Lamby

The final adventure The final chapter It’s not the end, but the start of a new chapter filled with endless possibilities. Well the last 2 and a bit years of riding have been a dream, tbh I think I’m still dreaming with all the friends I met on the way, the energy silly ideas creates and how it can filter into other parts of your life. Still getting over last week, one of completing the last ever #festive500 I will undertake, and also becoming the local legend on Swain’s lane for the last time. These were only dreams on my road to recovery after being told I had complete heartblock and didn’t know what was still possible in my life. Once I had been told of my condition I knew I had a very small window of learning how to ride my bike again and then live life to the fullest whilst I still could. Well through energy being put into the universe from close friends of 20 years + @lowe11 was the catalyst for #pacedheights to be formed on a cold wet winters day climbing Swain’s lane to go for a club @london_baroudeurs team photo. That day I had to argue with myself that I could still climb a hill, well lucky for me I won that argument and I climbed that hill as part of a family that day. In doing so that day it helped me achieve a journey I thought was never possible. This hill and through friends it helped me to achieve 3 Everest challenges, 1 trenching challenge and also to become a local legend 5 times on Swain’s, these are important facts, but not as important as the journey it took me on to meet new friends from near and from afar, discuss silly ideas to have on adventures, to be inspired by friends to which in turn kept me climbing and to take others on new climbing adventures. This hill meant so much more to me than just how many times I could climb it. I know where every pothole is, where most of the foxes live on this hill and where to spot that killer morning sunrise that is a priceless moment to cherish. This hill and energy from my friends was my sign off to adventure riding and my retirement from cycling. Last week part way through my #festive500 the doctors told me that I have to stop riding due to my condition and how it’s affecting me.

So does this make it official now…… That I will attempt to ride the #festive500 number three. See 2 years ago my life changed over night, I went from being strong to nearly losing it all and having heart surgery. There were no guarantees, that I would be the same, or even if I would be able to ride my bike again. The recovery period of 10 weeks + was the worst as I had to make my own recovery to show that I could still function but to work to a goal of just riding my bike around the block again and to see if it was even possible. A lot of unknowns. Its funny what silly ideas from friends can really inspire in you, it’s funny how if you have friends in your corner who believe in you can really light the touch paper to keep striving and not giving up. I had to battle lots of emotions of letting my race bikes go and seeing them go on new adventures. The unknowns of what I could still do or not and to battle through the ups and downs. I can say this, if u have a dream, go for it. This next chapter is to attempt to complete another #festive500 - 8 days of riding to complete 500km and to also possibly get to local legend on Swain’s lane. Big goals you may say…….. But this is how I see it, to even attempt this challenge it will make me look forward, to look forward to the next dawn as nothing is guaranteed, to look forward to the smiles I will meet on the way, to look forward to the messages of encouragement from everyone, to feel the cool air hit my face and make me feel alive and smile, to see the foxes run in the dusk of morning, to see each sunrise on my bike, to encourage others to climb in their own journeys, to show my friends that no matter the cards you are dealt you tell your friends they mean the world to you and how it powers you to climb through life’s challenges,

#pacedheights was started on a grey day, even on a grey day there is still energy to be found. Not many know this part of the journey and this is really how the #pacedheights seed was planted and how the saying I have of - let’s see how far one piece of energy can travel the world, really started. When I first got admitted into hospital a couple of years back, I got placed into A&E as there was no beds ready for me in cardiology and the team needed to keep me under supervision as they had seen complete heartblock happen on my tests and were very concerned, I got put into a cubical and was all alone, was struggling to comprehend what was happening to me and in the cubicle next door it was all kicking off, the walls were being kicked and shaking, lights shaking on the ceiling and police and staff everywhere trying to restrain a patient from harming themselves more. I guess this is where the seed of let’s see how far one piece of energy can travel the world really came from, as this moment, showed me how precious and fragile life really is, as someone next to me was trying to take their life and I was fighting for mine. From that moment on I made a promise that if I was saved I would put energy back into this world no matter what, as a smile can make all the difference to someone’s day sometimes. Through friends @lowe11 @rory_j_mccarron got me back on the bike and cycling ⭕️’s again, and through an invitation from @london_baroudeurs on a very cold and wet day for a photoshoot I found out that through friends backing you I found I could climb hills again. Oh wow how did that silly Idea go, well the first day I climbed 5 swains and then that grew into silly ideas from @himynameisclarence and said I needed a new challenge, and I guess climbing it was. The official name #pacedheights was formed then as it became my foundations of building, falling down, getting back up and climbing again and if u do this enough the days u think you fail get less and then the little steps get stronger and so much so that the little steps carry you to 3 times local legend on Swain’s. All things that make you go this is a dream. Well let me tell you this is all a dream,

Life asks us to step out of the shadows and embrace the new On days I struggle to breathe On days I wish to only be whom I was On days I only have energy to walk the block I remember to take my camera with me and capture the small moments around us @rewindpix_camera #pacedheights #heartwarrior #heartcharged #completeheartblock #capturemoments

An afternoon @vam_east The Music is Black: A British Story Exhibition Was such an amazing venue to create in for the afternoon Go check out the exhibition beautifully curated #pacedheights #blackmusichistory #music #thestory #create

@rollingslowmedia x @porsches_supercars_classics A slow morning of coffee and double exposures #pacedheights #carscene #carspotting #carshow #lifeofadoubleexposure

Life of a double exposure at @vengaworld Where will this journey take us all… Comment below #pacedheights #carscene #carshow #doubleexposurephotography #create

In the moment part 2 What a journey cars and photography has taken me on this last year My layers of life piece this time was about overcoming When the doctors told me I couldn’t ride my bike like I used to, another part of me died that day, it meant that I gave up on riding my bike at Regent’s Park as I couldn’t keep up with anyone so I just took myself out of the equation as I didn’t know how else to navigate it See through having to go to a car show of @olivershull @sw1social I had to walk through an area I had written myself not to walk through as it was to much of a painful memory, when I walked through the park I so wanted to turn around as it was a bit to much to be honest, but then I saw the cars and slowly I noticed friends on bikes but saw them in a new light Like when you are in a crowded room and feel overwhelmed you look for that one person who brings light That day it was cars in particular a bright red one with a shinny horse See a journey is full of ups and downs, but cherish those moments I had done or experimented with double exposures for a while and some of them worked but that day in particular I seemed to have nailed everyone of them, it’s like it was meant to be that on this day I was meant to see something different See when someone brings a car to a show it’s like art, someone has placed a sticker on it for a reason, created a projects for a reason, polished the car for hours and this is a way of sometimes finding an escape on a journey and this is why I take this still of photo to tell a story Wow and now I had a mic @exhibit69 and was telling this chapter to a crowd, something I thought only my mind wanted to listen to, so thank you @weareforevergood @exhibit69 for opening the floor so artists can share their journeys and energy that create Thank you @bigfris for sharing that journey of pirate radio as that was a big part of my youth also Let’s see what the next layers of life brings… #pacedheights #creating #sharing #carscene #art

@benbrooksbts so inspired me with his piece I saw at @exhibit69 show and tell After a week of battling and the ups and downs of having a heart condition, I needed something… To see the world in a different light So after being inspired by Ben and his amazing work go and check it out btw, I was like hmmmm I have a @rewindpix_camera let’s see if I can load a digital film with this vibe in the camera I didn’t want to take a normal photo and edit it in lifhtroom to give this vibe as you would lose the energy you create of the contrast as when you use a colour graded digital film of ircolour it really makes you stop and think of the composition A trick I like to do after a difficult week, it really clears the mind and you get to see some amazing details that surround us each day #pacedheights #gocreate #goforawalk #ircolour #photography

In the moment @bigfris x @exhibit69 x @weareforevergood #pacedheights #creating #showandtell #artworld #journey

Let’s see where this chapter takes us… Let’s see what cars I can capture with this vibe Let’s see what stickers you can all show me that tell a story on your car, bring them on Let’s see the craziest stickers and craziest cars, let’s see if this takes me around the world Let me know and we can arrange a shot or a meet at a car show #pacedheights #doubleexposurephotography #carscene #create #carstickers

That’s how are ideas are created Surround yourself with others that push the limits of creating and share ideas with you and you share ideas back It will take you on a wild ride Life of a double exposure @vengaworld #pacedheights #carscene #carworld #community #createandcapture