Friday 11 July 2014

Bang, whoosh, bang, whoosh...

That's been my day. Life is a rollercoaster but to be on one today that's travelling so fast has thrown me a little bit and left me flailing.

It started wit a phone call from the Cycle Chilterns project funder saying that we had been unsuccessful in our bid for a one year project extension. Bummer. So the project will finish in March 2015 as planned and I'll be out of a job. I'm okay with that bit as that was the plan from the start and an extension would have been a bonus. It's the feeling that we're just really starting to get going and gaining momentum and that extra year could have really seen some good stuff happening. But not any more.

Then it's the Dacorum Borough Council regional launch of the Tour of Britain today - a celebration of one of my greatest project achievements of getting stage 6 to come to the Chilterns and finish in Hemel Hempstead. My crowning glory if you will. Ironic that one of the reasons the bid extension was turned down was because it had a weak economic case and wasn't value for money enough. Now I'm not quite sure what our government classes as value for money, but I'd have thought a 100 times return on investment was pretty good (for what the project has put into the Tour of Britain compared to economic impact it will have on the Chilterns). Obviously they have higher expectations. Anyway, the closer we get to this, just 2 months now, the more awesome it gets.

Bang. I get a phone call telling me that one of the people I was working with quite closely during 2013 died of cancer a couple of days ago. This piece of news stopped me dead in my tracks and I've been next to useless for the last half an hour. Time to cut my losses, call it a day and go enjoy the world outside my window and try and get my mojo back for the duration of the project.

The day will end by installing a new cycle hire fleet in a business in the centre of the Chilterns. Again, another project success that I'm quite proud of. Well, I guess only time will tell if it is a success, but just getting to this stage has been a bit of an ordeal. A hire fleet at our disposal will be of huge benefit to the project, local clubs, ride leaders and organisations. A fantastic asset and legacy for the Chilterns AONB whatever happens.

Right, off to see what else can possibly happen in the next 11 hours.

1 comment:

Tony said...

Good things I hope.

So you might want to do the 321 challenge next year if you are free :)
Chin up. It does get better :)