Hardy Cycles - In need of your ratchets being tightened or your forks re-aligning? You won’t get a friendlier service than here

Has your life ever flashed before your eyes? It’s a strange feeling, and one I experienced a few weeks ago for the first time. I was freewheeling down the steep hill of Dryden Road on the last leg of my journey across town to see my lovely lady. My mind was full of romantic thoughts about seeing her for the first time in a few days and holding her in my arms again, when I suddenly realised a car was about to pull out of the junction ahead of me, and the act of pulling on my brakes was having little to no affect on my speed. Time really does seem to slow down in these moments, your senses are suddenly alert to everything that is happening; I could feel the sweat forming on my brow, my heart thumping in my chest, I think I even remember seeing the flap of a bumble bees wings as it flew past. As my momentum plummeted me towards my inevitable doom I began to regret all the things I’d missed in life. Why hadn’t I been to Italy yet, why hadn’t I written that epic novel I had been planning for years, and what did Holly Race’s boobs look like when we were 16 and still in school? All these questions swam through my head as I made peace with myself and prepared for the journey across to the other side.
As you can guess, I’m not writing this from another ethereal plan, and I did manage to avoid being mangled with my bicycle and the back end of a Skoda Octavia. I did however  take one important lesson though from this brush with the cold hand of death, and that was to finally get my bike checked out and overhauled.

There are a number of cycle shops and repair workshops in town to choose from, and most of them are independent and local businesses. But I decided to go to Hardy Cycles at the bottom of Fore Street. The reason;  Rob Hardy, the proprietor, had come into the office where I work my lowly 9-5 job and handed me his card for his new shop that had just opened. He was nice, smiling, kind of chap and we had a quick chat about his new enterprise and what he had planned. This happy encounter stuck in my mind, and so the first day after being given my second chance on this world I carefully rode down to his humble premises to see what he could do

 

The place is compact and well organised, with no vital space wasted on luxuries or pointless amenities. In a busy working environment like this you imagine it to be dirty and greasy, but the place is spotless with neatly displayed accessories for sale and implements hung on the wall. You walk right into the workshop where bikes are hoisted up on racks to allow access to all manner of cogs, chains and gears, and a work bench has all the tools and parts that are needed to perform any manor of jobs on a whole array of two wheeled machines. My patient that I had bought along was in need of some quite major surgery so after giving the bike a quick, but thorough, check up I was given the diagnosis and what was needed to be done. Rob obviously knows what he’s doing and has been around bikes all his life and the relaxed; stress free atmosphere that he exudes is very reassuring. I was told to come back in a few days time and I would have a bike fit enough for Bradley Wiggins (ok, he didn’t actually say that but having ridden around now for a few weeks on my healthy, fit again set of wheels I recon I could give Wiggo a run for his money this year in France).

So I was surprised to get a call from Rob the day before I was due to pick up my machine. He had finished the work, only there were a few, minor, unforeseeable problems and he had not managed to get everything to his high exacting standards. He had even gone out and given it a test ride to check it was all ok. I reassured him that it was fine and that my cycling requirements were not all that severe. However it is nice to see someone take such pride in his work and courteous respect when it comes to customers.

Whenever you go and see a repair man about anything nowadays you always seem to automatically believe that they will try and swindle you somehow, by using complicated words and blinding you with jargon.  All these ‘consumer advise’ shows have scared us into believing that we are all hapless mugs, easily fooled into throwing money away at all these snake oil salesmen. Hardy Cycles, I can assure you, is not like that. It is friendly, and welcoming, and everything is laid out simply and explained properly. Rob is a genuinely nice guy who is only concerned that you are safe and are able to get the most out of your bike. With Spring in the air and good weather fast approaching you better dust off the old penny farthing and take it in for a once over so you can enjoy cycling around all summer hassle free, safe in the knowledge you won’t end up under a bus because the handle bars come off in your hand.

Call 01392 434997

Email contact.hardycycles@gmail.com

Hardy Cycles
35 New Bridge Street
Exeter
EX4 3AH

http://www.hardycycles.co.uk/

Phonic FM - The only place you'll hear Mozart and Motorhead back to back

Ok folks, this week we’re going to tackle something a little bit out of left field. Instead of a physical place I’ll be spotlighting, I’m going to focus on somewhere you can go anytime of the day, listen to great music, covering every genre and musical cul-de-sac that you’ve never heard of, and is full of interesting and colourful characters. Phonic FM, broadcasting on 107.8 on the airwaves above Exeter, and online, has been championing independent music and alternative style in the city on a daily basis for six years and has given everyday people the opportunity to voice their opinions, share their passions, and stick two fingers up in the face of the desperately nauseating mediocrity that is the commercial pop radio station.

Based in the lower, dungeon like, depths of the Phoenix in the heart of the city this plucky little radio station began life in 2003 when it was given a one month license to broadcast during the annual Vibrophonic music festival, which by happy coincidence is taking place this month as well. So check out what’s happening here: http://www.vibraphonicfestival.co.uk/

From these humble little beginnings a true pioneer in British broadcasting has emerged. This is not a station that is held back by satisfying advertisers and creeping to corporate conglomerates. This is not a station that is chained to popular playlists and the latest teen starlet that has been thrown from the conveyor belt of one hit wonders. This is a station that dances to the beat of its own drum, but not just one drum, a whole cacophony of them. With each show being hosted by an individual, and not just an meaningless voice with a stupid laugh, during the course of a day the rhythm, style and tempo of the output will change dramatically. One moment you’ll be listening to some classical concerto, recorded in Dusseldorf, and conducted by a man with Von in the middle of his name, the next; a reggae, carnival calypso that was taped through a haze of reefer smoke, and the next; a disconnected, abstracted soundscape made by a 13 year old on a laptop. If you’re after some Beyonce you better keep on walking girl.

I was lucky enough to be invited onto the airwaves one Sunday morning by a friend of mine; Anna, who is one of the merry band of DJs that help make this dynamic entity come to life. Her show Anna Presents (https://www.facebook.com/AnnaPresents) takes a relaxed look at life and focuses on the positives of what is going on in life. The show is very much about her. It is unique in that Anna’s own personality and vision is what is given off over the airwaves to the listeners and her passion and interests are what drive it all forward. This is typical of the output from this small, donation funded, community radio station. Every show is built around the hosts, their likes, their loves, their ideas and their energy. It is billed as Exeter’s Sound Alternative, and for once the advertising is bang on the money. Whatever you are into, you will find it being played here. Music, the arts, live sessions from local acts that are recorded in the sound studio next door, and no cheap adverts. All these musically creative minds in one place have also created a hub around which many live venues and acts in the city congregate. The station supports a wide range of gigs, festivals, club nights and musically related evenings out that are far too numerous to mention. But I think its fare to say that the live music culture in the city would be a lot poorer without the championing of Phonic Fm

 

And the best part is anyone can go and have a try themselves. All you need to do is sign up and pay the small annual fee, receive some training to use the equipment in the studio (I’m sure Anna won’t mind me saying that if she can work out how to use it, then anyone can!), and then put your name down for a free slot in the schedule. Then you can play, and talk about, whatever you like, within reason obviously. So if there is a genre of music you love and no one even knows about it, or you are fed up of the same cheesy disc jockeys and their inane banter, then get down there and do it for yourself. Trust me it’s great fun. I did it for 2 years and had a ball. Exeter hasn’t been the same since my show ‘The Church of Noise’ faded from the air waves (a huge sigh of relief was heard across the city I expect!).

Fast becoming both a nationally recognised and globally acknowledged voice in the broadcasting ocean, Phonic FM is a breath of fresh air and something this city should be truly proud of. Many places have community radio stations, but none are as professional and organised as what we have here. A beacon to those who aren’t happy with the same old homogenous, music by numbers, regurgitations that flood our airwaves and fill our radios. They don’t just give us an alternative, but a whole array of alternatives, and damned good ones they are at that. So do adjust your radio sets and open up a whole world of musical diversity.

Tune in on your radio to 107.8fm

or online from their website: www.phonic.fm

and like their facebok page: https://www.facebook.com/Phonic.107.8fm

The Angel - Weird and Wonderful; a home for the unconventional

The Angel, it think, was the first bar in the town that I ever visited. The reason I’m not sure is that I had just arrived in Exeter a couple of days before to start University; first time away from home, meeting lots of new people, having a good time, and the best, and only, way of doing this was by drinking a hell of a lot of cheap bear with your new housemates at home, and stumbling into town and into the first pub you came across. That place I have been told was The Angel.  Even though my memory of that first encounter is a little hazy, it must have left a lasting impression on me because it has become a regular drinking hole for me ever since.
 

 

 

And what’s not to like? With its dark woods and old leather sofas, low ceiling and lighting that Phil and Kirstie would positively describe as ‘moody’ or ‘muted’ the place can come across to those that are used to more modern, clean cut, pristine bars with their Ikea furniture and false character, as a bit intimidating or even rough. But this is what gives it its charm. The Angel attracts a crowd of waifs and strays, eccentrics and characters, dreamers and romantics, that have made this place their natural home

If you poke your head in during the day expect to find a laid back local, with a jazzy, acoustic and reggae beat flowing in the background while people sip their coffee’s and hot chocolates, as well as those getting an early start on a full diary supping, slurping and bar propping. With free Wi-Fi it has become a popular place for students and those looking to sit down and log on to the world wide web that don’t want the strictness of a library or the snobbyness of sitting in a coffee shop. With its open fire, fresh flowers, daily newspapers and a 50s TV set that’s been turned into a fish tank it’s the perfect place to unwind and chill.

Once the evening starts creeping along though the vibe shifts up a gear. The music becomes more vibrant and the place busier as those looking to escape their worldly worries and stresses are drawn in to the comforting bosom that The Angel provides. Thursday to Saturday nights play host to resident and guest DJs from across the country, and even the world, playing a varied and very eclectic mix of dance, hip-hop funk and soul. You can get up and dance, but you’ll have to holster those break dancing moves for another day because space is at a premium here and it does get very crowded. Luckily everyone is very nice so you can easily get chatting to the people you are rubbing up against in the jam for the bar, or when you are out grabbing some air on the hidden deck out the back. Here, even if you can’t make interesting conversation, there is a giant projector showing all manner of weird and wonderful videos; from skateboarding and surfing vids to classic cartoons to all manner of zany and bizarre visual feasts. On numerous occasions I have gone out there and got caught up watching something and completely forgotten the friends I was with.  I like to think that this shows the quality and uniqueness of what’s on offer here, rather than how rude and easily distracted I can be, especially when an old He-Man cartoon comes on.

5 reasons The Angel is a one off:

·         Don’t expect a locally sourced pie or trio of Italian vegetable risotto because The Angel does not do food. Unlike almost all pubs now, this place survives purely on beverages, which shows you how popular it can get.

·         The Star Wars themed toilet. I can only speak for the gents but this is a like a geeks Nirvana. With the walls plastered in pictures and posters of all your favourite characters (original trilogy only) you can stand there and relieve yourself while staring into the eyes of a Wookie

·          The Music. Playing some of the best underground tunes and alternative beats this is a rare haven for those not into the mainstream musical establishment. With the Open Mic Nights every Wed and regular special musical events with guest DJs spinning all kinds of genres, this is the place to come to find new music.

·         The Big Screen. As I mentioned before you can suddenly find you’ve been sat out on the deck for half an hour watching a nature film or music videos and have completely forgotten about your date you left inside. (Get around this by inviting them out with you and then using the films as an ice breaker! Full of good dating advice me)

·         The Locals. They may look like they haven’t seen a comb in 10 years and suddenly start talking to you about the evils of the welfare state but they are all very friendly and quirky and help give the place its ambience and reputation. You never know, maybe you’ll make a friend?

The Angel is one of those places every town and city should have. Not every bar should be like it, but there should always be one somewhere so that people who don’t want a synthesised, watered down environment can go and feel like they are part of the furniture, hang out with like minded people, have a good time, and not worry about staining the carpet. Relaxed and comfortable, but never boring.

Opening Hours;

Mon - Tue: 12:00 - 00:00

Wed - Thu: 12:00 - 01:00

Fri - Sat: 12:00 - 02:00

Sun: 12:00 - 00:00

Address;

32 Queen Street
Exeter
Devon
EX4 3SR