Tejvan

Matlock hills

Fate keeps taking me back to Matlock.

Aged 17, I took part in a school cricket tour based in Matlock. We drank a lot of beer and played a little bit of cricket. I wasn’t very good at playing cricket or drinking beer, so I never went on another cricket tour.

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A few years later – after joining the Sri Chinmoy Centre, we had a joy weekend at a youth hostel on Bank Road (and met in the church on the left). Bank Road is a very steep hill and I thought what a great steep hill to cycle up. The funny thing is I took my bike to Matlock, but left my pedals in Oxford – so my thoughts of cycling never got further than that. It made a change from forgetting my front wheel (which I had a habit of doing at that time). Still, I had a good time on the weekend with a bit of meditation and walking in the environment of Matlock.

In 2008, the National hill climb championship was on Bank Road. I hadn’t done much cycling that year, but thought I would give it a go. I finished 14th, which was quite good. I was definitely better at cycling up steep hills than playing cricket or drinking beer. Though I still preferred longer ones to the short steep Bank Road.

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Photo Anthony Wood

Eight years later (2016) and the National hill climb championship came back to Bank Road. It hasn’t been a good hill climb season for me. I’ve had an injury and also got a cold two days before the championship. Every logical reason was to withdraw from the race and take it easy at home. But, I like the atmosphere of the national hill climb championship so went along anyway to take part. I knew I wouldn’t do particularly well, but still cycled up the hill and enjoyed meeting a few people and taking some photos.

tejvan-anthony-wood-1024Photo Anthony Wood

It is great view from Bank Road to the rest of Matlock. Last weekend in October is the height of autumn with trees in colour.

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I’ve been to Matlock a few other times. Great place.

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Looking back up Bank Road from Matlock town centre.

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Looking down the hill

Looking up the hill

Looking up the hill

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2 responses to “Matlock hills”

  1. I am so grateful for these articles.

    Sometimes I wonder why I feel so much joy in reading and looking at photographs related to Albion.

    Sometimes I cherish the though that perhaps once I was born there.

    To me, Albion represents the land of knights, who have been real seekers, divinely obsessed with the search of Light and Truth.

    Thank you.

  2. PS: I really like that photograph by Anthony Wood, with the young lady folding hands at the passage of cyclists.

    So nice and soulful. I share that feeling. Perhaps some of today’s cyclists are the modern equivalent of the knights pf the hoary past.