I don’t love the “feud” framing, as much as I do appreciate the mayor standing up to Trump. Sadiq Khan is not feuding with anyone. He was the target of a vicious, racist attack and is standing up for himself and others.

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again. Ignore the haters, London is the 🐐

Shame on Downing Street for going along with this. So much for being committed to a free press

And finally, the unofficial end point for the Grand Tour of the Alps - the Cafe du Cyclistes in Nice Harbour. Lot of interest from other customers in my 30yo Dawes Galaxy - especially when they pick it up with the panniers attached!

Four years ago today I was crossing the border on my LE-JoG jaunt. Tonight, I’m about 18 miles from Nice, near the end of my tour of the Alps. What should I start planning next?

Doesn’t matter how developed you think you are as a writer, this positive, constructive group will help you become even better. Give it a try.

À long slog upwards but the views from the summit of the Cime de la Bonette and on the ways up and down made it worthwhile. Hopefully a couple of easier days ahead now, en route to Nice.

Good climb of the Col de L’Izoard from Briancon- first time from that direction for me - but where is the sunshine? Really chilly going downhill in this weather 😬

Very satisfying climb of the Col de Galibier today. Possibly the most enjoyable of the tour so far. Followed it with a fast drop to the Col de Lauteret and à long lunch in the cafe. Last time I was there I was mending the 3rd of my punctures on the Etape du Tour 🙁

Astonishing that rather than deal with its gun fetishism, the US instead demands that kids to have transparent back packs to take to school.

Oh dear. Heading over the Col de l’Iseran (2674 metres) today and the weather is looking GRIM 🙁

Having dinner at my hotel in the French Alps and the group at the next table are clearly comparing their favourite British sitcoms, principally by loudly (drunkenly) quoting catchphrases.

When you take a photo of your bike near the top of a climb and get photobombed by Mont Blanc!

Sunday flea market in Flumet. Seems like the whole town is either buying or selling.

Looking windswept at the summit of the Col d’Aravis - and I haven’t even begun the descent yet!

If you’re going to have a fortifying coffee before starting the Grand Tour of the Alps, you could do a lot worse than Thonon-les-Bains, with its dozens of cafes 👍☕️

Cycling across Paris is like being an extra in a cross between The Italian Job and the Hunger Games. Amazingly, I made it to my train alive, but with seconds to spare. I’ve never run through a railway station so quickly 😓💦💦

Off to France and Switzerland on the bike tomorrow. Can I safely wear this jersey or will the civilised folks over there assume I’m one of the Farage-Robinson hate-stirrers?

Pay attention, Canada. If Alberta is successful in this book banning, this will spread. Look around you, b/c this is how it starts. We're on the same ledge the US was on. And we either start fighting this right-wing rise now, or we follow the Americans over the edge. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

My garden is covered with autumn leaves. It’s August. Something is badly wrong and I worry that we’ve let it go too far to be able to repair it. 😢

My pal here has been accompanying me on my little bike trips (plus a stroll up Kilimanjaro) for more than 20 years. Hope he’s in the mood for another adventure - the high mountains are calling…

So I thought I would introduce our group for anyone who is looking for a writers workshop in southeast London. We meet every other Thursday at a location to workshop two pieces. Fiction of any genre is our wheelhouse but we occasionally do scripts too

Slightly diminish a band… The Rolling Pebbles Averagetramp Maybe Joy Subtraction Needlecraft Work

We have to deal with the shittiest Kennedy

It would be perfectly reasonable for restaurants to take a deposit with reservations or run a credit card verification on arrival for walk-ins. Genuine diners wouldn’t object, surely. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Hang on! Have I been misunderstanding Witchita Lineman for all these years?

Time for a revival of Tomfoolery? If ever there was a time when we needed intelligent incisive satire, it’s now.

Cracking overnight ride from London - now anticipating a blistering descent into Brighton for breakfast

Just done something I’ve been wanting to do for years. I got so fed up with someone in the next seat on the train having a moronic conversation on speakerphone that I joined in and offered my advice. It worked. 😁

Apropos of nothing, I was looking back at some old published stories. For all kinds of reasons, I think this one might be my favourite... robmcivor.com/saturday-on-...

Seeing the shots of the Southend air crash and feeling - guiltily - relieved that it happened immediately. Planes leaving there pass directly over my mother’s house about 30 seconds after take off 😱.

The Power of Love by Jennifer Rush (although there were plenty of other contenders, including the entire recorded output of Mariah Carey).

Anyone else here shedding a little tear tonight because they didn’t make the Bath longlist 😢?

When in Bath…

Oasis ticket sale

Rather unexpected road closure in #Blackheath today. Somehow, just missed the car and the house opposite.

Very sad that nowadays there is nowhere to cross the Thames east of Woolwich except in a car. No reason why the QE2 Bridge couldn’t have included a pedestrian and cycle path.

At the end of the #londonloop, 150-ish miles walked over 9 stages. The end is a bit of a let down - not even a sign - but it’s been great seeing parts of outer London I’d never have thought to visit. What next, though?

#londonloop on the Thames near Purfleet - strange concrete barges, WW2 relics used as flood defences in 1953.

Walking the final stages of the #londonloop. Back by the Thames again, on the north bank near Rainham. It’s a very different river here compared with when I last encountered it on this walk - crossing Kew Bridge! @ldnloop-capring.bsky.social

The view westwards from the easternmost point on the @ldnloop-capring.bsky.social walk. Honestly, you can just about see Canary Wharf on the horizon 😁

Heard Tracy Chapman on R4 saying that vinyl copies of this are hard to find and kicked myself for donating mine to a charity shop after buying it again on CD 🙄. I regret giving away so many of my old records 😥

Not bothered about collecting badges but looking forward to walking the final 3 stages of this later this week. Thinking about the South Downs Way next - crossed it near Shoreham on yesterday’s bike ride and thought “why not?”

Friday Night Ride to the Coast on a Thursday! What is the world coming to? Shoreham, here we come.

These ruined gates are all that’s left of Pyrgo House, near Noak Hill, where Queens Mary and Elizabeth lived together as children, on stage 21 of the #LondonLoop. And a sweet sign for #fingerpostFriday.

I am in a cafe and the woman at the next table has been talking non-stop for a half hour about different types of potato. #Blackheath can be wonderful, sometimes.

It’s always great to see someone from my writers’ group being published. Looking forward to getting stuck in to this new novel from Blackheath & Greenwich Writers’ @rupsfrazer.bsky.social

One for #BlueSkyMonday - up above the ski runs on the climb of the Pico de Veleta, near Granada, Spain.

Two things I’ve realised walking the #londonloop : 1 - how much greenery surrounds our city; and 2 - how much of it is given over to the world’s most boring “sport”.