Bloomin' Christmas!

I've been pretty inactive on here of late and have'nt been anywhere near the woods for ages. Dan and I have been doing tons of overtime nightshifts in Sainsbury's lately so that's shut things down, couple that with Christmas and the trails have been totally neglected. Still, things should get back to normal soon so we'll try and get back on it. On the plus side, Christmas was fun and Mum gave me a subscription to Ride magazine. Dad gave me a smart new camera too so i'll be snapping away asap!

Dig For Victory

Boyd has created a trails blog called Dig For Victory. He seems to update it pretty regularly and it has some superb pics/vids that are well worth checking out. Follow the link on the right to see for yourself.

Spooks Update

I have posted a Spooks update on Build The Woods (see link on the right.) Just some pictures of the lastest bit of digging. Also, keep an eye out for some Spooks news in the next issue of Ride UK!!!

Christmas Shopping TV Package

Local News Radio Piece

1945 Radio by SHanson2

Vox pop Remembrance Day

Voxpopfinito by SHanson2

Love You Clare XXXXX

My wonderful girlfriend of four years, Clare, sadly had an accident whilst riding a horse on friday. She is now in hospital with a broken pelvis and ruptured spleen. She is thankfully comfortable now and will make a full recovery but has to face a long time lying still. My thoughts and those of our families are with her.
Love You Clare xxxxxx

Mr Brains Pork Faggots

For many years I have laughed at the idea that a food product could be called Mr Brains Pork Faggots. I have also always been intrigued as to what they taste like. Well myself and Clare tried them and suffice to say I shall'nt be buying them again!

More Digging

Done some more digging at Spooks recently with Dan the boss man and soft boy Karl! Plenty to be getting on with anyway. Cobra line is getting a face lift, main and hillside are getting resurfaced and pit could well end up looking very different indeed......

Villij woods Edit

This is a rad edit from Charlie Jobling featuring Matt Roe and Robbo riding Villj, probably the best trails in the country. Enjoy.

Matt Roe x Robbo - Villij / Lotek Brand from Seventies Distribution on Vimeo.

Villij Woods

Went up to Villij trails, near Leicester, last week to take a few snaps and have a chat with the locals for an article i'm putting together for uni. The locals up there, (Deville, Froggy, Robbo, Blue etc) are really sound guys and were very accomodating. Plus we ended up playing man hunt in the pich black which was a right laugh. Hoping to go to a few more spots to do some research, will keep you updated on how the article comes along.

Spooks

Spooks trails, the local spot i'm digging at while I wait for a new site, is now up on Build The Woods (see the link on the right hand side.) Only one post up so far but should have more as work progresses.

Ford Model T, uni piece.

The Ford Model T

The first Model T was built by Henry Fords’ motor company on the 27th September, 1908. It has since become an icon for the automotive industry by leading the way in the mass production and availability cars to the public. Whilst its basic construction and angular looks may be a far cry from today’s streamlined techno cars, the Model T must surely be considered the most significant motor vehicle of all time.


Henry’s Vision
Before the emergence of the Ford, cars had previously been painstakingly built by hand and had been extremely expensive to buy, meaning only the very wealthy may own one. But Henry Fords’ vision was to “build a car for the great multitude….the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise….low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one.” In order to achieve this goal, Ford began producing the Model T in a way that no previous vehicle had ever been made- a production line. His Detroit based factory employed a number of skilled workers who were each assigned a different task. By dividing up the jobs, the car could be assembled considerably faster than had previously been considered, thus allowing a greater volume to be sold. Such was his thirst for speed that even the signature black paint was selected because it had a shorter drying time than other colours!

Popularity
In order to appeal to the masses, the Model T was designed to be very basic in its construction. This meant everyday mechanics could service and repair it, making it cheaper to maintain than previous vehicles of its kind. The price was, of course, the main selling point and the reduction in price each year made it more and more popular as time went on. Such was the popularity of the Model T that within five years of its initial introduction it was being built and sold across five continents. It is also known as the car that put “America on wheels.”

Icon
The Model T became iconic even whilst it was still being manufactured thanks to its various roles in Hollywood films. The medium of film gathered pace at around the same time as the Ford was first mass- produced and the car was regularly used by filmmakers to capture motion and movement, adding another dimension to the movies. An entire century on, the car is still held on a pedestal by many, with a number of clubs and societies of enthusiasts attending rallies in its honour. Hundreds of Model T’s still exist today and an Australian club even holds a worldwide rally every three years.

The Model T will forever stand as a true goliath in the world of cars. Its classic square nosed, bicycle-wheel design, may have been replaced by aerodynamic speed machines, but without this affordable workhorse the industry would not be where it is today.

Backflip Vid.

As I mentioned earlier, I went up to Corby recently and got backflips down. Heres the video......

Back on and back flippin!!

Went to Corby skatepark in northhamptonshire last monday and got backflips down again. Hell yeah!

The Angry Florist

In Farnham today 4 of us were chatting in front of a florist stall in the high street. He asked us to move, we said yes. I said yeeeaaahhh and he started having a go- "you say something mate?" he said. I was like "calm down."

I Hate Brambles

I had to go and pick up the crap from the field where my girlfriend keeps her horses yesterday. I didnt have wellies so I put two carrier bags aroung each trainer to stop them getting wet. Looked silly, but worked. Anyway, while emtying the wheel barrow I managed to get scratched across the face by bloody brambles.

The Good Times Ahead!

Taken from the Build the Woods site, this is Villij Trails in deep winter!

Sick Backflip photo from Buildthewoods

Joke Time 2

Velcro. What a rip off.

Why was 6 scared? Cos seven eight nine.

Why did the chewing gum cross the road? Cos it was stuck to the chickens foot.

Whats brown and sticky? A stick.

What do you call a chicken in a shell suit? An egg.

My Old Spot

I went back to the old trail spot I built where I used to work the other day. When I first built them I hated anything out of place but I dont care now. There was a dog crap on one of the landings and I just laughed. Was good to go back.

Pyro

Im not a pyromaniac but whenever someone annoys me I threaten to set them on fire.

Trails Update

So, on the trails front; I have found an awesome spot (courtesy of Daniel Nash!), that ticks all the boxes- good soil, slightly downhill, no annoying dog walkers or kids, plenty of space and its so out of the way no one will be in there trashing them. The only downside is that i'll have to wait until the land owner gets back around christmas time so we can discuss the plans further. In the meantime i'll be digging at Spooks trails with a few of my mates to get the place back to its former glory as well as building some new stuff. Follow my link to the Buildthewoods site to see some updates from Spooks (should be up there soon) and other amazing trails around the country.

BMX Trails

Lets get one thing straight, this might be a random blog about a load of old bull, but its mainly about BMX trails. Not mountain bike trails, BMX trails. And another thing. I am no relation of the band Hanson, (you know, them umm bop blokes). I have entitled it digging in the woods because thats what I like doing. Moving and shaping dirt in amongst the trees. Building smooth, transitioned lips and landings so I can spend the summer flowing through the trails with my buddies.

Bugger

I was sitting on the sofa the other night and was scratching my knee with a clicky pen. Little did I realise that the end was out and I had drawn all over my new jeans.

Tile Factory

I met two of my mates in a disused tile factory this afternoon. We were hoping to build some ramps out of all the old pallets but ended up mooching about and looking for rats. The lads thought there were loads but it turned out the squeeking was branches scraping on the old tin roof.

Cigars

I wouldnt mind trying cigars. Ive always enjoyed the smell of the smoke and they look damn cool.

'Guru Spade'

When I found the long handle shovel I recently purchased was flexing at the wood/metal join, I reinforced it with some tape and the grill from a used disposable barbeque. So far its worked a treat and made it stronger.

Terrifying Yoghurt

It may be old news to some of you but my mates and I met a boy in Bedford who told us his brother was scared of yoghurt and custard.

?

Dont know why I want to become a journalist. I'm watching the news and its just depressing.

Ruddy Bandages

It would seem that trying to unravel 4 horse bandages, that have become entangled whilst in the tumble dryer, is considerably difficult and tedious.

Gherkin

The other day I substituted the pickle in my cheese and pickle sandwich with gherkin relish. It was good.

Joke time.

What key opens bananas? A monkey

Why cant a car play football? Cos its only got one boot. (courtesy of Jamie Cockburn)

Why cant a motorbike play tennis? Cos its two tyred.

What key opens all locks? A pikey.

Whoop Whoop!

Yay! I got the job in sainsburys! Happy days, sleepless nights!

First Blog!

This is my first attempt at blogging. I hope to keep it updated fairly often. The blog will let you all know what is going on in my little life, mainly my pursuit to find a spot in the woods to build some BMX trails. I currently dig at a sweet spot called Spooks, but its not really my spot. I want my own spot to be creative and go nuts! I want to spend all winter alone in the woods freezing my knackers off and getting dirty so that by the summer I have some nice trails to ride and chill with the other lunatics that are my mates.

Anyway, I'm at university in my first year of a sports journalism course. Im doing it because I failed as a jockey. I failed miserably. I couldn't get out of bed in the mornings so the bosses used to frown at me. I wasn't very good at race tactics either; when every other jockey kicked for home I was still lobbing along at the back somewhere. It was always the horses' fault of course.

In other news......

Ive just been for an interview with Sainsburys so i'll let you know if I get the job. Its night shifts, probably absolute hell but I need the money!

I just got my bumper fixed after hitting a badger. Still need a fog light though....

My teeth are falling out again. After spending £1600 quid on the bloody things only a couple of months ago one of them is hanging out. I wish I was a dentist, them buggers are loaded.

Anywho, thats the end of of my first blog. Hope you're still awake and hope you come back soon!!