Beltway Bandit

Up until the early 80s on my side of town, you had to use quite minor roads to get between places; Acomb, Askham Bryan, Askham Richard, Angram, Copmanthorpe, Bishopthorpe and various other villages. And the rest.

Getting across the main dual carriageway between York and Leeds was hairy to say the least. Then they built the ring-road. They should have made it dual carriageway but they didn't. The daily constant stream of traffic bombs along it, from roundabout to roundabout.

Having said that, it is much better (if quicker really is better...) to get from A to B. What has changed is that there are several side tracks to remote farms and other properties which the traffic goes past. And you never get chance to explore them really.

Unless, like today you use a bike and cut across the ring-road (dodging the aforementioned constant stream) and mooch along a bridleway I'd seen but never explored before. Driven past it literally thousands of times and it brought to mind a project by a good Blip friend - "Within A Mile".

Maybe BlipCentral should suggest a bike ride (or even a walk) near home when Blip-block kicks in...