Results for the financial support

A really important day has come – the State Culture Capital Foundation has announced results for the financial support. We handed in a project of the Latvian cycling librarians team participation in the first international cycling unconference Cycling for libraries. The financial support only for one of us has been assigned. It is for sure – you will meet the president of Library Association of Latvia in this amazing event.

Silvija Tretjakova, president of Library Association of Latvia

Congratulations to Silvija!

However, it is not a really insurmountable obstacle for us to keep on further. The next week we are going to do some more fund-raising. Let us hope we will manage to find the financial support needed. I’m more than sure you will meet most of us in Copenhagen and also in Berlin. Keep on cycling for libraries! 😉

A ride to Little Eaton

A goal of today was to reach Little Eaton.

Little Eaton is a village in the English county of Derbyshire. The name originated from Anglo-Saxon times and means the little town by the water. Little Eaton was once the terminus of the Little Eaton Gangway – the Derby Canal Railway – where it joined the Derby Canal. It was later served by Little Eaton railway station.

Little Eaton map

Once again I took the Derby Cycle map with me. And this time I took also the water bottle. I was prepared it will be rather chilly, but eventually it got warmer and the temperature reached +19 degrees Celsius. The same as on Tuesday I started my trip from Riverside Gardens in the city centre of Derby, and followed the cycle path upstream (north) along the River Derwent. Mainly I was using the National Cycle Network No. 6 and National Cycle Network No. 54, and I needed to head north till I reached Little Eaton.

View to Little Eaton

I cycled for 8 km, when I realized I have run out of the cycle map. So I have an experiment and cycled a little around the village. I picked up one street, then another – and what ever I did, in a mysterious way, I managed to return to the same place. I noticed disused railway tracks and decided to get off my bike and have a walk on these tracks.

Old railway tracks

I wonder maybe it was the former Little Eaton Gangway.

Little Eaton Gangway

Eventually I took the way back to Derby. When I reached the roundabout I turned to the direction of Allestree and crossed a bridge over the River Derwent. It’s a time when chestnut-trees are blossoming, and it so beautiful!

Chestnut-tree

I took a short ride through Allestree and did some steadily climbs uphill the Ford Lane and Lambourn Drive. Then I continued along the cycle path downstream (south) along the River Derwent. I passed Cathedral Green and Silk Mill Park. And here I am – back in Derby! 🙂

Silk Mill

In total I cycled for one hour and forty-two minutes and managed a distance of 21,9 km. My average speed was 12,8 km per hour and maximum – 31,6 km per hour.

A spontaneous ride to Oakwood and Spondon

If some days ago it was really hot (+30 degrees Celsius), then yesterday it was only +12,8 degrees Celsius. I took a Derby Cycle Map, got dressed a little warmer than usual and went out for a ride.

I started my trip from Riverside Gardens in the city centre of Derby, and followed the cycle path upstream (north) along the River Derwent. In the beginning I was using the National Cycle Network No. 6, and afterwards – the National Cycle Network No. 54. Then I decided to reach the Derby Orbital Route (National Cycle Network No. 66). While I was cycling I noticed a really beautiful object, so I captured it.

A beautiful scrap

I was on my way to the National Cycle Network No. 66 when I saw a really tempting sign to the National Cycle Network No. 672. So I strayed of my direction and continued to cycle along the off-road route.

The off-road route - National Cycle Network No. 672

Eventually I decided to reach the National Cycle Network No. 66 for the second time. The main goal was to reach Oakwood and afterwards – Spondon. On my way to Oakwood I enjoyed the last springtime fun – the pink carpet of blossoms.

The springtime carpet

I didn’t have my water bottle with me, so I was really thirsty (I didn’t even thought I would have such a long stretch). Luckily I reached a place of civilization – Ockwood. So I bought a bottle of water at Chad Booze. What a joy, besides beers’n’spirits they had even water!

Chad Booze

Finally I reached the National Cycle Network No. 66. I passes through Chaddesden Park and noticed that right beside the park there is also Chaddesden Library (a branch of Derby City Library).

Chaddesden Library

I cycled ahead until I reached Spondon. Now I needed to get back to Derby, and I used the same way as during the Ockbrook ride. When I crossed the A52 via the footbridge, I noticed that the junction under the bridge leads to several places: Spondon, Ilkeston, Nottingham, Ockbrook and Long Eaton.

Spondon Methodist Church

On my way back to Derby I took the last stretch through Alvaston Park. Actually I just cycled around the pond. Lot of little ducklings were there. 🙂

Alvaston Park

In total I cycled for one hour and fifty-five minutes and managed a distance of 25,7 km. My average speed was 13,3 km per hour and maximum – 28 km per hour.

P.S. Today I visited my old friend Robin Hood. He asked me to send you a sincere greeting from Nottingham!

P.S.S. Now I got two more cycle maps – this time from Nottingham. Who knows when I will have a chance to cycle from Derby to Nottingham.

Robin Hood statue in Nottingham