George and Larry Lamb saddle up for two months of touring, taking on some serious passes in Snowdonia and the Peak District, encountering all manner of interesting locals, and finding time to bond
Larry and George Lamb have both courted controversy in their careers, whether it’s in Albert Square (Larry) or on 6 Music (George). So how would father and son cope on their second two-wheeled tour of the quieter corners of the British Isles, meeting the locals and experiencing longstanding traditions? They explain in this behind-the-scenes look at the making of their TV show, Britain by Bike: how they managed the gruelling climbs, dodged livestock, and maintained a civil relationship over two long months, with George on a Giant Anyroad Comax and Larry on an electric Giant Prime E +3.
George Lamb
It’s been one of the most incredible experiences of my life, meeting these wicked people and having a go at what they do, whether it’s smoking kippers in Craster or entering a couple of chickens in the World Hen Racing Championships [in the Peak District]. The Outer Hebrides were a real trip, one of the most breathtaking places I’ve ever been. The landscape is what I imagine the moon to be like, only with really beautiful white beaches.
We could only have done it on bikes. Cycling is totally different to driving. You can stop and really see things, chat to people whenever you like. That said, there were some brutal rides. Every show, they stuck me on a bike and put me through some hectic ordeal. Getting up Winnats Pass in the Peaks, with a 28% gradient, was tough. In Snowdonia I did Hellfire Pass, on this sheer incline for three hours, but when I finally came up the crest of the hill it was the most beautiful view of the whole trip. I hated it cycling up, not knowing why I was doing it, and then you come over the top and it’s breathtaking. Then in the Outer Hebrides I was chased by a bullock – he leapt over the fence and careered down after me, but once he’d rejoined his herd he left me alone.
You think you’re your own man, but the more time you spend with your parents, the more you realise you’re just a 50/50 split between them. I see so many of my dad’s traits in me. He’s tough and resilient and he’ll soldier on, but he’s soft and not afraid to show his emotions. It’s been a brilliant opportunity to spend a prolonged period of time with him. Sometimes, on the hill climbs he’d zoom up and then come back for me and go: “Come on son, let’s do this.” It can be quite lonely, cycling.
There were certain moments where I’d had enough and wanted to give up, and the same with Dad, but we looked out for each other and spurred each other on, got in each other’s slipstreams, that sort of thing. Otherwise, I tried to just look down when it got tough. I don’t know if that’s what you’re meant to do, but it works for me. I watched an Alex Ferguson documentary where he said: “If you give in once, you’ll give in twice”, and you don’t want to be a quitter. So I just got my head down and repeated that to myself all the way – Alex Ferguson spurred me up Winnats Pass.
Larry and George Lamb are on their bikes, headed to a tropical paradise hidden in British shores, the Iles of Scilly Photograph: Elephant House
Larry Lamb
I’m reasonably fit, although not as fit as I’d like to be. I could have done this series with a normal bike, but I’d still be filming now. What I like about electric bikes is that they don’t take over. It’s a power assist. You can turn it down and have a nice steady pedal along. It pays off when you run into a hill, you can lean into it and have a good exercise, no matter how steep it is. It’s added insurance, I love it and never had too much pain because of it.
When the pain kicks in, though, it’s like banging your foot or having a sore back: you just have to get on with it. George is the one who got thrown into the deep end on this series, stuck on the side of some mountain while I’m touring around in a vintage car. I never envied him. When I was his age, that’s what I would have done. It’s about accepting that he can still do this stuff and I can’t – recognising where you are and enjoying it. I’m 70, he’s in his 30s – I’ve accepted it and enjoy it. I don’t feel competitive with him because I’ve been there and done it.
Actually, the most taxing thing was spending eight weeks on the road, working five full-on 12-hour days. When you’re 70, that’s like breaking rocks, but what made it worthwhile was getting this extraordinary gift of eight weeks with my son in lovely places, doing something we both enjoy. A lot of people don’t get to spend time around their offspring once they’ve grown up, so this was like winning the lottery. He’s a man now, much wiser in many ways than me. He says doing this has meant he’s seen traits of me in him. That’s the price you pay, right?
He really looked after me. We never really fell out – we know each other too well. If he’s having a bad day and being a bit grumpy, I’ll cheer him up, and he’ll do the same for me. We laughed our way round Britain.
I’ve fallen back in love with cycling, doing this series. I’m of an age where the local policeman came into school and taught you how to ride a bike in the playground, and as a boy it was the only way I could afford to get around. I’ve been getting out and about around London again, and now I’m going to keep riding until I can’t ride any more.
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