Working in tandem to spread the cheer
Pedal-pushing pair help to lift lockdown spirits with unique rides in Perthshire
It was all about the smiles and not the miles for a Perthshire couple whose lockdown adventures helped raise spirits.
Intrepid Colin Calder and partner Diane Lockhart, from Auchterarder, were keen to maintain fitness levels when coronavirus restrictions were imposed.
But their selected mode of transport to take in the beauty of the region was one not often seen whizzing about the countryside - a tandem bike.
The pedal-pushing pair shared their 40 lockdown rides on a popular blog Matildas Musings - much to the delight of friends, family and biking enthusiasts.
Colin (59) said: “We are tandem enthusiasts and have been riding one for around eight years. We actually met on a blind date and went on a tandem ride.
“We liked it so much loved it - and fell for each other and tandeming. The rest, as they say, is history.
“We write a blog about the adventures of the ‘old git,’ which is me, and the ‘old gal’, which is Diane.
“We have a good time and make a big day of it, having a lot of laughs.
“Diane owns a hairdressing salon in Auchterarder but that went into lockdown, as the whole area did.
“Initially you were allowed your daily exercise and so we used that for tandeming and went out on the bike.
“To begin with it was fairly close to home, before we were allowed to go a little further.
“It provided us with the exercise required to keep healthy both mentally and physically during lockdown.”
As restrictions were loosened, the pedalling increased. Colin and Diane shared updates from places including Gask, Glogburn, Crieff and personal favourite Comrie.
“We saw the miles building up and had this idea of doing a virtual John O’ Groats to Land’s End,” explained Colin. “We achieved that and the next target was to get to 1000 miles.
“They say Auchterarder is a bit like Rome and built on hills. Every time we left, we had a bit of a hard slog coming back.
“But the last of our 40 rides clocked up the 1000th mile, three days before July 15 when the hairdressing salons were allowed to open up again.
“We had taken a few pictures for the blog and decided to piece together a pictorial record as, hopefully, the pandemic is a once in a lifetime event.
“We had one photograph from each of our rides to show how it’s possible for one not so young couple to survive lockdown with a bit of fun.”
The blog aimed to create a simple pictorial chronological record of the “old git” and the “old gal” during the three months of strict lockdown restrictions – detailing their madcap adventures.
Colin added: “The blog itself has been popular - people like the self deprecating humour of it.
“There was also the local scenery for people to view around rural Perthshire and Auchterarder. Each ride started and ended at our front door.
“The world had totally changed yet there we were enjoying some form of normality, having a wee glass of prosecco and a picnic by the river, for example.
“But we were not blasé in any way. We felt very blessed and fortunate to have our health and that we were able to do this.
“We decided to get through the lockdown by exercise and having a bit of fun. Our motto is that it’s the smiles, rather than the miles.
“Okay, the miles are important. But you need to have a laugh when you’re doing it.”
View the blog at matildasmusingsdotcom. wordpress.com
Colin and Diane clocked up the miles on their tanem bike
Our motto is that it’s about the smiles, rather than the miles