Northeast of Crawley

Hail the conquering hero!

Yes, he did it! Anton successfully rode the PBP (Paris-Brest-Paris).

Well done mate, incredibly tough ride but you managed it.

Here are the stats (Anton was rider number 5716):

Yes, that's 1230 kilometres (about 880 miles) in about three and three-quarter days!

Anton is Iron Man (cue Black Sabbath track of same name) - "Durnn, Durnn, Durn,durn,durn duddle-duddle,durn,dad,durn,dad,durn etc. " (in a big, gruff voice).

I'm hoping to get more detail out of him about the ride, but I do know that he had to contend with a lot of rain and two days with a severe stomach upset that prevented him from keeping any food down!!

So today's ride was a sort of "warm down" for Anton - a mere 30 mile easy pootle during daylight hours. Joining Anton and myself at Three Bridges Station were Barbara, Ros, Laksh and John C. We headed off through Pound Hill, over the M23 on the Turners Hill Road and then down Old Hollow before using Copthorne Bank and Cross Lane/Dowlands Lane. The wind was generally behind us and we were soon through Horne:




Emerging onto the A22 just north of Blindley Heath, we turned left and then just as quickly, forked left back off the A22 onto Tilburstow Hill Road. As usual, we took the right turn just before the hill really kicked in but also we stopped for a breather, Ballet practice for Anton and a bite to eat for Ros....

Then Barbara grabbed my camera and took a snap of me - note the John Peel T-Shirt - I was wearing that to commemorate Johns birthday on 29th August.

Carrying on, we came to cross the A22 at a crossroads. As I got there, there was no traffic so I went straight across. When the others arrived a few seconds after me, a sudden glut of traffic meant we had to wait about 4 minutes before we'd all made it safely over.

We carried on due east for about a mile before turning south and down to the junction by The Brickmakers Arms - it was good to note that this pub appears to have reopened after a period of closure. The picture shows everyone sheepishly making their way back having missed the turn (and not noticed I was standing in the road waiting for them!!):

This road runs alongside that impressively long straight stretch of railway that runs from Redhill in the West to Tonbridge in the east - here's the view from an overbridge looking towards Redhill:

Next we passed through Crowhurst and saw the village sign:

It looks like a local benefactor was from Estonia - an inscription on a bench said that he was a "Great English Patriot" - leaving aside the obvious flaw in that statement, it's funny how the word "Patriot" has become quite an uncomfortable one, what with its shades of jingoism, racism, discrimination, association with the right wing and various other "isms". But then, that's a feature of our country, language and culture - we constantly change, adapt, absorb and become stronger for it. I'm SO glad we are such a mongrel nation - it makes it that much harder for extremism to get any kind of hold.

After Crowhurst, we headed through Lingfield and out along the western side of the racecourse along Blackberry Lane past some swanky houses. Then we passed through Felcourt and a downhill swoop before the final (stiffish - well stiffer than I remember) climb up into East Grinstead where we stopped at The Bluebell Cafe for lunch (all except John that is, for he headed on home in order to catch the Grand Prix).

The food was very good and we spent an enjoyable hour or so there before heading out and having said goodbye to Ros, acquired The Worth Way for a pleasant and easy ride back to Crawley.

Next weeks ride is the final DA Event of the year, The Arun Crossings. As a Member Group we're doing quite well in the DA Trophy competition - I reckon if we could have a good turn out for this last event, we may well win it. I believe the weather forecast is good for the weekend, so I don't think we've got any excuses :-)

This ride starts at Pulborough Station at 09:30hrs and involves several crossings of the River Arun using a variety of roads and bridleways, with a lunch stop at The Ship pub in The Haven (and usually a tea stop at Wisborough Green). I would recommend using a mountain bike or a strong touring bike for this ride as it involves quite a bit of fairly gentle off-road riding. It's great fun and I always enjoy it. Please note that car parking used to be free at the station on Sundays but now costs the princely sum of £1.

Travel by train takes about 30 minutes and would cost about £9.30 from Three Bridges (return), leaving at 08:46 (platform 3) and returning at 19 minutes past the hour sometime late afternoon (16:19 most likely). These trains would all stop at Horsham in both directions as well.

Shoreham Airshow

Todays ride was a quick sprint from Horsham to The Downs above Shoreham for a leisurely picnic watching the aerial displays at Shoreham Airshow. Led by Bob, the other riders were Pete S, Pat, Frank, Barbara (part of the way), Clare and Dave. The ride down was fairly uneventful save from the fact that Bobs middle ring revealed itself to be unusable following installation of a new chain and that Clare is King of the Mountains - more on that later.

Sitting on the Downs was very pleasant and we had a good view of the airfield and the aircraft. I took a few pictures but they rendered the day as looking much more grey than it actually was - there was strong sunshine pushing through a fairly thin layer of high cloud.

First we were entertained by a trio of Gnats - these were the fast jet trainers formerly used by the RAF (and by their display team the Red Arrows):




I messed about with this one in Photoshop:

Here's Pete with Lancing College in the background:

Another display was by the Breitling Wingwalkers. Each of these planes (I think the plane type is a Steerman) had someone on the top wing, though it was hard to see what the wingwalkers were actually doing - hanging on for dear life I guess!

I suppose that in a way the following picture is iconic "Shoreham Airshow":

The Falcons Parachute display team were good - very accurate - although my picture doesn't really do them justice:

and there was a dogfight enactment featuring several WWI type aircraft - these two are SE5a's - the type of plane that Biggles' friend "Wilko" Wilkinson flew:

There's the possibility I may have doctored this picture:

After about threee hours of sitting on the turf and having met up with several riders from the Bognor and Chichester section, we decided it was time to get cycling again.

I decided to take us north, further up into The Downs and then to head down the steep rocky path to Bramber. All the time we were travelling this route we could hear more planes flying around but didn't see much of them apart from a couple of Spitfires (I was too slow getting my camera out for them) and a Hawker Hunter:

As we traversed the rocky path we were caught up by the Bognor Chichester riders:

Once at the bottom we said goodbye and we headed east and north whilst they headed west.

We headed up the A2037 as far as Small Dole and then, at Woods Mill, turned right onto Horn Lane to Woodmancote. Crossing the A281 we went through the quiet backwater that is Blackstone before a short traverse along the B2116 and then Wineham Lane - every time we came to a hill, Clare shot up it and I shot out of the back of our 'peleton' (even though I was ride leader!!). The two hills on Spronketts Lane saw me run completely out of energy and that tough little climb into Warninglid was almost a bridge too far.... At this point Clare mentioned that she was a Black Belt Judo instructor - no wonder she was so fit she could just eat up the hills and spit them out! Continuing north, even the (relatively) easy slope from Slaugham Pond to Handcross meant the others had to wait for me to catch up again but the level road all the way to Pease Pottage allowed me to get back into the spin of things.

We crossed the bridge in order to avoid the big roundabout and, at the Horsham link-road crossing we parted - Clare and Dave were debating which route to use to get back home (the long or the short route), Pete and I to go down the hill, past K2 and through Tilgate and Furnace Green. Oh, I forgot to mention that Frank and Pat had left our viewpoint early and headed over to Cuckfield to "get on down" at a Rock concert (or something)..........

Pulling up at home, I had about 56 miles on the speedo and also some shopping to do - for a middle chainring - Shimano, 36 teeth, 9-speed, 4-bolt, 108mm centres.

Next weeks ride is a Three Bridges start at 10:00 and will go north and east from Crawley. It should be an easy 30 miler, see you there!

Forest Row and back

We were pleased to welcome a new rider from Horsham to our beginners ride start at Three Bridges Station – welcome Sandra! We had slightly overcast but pleasantly warm weather as we headed off down the Worth Way. Normally we can’t ride the tandem on to the Worth Way at the Three Bridges end, but due to some moderate reworking of the wooden chicane (someone has broken them down!) we are now able to ride up the slope to gain access to the shaded path of the NCR21 going east. We took a gentle ride up to East Grinstead where we were delighted to see Ros back on her bike and looking well and fitter than ever. She had been out on her bike for a short ride during the previous week and was now keen to get back in to regular cycling, without overdoing it. So we decided to head through the lovely old town centre of East Grinstead and then south east (descending) along the Forest Way to Forest Row. In Forest Row we observed the extravagance of two sets of lights to cross the A22 – one set for pedestrians/cyclists and another set immediately adjacent for horses. Turning right we headed up to Future Cycles and turned left in to the quiet back road through the village – a road that some of our regular riders had not visited before. We then looped left up to the tip and past our usual café, run by our Dutch friends, as we had a rare treat in store. Climbing quickly on the Forest Way back to East Grinstead we turned off to visit Ros at her new house for coffee and home-made cake! Thank you Ros for your hospitality. Ros then lead us through diverse ways (!) back to the centre of East Grinstead and then along a sequence of minor roads and bridleways to arrive back on the Worth Way by Gulledge. We noticed as we passed that this house, although having a fine stone front when viewed from the Worth Way, is in fact a much older timber framed building at the back – a building practice that I believe was quite common among rich landowners at one time (?Georgian period). Here we said au revoir to Ros as we freewheeled through Crawley Down and back in to Crawley. Slightly longer than our usual two hours, but very pleasant and relaxed in nice weather and company. And a total of 25 easy miles on this occasion (again a little more than usual for a beginners ride).

Next week we are all looking forward to visiting an airshow to be viewed from the South Downs. So bring a picnic for a 09.30 start at Horsham Park Pavilion (swimming centre) – go on, you know you want to!

DA Event - Picnic

This weeks ride was the penultimate DA Event of the season and involved members from each of the West Sussex Member Groups rendezvousing at Wisborough Green for a picnic. I was down to lead from Horsham but the usual struggle for me to get to the start on time was compounded by having been out late on saturday night - in fact I was so tardy, I had to scrounge a lift from my wife and arrived a mere 10 minutes late.

I spotted two bikes I recognised and sure enough, when I went into the cafe I found Barbara and Norman waiting. We sat and chatted for a few minutes and then set off. I'd decided to use the most direct route and so we headed through Horsham town centre and out on the Worthing Road. Turning right at The Boars Head on Tower Hill we used Two Mile Ash Road and headed towards The Bax Castle. As we crossed over the Downs Link a heavy shower started so we sheltered under the bridge and waited for it to pass.

Back out on the road there were now a few patches of standing water but the sky was mainly blue (apart from a big bank of dark grey cloud to our left). We took the usual shortcut along the Hordens in Barns Green and then turned right immediately before the level crossing onto Valewood Lane. Turning right at the end of the lane onto West Chiltington Lane we stopped as this is where we were parting ways - Barbara and Norman were heading on back to Horsham and I was carrying on to Wisborough Green.

I next used New Road and then, on reaching the A29 decided that as I was by myself I'd use the main roads to Wisborough Green. Ten minutes later I was sat down on a bench at the crossroads in the middle of the village.

After half an hour no-one else had turned up so I decided to eat my picnic lunch by myself - bang on cue, just as I finished, the others arrived! In all there were about eight of us and we sat around chatting about various rides, refreshment stops and the like.

An hour quickly passed and then we all headed off home in our different directions - mine was a lonely ride (sob, sob) and I more or less retraced my steps to Horsham and then took the Forest Road back to Crawley via Pease Pottage. All in all I only rode about 32 miles today.

Next weeks ride starts from Three Bridges at 10:00hrs and, led by Pete, will be an easy ride using the Worth Way. It will be suitable for all cyclists including beginners. I hope to see loads of you there.

The Ashdowner

Nice weather meant I was out in a T-shirt and didn't bother packing any waterproofs. Arriving at Three Bridges for the start I was met by Frank and Anton, although Anton was just on his way home from a monster Audax ride - he'd clocked up something like 450 kilometres with a ride that had taken him all the way over to Wiltshire and (I think) Gloucestershire! It's not long now until he faces the Paris-Brest-Paris ride (PBP).

Next to join us were a couple of riders from the Family Bike Ride in June - Ali and Laksh - and then John C rolled up.

Waving goodbye to Anton, we set off up through Pound Hill and out on the Turners Hill Road. I was very conscious that todays ride would be hard work for the two new riders as it's impossible to avoid hills when travelling south and east of Crawley, but as they were both less than half my age, I thought they'd probably have the fitness to do it. Pausing for breath near Turners Hill church Ali mentioned that she'd ridden the road before but this was the first time she'd done it without a couple of stops. I decided to miss out the next bit of my planned route (and avoid a short climb) by heading straight over the crossroads to enjoy the couple of miles of mainly downhill gliding before the little climb up to the next crossroads. Next we passed through Saint Hill Green and across the end of Weirwood reservoir before turning left onto Legsheath Lane. After a half mile level, this road then climbs for about a mile but, as I pointed out in between gasps for air, it's not as steep as the other road going past the scout camps. However, on reaching the crossroads, Ali decided it was all proving a bit too much and that she would head back home to Turners Hill. She was confident about the route as she was familiar with all the roads hereabouts, so reluctantly we said goodbye and carried on. We took the first right onto Twyford Lane and enjoyed the lane as it smoothly swept down to a shady woodland. Here there is a ford and I warned my fellow riders that there's a short up immediately afterwards so they'd need to change gear as they got to the ford - needless to say, everyone was so focussed on the road and the ford that they all forgot to change gear (except me of course)!

At the next junction, an acute turn to our right took us down through a second ford and then immediately up a stiff little climb which was made palatable by judicious use of the vast range of gearing my bike has - I knew there was a reason for all those cogs!!

Now we were up on top of the ridge, the riding was nice and level with good views in most directions. At Cinder Hill we joined a slightly bigger road but there was almost no traffic and then a right turn took us down and past Horsted Keynes station on the Bluebell Railway. Another short climb and then decision time - left and up a short, tough climb and perhaps a lunchbreak in Ardingly, or right up an easier (but longer) hill to West Hoathly. We turned right and although the gradient may have been easier, it went on and on and on! Eventually however we reached West Hoathly and paused by what was once The Vinols Cross Inn. Not so long ago it had been refurbished and become the Intrepid Fox but it is now closed and up for sale. From here it was but a short couple of hundred yards to The Cat Inn. We decided to sit outside in the sunshine and watch the world go by. Everyone bar me opted for soft drinks, but I found the call of the Dark Star Hophead ale too great - and it was REALLY good. Unfortunately there weren't any sandwiches on the menu but a cheese platter, a roast dinner and a bowl of chips ticked the right boxes for those of us eating.

Everyone seemed quite tired, so for the afternoon ride I spared them the joys of Cob Lane and then the Ardingly Reservoir crossing by heading north instead and straight to Turners Hill. From there it was almost all downhill back to Pound Hill where we all dispersed our separate ways.

A quick glance at my speedo revealed todays ride was a mere 26 miles - but with all the hills it had felt a lot longer.

Next weeks ride will be led by Bob and starts from Horsham Pavilions in the Park at 10:00 hrs. As it is the DA Picnic ride, please remember to bring a packed lunch for the Picnic at Wisborough Green (you'll be able get food and drink at The Cricketers if you want, but that rather defeats the idea of a picnic).

The following week (August 14th) will be another easy ride suitable for everyone and starting from Three Bridges to use the Worth Way out towards East Grinstead - why not bring along a family member or a friend?

Horsham Hundred

This years 100 miler was scheduled to start from Horsham with a 50 mile anticlockwise loop to the south in the morning and a 50 mile clockwise loop to the north in the afternoon. A dearth of volunteers meant that I would be leading the ride but would unfortunately not be available for the entire afternoon loop. I suspected riders would be thin on the ground, but having ridden from Crawley to Horsham for the 07:00hrs start I found myself completely alone at Horsham Pavilion in the Park. I waited until 07:30, just in case, before setting off.

Although I had an OS map with me, the route would be on familiar roads all the way and the exit from Horsham was the usual Golf Course and Robin Hood Lane route. With dry roads and a temperature that a double t-shirt combo could easily manage, I enjoyed the ride as it headed south through Broadbridge Heath and then up Bashurst Hill. I'd soon passed Coneyhurst and Broadford Bridge and as I slowly reached the top of Woods Hill I was in a world of my own and thinking about how to minimise the effort I was using to climb the hill. At this point I thought I heard a car approaching and looking over my shoulder I spotted not only the car but also a cyclist catching me up. I expected him to pass me in the next few hundred yards but he didn't actually do so until about a mile further on when I hit the short hill up Mill Road in West Chiltington Common. I was impressed with the chaps ability to cycle in spite of his physical impairment - I think he was stone deaf - as he didn't respond to my cheery hello as he passed me. Anyway, I was now at the southernmost point of the morning loop and turned north into Roundabout Lane and thence to Smock Alley. This lane made me work again and it was a relief when I finally got to freewheel down through the bends of East Street to come out on the Coolham Road.

Visibility was very good with no chance of any foolish motorist (or van driver) failing to spot me as I cruised through the junction. The road wasn't too busy and so the right turn onto Sincox Lane was negotiated with ease. As I approached Broomers Corner I considered cheating and cutting off the Shipley Village loop but honour and personal integrity stopped me - anyway, it's been a while since I rode through there and curiosity is a strong driving force...

Pound Lane and Swallow Lane were soon behind me and I was ready to cross the A24 - wait for a couple of fast-moving cars, then straight across both carriageways! It's not often you can do that and I was now at The Old Barn Garden Centre ready for a tea-break. I wheeled my bike through a relatively deserted building only to find the coffee bar shut, but on walking round to the other side I found the cafe open. I opted for a mug of tea and a large slice of Victoria Sponge. Sitting outside in the bright sunshine, I'd soon transformed myself from a hungry cyclist carrying a slice of cake and a drink in his hand to a contented cyclist carrying a slice of cake and a drink in his stomach. I stayed in the sunshine ruminating and memorising the map for the next part of the ride for a good ten minutes before walking back through the Garden Centre. Turning right I resisted the temptation to take a shortcut through the Lock Estate and headed up Grinders Lane and Honeybridge Lane. At a couple of points along this lane there are electric security gates giving the impression that someone doesn't want any involvement with the rest of the world - this impression was further fortified today when I noticed that an earth bank some two to three metres high has been thrown up just the other side of the hedge for a distance of about a mile - that is quite an earthwork. I was still pondering what is was for when I caught up with a horse and rider. Exchanging pleasantries I mentioned the bank and she said that the (millionaire) landowner was in the process of building a large lake for his speedboating hobby and that part of it would impact a public footpath - shades of the Hoogstraten bloke in East Sussex perhaps? Mind you, there is a bridleway only a mile or so from here that got moved purely to stop it going past someones house, so West Sussex may well be a pushover... When I got home, a quick bit of Googling revealed some old planning applications for this land, but nothing to indicate a large lake for speedboats, just a smaller wildlife pond. Incidentally, the same place seems to have been the address given by one of those chaps that threw purple flour on MP's in the House of Commons a few years back!

At the next junction I took Church Lane and then Golden Lane to emerge on the B2135 and head for Partridge Green. I was comfortably into the ride now and headed south through Shermanbury before taking the B2116 east as far as Wineham Lane where the turn to the north emphasised the fact that the morning was more than half done.

After crossing the A272, the climbs of Spronketts Lane were achieved at what we shall call a "leisurely" pace because I knew that the short but difficult climb into Warninglid was fast approaching. I didn't mess about and just selected Granny gear to do that one, so I had plenty of puff to drive my pedals for a good thrash down from Warninglid and past the school before the left turn onto Hampshire Hill at Slaugham Pond. Now I was on the home stretch - across the B2110, along Hammerpond Road, past the golf course and rugby club and into Horsham for lunch.

Pulling up at the Conservatory Cafe, I claimed a table outside and ordered another mug of tea and a bacon and brie baguette. The Park was buzzing with some sort of carnival and there were loads of cyclists pulling up having been out for a morning ride with the other cycle club in Horsham. John V joined me and then Jeet did also, so we had a nice old chinwag sitting in the sunshine. John didn't fancy riding the afternoon loop by himself - he's got nothing to prove in the worlds of distance or solo riding, so he and I headed back to Crawley via Rusper. We used the middle road up the hill - Old Holbrook. As we approached Crawley I peeled off as I was heading for a family birthday party in Ifield Wood and when I finally got off my bike my speedo told me I'd racked up a 69 mile day - not 100, but not too shabby in its own way.

Next weeks ride is titled "The Ashdowner" and will be a 40 mile ride south and east from Three Bridges Station starting at 09:30hrs. there will be a few hills and I intend to stop at The Cat in West Hoathly for lunch.

Leith Hill

Typical: Sunny weather during the week when I'm stuck at work, wet and windy over the weekend when I've actually got some time to myself!

Although the rain wasn't hard, just spending three minutes in the back garden feeding my fish was enough to get wet, so I decided to wear waterproofs for the ride. Once out on the road, the wind made its presence known and kept slapping me round the face with the result that I was a couple of minutes late getting to Horsham Park Pavilions. No matter, no-one was there (well not on the cycling front anyway).

I hung around as I knew that Anton was on his way and sure enough he soon arrived having cycled the 15 miles or so from Haywards Heath. He was feeling a bit tired as he'd been on a 130 mile Audax yesterday, but I reckoned todays ride would be a nice little wind-down for him.

Shortly before 10:00hrs we set off - out of Horsham over the Golf Course and Robin Hood Lane, then across to Rowhook hill. I'd like to say I found the hill easy, but with the wind and the drag of my waterproofs on my legs, it was hard work. We turned North and then, opposite the brickworks, took the right fork along a slightly undulating road all the way to Forest Green - in the narrow parts we had to stop a couple of times to let some of the thirty or so MG cars pass that we saw going the other way. A right, a left and another right brought us on to a narrow lane that decided to do the ascent of Leith Hill in one go - it was marked as 12% up but felt a lot steeper to me. In spite of his "tiredness" Anton left me standing (well, grinding along in Granny gear) but had the decency to wait at the top. After a 50 yard breather we then had to do a sharp left and head upward for another 400 yards or so, although I had to shout to get Anton to stop as he'd shot past the car park from where I intended we could get across to Leith Hill Tower. At this point the rain started falling heavier and that, coupled with the time and terrain meant that I decided to forego the visit to the Tower and head straight to the lunch halt instead.

We sheltered under a tree as the worst of the rain passed over and watched as a policeman pulled up in a car and proceeded to walk around checking the Vehicle Tax Discs of the assembled parked cars. "Hello Lads," he said, "having a good ride?" We grinned and told him we were about to head to the pub - I'm sure I saw a brief flash of envy pass across his face....

We flashed back down the short climb we'd just done and then headed over to and through Coldharbour on the face of the slope before turning right and having a fast, if slightly sketchy, run down the narrow Henhurst Cross Lane to come out on the A29. Next we crossed over the A24 and rolled into Capel. Turning east, the wind was now behind us and we soon reached Newdigate via Trig Street.

As we locked our bikes up under the covered patio area, the heavens absolutely opened! I was most impressed by the canvas canopy - waterproof and measuring something like 8 by 6 metres it easily dealt with the rain and the strong, gusting wind. At this point I realised I'd just received a text from John V asking if we were riding - I replied we were, but by this time he'd succumbed to the (dry) delights of staying in to watch the Tour De France. We were joined for lunch by Shirley although we made the mistake of sitting in front of the large screen TV which had first the golf and then motorbike racing on - it's very distracting trying to have a conversation with a television just a few feet away, right in your line of sight.

When we were ready to leave, the sun was shining but, even before we'd unlocked the bikes, the heavens opened again! We got togged up with waterproofs and waited 10 minutes for the worst of the weather to blow over before heading off, south towards Rusper. Taking it in turns to lead, we made good progress and were soon whistling down into Ifield. We used the subway into West Green and then, just as we crossed the railway the rain came back with a vengeance. Mind you, there was so much that it felt quite cleansing. I lead us through Southgate and then as we reached Furnace Green Anton decided he would catch the train from Three Bridges rather than ride all the way back to Haywards Heath. I pointed him in the right direction and then scuttled back home to give my bike an all over spray of light oil before putting it away - I must remember to rub it down and check it out in the next day or so. I'm also curious to see how my (relatively) new Brooks saddle has coped with the wet.

Although there was a very tough climb in the middle of it, todays ride wasn't actually that hard (I'd rate it as easy to be honest) and I think I only covered just under 40 miles in total - Anton probably managed just over 45.

Next weeks ride is The Horsham Hundred. We have two 50 mile loops starting and finishing from Horsham. The morning one starts from Horsham Park Pavilions at 07:00 hrs and heads south with a tea Break at Dove's Barn Garden Centre(09:30). Arriving back in Horsham at about 12:30, we will have lunch at the Horsham Conservatory Cafe (in the Park). The afternoon loop heads north with a tea break at Capel Church (16:00) and finishes back at Horsham at about 18:30 hrs.

I (Bob) will be leading the morning loop but I'm unable to lead the afternoon one - I can however provide a map and route instructions to anyone that turns up. If you don't fancy riding all 100 miles then why not ride just the morning or just the afternoon loop?

Please get in touch with me if you need any further information - if you don't know my e-mail address or phone number, just leave a comment on this blog.