(A four minute thirty second read).
...physically, about a hundred and fifty kilometres South of Cherbourg. But having followed the Green Way paths, not main roads, I have travelled about two hundred and fifteen kilometres in total, to arrive at the same spot had I taken those main roads.
French Voie Vertes, (traffic free cycle, walking, horse riding paths), are so good. They vary in degrees of difficulty and the track I have just come off is an easy one. Great for the body! It has followed several rivers, a canal, and three old railway lines. Very little up and down inclines.
The first night I just charged up my bike lights and followed a canal until about four in the morning. It was beautiful. Not a soul around and the only sounds I heard were from the frogs and ducks hidden away in the darkness not far away from me. Such slightly mad travel involves alternative accommodation rules, and I finally stopped for a needed rest on a bench under a covered way. I wrapped myself in a thin but warm quilt that I had bought for five euros at a car boot market stall in Cherbourg’s old town. A little nippy, but it did the job.
I left Poole a week ago, and as so often happens with travel, that week ago seems an age away. In my last post I spoke of trusting in the unexpected. I must admit that I wasn’t too positive about great things just appearing out of nowhere like they used to in my travels at an earlier age. But thankfully they have. And when meetings, surprises, work, accommodation, luck appear out of nowhere, you begin to remember that it’s okay to travel, that you can still create a healthy and responsible existence, not just taking from life, but giving as well.
So, I have stopped for a break in some great inexpensive accommodation for a while. Time to reflect. Time to write. Time to earn some money. Time to plan, (or not). Just let life work itself out.
I met with a French journalist the other day to discuss the seven Unidentified People that seem to have a connection to France. These people were found between 1969 and 2017 as I have mentioned before. They were found in the English Channel, and two were found inland. These two gentlemen were known to have spoken fluent French, yet no-one seems to have known their names. The journalist and I are toing and froing with communication. Let’s see what may come of things.
A couple of days ago I had an amazing message sent to me. (I think it was amazing). It came through the Reddit website and was on account of my submitting the “Some Mother’s Son Appeal” to them. For those unaware of the “Some Mother’s Son” story, here is a link to it:
https://buymeacoffee.com/m25roundabout/the-first-appeal-behalf-some-mother-son
The message sent was to make me aware of The Great Freeze of 1978. I hadn’t heard of it, have you?
Between the 18th and 20th February 1978 there were huge blizzards, particularly across Devon and Cornwall. Nothing of such force had been seen for over a hundred years. And the relevance of this message? “Some Mother’s Son”, (or Mr.Tregantle), had a copy of the Sun Newspaper with him, dated 1978. And we, or I, have been making the assumption for the time being that he may well have died in 1978.
The other assumption is that he may well have been walking or hitching from one job to another, sought protection for the night in the field and under the bushes in which he was found, and succumbed to the cold.
Had Mr.Tregantle bought a Sun newspaper between January 1st 1978, and 18th February 1978, and got caught in the great freeze? It really is quite possible, speculative, but possible. So, this possibility is added to Some Mother’s Son story, for the time being.
And what of the Fifteen unidentified Bodies listed on the UK Missing Persons Unit site for Devon and Cornwall? I still have another eleven months to prepare for my talk about them at the Duke of Cornwall Hotel, Plymouth, on the 9th February 2026. I made a video this morning. The link is at the bottom of this post.
I will be concentrating on the potential French connection within the fifteen, and I think I will also see how best I can share the three facial photographs that are shown on the site for three of the gentlemen. This will probably mean getting permission from the UKMPU organisation. And I am talking to them at the moment about the seven people in total, that seem to have this French connection. Let’s see where that leads too.
I am also still in contact with a journalist back in the UK who is very keen, and also knowledgeable about the “Some Mother’s Son Story”. When that journalist has the time, which looks like it could be relatively soon, good work may well come out of our collaboration.
The ball is still rolling. Meanwhile, apart from the above, I am going to get a good map of the Voie Vertes in France, google how to efficiently set up your bicycle for longer distance touring, and decide if I am still going to aim for Switzerland. If I cycle four hundred yards down the road from where I am right now I can be back on the Voie Verte pathway, and I can head West for Mont St. Michel, sixty kilometres, or East for Paris, three hundred and eighty five kilometres. I could even consider cycling the two hundred and fifteen kilometres back to Cherbourg I guess.
I’m still going to keep trusting in the unexpected though. That should lead me in a good direction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHUppArJcoo&t=153s