Octogenarian hits the road again

The octogenarian is raring to go

An 83-year-old mid Wales man is about to travel several thousand miles to St Petersburg in Russia on his bicycle.

The journey is the latest in a long line of marathon cycle rides around Europe by John Henry Griffiths who lives near Machynlleth

Mr Griffiths will travel light on his 18-speed Carlton Corsair which has already done more than 50,000 miles.

The octogenarian will cycle to Hull before catching a boat to Rotterdam and the cycling along northern Europe until he reaches the former Russian capital which this year celebrates its 300th anniversary.

My whole body is itching to set off on another adventure John Henry Griffiths

Mr Griffiths will travel through Oosterbeck in Holland where the battle of Arnhem took place in the second World War.

"My friend from Machynlleth, Tommy Vaughan, fought at Arnhem and when he died a few years ago his ashes were placed behind the graves of two of his friends who died in that battle," said Mr Griffiths.

Language teacher

"Whenever I am in Europe I always visit Tommy's last resting place as a mark of respect to a great friend."

Mr Griffiths will travel light, carrying only a tent, a sleeping bag and three books.

"I always take the New Testament in Welsh to remind me to be virtuous on my travels," said Mr Griffiths.

"I will also take a book of German folk songs and a copy of the Russian language version of Pushkin's The Gypsies."

Mr Griffiths will have to make three boat trips during his journey

A former language teacher, he has mastered many tongues, including Russian, French, German and Serbo Croat.

He intends travelling towards St Petersburg for the next two months before turning homewards before the notorious Russian winter sets in.

This year marks the 55th anniversary of his first long-distance cycle ride - in 1948 hes left Britain to travel around France.

Mr Griffiths will try and reach St Petersburg before winter sets in

Within weeks he had got himself a job with France's premier circus -Les Freres Amar.

"I worked with the German discipline team who put the tents and cages up," he said.

"I joined the circus because I wanted to find out about its culture and folklore.

"It was one hell of an experience working with the Germans, who were supreme professionals."

Mr Griffiths served in Germany with the 51st Highland Division at the end of World War Two before being demobbed in 1946 after eight years service.

Before that he had served with Mountbatten's 14th 'Forgotten' Army during the campaign in Asia.

The journey Cycle from Machynlleth to Hull Boat from Hull to Rotterdam Cycle from Rotterdam to Oosterbeek Cycle from Oosterbeek to Jutland Boat to Gothenburg Cycle from Gothenburg to Stockholm Boat from Stockholm to Turku Cycle from Turku to Helsinki Cycle rom Helsinki to Viborg Cycle from Viborg to St Petersburg

The octogenarian has travelled around most of Europe but things could have been very different.

"I had a very serious motorcycle accident in 1953," said Mr Griffiths.

"It was a terrible smash and my leg was so badly damaged I was crippled for three years afterwards."

Mr Griffiths expected to be handicapped by his injuries until he met a pioneering surgeon, Ernest Alexander Nicoll.

"Mr Nicoll operated to repair the shattered leg and I began to rebuild my strength," said Mr Griffiths.

"I had to do it very slowly by climbing the stairs, then by climbing them with a rucksack on, then by putting a brick in the rucksack and so on."

Cycling was the natural pastime to help strengthen Mr Griffiths' leg, and he has carried on pedalling ever since, making sure he puts on weight before any long ride.

"My symbol is the Arctic tern, a little bird that feeds itself up so it can hardly get off the ground but once it does start to fly it travels all the way to the south Pole and then flies north again."