They went through four bicycle chains apiece as well as numerous tyres and contended with

They went through four bicycle chains apiece as well as numerous tyres, and contended with broken spokes, broken gears and collapsed rims. One team-mate, Richard Scriven, broke his elbow after he was catapulted over his handlebars.The brothers cycled an average of 100km (62 miles) a day, and on their longest day covered 212km (132 miles) through the Australian Outback.Their aim was to attempt a feat that they had discussed for years and to demonstrate the virtues of sustainable transport.”If we can cycle and kayak from London to Sydney, surely people in England can travel a couple of miles to the corner shop on a bicycle,” said Richard.Their return journey to Britain will be much swifter. They plan to fly to London next week before going on to Taunton to celebrate with friends.. The Millennium Dome made a loss of £131m last year, on top of the £800m it cost to build the giant development, the New Millennium Experience Company admitted yesterday. The Millennium Dome made a loss of £131m last year, on top of the £800m it cost to build the giant development, the New Millennium Experience Company admitted yesterday.
David James, chairman of the NMEC, who revealed the scale of the loss, said the shortfall made the Dome non-viable as a “stand-alone” visitor attraction in the future. He poured scorn on the attempts by Pierre-Yves Gerbeau, the former Dome chief executive, to put together a bid that would see the site continue as an entertainment venue.Responding last night, Mr Gerbeau said that Mr James had not seen his proposal, so was in no position to criticise it. He added that even the scaled-down auction planned of the contents of the Dome was jeopardising its future.

“It is being stripped by the day, of lights, security systems, the lot. That means that any bidder will have to pay for these things all over again I’m very worried. It is destroying any chances of a bid for the site.”Mr Gerbeau held talks with Nomura, the bank that was originally selected as the preferred bidder for the Dome, on Wednesday. It was the first formal meeting between the sides since Mr Gerbeau approached Nomura two months ago about mounting a joint bid He said Nomura was “very interested”. In a separate move, the rival bidding consortium led by the Duke of Westminster seemed to set in place plans to turn the Dome into a 45,000-seat venue for pop concerts. But the consortium, which includes the BBC, was plunged into confusion.

While Pilton, a property developer, said it would join the consortium, the Duke of Westminster’s group denied this. Pilton said it would advise on creating what would be Europe’s biggest concert venue.Yesterday Mr James revealed that the seven former directors of the Dome were in line for bonuses that could total £450,000. Mr Gerbeau could receive up to £50,000, while his predecessor, Jennie Page, could get £200,000.He also disclosed that it would have cost up to £80m to close the Dome on 5 September, as its critics had demanded.. 23 February 2001

23 February 2001
RamblingRamblers were yesterday warned to keep out of the countryside because of the danger from foot-and-mouth disease in several counties and to avoid livestock areas in other counties. The Ramblers Association urged people to scrap walks planned for Essex, Buckinghamshire, the Isle of Wight, Gloucestershire and Yorkshire, where the disease has been found. Their advice was simply: “If in doubt, cancel your walk.”The National Farmers’ Union warned the disease could spread up to 150 miles through airborne transmission and asked anyone walking in the countryside to be vigilant.Ben Gill, the NFU chairman, said: “Journeys into the countryside where livestock are about should not take place unless necessary.”The disease knows no boundaries.

Not only can it be spread through the air but it can be transmitted through urine, milk, semen or saliva.The National Pig Association also asked ramblers to reschedule their countryside walks. A spokesman said: “Can we stress the importance of staying away from livestock farms for the time being?”If a passer-by were to talk over a fence to an infected sow, lamb or an inquisitive heifer, the virus would reach their nose, where it would remain for up to two days. If they were to come into close contact with an animal, the disease would spread.” said a spokesman.The National Trust said it would not be closing any land to the public, though there are fears walkers’ clothing and vehicles could assist the spread of the Disease.The Trust’s Sarah Clifford said any decision to “close down the countryside” would have to come from the Government.Markets and abattoirsThe Stanfords livestock market in Essex was cancelled today and dozens of workers sent home from abattoirs. A spokesman for the firm said although they were outside the exclusion zone they hope the situation will clear over the weekend “so we can make a decision about Tuesday’s market”.The Essex abattoir and two others have been shut down so far.