I can't remember what time of year it was but judging by the scenery and what I was doing

it must have been the end of summer or the cusp of autumn.

I can be confident that I was on one of the longer school holidays children are given,

much to the dismay of parents everywhere, because my girlfriend of the time

had been sent to stay with her Nan in a small market town almost 20 miles away from where we live.

Her mom and dad diligently limited our time together.

We were young teenagers full of eagerness to act on our own natural drives and they had good reason. When I received a written message from my girlfriend, cell phones were not a thing yet,

letting me know that she was not under the watchful eye of her parents,

a 20-mile bike ride didn't seem like much of a barrier to some a long time.

Children had more freedom back then. I had more than most being the fifth of six children.

My parents had most likely had enough of parenting by the time it came to me and my little sister. My independent nature and my ability to stay out of trouble

meant the arrangement was agreeable for everyone concerned. So with a backpack containing a sleeping bag and a change of clothes I headed off to visit my girlfriend.

England is a relatively small place lined with narrow lanes and dotted over with farmhouses and small villages.

There's always a place to stop and have a bite to eat. There isn't much there to pose a danger to a

a danger to a bicyclist or a hiker except perhaps stinging nettle.

That'll give you an itchy rash for an hour or so.

But otherwise I didn't feel as though I had anything to worry about as I made my way

cross country to the village of Bungee. The 20 miles seemed to pass quickly as I rode

through the landscape that had changed very little since the days when the Romans ruled to Britain.

And soon I found myself on a country road too narrow for two cars to pass and it was separated from a farmer's fence by an

overgrown grass verge enveloped in cow parsley bluntleaf dock and the chalky stems of yellow fennel.

Norfolk is exceptionally flat and so I was given an unhindered view of the sunset

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