Keep your eyes open for a future post and follow the Mappin team at @letsgomappin.

Watch the video created by Ice Cube, and you’ll see that his observations are sharply defined by his background as well as his immediate environment.

As you embark on your next journey, ponder how you approach the built environment around you – even if it appears unattractive, you will be able to see the design elements and rationale that put it there. You may not pass by a house designed by the Eames’ but there will be plenty to fascinate and intrigue.

http://t.co/yXABf68M

When the weather decides to give a display of its force, travelling by any means can be difficult. A 149mph gust of wind on the peak of Cairn Gorm in Scotland today has been reported and there are widespread issues in the UK, from floods and travel difficulties in Scotland, to cancelled ferries from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight.

In between, a fallen tree has blocked the London – Brighton rail line so my commute home is likely to be a slow one. (I have a rucksack with a fully charged iPhone, a book and will pick up a coffee / beer at Gatwick rail station to ease my journey home).

Be safe out there, however you travel.

Next Wednesday, a group of friends are heading up to Cumbria for three days of walking in the hills.

Last year I was one of the group, and the winter weather made for a wry memorable weekend. Using Keswick as a base we had magical snow all around.

This year, I’m back working in the travel industry, and more precisely, in the world of IT. For me this means that November/December is spent trying to shoehorn improvements into our systems in time for the peak booking season that everybody in the industry hopes will materialise as usual.

This means that I won’t be going on the road trip from the south coast to Cumbria, but will have to vicariously enjoy the hills via texts/tweets and browsing the excellent Striding Edge website.

If you’re considering a visit to the Lake District then I also heartily recommend www.golakes.co.uk which won a Travolution award recently for Absolute Media. It’s the “official website of Cumbria Tourism” so is an ideal place to start your research.

I’ll be heading into the South Downs National Park for some trail running on my traditional two day weekend, so I won’t be too hard done by….

http://trundlin.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/best-city-to-live-for-trundlin/

As the weather descends into winter here in the UK my mind starts to wander to next year’s family holiday.

My children will be 14 and 11 and are keen to go surfing – Polzeath in Cornwall being their favourite spot so far.

Being a cyclist, I find the lanes of Cornwall a little hectic at times so whilst I can run on the coastal path or find quiet lanes to ride on my thoughts are leaning towards a holiday spent in Ste Catherine de Fierbois a few years ago where I spent many happy hours navigating the quiet roads amongst the sunflowers.

I’m sure Cornwall will win for August 2012, but I do have another thought – the 2012 Tour de France visits the North East coast and Boulogne, so perhaps I can squeeze in a Gallic trip to see how @markcavendish is warming up for the Olympic Road Race?

Mountain Bike Rider magazine has just awarded the Doethie Valley in Wales their “Trail of the Year” award, and I was lucky enough to spend a weekend in the area last month with ten friends.

With liberal car sharing we made our way across the Severn Bridge on Friday evening and awoke the next morning to crystal clear skies.

Saturday was to be a guided ride, ably led by Carl of Bike Brechfa and he did a marvellous job of showing us the best the region has to offer.

Now, due to my recent change in jobs, I’ve been riding a train a lot more than riding a bike, so of the eleven of us, I was near the tail end of the group for most of the weekend.

We were a disparate group, from XC whippets on £4k of Ibis Tranny, to weekend warriors on £400 Specialized Hardrocks the fitness and skill levels varied just as much, and Carl nurtured us throughout the day.

Just as the light started to fade we popped out of the end of the Doethie Valley and had a refreshing drink at The Royal Oak Inn (Royal Oak) in Rhandirmwyn, before the short trip back to our rented cottage.

A great day in a fantastic location, with impeccable guiding and good, Welsh hospitality.

I’ve just finished reading “”Born to Run” by Chris McDougall – a fascinating read for runners AND non-runners.

Primarily focussed on the tale of the Tarahumara (Raramuri) of Copper Canyon, Mexico, Chris McDougall’s gripping writing covers subjects as diverse as anthropology, shoe technology and the economic roots of the Leadville 100 race.

The overall tone and sentiment of the book is one of secular humanism and the sheer joy of the running experience made me want to lace up my shoes and head out the door.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

I’m extremely lucky to have the option of a free shuttle bus, but connecting bus and train doesn’t always work, so it can be easier to walk the mile.

I’d like the freedom of a folding bike, so I don’t need to run the gauntlet of missing a train by waiting for a bus.

I’ll be looking for extreme light weight, single speed, maybe belt drive and a very quick fold – so intend posting some of my thoughts as I research.

The image above is not a Brompton. An obvious statement (especially as you can easily read “English” on the down tube – www.englishcycles.com).

However, if you board a train at commuter time in the UK, look down and see a folding bike, what you will invariably see is the classic form of a Brompton (www.brompton.co.uk).

Bromptons have become the de facto brand for city commuters for two main reasons. (1) They do the job they are asked of VERY well. (2) They are the epitome of a British success story, and the brand value that carries is valuable.

The bikes that Rob English manufactures are exquisite collapsible race bikes to enable packing for stowed travel on aeroplanes. For the more prosaic use of hopping on and off trains, a quicker fold is needed and this is where the Brompton design excels.

There are now innumerable alternatives, but the Brompton stands clear. As a new brand, Tern, (www.ternbicycles.com) launches, it will be interesting to see if the Brompton hegemony continues.