COUNTRY MOUSE in a TOWN HOUSE

In the adaption of the Aesop’s fable I was read as a child, a country mouse and a town mouse agree to participate in a ‘house swap’ exercise that forces the rodents into a state of critical self-reflection. The country mouse’s path of self-discovery leads him to the conclusion that the bustling city is too loud, too dangerous and despite the heady mix of cultural distractions and metropolitan larders he could not be persuaded to trade his quiet life in the countryside. The town mouse, after a long satisfying scurry through the wheat crops, gets back to his rural abode, puts his feet up by the fire and opens the pages of the Wezzy Gezzy in peace. Despite the tranquility, fresh air and open fields the town mouse becomes restless, the silence is all too much.

Whilst not quite an accurate portrayal of the fable as Aesop would have wanted, there is something about the tale that chimes with my own situation of having a Cumbrian outlook in a Hackney postcode. There is an inherent craving for the freedom of the fells I was brought up on but also a healthy appetite for all that the city offers.

Over the years I’ve found the trance of pedaling to far off places the perfect tonic to satisfy the restless stirrings of feeling like a country mouse in a town house. I set up this page to tell some of my own tales, share some photographs and perhaps even inspire others to follow paths less ridden, from the town to the country and back again. Who knows where it will lead.

For any questions on bike-packing routes and logistics or just general cycling related chit-chat I would love to hear from you.

Josh