October 2023 - A new tool for Milepost bagging.

 

Earlier this year, I signed up to help with a Sustrans survey of the Millennium mileposts. I once again fired up the interactive map to see all their locations. 

It has always surprised me that there are so few near here, but other areas have lots posted together. Our closest ones are in Poole to the West and Basingstoke to the North, but the nearest one sits all alone on our bit of coastline and is hidden in the depths of a Portsmouth housing estate, quite close to the birthplace of Charles Dickens no less. I have to say that in all the time I lived in Portsmouth, I had no idea of this Milepost's existence. 

It was this milepost that, in February 2022, I chose to be the first one I ticked off in my quest to visit as many as possible - documenting each with a dodgy selfie to prove the visit to myself. I dragged the ever-patient Jo and Babs along for the ride  

So when the Sustrans survey email arrived, I was a little disappointed to see that this post had already been allocated - someone else would be filling in its details on the new Sustrans app. 

Undeterred, Jo, Jenny and I signed up for the ones in Poole instead and incorporated them into our summer touring adventure  - check out the blog post here for more details - A door to door adventure. 

Anyway, wind forward a month or two, and I find myself back at the Portsmouth Milepost. The survey hadn't been completed after all, and Sustrans were once again asking for volunteers. I popped my bike in the van and headed down the motorway to Porstsmouths Park and Ride. I took the ride option literally and headed down Route 22. The survey was quick, and the post is well-kept, nicely painted and easy to access. 

With the task complete, I took a gentle (post-covid) ride to the shoreline and then back to my van. 

That evening I was inspired to check my notes to see how many posts I have visited. I realised that my records were not up to date in the slightest. I asked on a Facebook group how others record their visits - yes, I am not the only milepost bagger around - and was given a way to record on a Google map. So here it is - My Google map

I'm hoping that it won't take too long to get it up to date; it may even be done by the time you get to it. 

The ones I have got to already have a red cycle icon. There are quite a few that haven't - yet! 

If you are interested in following my progress, check out the dedicated page at the side of the blog. 

If you are a milepost bagger, too, I'd love to know how you record yours.