What a summer it has been! From cycling adventures across beautiful mountainous landscapes and coastal routes to a memorable trip to Porto with my sons, Adrian and James, the season has been full of highlights. Carol and I enjoyed a lovely getaway to La Rochelle. In the spring we had a wonderful visit to Annecy and the French Alps, where we spent time with our daughter and her family—and I even caught up with old skiing friends. Added to that I launched my podcast website and published a heartfelt tribute to my father and his fellow POWs on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, and I managed to achieve some meaningful fundraising for Ukrainian causes!
click below to read more:
1,000 mile bike ride through France!
September has arrived, and here in England the weather has turned—rainy, blustery, and a far cry from the long sunny summer we enjoyed. Sadly, the dry spell hasn’t been kind to farmers or the environment, but it did allow me to enjoy some truly memorable cycle rides. The best of these was a journey of nearly 1,000 miles, from the Mediterranean coast of southern France all the way to Dieppe. I set out to raise funds for Ukrainian causes, but also for the sheer joy of cycling through such beautiful landscapes. The route carried me through the Alpes-Maritimes, along the picturesque valleys of the Isère and the Rhône, across the wild Cévennes and into the rugged Massif Central. From there I followed the River Loire downstream from its source to Orléans and finally turned northwards toward home. a 900 mile cycle ride which turned out to be 1,000 miles! Much of the ride was solo, which gave me time for reflection, but along the way I met fascinating people whose kindness and stories made the journey even more rewarding. It was both a challenge and a delight—an adventure I will treasure.
Solo cycle ride across Brittany and Normandy in August and a great meeting with an old friend
My longest-ever bike ride completed in June felt like a huge achievement, but after a few weeks back home, I found myself restless. Was that it? Could I really leave it there? The answer, of course, was no. I wanted another challenge, another cycling adventure before the summer was out! So in early August I packed up again, caught the ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff, and set out to cycle across northern France to Dieppe.
Porto 2025
In July I had a great trip to Porto with my sons Adrian and James!
Click HERE for Photos and videos
Pocasting site launched!
I finally trained myself up, albeit as a beginner, on podcasting. I’m grateful for the assistance of Jay Cox of Fizzeekmedia.com I’m also grateful of the ongoing support for my websites by Steve Jordan-Toll.
If you are in the car, on a train, on a plane or just relaxing and want some easy listening, try my podcasts. They are light-hearted. A space where the past meets the present, and where I try to use my experience and travels to bring history to life. These podcasts are my way of sharing stories, thoughts, some hopefully informative and some humorous tales. I invite you to join me in these conversations across time and place; past and present. If you like them, please pass them on or share. Click HERE to go to my podcasts
80th anniversary of the ending of WWII in Japan, Asia and Pacific – 15th of August
I was pleased to be able to publish a tribute to my father and his fellow POWs, who were captured in the Far East during WWII via Sussex Bylines. In the article, I also remembered the many thousands of Allied soldiers who gave their lives in the fight for freedom.
On this occasion, I reflected on my father’s Army career —linking Sussex, where his army career began in 1921, with his later service, and recalling a visit I made with him in the early 1980s, retracing the very grounds where he once trained as a young soldier.
My book, which shares more of this story, is still available—please follow the link below to learn more.
Audio Book for those with impaired sight reading disabilities
These Valiant Men is also now published as an audio book by Calibre Audio who are a UK charity focused on audiobook services for those with print disability. My sincere thanks to my friend Alan Bowen who made the excellent recordings. Click HERE to go to the audio book
It’s not just visual impairment that would make someone eligible for the Calibre service. Other print disabilities are supported including DYSLEXIA, ARTHRITIS, people who have had a STROKE, those living with PARKINSON’S, and other neurological conditions such as MS or MND. It’s anything that makes concentrating on a print book difficult or physically holding a print book difficult.
Calibre Audio (https://www.calibreaudio.org.uk/) is a UK-based charity providing an audiobook lending service to people with a print disability. They have collection of over 20,000 audiobooks for people living with a print disability in the UK and overseas. Every day they send out 1,500 books to their members.
No Planet B
Whilst countries like Russia continue with the antiquated concept of dominating areas of land and in the process causing massive destruction and deaths, climate change remains an existential threat to life on earth. This year and next year I will return to campaigning to protect our environment. My first post for a while this summer was on the flaring off of methane which I was horrified to see at an oil refinery on the Seine. France is not the only country. The UK continue with flaring and it’s worse still in other oil rich countries. Please look out for my posts on campaign4environment.org.uk
Slava Ukraini !
I continue my campaign to support Ukrainian causes. Sadly, despite the summit in Alaska between Trump and Putin, Russia is able to continue its invasion of Ukraine unchecked. I’m helping local groups here in the UK to raise money and I’m trying to bring to the public’s notice the terrible consequences of Putin’s actions.
Why do I do this? ….. I have in mind the 18thC saying “Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.” I believe it’s very appropriate today. There is a lack of news coverage by the media and sadly some world leaders tacitly support Russia by their inaction. I also keep in mind this quote (anon)
“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent”.
Vic Ient 