Gregor Steele
@gregorsteele.bsky.social
Retired physics teacher and education support officer. Some writing in Scots and English (Mrs Nae Offence is one of mine). Can be found cycling slowly around Lanarkshire and beyond when not doing family stuff. https://walkridecarluke.wordpress.com/
A ride to Broughton today. A couple of miles before I reached the village, out of the blue I decided to go to Biggar via the railway path. I last rode this stretch 25 years ago or more when a couple of us stewarded a Biggar High sponsored walk on our mountain bikes. Lunch sitting on a rusty bridge.
Folder fun along NCN 7 near Glasgow- the remains of a station (Scotstoun East, I believe) and Andy Scott's 'Rise' sculpture.
Westwood House and the Five Sisters mystery: walkridecarluke.wordpress.com/2026/06/29/s...
Schrödinger’s Westwood House
I was sitting in the tearoom at Loanhead Farm near Tarbrax, talking to a man and his young son. I’d been showing off a bit, telling the boy an ‘amazing fact’ – that this area had once been th…
walkridecarluke.wordpress.com
If you live in the Strathaven area, here's how to get to Douglas using quiet roads and the NCN 74 to Douglas path network: walkridecarluke.wordpress.com/2026/06/27/s...
Strathaven to Douglas
Wallace’s Cave, near Douglas In 2025, Community Action Lanarkshire, in a project managed by Dave Graham, created a series of paths from National Cycle Route 74 at Auldton to Douglas. I have a…
walkridecarluke.wordpress.com
Steuart Padwick's COP26 legacy statue at Cunigar Loop and my wee Dawes folder outside the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.
You know that I ain't braggin', It's a pinky-purple wagon, Greased lightnin' ⚡ ⚡ ⚡ ⚡ Hire bike! Reminds me of a stripped down Glasgow Nextbike.
If you haven't seen it before, you do a double take when you see it in the distance. Is that really a field of snow in May? Of course not. It's bog cotton, one of my favourite sights, a gentle wonder of the natural world. And the socks... are they being funny, or is it a brilliant typo?
Passing the Five Sisters shale bing, I was reminded of a conversation I had with a guy in Loanhead Tearoom. He claimed that there was a mansion buried under the bing. Could he be right? If we look at old and modern maps, we can see that Westwood House was indeed on a site now covered in spoil. 1/2
My replacement at SSERC is retiring. I think it's the best job in Scottish physics education. See here (scroll down): www.sserc.org.uk
SSERC | Welcome to SSERC
sserc.org.uk
Got my paper copy of the latest Eejit Street. I thought I'd ditched imposter syndrome when I retired, then I was asked to script two football-based comic strips. Not my area of expertise... You can read the full comic here: www.scotshooseyaldi.com/wp-content/u...
For May 4th: Well she took her daddy's car and she went for a burger and soda, But she didn't watch the road, had a bump with a '60 plate Skoda, Now the guys don't know why but since the shunt she's been talking like Yoda, And fun, fun, fun she'll have til the T-Bird her dad takes away.
When you're an auld dude like me, you get invited for an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm ultrasound scan. Had mine this morning. Celebrated being clear by having a coffee and roll in Kim'Z Cafe, Blackburn, buying a @spokes.org.uk cycle map in Pedal Power and having another coffee and biscuit at Loanhead.
A wee ride to Redmire Loch today. This is in the Kingshill Nature Reserve, on the site of the former Kingshill Colliery. A fading information board claims that the loch was covered over by the colliery bing but I can't see any evidence of this on old maps. 1/2 @mininglandscapes.bsky.social
The Ruined Farmhouse on the Edge of Forever - a time portal at Auchterhead. You stand in the old building and look out at modern Lanarkshire. In a month or so, there will be too many nettles* to do this. 1/2
Cobbinshaw Reservoir (built to supply water for the Union Canal). Never before have I seen such a deep shade of blue there.
A day early, but celebrating buying this Dawes tourer a year ago.
As we approach Holy Week, here are a couple of photos of Dura Kirk. There has been a white cross in the grounds for a year or so now.
Double delight in the post - hard copies of the Eejit Street comic I contribute to, and a complimentary copy of the 'Favourite Bike Ride' booklet from Spokes that has a route description from me. @spokes.org.uk
Possibly my favourite 'submit your work to an AI and ask for a stinker of a review' piece...
My new hobby - feeding a piece of my writing into an AI and asking it to write a stinker of a review.
A walk along Glasgow's riverside while the ladies lunched.
Best cycling day of the year so far. I took a trip to Douglas via Poneil and the great new path. Saw my first lambs of the year but perhaps the best part was riding home around four in the afternoon in full daylight.
