Simon Barnes Author and Journalist

Sports and Wild Blog

Simon Barnes
  • Home
  • Biog
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Pictures
  • Contact
  • Twitter

Birding with Nicole Cooke

8 December 2014 by Simon Barnes 17 Comments

The first Brit to win the Tour de France wasn’t Bradley Wiggins. It was Nicole Cooke. She also won the gold medal in the road race at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. She and I were in contact about her feisty and hugely enjoyable autobiography The Breakaway. After I had written about it on the ESPN website she and I agreed to meet. She asked if I could take her birding.

That brought us to Hickling Broad in Norfolk as the short afternoon hurried towards night. It’s a special spot, this, as far from civilisation as you can get in lowland Britain. And here the raptors share a roost in the glorious big-skied marshes. It’s a good place to take a neophyte: no soul can escape unstirred.

The harriers came cruising in one after another after another – I think only marsh harriers, but since most were in silhouette I can’t be sure. Observe the glide, I said, the energy-efficient form of flight. As you freewheel down a hill, so a hawk glides.

A big skein of geese passed overhead, honking hard, pinkfeet for my money though again, it was just a series of dark shapes. They flew in echelon, each following bird getting an easier ride because the bird ahead is taking away the resistance of the air.

And that’s the basis of road-racing on a bike. You have to take your turn at the front if you want the breakaway to succeed: hide behind the others and you’ll all be caught by the pack. But of course, it gets a bit more complicated than that: and there above us the geese were taking turns to lead the flight home to their watery roost for the night.

Nicole has spent most of her life trying to be first: trying not to be last. Fighting in races: fighting, often enough, for the right to race. Here is the growing darkness was something else. But time to move. I cooked up a curry and Nicole supplied a bottle of Welsh champagne.

Good day. Damn good day.

Share this:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Posted in Sportsblog/ Wildblog

Comments

  1. Tini von Allwoerden says

    8 December 2014 at 7:58 pm

    Thank you very much for this lovely insight !

    Reply
    • Simon Barnes says

      12 December 2014 at 7:50 pm

      Thanks.

      Reply
  2. Matthew Hewitt says

    9 December 2014 at 11:42 am

    Thanks for the post; I hadn’t previously seen this book, but have just hugely enjoyed it. Also good to find a cache of your writing at ESPN!

    Reply
    • Simon Barnes says

      12 December 2014 at 7:51 pm

      Good on you! Very pleased you’re enjoying my stuff.

      Reply
  3. David Hudson says

    10 December 2014 at 9:20 pm

    Great journalistic writing as ever in your blog.
    “Some burn damp faggots/Others quite consume the entire combustible world in one small room….”
    – but may your spark not go out.
    There were three reasons I bought the Times: articles from SB, Danny the Fink and Phil. Collins –
    But I havn’t found a better ‘ole yet.
    Still read yr ancient appreciation of Ramsbottom cc ground appreciatively – nearly flooded today.
    Go well,
    David

    Reply
    • Simon Barnes says

      12 December 2014 at 7:52 pm

      What a nice message. Thanks a million.

      Reply
  4. David Hudson says

    11 December 2014 at 9:39 pm

    Add to previous: David Aaronnovich .
    And we may catch one another in The Dolphin

    Reply
  5. Terry Hinks says

    13 December 2014 at 7:37 am

    Have so missed your writing in the Times, so great to find your blog. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Simon Barnes says

      15 December 2014 at 4:23 pm

      Delighted to have you with me here. I’m flagging up the pieces I write elsewhere on Twitter: The sports stuff is mostly on ESPN.

      Reply
  6. Mark Kennedy says

    15 December 2014 at 12:52 am

    Simon i am a huge fan of your work. I was never interested in wildlife/conservation but you’ve really opened my eyes with your heartfelt appreciation. I’ve been an avid reader of your sports columns since i was 15 (now 34!). Most enjoyable writer ever. Times sports pages (and life for that matter) much duller without you. I cancelled my subscription in protest. Thought you might like to know.

    Reply
    • Simon Barnes says

      15 December 2014 at 4:24 pm

      Thanks for your lovely message. Hope the Times are still smarting and hope you’re catching my sports stuff on ESPN; it tends to get flagged up on Twitter.

      Reply
  7. Mrs Andy Lloyd Williams says

    19 December 2014 at 2:10 pm

    Excellent to know about ESPN,will now follow you on Twitter. I wonder where Nicole got the Welsh champagne from?
    Andy Lloyd Williams

    Reply
    • Simon Barnes says

      11 January 2015 at 6:34 pm

      Hope you’re enjoying the ESPN stuff now. I’m afraid I’ve recycled Nicole’s bottle, but it was genuinely drinkable!

      Reply
  8. Mark Rafferty says

    28 December 2014 at 6:25 pm

    Really missed your writing in the Times Simon…one of the reasons I signed up to the online edition!! Doh! So pleased to have rediscovered your wisdom herein. By the way…”The Meaning of Sport”….right up there with the best sports books of any year!

    Reply
    • Simon Barnes says

      11 January 2015 at 6:35 pm

      Many thanks for a lovely message. Hope you’re catching up with my sports stuff on ESPN. If not, check Twitter @simonbarneswild.

      Reply
  9. Glenda White says

    21 January 2015 at 2:19 pm

    Eureka. Bought an iPad – found you. Life just hasn’t been the same without your take on the world: nature, sport, ethics and Eddy. Couldn’t cancel the times though I deplored what they did because of Melanie Read and one or two others. Love your ‘little brown job’ bird books too.

    Reply
    • Simon Barnes says

      6 February 2015 at 2:44 pm

      It’s worth making any sacrifice for Melanie.

      Reply

Please leave a comment Cancel reply

Receive Blog Updates By Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to my blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 6,287 other subscribers.

Recent Comments

  • Michael John Clark on Midsummer – it must be time for a swift drink
  • Sue on On the whole, stoats are better than work
  • Michael John Clark on On the whole, stoats are better than work
  • Elaine Slee on On the whole, stoats are better than work
  • Keith Owens on Midsummer – it must be time for a swift drink

Categories

  • Myblog (7)
  • Sportsblog (7)
  • Wildblog (217)

Archives

  • June 2022
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • July 2018
  • May 2018
  • February 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • June 2017
  • April 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014

© Simon Barnes · info@simonbarnesauthor.co.uk
Home page photograph © David Bebber · Bird drawings © foxillustration.com
Created by Purple Hippo