Thought I would go with the Chemical Brothers for today’s title and their offering that was the cycling theme for the 2012 Olympics. Not that I was in a Velodrome today but outside on two wheels cycling into a bitter wind – balaclava on and my warm merino base layer!. My first decent ride of the New Year and sadly it looks like I will be going for plenty of solo rides for some time. Hopefully we will still be allowed to exercise!

I am currently working on revamping the web site so hopefully in the near future it will look different. I will have a new page for the Two Severn Bores that will have our River Severn  podcast on (hopefully more will be added through the year.)

Yesterday’s Swan Quiz answers – hope it wasn’t that taxing!

a) Swan Lake the ballet was written by Tchaikovsky and was based on Russian and German folk tales.   b) The two species of swan that come here in the Winter are Bewick and Whooper -I have seen both here in Frampton and also bizarrely a Black Swan one Christmas *  c) Female swan is called a Pen  d) Six Swans story was collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm-I have told this story many times and always add something new to each telling.  e) It is Seven swans a swimming in the 12 days of Christmas.

• I have to say when I saw it I did rub my eyes in disbelief I can only assume it had escaped-one interesting fact is although there have been  several generations of Black Swan in collections like WWT  they still breed according to Southern Hemisphere seasons!