A BICYCLING bookkeeper is making his TV debut on BBC One on Sunday.

Northwich accountant Chris Nowell likes nothing more than to don his tweed breeches, flat cap, waistcoat and goggles, jump on his Edwardian-style Pashley Gov’nor bicycle and head out for a tootle around the country lanes.

His love affair with Pashley led to him helping found a group of enthusiasts called The Guvnors’ Assembly, who were invited to take part in a Countryfile special on the bicycle manufacturing firm.

“I wasn’t too surprised we were asked,” he said.

“There’s pictures of us everywhere – we’re even on a guy’s blog in Peru.”

The group have proved so photogenic because they get fully into the Pashley spirit.

They even advised Countryfile presenter Ellie Harrison to don a similar costume and way of speaking for the programme, to be aired on Sunday, June 10.

Dad-of-two Chris said: “The tweed is appropriate to that era of bicycle – we would look stupid in lycra on a Pashley.

“I said to Ellie ‘you’re going to transport yourself back 100 years’.

“You get on one of these, tootle along at 12 or 14mph and it’s like the cares of the world go.

“When we’re all together it’s all ‘I’ll stand one at the bar for you old chap’ and ‘pip pip’.”

Chris, of Kingsway, is so keen on his bicycle he is making it a major part of his accountancy business, called The Bicycling Bookkeeper.

“I’ve been running a one-man-band accountancy business in Northwich for 18 years now,” he said.

“When I travel I can get fed up of driving – it took me four hours to get to Blackburn one day.

“So I thought if I stay mainly local I can go on my bike – I can save time, money, the carbon footprint, keep myself reasonably fit and still be home for 5.30pm.”

For more information visit theguvnorsassembly.com and thebicyclingbookkeeper.co.uk.