Watch: Timmy Mallett cycles into Lurgan and Portadown, stopping at Drumcree Parish Church and Lurgan Park

Timmy – who has spent a lifetime in the entertainment business – has a passion for cycling and art and his travels combining his two interests have taken him far and wide.

Over the past few days he has been sharing highlights of his Northern Ireland road trip on social media – as well as turning plenty of heads along the way.

"As I was coming into town, a fella stopped me at the lights: ‘Welcome to Lurgan Timmy, keep ‘er lit!’. Brilliant! A wonderful entrance,” he said.

Taking in some of the area’s well-known spots on his two-wheeled travels, Timmy has also been discovering quirky aspects of local life and chatting to locals with interesting tales to tell.

Underpinning the trip is his aim to “be absorbed in the here and now” and through his social media updates, to encourage others to do likewise.

Timmy said his inspiration comes from his elder brother Martin, with his language and learning difficulties, and is constantly reminded that “each and every day in life is the best day ever and the important thing is to be in the moment”.

With this in mind, his travels take some interesting twists and turns. As he says: “I can’t say where I’ll be as my route evolves every day”.

He had been taking in some breathtaking scenery, finding out more about places of interest and of course, enjoying some great ‘craic’ wherever he goes.

While in Lurgan, Timmy learned of the fascinating story of Margorie McCall, whose headstone famously reads that she ‘lived once, buried twice’.

"Always make sure the person has really deceased before burying them,” he advised.

He was suitably impressed at the “lovely” Lurgan Park, had a go at counting Brownlow House’s 365 windows and 52 chimneys, stopped to admire the town centre public art sculpture and proclaimed that Lurgan “really is a stand out town”.

He dropped by Oxford Island and took in the sights of Lough Neagh. The lough’s blue-green algae problem wasn’t visible during his visit, with Timmy joking: “The only thing that’s bright green today is me! No green at all, it’s absolutely lovely”.

Making his way from Charlestown to the River Bann, Timmy learns how “back in the olden days” a small ferry went back and forth across the river to Maghery and he shared old photos showing horses and cars being carried on it.

“Now it’s an enormous big detour all the way down to Portadown,” he said. But, there’s talk of putting in a footbridge for cyclists and pedestrians. Brilliant” that would be exceptionally excellent! I vote for a foot and cyclist bridge!”

Coming across a bridge of entirely different proportions, Timmy tried to untangle the logic of the naming of the Bann Bridge in Portadown, while Banbridge is, of course, a separate town.

Meanwhile, at Drumcree Parish Church, he learns of restoration work being carried out before sharing a joke with an Orangeman over the long-running parade route dispute, telling him to “Say hi to your mates down the Garvaghy Road!”.

Exploring the beauty of the Orchard County as the buds are beginning to appear on the trees, Timmy said he felt it was “one of the great discoveries” of Northern Ireland.

"Wow! What an orchard. Those trees are ancient. I love the sculptural, skeletal look of them. Finest orchard in the whole world. Wow! That is something else,” he enthused.

Regarded as one of the leading Modern Impressionist artists, Timmy takes his inspiration from his cycling adventures all of the world and his trip to Northern Ireland is no exception. He has been sharing his work with his online followers as he goes, with the skeletal apple trees under stormy skies among some of the latest inclusions in his sketchbook.

Timmy says he has been inspired by his elder bother, Martin, who with Down’s Syndrome, and language and learning difficulties “reached his potential every day of his life”.

One of Timmy’s videos from Portadown shares a particularly special moment.

"I was putting on my wet weather gear when something unexpected happened. Craig and his dad turned up to find me. They had reached out to the Deputy First Minister for help in locating me. I can't give a time or place because every day's ride evolves in a special serendipitous way. But they'd come out from Markethill in the hope of finding me and they did.

"Craig has Down’s Syndrome, something that's close to my heart with brother Martin. After the rain cleared they got their bikes out of the van and we set off together along the towpath. It was a special moment.”

As they are cycling along, Timmy said: “This is lovely doing this, I am reminded how my brother and I would cycle together and how much fun it is. It’s about the business of being in the here and now and reaching our potential. Just like Craig and his dad.”

Timmy’s onward travels have taken him along Lough Neagh, winding around to Maghery “along narrow hedge-lined lanes. Glimpses of the huge lough are with me throughout the day.

"Over the Blackwater Bridge and up to Mountjoy Castle. The houses here are lovely with neat well kept gardens. This really is a delightful part of Norn Iron to live. I came to Ardboe and by the water is the thousand-year-old six-metre high cross. Best in Ireland. I put a brother Martin name tag here with him in my heart,” he said.

During his trip Timmy has stayed at Newforge House Country Hotel in Magheralin and the Seagoe Hotel in Portadown before moving on to the Glenavon House Hotel in Cookstown for the next stage in his travels.