3 COMMENTS

  • martin galvin

    Hello Barry,

    Firstly, Congratulations on your move, albeit a little late at this point,

    Again you keep me educated,entertained,amused & most certainly enthralled by your posts,

    Sometimes I envy all those in the cycling world on a positive, often wish I were closer to Clonmel..:)) I have gone out of my way on a few occasions to visit WWC in Clonmel, for me its like a child to a Smyths Toy Store…:)).

    I wished we could have met in the shop, once Ray was there and it was a little busy, So I just made my way….

    I am also very fortunate to work in sport, albeit in a different Sporting World, but I am in love with cycling and all that it offers.

    As a child I lived on and for the bike, It was my everything, but being from the country and remote form a cycling club it was just not possible to join.Growing up in the country meant GAA was the 1st available choice. My parents bought me a bike when I was 6 & at 8 I was on a high nelly, scarcely big enough to get up, certainly not big enough to sit on the saddle.:))…When I was (11approx), “you may possibly be able to correct my timing (year)on this” ?My Dad & Mom bought me a Raleigh Racing bike for Christmas, it was a Mercedes :))) for me… There were only a couple others who shared the same enthusiasm for the bike in the area, we tried to organise a race on more than one occasion, but unfortunately it never happened…Listening to radio news reports and watching TV enthralled by Sean Kelly & Stephen Roche later was special.

    Now years later after being absent off the bike for 20 yrs or more I reconnected to the bike..I must say it probably saved my life….a story for another time perhaps.

    As I have shared previously I have worked mostly abroad for much of the past 6 yrs, with the down turn my profession has taken a very serious hit!!!.The only way to get the mortgage & bills paid…..Away from wife & boys is and can be very very lonely at times, So I tune in mostly to cycling while abroad, any form of reading keeps me going for hours on some occasions. Your Blog and recently the April posts are like a breath of fresh air.Again I have moved abroad, this time to Minsk Belarus.

    I just want to say thanks for the blogs you make, they are just fantastic..

    My head has a hundred stories to tell, maybe for later,

    I wish you every success & happiness in your new venture,

    PS..Ride on Sam Bennett et al…

    With best regards,

    Remotely fro Minsk Belarus,

    Martin Galvin

  • Barry

    Hi Martin,

    Thanks a million for taking the time to comment and for your good wishes. I can only imagine how tough it must be, being so far from family and friends but am delighted that this blog can give you a small bit of distraction.
    I look forward to meeting you out on the road at some stage.

    All the best ,

    Barry

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