barbs blog: Ruhanga Beaders

Barbs's Big Bike RIde

This year I have decided to stay and enjoy an English Spring. It has been a long time coming but at last it is here and I am off to explore my own back yard. Well actually travelling up the UK mainland as far north as possible before 21st June and see how close I can get to the Midnight Sun.

After my travels along the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain last September on my trusty old iron donkey, I have bought a lighter bike in the hope that I can get up a few more hills and by going from Lands End to John o Groats (LEJOG) I can avoid the killing headwinds of the Spanish meseta.

So here she is, we had a jolly naming ceremony on Saturday and hopefully the good friends, food and weather I enjoyed will carry me through to the farthest northern climes. Thank you all for a great send off, admirably topped off with one too many pints The Village Bike listening to Mojo Triangle.

And she is called Eleanor, isn't she beautiful, I hope I still have such tender feelings after 6 hours in the saddle, but probably only in the nether regions I fear.

The map link on the right will show a rough itinerary and route and I will try try to update with my actual route, if I can work out how and where I am as I go along, you know there will be little correlation but I will get there or somewhere in the end!

If you want an email update, submit your address in the box also on right and hopefully it will find its way through the ether to you.

Sunday, 27 March 2011

Ruhanga Beaders

Ruhanga beaders

Some of you will be aware of the Meldreth Beaders (or possibly not unless you are on thread!) and it was an aim of mine to create a twin here in Uganda.

A group of ladies already meets to produce local crafts for sale at their stall on the side of the road here in Ruhanga. I hope to expand their market by developing their skills in basket making and weaving more easily transportable items for volunteers to buy, and perhaps bringing back to the UK for sale with profits returning to the project. The group are also part of a saving circle in which they can save any surplus profit to plough back into materials or create another business, perhaps become a solar sister as mentioned previously.

We meet on Wednesday afternoons, to share our craft skills and have a giggle too, unlike Meldreth Beaders; the strongest beverage is tea, although I expect the craick will be equally as raucous.