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highpoh.bsky.social
@highpoh.bsky.social
740 followers 340 following 8.8K posts
🎶I love to ride my bicycle! I love to ride my bike.🎶 Usually a late adopter of new things. Likes cake. Speaks fluent sarcasm.
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highpoh.bsky.social
I had a v pleasant bike ride out to Hornchurch today. I needed that. It's been a stressful week.
Trout pond (former chalk quarry) with ducks and swans a-swimming under a largely blue sky. The River Ingrebourne is just about visible among the tall reeds. A rather pretty quilt celebrating the country park at Hotnchurch and the heritage of the old RAF Station here. A very fine scone, butter & jam, a cup of lovely strong tea and a multicoloured water bottle on a tray and white table. The scone (a fruit scone) was delicious.
January 17, 2026 at 8:24 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
Excuse me. My clock says 11:13. And yet it feels like I've been sitting at my desk, working for about 3 days. What sorcery is this? *grump*
January 16, 2026 at 11:13 AM
highpoh.bsky.social
Man on tbe DLR with a Harris Hawk! Off to chase pigeons at Stratford Station! I love London.
January 15, 2026 at 10:08 AM
highpoh.bsky.social
When I rule the world, lunchtime meetings will be banned. Thinking about exact timescales but effectively no meetings befween 1230 and 2pm). They're a pox and a curse.
January 13, 2026 at 4:27 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
Home river? My hometown has 2, the River Tweed (l) and the Teviot.
View of the River Tweed in summer at "the Cobby" in Kelso. Floors Castle, seat of the Duke of Roxburghe is in the distance. He controls a lot of the fishing rights too. The River Teviot bends placidly under a clear blue winter sky. The water is flat calm and reflects the sky and trees.
January 12, 2026 at 11:07 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
Ha ha ha Scott McTominay.... good lad. #fitba #calcio
January 11, 2026 at 10:00 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
Ha ha. The magic of the FA Cup #fitba well done Macclesfield. Well done indeed
January 10, 2026 at 11:03 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
This will make precious little sense to most of my friends but I spent a good deal of time at work recently proof reading. Which made me think of the following.... with thanks to a friend for the second half....
January 9, 2026 at 10:57 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
I've got promoted at work, become a running dog of management and now I'm enjoying being in the gym. What the heck has happened to me?!??!
January 7, 2026 at 11:53 AM
highpoh.bsky.social
Why is my brain in *even worse* shape than it was yesterday? Why am I more tired after longer sleep than I was yesterday? Tuesdays are cursed...

I did have a nice break but now I'm back to being tired... *sigh*
a polar bear is laying on its back in the snow looking down
Alt: a polar bear is pushing itself along the snow with its back legs, front legs and head collapsed on the snow.
media.tenor.com
January 6, 2026 at 10:47 AM
highpoh.bsky.social
Is today "sack the fitba manager" day? Deary me. Though the Man U situation is proper funny.
January 5, 2026 at 4:20 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
The world is kinda grim. So have something pretty....

Can you tell what it is yet? (Aside from an unfinished cross stitch....)
A cross stitch in progress. Mostly yellow, orange, and brown but some green. With some round holes showing (they will be filled with stitches). Clue, it's a painting.....
January 4, 2026 at 3:40 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
Snow! In Kelso! Good thing I wasn't planning to go out on the bike today!
January 3, 2026 at 10:36 AM
highpoh.bsky.social
Well after all the faff of getting dressed I had a nice ride out round the local roads today. Nothing too much, but still undulating, wildlife filled, sunny and absolutely freezing. Today has brought home to me how mild it's been this winter so far.
Slightly different view of the Eildons today. Clearish blue sky above. Very green field in the foreground. A peaceful pastoral scene. Imagine if you will though an icy breeze straight from the North Pole and you'll have a good idea.... View towards Jedburgh. Green fields, woods and blue sky to tbe horizon. Snowless Cheviot hills. But some big clouds building towards the coast.... River Teviot and a Very Expensive Golf Course (deserted).
January 2, 2026 at 4:41 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
I swear half the calorie expenditure associated with cycling in the winter is incurred just getting dressed and ready to go out.....
January 2, 2026 at 10:51 AM
highpoh.bsky.social
Wishing you all a decent new year and hoping people get some good things this year - I presume the world will still be chaotic, but I pray for rather less slaughter and mayhem please.

Wishing my cycling friends smooth rides and no punctures. May we all meet our goals and explore new roads
January 1, 2026 at 10:12 AM
highpoh.bsky.social
Last bike ride of the year today. Went out to Scott's View. Was breezy and v cold there. My feet have just about defrosted.....

3442.7km covered this year. Biggest year yet. Perhaps I'm a real cyclist after all....
My bike (a turquoise Orbea hybrid, with red pedals) resting on a wall, with a beautiful voew of the Eildon Hills in the background. The sky is blue with some dark clouds. A view over countryside which is very green, though the gorse in the foreground has been burnt. A different view of the Eildons, this time with a field of sheep in the foreground, alongside a river. View across farmland to the Cheviots in the distance.
December 31, 2025 at 4:58 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
Migraines are bloody miserable. I suppose I am grateful for the meds which mean I only get every 6-10 weeks as opposed to every other day. But when one hits, especially on a day I was looking forward to going out on my bike, it's kinda rubbish. Hey ho...
December 30, 2025 at 4:19 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
Another day another bike ride! Well, the weather continues benign, no wind, no ice, no rain. A bit cloudy and meh, but I can live with that.

Rode out to Norham Castle which was hotly contested between England and Scotland back in the day. Very quiet out there today. Only saw 5 other cyclists.....
The Border - England over there. Do I dare?!?!? Norham Castle. Formerly owned by the Bishops of Durham. Changed hands a few times. St Cuthbert's Church, Norham. What a lovely wee church! Countryside view towards the Eildon Hills where there is blue sky!
December 26, 2025 at 5:25 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
After the various mishaps I went out for a quick walk. Town v quiet. Beautiful sunset. And some littles out on their new bikes! (Proper fancy mountain bikes these littles have been given by Santa!)
The River Tweed flows over "the rapids". In the foreground is a green lawn, and in the background are wintery trees and grasses. The sky is rather grey with clouds. Kelso abbey (ruin) only the west end of the church remains, but the walls are high and show several windows. A formal garden (the War Memorial) is in the foreground. Kelso was one of the 4 great Border Abbeys, Jedburgh, Melrose and Dryburgh. Kelso Town Hall. The Square (on which it stands) was modelled after Dutch/Flemish architecture. The Square is cobbled as bike racing fans may know from seeing the Tour of Britain go through. There are lovely Christmas lights on the Town Hall. Sunset over Shedden Park. There's a skate park off-screen to the right which has been a major hit since it opened.
December 25, 2025 at 4:39 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
*Rob Harch voice* oh no! Disaster!!! We appear to be having a Christmas Day of mishaps.... first the turkey hadn't defrosted much (it's fine now, I think) and now the iced bombe is not, er, iced. The freezer got switched off accidentally yesterday so the ice cream part isn't frozen. Oi vey.
December 25, 2025 at 3:22 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
I did cycle today. In the words of the pros, I did not have good sensations today. My legs felt like concrete...

Anyway, went out to Hume Castle which was lovely. Decent weather, spotted a buzzard (on the ground), watched by 2 fleeing hares.
View over some very green fields. Cloud covers much of the sky, except a few rays of sun which shine through. Hume Castle, a folly on the site of a much older castle, is in the distance atop a hill. A patchwork of ploughed and green fields is in the foreground View from Hume Castle, looking west. A trio of hills, the Eildons, is in the distance. The green fields between undulate gently. View from Hume Castle looking south. The Cheviot is in the far distance. Very bright green fields of crops are in the foreground.
December 24, 2025 at 10:08 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
In another newish festive tradition, the family who live across the road (mum, dad and 2 boys aged about 5 and 7) brought round decorated shortbread biscuits.

I do not know why my biscuit has eyes. But hey.
An iced and decorated shortbread biscuit. For some reason there are eyes on it. No, I have no idea either. But hey.
December 24, 2025 at 6:47 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
Also, check out this absolute unit....
A human hand holding a truly ginormous beautiful cooking apple (from my dad's garden). Hand next to the ginormous apple for scale.
December 24, 2025 at 4:58 PM
highpoh.bsky.social
Phew. Dessert for Christmas dinner is in the freezer. Yes, the freezer. Many years ago, mum found a recipe for an "iced fruit bonbe". It is an orange ice cream type of Christmas pud. It should have lemon sorbet in the middle, but we can never find any. Raspberry also works.
Bowl containing "iced fruit bombe" (dried fruit, orange juice, lashings of cream, mascarpone and Ambrosia custard). A green plastic bowl is in the middle. The hole thus created when the outside is frozen will contain sorbet.
December 24, 2025 at 4:29 PM