iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 19/08/2026

Bollocks to it all. I’m listening to Zooropa. It’s from 1993 and I I it’s killing me. When this album came out there were so many possibilities (and actual life) in Europe. 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 #zooropa #u2

A square album cover. 12 irregular yellow stars evoke the EU flag. In the centre is a hand drawn space guy alien’s head. The backgrpundnisnpupley reddy blue. Top left in tiny characters in sans caps is “U2 ZOOROPA” in black on a yellow rectangle

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 04/05/2026

…then a jaunt out to the sea, where I happened upon an unattended motor racing circuit. 4/n

A green bicycle stands in front of a large painted wall sign reading “Mascot (R) Workwear
Circuit Zaandvoort” with some red, orange and black stripes.

An ordinary bicycle stands in a car parking space labelled “Reserved Safety Car” - but part of the sign is behind a wire so it actually says “eserved afety car”

An iconic view of the Zaandvoort start-finish straight, looking toward the coast. The sky is misty, a radar tower (iconic) is in the distance, constructed from triangular frames giving a crooked appearance. The pit lane is below the camera, with a grey concrete outside the garages and a black tarmac pit lane. Blue, yellow and red paint separates the two. Beyond those, concrete barrier and wire fence separates the pit lane from the track. To the right, some orange cones and motorcycles are kind of hanging around.

We’re now outside the circuit, in a grandstand, looking back at the pit lane. The podium is visible with. Red and orange colour scheme an “making history” written behind the 2-1-3 stepped podium. The sky is grey. The pit lane is filled with an assortment of vans and ordinary cars, driven by the track marshals, which is how I knew it was lunch time.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 04/05/2026

Then I had some beer. I know that a head on beer is a thing, but really? 3/n

A half litre glass of beer with a foamy head taking up a good third of the glass. The legend on the glass is something “…wolf” with an image of some kind of animal in sun specs. The beer is on a square table on a beer mat. The drink and shoulder of my companion is visible beyond. Greenery appears outside the window

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 04/05/2026

…as it was peeing with rain, I went on a ride, and absolutely loved it. It’s _so_ lovely to be unremarkable on a bike, where bikes are just a form of transport and roads are designed for people on bikes _and_ people in cars. Roundabouts are an absolute hoot. I […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

It’s a damp day, a reddish paved bike path runs from centre to the left distance. The areas is lightly wooded. A blue sign with white writing states “fietspad” which is, I think a bike path. My green bike is propped to the right, with a wooden rectangular wayfinding sign in front of the bike.

My green bike on the top level of a bike parking stand. I wanted to see how much of a mission it was to get this fairly heft bike up there. I’d say that it’s a 7/10 mission. It’s a heavy machine and I just about managed it. My blue coat hangs in a bedraggled manner from an adjacent rack. Other bikes are around. The ceiling is kind of pinkish. Strip lights in the distance. But answer me this, how do the computers know how many free racks there are - I didn’t take a photo but they know how many spaces there are - upper and lower.

Looking down the aisle in an underground bike garage. There are hundreds of racks left a right. Upper and lower. Each upper and each lower has two different heights so that adjacent bikes down clash handlebars. 🤯

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 04/05/2026

Look out, I’ve been riding bikes on the continent again. This time I’m on a flying visit to NL 🇳🇱 and having benefitted from the Brexit queue to register for European entry, I found my hire bike, which I love. The front wheel is so far out front, and the bars […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

My default food for Dutch bike expeditions. In the foreground is a small plastic bottle of delicious orange juice (with bits) held in my hand next to two “boreks” - pastry tubes filled with spinach and feta. The cute is slightly elevated (at the top of some steps) above a. Bicycle parking area in which can be seen a variety of standard Dutch bikes, including one with a crate, a blue and yellow public transport bike and others, just bikes as transport. My green hire bike is there too. In the middle distance are some blue bollards, red paving, the base of a tree and part of a car.

Looking down at the ground. A square blue plate with a white “P” for parking and an outline drawing of a white backfiets cargo bike.

A public bike stand. These are great, curvy metal, designed to hold a front wheel but with a really solid upstand for locking the bike to.

We’re looking at two bicycle s. In the foreground, a bright green bike with a u-shaped tube, black chain guard, black single pannier and strong looking wheels, clad in marathon plus tyres. The bike has the words “Green Bikes” on the down tube. Beyond ot is a nondescript but functional transport bike. Beyond that, greenery. The ground is rectangular reddish paving.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 26/04/2026

Hey gang. I’ve had a lush day on the #biketooter, riding round my part of #Cymru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿. My mate Morgan (girl’s name) wasn’t feeling it (too much gin) but I _made_ him come on a ride. We went on a gentle circuit of the Vale (Morgannwg - Glamorgan). You’ll be […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

A pub table with, in the distance just under half a pint of cloudy yellow beer (tasted fine - it was Coach Brewing Co something. The bar lady wasn’t sure, which is incredible as it was a Coach Brewing Co pub. Anyway, it was free because I had the app and it was a welcome offer. In the foreground is a cardboard tray full of a jumble of colourful food which is actually sea bass on some kind of wrap. A wooden fork protrudes to the left and a wooden knife to the right. Fake newspaper lines the tray. A secondary white cardboard tray of chips covered in red dust is in the background.

My mashed up SPD cleats. They were like putty. Knock off dodgy version? The image shows the bottom of a bike shoe, facing up, with the SPD cleat visible on the shoe. It’s seen better days. Looks knackered. On my leg, to the right, on top of my grey shorts is a pristine new version ready to be installed.

We’re on a country lane. It’s about 5m wide. Hedges line each side. The sky is pale, high-cloudy blue. The road is grey. In the distance an amazing female person on a bike powers off into the distance. It’s an electric bike. There’s a story there. I’ll tell you when we meet.

This is a selfie of two people riding bikes. The person nearest the camera is male, wearing a bike helmet, a very dodgy moustache and a blue jersey. He’s clearly some kind of tosspot. In the middle distance, an athlete rides a heritage bicycle dating from the 1990s. They clearly know their stuff, clad in pink and black horizontal stripes. They were, until very recently, flicking the V’s at the photographer, but got bored as he was taking an age. The sky is high and blue/white. A yellow field is in the distance, with a green field to the right.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 11/04/2026

I wasn’t feeling it today when my mate suggested a ride, so i hijacked it. “Let’s go to a the Tiny Rebel (bar) in Newport. TL:DR; it closed a year ago, so, second choice, we went to the source - the brewery itself. Been before. It was epic. Went today. It was […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

A square red sign starts 2 metres above the ground. The “Tiny Rebel brewing co” text with a white cartoon bear. Behind the sign, an industrial scene with pallets (skids) and buildings. Two bikes lean jauntily against the two black upright sign posts. The sky is half blue, half white cloud.

A poster in the style of the classic Guinness advert. A cartoon TnuRebel bear sits atop a weathervane with a pint of beer perched on its strapon fake toucan beak

Two white male humans. Clearly reprobates. Both are wearing black and pink striped Lycra tops. The one nearest to the camera has a bike hat and amber spectacles. The further person has the same attire but with a white wind prof later of the kind that only a tosspot would wear. That tosspot is offering a middle finger to the camera. He is wearing spectacles clearly purchased from Amazon but with which he is obviously enamoured. The two figures are clutching bicycles and standing inside a bus shelter. Beyond the shelter is a red brick wall surmounted by greenery. There is a green east bin which received some dead malt loaf wrappers. If you seem Morgan, you’re welcome to tell him that he is a tosspot. I mean it fondly. This is a rare photo of your correspondent. Cherish it.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 23/03/2026

…and here I am. York. I haven’t been here since about 1980, so, high time for another visit. Off to the Station Hall at the #NationalRailwayMuseum today because it’s closed tomorrow. I had a good old poke around, and a very decent scone. A bit too many royals […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

We’re at ground level looking up at a blue diesel loco in the mid distance, coupled to a lighter blue “Pullman” carriage. It’s class 87 001 and a midland Pullman. Both are in a vaulted train shed.

A vintage poster inviting the viewer to “Keep Ypur Station Tidy”. Four characters hold a variety of cleaning implements. The four people in the photo wear yellow T-shirts “KEEP BRITAIN TIDY”. It’s Abba, and they’re all grinning keenly. I was (and probably still am, as they haven’t told me otherwise) in the Official British ABBA Fan Club. (Also circa 1981)

We are on the ground looking up at the end of a carriage on our right hand side. The carriage is burgundy on top, black beneath.
Text on the carriage reads:

TARE 29. TONS
RESTRICTION 4
OVERALL LENGTH & WIDTH 59FT. 7 INS.
x
9 FT. 3 INS.
RESTORED NRM YORK 1989 PAUL UTTLEY

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 23/03/2026

…and another train. This time it’s a Transpennine Express. I’ve heard a lot about this route. It has some amazingly long tunnels, and strong canal action. Those navvies did a huge shift. 5/n

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 23/03/2026

There is at-seat catering, and the food looks lush. I went for a walk instead. Have a look at the menu here. food-and-drink.tfw.wales/en/at-seat… 4/n

We are standing at the counter of an on train catering kiosk. A menu on the counter, a fridge full of cans of drink, many with a Welsh theme, like Wrexham lager. A slow coffee machine trickles liquid into a paper cup. There are no humans visible as they have gone on delivery errands

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 23/03/2026

Oh look, there’s the largest working mechanical signal box #Shrewsbury 3/n

A poor shot from a train window. Railway tracks fill the foreground. The sky is grey. The middle distance is occupied by a lonely brick building with high windows and not much of a roof.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 23/03/2026

Whoa! Another train - this time it’s a locomotive hauled rake of carriages. Looks like a DB class 67 loco and five carriages. What are these? Mark 4? I’m not an expert, but it’s lovely to not have an engine thrashing away under the floor. 2/n

We’re on a station platform, the city rises beyond. In the middle distance, along the railway track, the front of a train approaches. It’s red on the top, yellow mid, and black from the buffers down. We can see the text “DB” and “67 020”. Passengers line the platform.

Looking down between the locomotive and the carriage. I see sturdy buffers in contact with each other, cables on the loco, air hoses, and a red coupler on a big hook

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 23/03/2026

Good morning #train fans. Here I am at #LlantwitMajor station, and here’s my usual commuter train to work - scruffy old class 150…but I’m not going to work today, where shall I go instead? 1/n

We are standing on a railway platform, with the track to our left, looking towards an approaching multiple-unit train. The front is fairly close, and painted yellow. Its number is 150260. A fellow passenger is to our right with their back to us.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 20/03/2026

good morning #equinox fans. Here's the view from the saddle on my #BikeTooter commute today from here in the south of #Cymru #Wales. This is the view down the hill into Porthkerry Park travelling from the east. This is one of the highlights of the ride […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

Today - March Equinox - We're looking down a country lane, with tall hedges on each side. The hedges are dark, in contrast the the sun, low-mid-centre image. It's pale orange, obscured behind a veil of high thin cloud. In the distance, an arched stone railway viaduct crosses from left to right. We can see one complee arch with the sea through it, and a partial arch on each side of the main arch. In the middle distance, a wooden telegraph pole proturdes from the hedge. This is my view-gnomon, I watch how the sun appears to move in the sky in relation to this pole.

December Solstice - The same view as the March photo. The view is dark, almost black, no sun is visible as it has not yet risen. The sky is covered by a thin veil of high cloud

September equinox - very similar to the March view, but here, the sky is clear and the hedges are more leafy

June solstice - I long for these summer days. The sun is far over to the left, almost out of frame, and high in the sky. The sky is clear blue, and the hedges are fresh and green

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 06/03/2026

I've accidentally acquired a new #bike - NBD. You know how it goes, I just called in to see Simon with my clunking folding bike for a fettle. He always has bikes lined up outside his workshop, and today had more than usual - "which one are you looking at?" […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

a close up shot of a bicycle rear wheel. We're looking at the derailleur marked as "DURA-ACE". Beyond the wheel is grass.

A black and white bicycle leans against a metal handrail. The handrail leads away from the viewer, slightly downwards to an old stone building - a church. There is a narrow tarmac path to the right of the handrail. Short, rough grass leads away from the foreground to the middle distance. Woodland then continues. The bicyle is marked "RIBBLE" on the seat post and down tube.

We're on a bicycle, very close to the top tube, on the right hand side, looking down towards the front wheel. The bike frame is black. On the top tube, we see, slightly blurred "RA-ACE". In the centre of the frame are two old-style gear shifters. A sticker between the shifters reads
"EQUIPPED WITH
DURA-ACE
SHIMANO"

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 17/01/2026

Ok, so I have a hot take for you. The passenger experience at #Eurostar #StPancras is, at best, mediocre. Above you, out of sight is the amazing train shed, but you can’t see that when you’ve checked in, because you’re kept in the dungeon , waiting for time to […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

A Eurostar departure screen showing departures to Paris, Amsterdam and Paris

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 17/01/2026

Then there was some underground action 2/n

We are looking down at some stairs as we descend. The treads are patterned with small brass with longer blue rectangles on the front edges. The foot and lower leg of the photographer are in the photo. Black boot, blue trousers.

We’re on a station platform. The red front of a train is close to us. It has large windows at the front and white lights. The orange LED display reads “25 Circle Line via King’s Cross St Pancras”

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 17/01/2026

Watch out, I’m on a mission that involves #trains! An early morning at Bridgend and a scenic tour of Wiltshire led to Paddington. This was my rail sale bargain ticket. Wonder where I am going… 1/n

The sky is clear but dark blue. It’s just before dawn. We are on a railway platform, looking down the tracks which are on our right. A set of stairs descends on the far platform, toward us. A pedestrian over bridge crosses the tracks in the middle distance.

We are in an arched train shed looking back down the platform. It’s Paddington. The yellow nose of a train is in the foreground. A platform full of people is to the left.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 21/12/2025

Ok, so this is slightly niche. I left my colleagues at the #GLC #GoldieLookinChain gig to catch the last train home, and Hannah somehow found #AdamHussain who noticed my absence. Anyway, it was #Bridgend #PenYBont where I saw them last, not #Casnewydd

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 09/11/2025

C’mon #Wales #Cymru. We’ve been here before. We’ll be back. I’m old enough to remember when #Cymru could only score points through the boot of #NeilJenkins - and in recent years, he’s been the drinking game - when Neil brings the water on, drink! Now, even he […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 02/11/2025

Wow, that was a great #KidicalMass in #Barry #Barrybados. Organised by the amazing AB, we were a great gang of people on wheels. It wasn’t far, but the energy was great. We moved from #BarryIsland to the #Knap, with plenty of stops to re-group. I was there […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

We’re beside the sea. To the middle distance over on the right there is a sheltered bay. To the left, leading away is a wide promenade, with prominent puddles. The subject of the photo is the large number of people, mostly dressed sensibly, some with high viz,some in Halloween kit, but all with a bike or scooter. The sky is cloudless blue, despite the fact that the rain was hammering down ten minutes previously

We’re on a wide tarmac promenade. A group of people on bikes is riding away from the camera. We seem to be part of the group. To the left, a grey pebble beach and a sliver of grey sea. To the right, we glimpse another body of water, lower than the promenade. That’s an ornamental lake. The sky is blue with low white fluffy clouds on the horizon, which is formed by a rise in the land. Building, houses in the far distance to the right, trees to the far distance left. The large white flag on one of the bikes reads “kidical mass Barry”

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 25/10/2025

Morning all. I’m recovering from the most joyful evening that I’ve had for a long time. Yes, that’s right, #GoldieLookinChain were in #Bridgend, and so was I. It was wonderful, complete nonsense, offensive, rude and ignorant nonsense. These guys are so slick […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

We’re in a crowd, a couple of people back from the front, looking at some middle aged white guys on stage. They’re dressed in sportswear, performing to the crowd, holding microphones. Red, green and white lights illuminate the scene.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 11/10/2025

In honour of it being Friday yesterday, my #biketooter route home avoided my nemesis section of main road by crossing the river Thaw at its mouth - which meant an off-road section round the front of Aberthaw power station. I’m running out of evening light for […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

A view of sea (to the left) and sky (above). A concrete sea wall leads off from centre of the bottom of the frame to the far distance to the right. A gravel path is to the right of the wall. To the left, a stony sandy beach slopes down to the grey sea. Beyond the sea is land - England. The sky above is getting dark and mottled with high cloud. It’s approaching sunset.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 02/10/2025

I try and ride to work at least a few days each week, takes almost exactly an hour each way, but every day I feel apprehensive before I set off. It has to be the anticipation of dealing with people driving motor vehicles, so I try and avoid the main roads - […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

A black drip-handled bicycle leans against a wooden picnic table. A yellow helmet hangs from the handlebars. Behind these is a green hedge, and to the right is a green and grey site lavatory, like a tardis from a crapper dimension.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 27/09/2025

It’s the Porthcawl atmosphere wot does it for me. 5/n

A group of people walk from left to right. It’s perhaps a family. Dad is possibly dressed as GI Elvis. He’s pushing a pushchair with a Greggs paper bag on the handles. Ahead, mum is walking with miniature child Elvis in full white outfit with hair.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 27/09/2025

…well, here, apparently. We passed this particular Elvis earlier in the street. It’s uncanny. It _was_ Elvis. A young Elvis - the ladies told us that he was “only sixteen”, but he was great. 4/n

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 27/09/2025

Of course we were at the Hi Tide. Where else would we be? 3/n

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 27/09/2025

There’s something specially Welsh about the #Porthcawl #Elvis vibe. Everywhere you go, there’s an Elvis. “a’right Elvis?”. It’s not posh, it’s lush. 2/n

A melee of people on a sunny day. Elvis has his back to us. People are dressed in 1950’s US military clothes drinking beer and generally enjoying the vibe.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 27/09/2025

fML. I’m just back from #Porthcawl #Elvis. It’s another world, and you truly haven’t lived until you’ve experienced it. We were lightweight this year going early, leaving early, but that’s probably for the best. 1/n

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 17/08/2025

@RantyHighwayman ha! I was there the other day, also taking photos of the ironwork! Yours is cleaner than mine. As a bonus, the city were selling these isotonic energy drinks (?) to thirsty riders.

A city street scene with in the immediate right foreground, a close up plastic glass containing a yellow fluid (it is beer).
The glass has red capital letters reading
B
R
E
D
A

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 12/08/2025

It’s so hot. I made myself go into town to look at the sights, and here they are, presented for you. It’s #Ghent #Gent 15/n

A close up of a pinknixe cream in a cone. A Belgian flag 🇧🇪 protrudes from the top. The background is blurred, but is a street scene in a historic town

A view from a bridge down onto a waterway. Old buildings line each side of the the tourist boats have just passed and are visible in the distance as the waterway recedes from sight.

A waterway to the left, a medieval type castle to the right

A wooden picnic table bearing a glass of Ypra-brands golden liquid. It’s beer. Of course it’s beer.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 12/08/2025

…this was the route. No prizes for scenery, but bike lanes of various quality all the way. #Biketooter 14/n

A map of Netherlands and Belgium. An orange line winds across the centre, between Antwerp and Brussels

An orange sign, with a pointed left end, indicating direction.
“GENT(bike symbol) (person symbol)

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 12/08/2025

Bet you wondered what happened to me? Well, I’ve spent the day smashing westwards - started about 0730 and it was actually chilly. Now it’s 33 degrees and too hot! It’s been a day of following this railway line - and you know I love trains - but as the path […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

We are stopped at a level crossing. A greyish train crosses the road. A red and white barrier blocks the way for me. A red and white cross shape and lights denote the crossing. In front of me, a person on their bike waits. Actually, every time I’ve stopped, the drivers and people on bike unfailing wait until the barriers raise, then they pause, then they cross

A blue bike with drip handlebars lies on its side. A tarmac path is to the left, with trees and blue sky. We’re looking from ground level. Looks hot. Was hot.

A 3metre wide tarmac path with white centre broken lines recedes to infinity. To its right is a dual track railway line with overhead line equipment. The sky is blue.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 11/08/2025

Now I’m spent, and have found some Belgian beer. 12/n

A squat brown bottle of MARTA beer. A glass mostly full of dark brown liquid. I won’t CW this, because it will CW the whole thread. Anyway, 12%. Goodnight.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 11/08/2025

#FietsenDoorHetWater. There is no reason why anything this amazing should be built. No reason at all. Can you imagine trying to justify it in the UK? #BikeTooter. 11/n

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 11/08/2025

…and here’s the vid, narrated by your correspondent. 9/n

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 11/08/2025

…of course I wasn’t heading to Fietser door de boemen”! A bucket list ride. I was describing it to friends and family, and mostly, they were extremely nonplussed. “Why?”. But, #biketooters, you are my people. There is no reason to build a spiral ramp for bikes […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

At ground level looking along a cycle path bounded to the left by an elevated cycle route. It curves up anticlockwise, held up by rusty looking poles.

On the elevated path. Bounded by rusty poles connected by a silver handrail rail. We appear to be in the tree canopy, because we are.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 11/08/2025

…but I wasn’t here only for the exclaves. I was on a mission, so had to do some southward smashing. 7/n

A close up of a brown-ish rectangular sign. “Welkom in” (in handwriting type black script) above “FIETSPARADIJS LIMBURG” (white caps)

Welcome to bike paradise Limburg.

This canal made for some easy km’s. I did about 30k along this, great for charging my phone. We’r looking along a canal path, which is 3m wide of tarmac. To the right is a broad, still canal

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 11/08/2025

…but to get here, I’ve been through some enclaves or are they exclaves? Anyway, Baarle-Nassau is in 🇳🇱 but part of the town is Baarle-Hertog which is in 🇧🇪, and there are pockets of Belgium all over the place. It has an uneasy feel - it was my first taste of […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

A Google map of the Netherlands / Belgium border showing a patchwork of international borders.

A loaded touring bike leans against a bollard. The photographer’s shadow falls across the scene. A row ow white crosses are on the pavement, just behind the bike. On one side, “NL” is written on the ground, across the other side of the crosses, “B”

Looking forward over the handlebars of a bicycle. The road is light grey herringbone paving, with grey paving to the edges. Along the street, leading away from view are oval lozenges, embedded in the road, each with a plus symbol. This is the international border.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 11/08/2025

Where did we get to? It’s been quite a day. I’m now in Belgium, eating chips with mayo 5/n

An outdoor square grey table at a campsite bar. In the distance are trees and more tables and chairs. In front of the diner is a wooden platter holding a circular dish of things that are not quite chips. They’re chip-ettes. Small thick chips. Behind that is a circular dish holding salad and dressing. To the right is a circular dish holding two breadcrumbed tubes. Yes. These bad boys are cheese croquettes. Oh, and there is a glass of amber liquid on the table. It’s beer. Pilsner. Brits abroad etc. Would I like small, medium, large, or the half litre. 👋

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 10/08/2025

What a great #biketooter day! I’ve come 💯 km completely on bike paths. The last 10km were on a tarmac path next to a dirt and sand road. That would never happen back home. Now somewhere south of #Breda, 🇳🇱 looking forward to some #exclave action tomorrow as we […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

European fruit is in a different league to the same items in the UK. Here a nectarine sits next to a tomato, on top of a paperback book, which in turn is on some green grass. Also in the image, a blue plastic shoe and a bike helmet.

A scene of a street, there’s a tree, some people on the distance, and in the foreground a plastic beaker with the letters BREDA vertically in bold red. The beaker contains a golden liquid, up to the level of the middle of the E.

An enormous plate of chips and a burger on a table in the sun. Also on the black marble table, a bottle of Coke with the legend “Mate”. Fellow diners are visible at the next table. Tall trees fill the distance, with sky visible past their trunks.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 10/08/2025

…I had to call at #Rotterdam Centraal Station. I’ve read and seen so much about the design. It’s magnificent in real life. Smaller than I imagined, but I was there! #Biketooter 3/n

In the foreground, a touring bike leans against a sloping black wall. In the background, well, how to describe it? It’s the station portal, made of some kind of bronze coloured metal. Roughly rectangular, it leans towards the viewer with the top right hand corner further forward than the left hand side. Capital letters read “AAL STATION” with an analogue clock showing 09:42. The front of the station is glazed.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 10/08/2025

Ha! Bike #infrastructure that I can only dream about back home. Some of these traffic signals change before I get there #biketooter #Rotterdam 2/n

A Dutch street scene. We are at a junction. There are white lines painted on the road, and sharks teeth triangles on my red cycle path. Traffic signals on black and white striped poles. Buildings on the distance across the junction. The sky is blue

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 10/08/2025

As the sun rose this morning, I somehow find myself on the continent of Europe. Yes, it’s true. I am on another #biketooter adventure. Let’s see where I end up. This thread may or may not have several roots…1/n

A blue touring bicycle, heavily laden with panniers leans against two #WorldBollards. In the distance to the right is a ship. It’s the Stena Britannica. The middle distance is filled with an empty car park. A sign announces this to be “Hoek van Holland Haven”. The sky is blue!

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 21/06/2025

…and here’s the same view with a bike in it. #Biketooter

A fairly close up view of bike handlebars, looking forward to this is a drop-handled bike, with some items attached. I can see a smalll torch to the left, a rectangular computer on the centre, a bell to the right and a blue tab for a quad lock toward the rider. This must be my touring bike. In front of the bike, the road leads down hill between tall hedges with an autumn tint. This is November.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 21/06/2025

Morning all. I’ve been quiet recently, but I’m still doing the #Biketooter thing most days. Here’s my usual photo from my commute, heading down into #Porthkerry park in #Barrybados here in #Cymru. This week’s photo from the #solstice is compared with the […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

Looking down a country lane edged by tall green hedges. The sky is blue. The sun is in the upper left of the photo. In the middle distance, an arched stone railway viaduct crosses from left to right.

I take these photos so I can enjoy the progress of the sun across the sky as the seasons change. Here at the summer solstice, it’s high left, in December it’s low to the right.

This photo is dedicated to everybody who rides a bike for transport and especially to those who ride year round.

I’m particularly enjoying the warm weather at the moment which means that I don’t need gloves for warmth, and thinking back to the depths of winter when even withmy warm gloves with pogies, I’d still arrive at work frozen.

In the mornings this week, the dips in the landscape contained delicious, cool air, but in winter, they’re punishingly cold.

Whatever you ride, keep on keeping on.

The same view, but in the depths of December. This is the winter solstice 2024. The sky is dark, the sun not yet risen from the bottom right. A smudge of orange hints at the sunrise to come

The same view at the March equinox. The sun is mid frame, the hedgerows not yet full of life.

…and at the September equinox. The hedges are tall and green. The sun is mid frame, with wispy high cloud. There’s a bit of lens flare.

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 08/05/2025

There are benefits from finishing late at work (parcel guy was late). Now I have to wait for the next train. #Barrybados #CraftBeer #Cymru

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Olly Womump @womump.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 30/04/2025

Well, the #UKSwifts are back - but what’s going on here? Somehow, the Swift has tangled itself with a fledgling sparrow. They were locked by the wing feathers, with the sparrow hanging out of the box. Nature took a long time to take its course, but they’re […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

We’re under the eaves of a house, looking into the setting sun which is touching the roofs of distant houses. Under the eaves of this house, a wooden bird nest box is seen from the short end. On the side away from the house is a tangle of feathers, which on closer inspection is a fledgling sparrow, and the long wing feathers of a swift. It’s very hard to discern what’s going on.

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