And the Cobbler’s Child goes Barefoot

I’m getting behind with the blog – I haven’t even caught up with POP yet (although others have already summed it up much more succinctly than I ever could) and there is exciting pipeline news, the (partial) return of Moo-I5, sadfacing in the local paper, spring springing up all over the place, and the fact that our life is now being controlled by an adolescent hare – you may let me know in the comments which of those you want to hear about in more detail, but I’ll probably bore you with all of them anyway because you know, my blog, my rules.

101 uses for a Brompton: Holding up a banner at a demonstration

As for Pedal on Parliament, it went fine, indeed better than fine – and nobody need know that when I and the infamous helmet camera cyclist Magnatom led out the ride in Glasgow, it turned out that we were each relying on the other to have memorised the route. Ahem. Fortunately the policeman on the bike in front was on the case, and seemed to be having a lovely time as he bunnyhopped down the road in front of us as only a policeman can who has been given the job of going for a nice bike ride while the rest of his colleagues are girding themselves to police the Celtic Rangers match going on elsewhere.

Orange and green side by side in Glasgow. POP unites everyone!

Today I spent ushering a load of council hopefuls around the cycle paths of Bigtown (and occasional scary roundabout – it turns out that, despite not riding thar frequently, the leader of the cooncil has no fear and just launches himself into a miniscule gap in the traffic and let the devil take the hindmost. Actually this might explain a lot). This is our equivalent of a cycle hustings as it allows us to show candidates the issues that matter – while not having to go to the expense of booking a room. Or, indeed, listen to any speeches. So everyone who came is now a little bit more clued up either about cycling issues (the candidates) or which candidates to vote for (the other participants).

Except for me. For, despite spending the last few weeks frantically urging everyone in Scotland to engage with their local candidates on active travel, with a week to go until the election, I’ve had precisely no contact with any of my candidates at all, not even a flyer. Well, I tell a lie. I did email all my candidates to ask them where they stood on the three Walk Cycle Vote asks. One – a sitting councillor – replied. His email read, in its entirety, ‘thank you for getting in touch’.

I guess when there are five of you standing for three seats, you can take things a little easy.