Fish on a Bike

Once Upon a Time

My original intention for this site was simply to make it a glorified Home Page / Portfolio / Scrap-book thingy, contents being: 

• Something about Cycling, and in particular commuting by bike -
  • Why it's so good, and should be encouraged more.
  • How it can be encouraged.
  • How it's unwittingly discouraged.
  • Contacts/Links/Recommendations.
• Some links to Windsurfing sites of interest. Actually I just wanted to give Coverack a plug, really. Not that it's necessary, as the place promotes itself.
• Portfolio stuff - a little bit of ASP, and a smattering of JavaScript.
• ..but not at the expense of accessibility. Access for All is fundamental to the Web, and is something I feel very strongly about - 
  so links to the and the people are must haves.
• Creative stuff. Essentially vanity publishing of some writing I don't feel ready to throw in the bin yet (you may get the impression too little I write goes in the bin). This would pretty much oblige me to provide a showcase for at least some other people's creative efforts. After all, you can get too much of a good thing.
• Local links & promotions. I'm proud of where I live and (most of!) the people with whom I share it. I see no problem with being a "citizen of the world" and at the same time local, even parochial. You could say it's what the Web's all about. Anyway, I live in Barcombe, near Lewes (home of the famous Cliffe Bonfire Society), in the county of East Sussex, England, UK - so promotions for any or all of these places are on the cards.

^^Back to Top

What Happened Next

Basically, as I've been working on it, Fish on a Bike has taken on a bit of a life of its own (cue sound of Vincent Price laughing as the Pendulum descends).

Don't get me wrong - I still intend to meet at least some of the original objectives as outlined above, but there's more to it. In particular I feel honour-bound to make the core purpose of the site relate more to its name. The logo really fits the bill (actually so does the sculpture and the Guinness FOBs), because the fish appear pretty amazingly well adapted to being out of their element.

And there's the rub.

• How many times was it said that "if God had meant people to fly then we'd have wings" before the Kitty Hawk made its maiden flight?
• Was the first person to successfully make a fire told that they shouldn't mess with stuff like that?
• Why did some sailors keep going in a direction they were reliably informed would take them over the edge of the world?
• Most important of all, how much amusement and entertainment would we miss if no-one ever attempted anything ridiculous?

I'm sure there are countless other similar examples.
If you can see what I'm getting at, and can think of some, then please let me know about them through the Letter Box. 
But do read on first.

^^Back to Top

A Vision

And lo! A strange creature, part animal and part machine, emerged from the mist...

I'd like this site to be a celebration of those who, like a Fish on a Bike, have gone off and done their own thing,  and thus challenged their definition and what was assumed to be their limits (and indeed our own).

I'd like this site to celebrate the whimsical and the eccentric, the individualistic and the creative. On the other hand, success is overrated. Let's also celebrate the heroic failures, the dramatic cock-ups and the white elephants. See the official Darwin Awards site as an extreme (and funny) example of what I'm looking for.

Note the rose-tinted swimming goggles - this vision has been around since April 2001!

Still...

Over to You!

- Because I can't do this totally on my own, and anyway, where's the fun in that? 

Not to mention that this site is far more likely to be interesting (and far less likely to have an audience of one) if as many of you kind readers are involved as possible.

So get thee to the Letter Box at the top of the page and let me know what you think should be done with Fish on a Bike. I can probably handle being told what you think of the show so far, too (as long as it's flattering).

Watch this space!

I mean come back later and watch this space.