getting worse as you get to the edge of the shops. Money has been spent on the town centre - the Cathedral looking scenic and a shift in mood from the standard shopping centre. The market was busy with shoppers and buyers. A lot of the time, although there are plenty of shoppers, there are far fewer buyers. The reduced rails are where people cluster, seeming to need a bargain to justify their spending. But still keen to be out and about and socialising. The coffee shops seem to be doing better business than many of their street mates. I wonder how many chains will disappear, or recede to the large towns in the next few years. Peterborough is being hit by rising rail fares. Lots of people chose to live here and commute into London, but the cost of travel is changing minds. And that means less money to spend. It seems pretty cheery at the moment but it’s always difficult to tell what is going on behind the scenes.

I’m heading across the country and so next I go to Kettering – which I passed while heading north and it seemed an interesting town. It’s obviously been hit by the downturn and there are lots of empty shops, but it’s also obvious that the local council are trying to encourage businesses and customers. Lots of work has been done in re-paving the market place. The market place is on Twitter. There is a space for music. But it seems to be in transition. It seems to be moving to the local business model and away from the national chains. But whilst it is obvious that there are economic hard times, it is by no means depressed. People are out and about and socialising – there is plenty of laughter and people enjoying themselves.

Leicester has a cultural quarter – which usually signals a desire to regenerate and so it is. The cultural quarter has a smart new building called Curve for entertainment. Some of the old lofts have been re-modelled as luxury apartments and a few bars and restaurants. And for the privilege of being in a cultural quarter, parking fees that seem to be closer to London prices than Leicester. But if the cultural quarter lacks character, the market is great. Full of life and people and very fine fruit and veg.

Tuesday 4th October - Ely - Cambridge

I have a meeting on Tuesday and so have to put travels to one side. I travel from Ely to Cambridge with my sister and it's interesting to see how different the mood is compared to travelling in from Clapham Junction to Waterloo. The trains are nice and new and although busy it is a civilised way to travel. People know one another and gather and chat about the day before and the day ahead.

When I first started to travel in commuting time from the Junction I was struck by the levels of what I thought was 'passive aggression'. But within a few days I realised it wasn't passive aggression at all - it was very active aggression, just silent. Elbows are used, feet are left to trip the unsuspecting, bags are used as means of leverage, possession of a space is all. And all the time, no eye contact, earphones in to keep sound at bay - sensory deprivation as a cover for ignoring other people.

But here there is chatting and no aggression; together with the added advantage of relatively civilised passenger density. Many of the trains into London have densities that would not be allowed for transporting livestock. And there we all are, paying a premium. It reinforces my view that London is an odd place, with different rules to the rest of the country.

It is also interesting to be back in an affluent area - not that everyone is rich. I am sure that there are plenty of people struggling to make ends meet. But the economic centre of gravity is comfortable. In some of the places I've visited, the 'keep calm and carry on' advice seems patronising. There are plenty of places where economic survival seems like an act of belief.

It is also interesting to step back into the world of work for a day and realise how easy it is to allow it to take over life. Particularly if you like what you do, work offers a structure and a focus that is very beguiling (to say nothing of income, benefits, sociability and purpose).

Monday 3 October - Lydgate - Ely

From high moors to low lands. I started with grey skies close to Saddleworth Moor but as soon as I crossed the Pennines, the skies cleared and the sun came out. The first part of the journey was across the moors, close to Last of the Summer Wine country. Houses look cheery and well looked after, gardens and hanging baskets filled with flowers. But the world of business looks less positive. There are still mills but most seem to unused and overgrown with ivy. The hills are steep and towns and villages are strung out along valleys. Parts of the motorways feel like high wire acts as you drive from top to top with mills and houses far below. Not great for the vertiginous but spectacular views, although the traffic is moving too fast to take it all in.

I wanted to visit the new Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield but when I get there, discover that it's not open on Monday. It's part of a bigger re-development of the waterfront and seems to be a very nice gallery. There are lots of signs about 'a place for inspiration' and 'a place for enjoyment' but these banners seem rather at odds with the razor wire that tops every wall.

I'm heading south towards Ely and realise that I forgot to pack shoes to go with tomorrow's work wear and so decide that Grantham will probably have nice shops where I can buy proper shoes (only have boots and trainers with me). Grantham is the home town of Margaret Thatcher and I expect it to be a solid and bustling town. It has lots of rather lovely Georgian buildings, solid and redolent of economic power. But despite the solid architecture at least one in three shops is empty. It seems at odds with its Thatcherite roots, but maybe it is all too appropriate that it has been hits so very hard by the economic downturn. There used to be an M&S but it too has closed. There seem to be few of the national chain stores here and I'm realising that this is a sign of economic hardship.

I head off in search of the loos and find them in Morrison's. But I'm shocked to find that they have the ultraviolet lights that stop intravenous drug users finding a vein. I think it's the first time that I've found them in England. And it adds to a sense of dislocation of my expectation of Thatcherite values. But perhaps these are the unintended consequences of Thatcherism. Certainly illegal drugs seem to be the embodiment of the free market principles.

But for now I have new shoes, am in Ely and trying to get ready for a day of meetings tomorrow

Sunday 2 October - Melmerby - Lydgate

I thought my day of long drives were over but I’ve still driven more than 200 miles to get down to Manchester. At the risk of offending my Mancunian friends, Manchester is quite a long way south. It’s really the end of the Midlands rather than the north. Since travelling the country I’ve realised that the north:south division is an English view, not a British view. Scotland is a long, tall country and seems to be beyond the mental geography of many Brits, where ‘north’ starts early (even, or perhaps especially for those who describe themselves as ‘northerners’).

Whatever your geographic boundaries I continue to head south (for a meeting in Cambridge on Tuesday). I tend to avoid motorways because they are so insulated from the world around them (although the M6 north of Preston has to be excluded from this – it has some of the best views around and if travelling north a sense of freedom as the traffic density suddenly drops and it feels like freedom. And the farm shop at Tebay services transforms motorway services). But I am heading south and choose the old A6 over Shap – a slower but very beautiful drive. The blocking high and fine weather have disappeared but even with clouds looming the views are spectacular. I’ve tried taking photographs of these huge landscape but they never capture how it feels. The sense of knowing that you are a small speck in the landscape is lost, the photographs don’t capture the scale or the sense of ….it’s not quite awe, but something close. Certainly a sense that the world does not revolve around people.

I visit Blackpool – never at its best in daytime, it’s a city for the night time. It’s still pulling in crowds of people despite being out of season and a dull day threatening rain. The centre is buzzing but the rest of the town seems rather more forlorn. There are streets of empty shops here too. Shops that seemed abandoned rather than closed. As Blackpool becomes Lytham St Anne’s the mood shifts. More solidity and Edwardian grandeur in the buildings, far fewer people and those that are there seem to be predominantly elderly. Many former hotels have become residential nursing homes. But there is a sense of affluence and comfort.

I want to re-visit Anthony Gormley’s Another Place as Crosby and so take the coast road. I hadn’t realised how rural places like Formby are – good farming country, the soil is rich and dark and looks like the Fenlands. But there is a flaw in my plan to see the Gormley – the tide. Last time I was here it was obviously low tide and I could wander among the 100 cast iron figures on the beach. Today I arrive at high tide, there are a few heads above the water but most are submerged. Not waving but drowning? Certainly struggling to keep their heads above water.

From here I go on to Manchester. I had forgotten the Tory part conference was starting. I wanted to visit Manchester City Art gallery and see Grayson Perry and Ford Madox Brown. Apparently there has been a big demonstration and there are lots of police, lots of young people with banners (I assume marchers) and lots of slightly lost Tory party delegates. They stand out a lot – and reinforces the richness of the South. Their clothes, their accents, the way they make themselves noticed mark them out as non-city dwellers and ‘not from around here’. They seem oblivious to this, but also slightly freaked out by the unfamiliarity of their surroundings. But I’m out of the city, I assume there won’t be any rooms left here and head out through Oldham (looking very battered by downturn) and up towards the moors. From my room I can see the orange glow of Oldham and Manchester, but up here all seems rural delight

Saturday 1 October

Kilmarnock looks better in the morning light but is still very evidently battered by economic problems. There are whole streets of empty shops and nothing makes a place look troubled like boarded up shops. Around the country there are plenty of empty shops. In the affluent areas the windows have attractive posters which talk vaguely of ‘exciting new opportunities’, here the developers know there can’t be any problems, only ‘opportunities’. In the slightly less affluent areas, the windows are empty but everything has been cleaned away, the ‘to let’ signs show that there is still hope. Once you get to the poorer areas the empty shops still have bits of stock and shop fitments lying around. But once whole streets have been boarded up you know this is not a recent event.

Parts of Kilmarnock seem to have had money spent but it doesn’t seem to have had the desired effect of regeneration. Recently I read Edward Glaeser’s Triumph of the City. He sees cities as man’s great achievement and that we shouldn’t worry about cities. He writes of how regeneration money often has the opposite effect of that intended. It certainly seems that it is employment and jobs that transform. Spending on fancy buildings doesn’t help. And I’m beginning to wonder if all that zoning and segmenting that works when things are getting better, make things worse when the economy declines.

The roads, car parks, civic centres separate people and this seems to exacerbate problems. It must be the lack of jobs that is the real problem, but the drug dealers go in when things get bad; there is redundancy money to be spent and loyal customers to be created. The empty spaces add to the sense of alienation and provide places to buy and sell. The cynicism with which the drugs trade uses the tactics of marketing continues to disturb me. But I suppose if they work, then they will get used more widely.

I’m travelling south and back into England. Much as on the Ayrshire coast there are comfortable and uncomfortable towns along the way. Some seem to be thriving and people are out walking dogs, buying newspapers, enjoying the weekend. In other towns things seem to be tougher; more walking sticks, fewer smiles, pushchairs with children pushing them – unclear whether they are older sisters or young mums. The pushchairs are smart but little else seems to be upbeat.

Being out of London makes me realise how rich London is. Yes, it has its share of poor as well. But far more rich people than anywhere else in the country and the gaps between rich and poor are greater but somehow it’s easier to see the affluence of London. The poverty is more hidden and it’s easy to miss it (unless it’s where you live).

Out of London there are plenty of small towns and villages that aren’t that rich but seem to lead a good life, a cheery life and a connected life. There are plenty of people out and about, enjoying the weekend, seeing friends and family – and shopping isn’t the main part of their lives. I drive along one of my favourite road in Britain – the road from Brampton to Alston and then on to Melmerby. For the first part the roads are empty and the scenery spectacular. Alston to Melmerby is a favourite for drivers and the road is busier with a mix of cyclists, motorcyclists and local perfecting their racing lines. Concentration on the road is required, but it’s difficult with hills and dales stretched out in misty shades of blue like the background of a Leonardo da Vinci painting.