Sabbatical Diary – Day 46

View from our B&B at Langland Bay looking across to North Devon. We’re probably just about opposite Coombe Martin.

B&B is fantastic. Beautiful old house with lots of character. Stunning garden with gate opening onto promenade around gorgeous sandy bay. And fresh Welsh cakes provided with the tea and coffee supplies in the room.

Set off in pouring rain this morning, which lasted about an hour or so. In fact more or less until we got to RSPB Newport Wetlands, where we had a nice walk (out to East Usk Lighthouse) and then a bite to eat.

Our route then took us to West Usk Lighthouse (the other side of the river, but a 9 mile drive), then along the coast to Cardiff, around the bay, and on to Penarth, Barry, Porthcawl, Aberavon, Swansea, Mumbles, and Langland Bay. A couple of showers during the day, but mainly dry and bright after that first hour.

Interesting, layered, cliff face nearNash Point.

I hate speed bumps! I’ve wanted to share something on this for a while. I know they are supposed to be for safety, but I’m not sure they are safe. If they could design a speed bump that you could safely, and comfortably, drive over in any vehicle, including bikes and trikes, at the speed limit, but that was uncomfortable above that speed, then fine. Job done. But speed bumps don’t work like that. Typical speed bumps in a 20 or 30 zone will typically damage your spine if you hit them at anything like the speed limit. Especially on a bike. Or trike. I’m sure accidents have been caused by them. Sometimes, but not always, there are gaps between square bumps (which look like the bases of pyramids), so bikes can squeeze through. But not trikes. And for bikes to get through without hitting the bump, they have to be in the middle of the road. Which can’t be a good idea. Could be very nasty for cyclists too. What about rumble strips? At a height and gap to make your teeth chatter, but not dislocate your internal organs. Or, if we really think controlling speed is required for safety, then have electronic cameras (not yellow boxes that may or may not have film in), that capture everyone who is speeding and fines them appropriately. Surely easy enough to do in 2019. Speed bumps encourage drivers to keep speeding up and slowing down between the bumps, I’m sure lead to collisions, and, I’m sure have caused motorcycle accidents. There. I’ve said it. Rant over.

Observation of the day: Sian is a lot more bothered than I am about heading up a road that says Private Road at the end! I hope this doesn’t become difficult.

Oh, and we saw a transporter bridge today. Near Newport. Regular readers will remember me talking about going over the Tees Transporter Bridge. I understand the Newport one is the only other one in the country. We turned to go over, just for fun, it wasn’t on our route and we’d have just turned round and come back over. Sadly, they are not taking vehicles over at the moment for some reason.

Off to Tenby tomorrow.

God bless, Mike