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ROAD SAFETY &
CYCLE TRAINING |
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John O'Groats
~ JOB DONE ~
A very big thank you to everyone
who has supported us either financially or in some other practical
way, too many to mention but all of whom made a wonderful experience
even better if that is possible. Especially the RAC
resolving our mechanical problems and to Nigel Wiggett
of Bridge Bike Hire in Wadebridge and his friend Paul Eyres from
Camel Hire, for coming to the rescue after the van was involved in an
accident and could put pay to the end of our adventure ......... we owe you both ......... Thank
you!!
Simon Whitehead, our support driver also deserves a mention., he's been a real trouper likewise Milly, my cycling companion for the duration without whom I probably wouldn't have had the facilities available to me to do it, my cousin Kate for putting us up the first night and Si's brother Matt for doing so over Easter weekend, equally Sara and Crispin who came to the rescue both for the CTC Conference in Bath and whilst Milly went back to Lampeter briefly, all of which was very much appreciated ~ thank you everyone for making it special for us too ...... Final Entry .. Saturday 5th April The mystery of the missing children has now been resolved .... unfortunately dates got mixed up and several parents thought we would be in Newquay on Friday (when of course we were already well on our way to Lands End) and meeting up in Sennen on Saturday. It was only because one such parent called Wendy this afternoon having gone down there with their two, bikes, the works and couldn't figure out where we were., they even continued on down to Lands End to check that we hadn't gone through earlier and they'd missed us ... we promised, no names, no pack drill :-( As it happens that is exactly what had happened but by 24 hours earlier rather than minutes so to anyone who turned up at Newquay Sports Centre yesterday, Friday or Sennen today, Saturday, thank you .... and apologies for having been too tired to do a ring around on Wednesday or Thursday night, which is the only thing that might have averted such a thing happening. The parents who called us today has in fact had a very stressful hols with moving and not been online themselves as a result otherwise they would have known both from the press releases in the Guardian and West Briton and the interview with Martin Baillie on Wednesday afternoon!! Oooops., what a shame but never mind, these things happen and one has to smile about it after some of the more disastrous events of the trip! What a story to wind the trip down with though ... we are guessing that those who did go to the Sports Centre on Friday, if indeed anyone did, when they realised what had happened felt that there was insufficient time to change tack and get down to Sennen .... we're glad we've solved the mystery though as the turnout for the launch of Bikeability on the last day of the summer hols was so fantastic, we did feel a little deflated as the children were conspicuous by their absence and they had all been so enthusiastic about meeting us before we left., it also has to be said it was a considerably longer journey to get there so for those who did travel down, a very sincere 'thank you' .. At the very least, we may not have taken any wrong turns but it certainly has been an eventful period - which just makes it more interesting., we still wouldn't change a minute of it, disasters and good days alike as it is all part of the rich tapestry of life and thankfully as no-one was hurt, we can laugh about it all now!!
Friday 4th April (Truro - Lands End) We're exhausted but wouldn't have missed doing it ... it was both fun and educational., and now it was the final push to sign the book at the Lands End Hotel having also done so at the First and Last House in Scotland!! We've had several pledges of friends etc. to ride with us, now we find out ... given the mist, not the most auspicious start but it did at least brighten up a little. It was a good ride but what Milly may still not be aware of, is that because he waved us on in Penzance when we were ready to leave again, is that he struggled to go up the long and steep A30 Penzance bypass whilst the rest of us went into Penzance and along the front to Newlyn where we turned right and avoided it all coming out just before Buryan Bridge and Drift !!!! Much easier and a more scenic route too albeit very fishy due to the warehouses there., oooops!! The latter being the only deviation from the A30 that day .... Si Rollett, one of Wendy's peers from college rode all the way from Truro with us to be joined by Bill, Roj and Ian in Penzance. Amy and Laura met us closer to Lands End but as they had to come down from Exeter, fair play, they are forgiven and Paul and Jules, who have their own graphic design business, also turned up ~ they came and that was the most important thing!! What a fun way to go and you see so much more cycling it., especially with the guys tipping out for us, made it a little special too so thanks guys ...... that meant a lot to us and was a great way to round off a very special and once in a lifetime trip ...... And our last word .... As we were coming in, there was a father and son team starting out northbound (LE JoG) on their own adventure - we passed them again a little later as they were closing in on their destination of today which they'd told Paul was Redruth, (this time going in the same direction) on the way back to Truro and would wish them a safe journey, good weather and a wonderful experience just as we had but minus the mishaps!! And thank you again to everyone who supported us ....
P.S. 40,000 people or some such fantastic figure do the E2E every year one way or the other every year and there are many, many variants in terms of routes but we'd both say "go for it" as it is one hell of an experience. What next .. who knows, perhaps St David's to Lowestoft as Paul is considering doing or Coast 2 Coast along Hadrian's Wall as the E2E girls, (now to become the C2C girls instead) will be doing later in the year., whichever, there will be another trip!! There is also another possibility ... check this one out by clicking on the map ..
Having said
that, it might be fair to route say that anyone who does the E2E and
travels from Inverness to Fort William or vica versa, could already
have incorporated a coast to coast route into their ride already as
Fort William is the access point to the Atlantic and Inverness to
the North Sea ... with the Caledonian Canal as the link between the
two rather than ships having to go all the way around the top!! Thursday 3rd April (Camelford - Truro) We left approx. 8am to get back to Camelford to start riding in the direction of Newquay. Pat Smith joined Wendy from St Teath and Janie C. (the original End to end girls) managed to get away as well and meet us at the Halfway House pub just down the road from the Royal Cornwall Showground - where Angie Binks (Wadebridge RNLI Chairperson) had refreshments on hand for us all. Milly however stayed behind because he was trying to get the van sorted. At first it seemed as though we would have the sea mist rolling in like we did yesterday ... we had had to give up in the end because it became so desperately dangerous ... although we have woken up to it, we kept our fingers crossed that it cleared and it did ... we had sunshine all the way although the mist came rolling in around Newquay Sports Centre just in time for the photo shoot! What Wendy hadn't realised though, was that April 3rd 2006 was the day when Pat and Janie set off from John O'Groats themselves, coming in the first May bank holiday, at Land's End and for that reason, they always tend to go out for a ride so today they joined us for that ride which was fun., thanks girls!! However Pat spoke too soon, whilst discussing what we did that was similar and what was different, when the subject of the exploding tyre came up, she said they had not had a single puncture ... less than a mile from Angie's and we had a problem, Pat had a flat but it wasn't a puncture, oh no, that would have been too simple, the valve kinda fell apart instead so Si had to pick her up!! Janie carried on though and we all arrived together at Newquay Sports Centre. We all met Mary Murfin for the first time but at least now we can put a name to a face .... it was a good morning rounded off by Chrissie and Pat Lambshead also turning up to meet us as well as two of the last group that I have worked with, also turning out for us which given it is still the hols, was great - then Wendy cycled into Truro but got separated from Si by a lorry that had jack knifed as it approached Chiverton Roundabout.
Wednesday 2nd April (Barnstable - Camelford) After a hot breakfast we finally left the Cedars and Tarka Trail behind us, cycling along the B road that took us through Bickington and Fremington to the A39 as having looked at it on a map it was six of one and half a dozen of the other. Initially, despite poor visibility and the headwinds which had not been forecast on the TV that we were aware of, we set off full of optimism and for while it almost looked as though it might be justified given the bus stop at Fairy Cross. We stopped for coffee and were given homemade soup (pea, leek and potato) and the most wonderful cottage loaf type rolls at the Mad Hatters restaurant which is also part of the Merry Harriers Garden Centre in Bucks Cross, where Wendy also managed to find some cowslips .. not something she has seen in recent years so got some for the garden as we came back to Truro tonight. That turned out to be a big mistake, the weather had deteriorated dramatically and sometimes visibility was down to 10 - 20 meters at best on high ground. We carried on for as long as we dared and eventually gave up just as we were nearing journey's end and visibility was almost nil by then .... and a few moments later the phone call came from BBC Radio Cornwall and Wendy went out live on Martin Baillie's show talking about riding the last leg with us to raise money for the Precious Lives appeal. Shortly after that again and disaster struck ... yet again ... this time we were driving along the A39 just after St Teath when a white pickup appeared coming in the opposite direction and got too close .... it was a miracle no-one was hurt as Milly lost his wing mirror and his window shattered and sent glass everywhere, right across the cab and the other van must have realised what had happened but didn't stop at all. It was almost the end of our E2E without a van only >>>>>>>>> We stopped by Bridge Bike Hire to ask Nigel for help on the local knowledge front ... bless him, within minutes he had organised an alternative van for us at no cost to ourselves other than diesel. Bless him, he really has literally saved both the day and the ride., what a star!! His attitude, simply that we'd come this far so couldn't be stopped from finishing now, not if he had anything to do with it and boy do we owe him! And if memory serves me right, he also came to the aid of the End 2 End girls as well., something about a tyre there as well during a training ride one day! With the Cedars hotel, Mad Hatters restaurant and Nigel all coming to our rescue one way or another, and all in one day at that, we are exceptionally lucky people!!
Tuesday 1st April (Taunton - Barnstable) Barnstable is just too far from Truro to justify going home tonight in financial terms and we have genuinely now run out of money - however we finally got there by tea time when we popped into Little Bridge House to meet Sophie .... first though we found the Cedars Inn, (thanks to the girls at Homebase who helped us with directions .. local knowledge wins out again) who gave us an excellent rate including three breakfasts tomorrow morning! The boys being resourceful, did manage to rustle up something to eat that night as we really were penniless bar about 60p so tomorrow we will go home for the night as it is only 35 miles taking the direct route from Camelford. What a ride though ... we were fighting a headwind like we have had the good fortune NOT to have encountered all the way down, to the extent it not only came as a shock but we were struggling to pedal downhill as well as up!! The higher we got after leaving Tiverton behind us, the stronger the wind became but then we were also heading towards the coast as well so not wholly surprising. Other downhill runs even with gentle headwinds, we were still able to freewheel and speeds would be anything between 20 and 38mph but not today ... 15mph if we were lucky and that was with us pedalling and some shelter from the surrounding hills even on a 7% gradient. That was some headwind and the hill was obviously Devon's answer to Glencoe too!! Little Bridge House is lovely ... wow and of course, it has a fascinating history to it as well and is about to celebrate is 12th birthday just as the Farm near Bristol is about to celebrate it's first. Hopefully the Precious Lives appeal will achieve it's objective very quickly and a third one can subsequently be built in Cornwall. Milly has offered his services for fun days etc., given his crazy bikes and Yo's puppets whilst Wendy has pledged to work with the siblings of children who go to the hospices for respite., you can't put a price on a child's life after all and in fact Little Bridge House is perfectly placed for both Level 1 and Level 2 training. Tomorrow we are going to have to start cycling early as Martin Baillie from BBC Radio Cornwall wants to do a radio interview about 3.45pm that I guess will then go out on his programme live unless he is now covering what I thought was now Donna's slot since Emma left. Three more days .... it will be bliss not to have to keep packing and unpacking after tomorrow as well although we have no regrets, there have been times it has been questionable from the weather but for the greater part, we have been exceptionally fortunate., not quite as good as this time last year but not so bad either.
Monday 31st March (Langford - Taunton) A week after getting to the tranquillity of the Mendip Hills and one of Sara's excellent breakfasts, we left again although hopefully taking the reasonable weather with us rather than riding into the not so good weather that has been forecast!! Fingers crossed - this is also where we take pot luck in terms of getting access to wifi again too ... certainly by Thursday night but anyone wanting to get in touch, might we suggest you do so either texting or calling us on 07762 493662. As we stopped for coffee at a bakery in Highbridge, we got a call from the West Briton again, firming up our timetable for this week ... riding across the flats now having left the Mendips behind., somewhere that Wendy spent quite a lot of time when she was doing her nursing training, staying with her aunt and uncle near Oakhill and riding one of their ponies ... we will put a fuller update later on but as we were passing McDonalds which has free wifi, we stopped for a coffee to take advantage only it was on the blink so limited access!! We need to find a Bookers so only did about 35 miles today so will make up the difference tomorrow as otherwise we will overshoot ........ Taunton is the nearest place for us to pick up some more rapeseed oil for the van to mix with the diesel on a 50/50 basis. And once again the Premier Inn there came to the rescue, thanks Matt, Kirsty ... appreciate your support. It has to be said, the Premier Inn has to be one of the best and most supportive organisations during the trip!
Tuesday 25th March - Sunday 30th March Last night we all arrived in Langford at the house of a wonderful couple, whom Wendy has known for some years in the world of hot air ballooning and whilst Milly headed back to Wales after the conference on a surprise visit to see his partner, she is staying there and going out on training rides locally to places like Cheddar Gorge which is about 10 miles down the road. Tuesday (25th) was CTC's Cycle Training and Education conference in Bath ... Wendy has never given a public presentation before so had the potential to be interesting .... she tends to get stage fright and clams up. However she got through it, helped by the fact that Zolts and Colin from Exeter went before her., she was then asked to chair a seminar on Health, Cycling and funding as well. We had not had any time off apart from last Friday and we can't get down to the Devon/Cornwall border until 1st April because of former cycling students, friends and fellow students/lecturers from Truro College who will be joining us as we complete the ride over 3 days ... we're kind of caught in a bit of a time warp in that respect so making the best of it and enjoying the congenial company of Crispin and Sara in the interim. Milly and Si will come back to Langford on 30th March and we will then leave for Taunton early on 31st .. However, the day of the conference was also Wendy's youngest 17th birthday (25th) so Happy Birthday Richard .... on (26th) her eldest, Andee, flew home after her humanitarian clowning trip to Haiti with Patch, subsequently then going on to catch up with some old friends from her time at Gesundheit these past couple of years!! And contrary to what the weather forecast has been saying, Thursday (27th) was so nice that Rickford, Blagdon and Barrow Gurney were the destinations for training rides in that order. All things being equal and if the weather manages to hold, it will be Cheddar Gorge either Friday (28th) or Saturday (29th) having gone over earlier and it wasn't what Wendy was expecting at all but a beautiful ride nonetheless. Meanwhile we are just enjoying chilling out and Sara and Crispin have a resident kingfisher and green woodpecker who come up to the house and are rather beautiful! Unfortunately when Wendy went to get a photo, opening the window was noisier than anticipated so the woodpecker flew over the hedge ... he was just feet away too. Meanwhile this press article went out in the West Briton of 27th ...... one has to smile :-))
Monday 24th March (Chepstow - Langford) Today it was Bristol then into Langford via Barrow Gurney ... having first crossed the Severn leaving Wales behind. There we met up with an old friend of Milly's ... it transpires that Nick, aka Biggles Recycling, who trained as an instructor with Wendy over 3 years ago now .. it just goes to show how small this world is, that's the second person that they are mutually acquainted with. It is also the day that finally we got to ride over the Severn on the M48 Cycle Path as it is the only way to get across, short of going north again to pick up the A38 from Gloucester. Our route once across the bridge took us onto the A403 to Severn Beach and onwards to the industrial area where we picked up the A4 into Bristol City Centre. From there we took the A370 direction Weston-super-Mare to the Barrow Gurney junction on the B3130 through to the A38 and on down to Langford ... an eclectic mix of traffic conditions which made it interesting but it quietened down as we headed out of town again. Seeing Nick again on the way through was good too - we then finally reached Langford about half past six .... it's the CTC conference tomorrow so a day off from cycling which again won't do Wendy's back any harm.
Sunday 23rd March (Hereford - Chepstow) ~ Happy Easter!! We crossed into Wales in the Monmouth area with our final destination as Chepstow ... the weather held for us as well, in fact as the day progressed, so did the weather get progressively better too. Lot of other cyclists out and about too, including a mum with her two whom we got into conversation with and having had her eldest miss out on cycle training, she is also thinking about doing her training so Frances, if a mum from Monmouth gets in touch as asking about a bursary to do her training, she may well be the lady Milly and I met today! We left the A49 behind us opting for the A466 instead so few lorries, mainly cars and lots of people were out and about although overall it was quieter. It was more challenging that the previous day with continuous hills to climb and descend again but only one or two that really tested one's fitness, the rest were fun to ride, a gentle incline one side and a good free wheel on the other on one occasion getting up to speeds of almost 40mph. Climbing out of Tintern was another story though, that was a mini Glen Coe but no worse than Shap. It was about a 3 mile climb overall but some wonderful scenery. Would have stopped at the 365 Steps view point only had the momentum by then so kept going. Have we really done over two thirds of the trip already? Yesterday's memories are so fresh and yet John O'Groats now, seems so far away and home so very close!
Saturday 22nd March (Shrewsbury - Hereford) Spurred on by the lure of a home cooked meal we left fairly early, just as soon as Milly got back from the bank in Shrewsbury having had his bank card swallowed up by a hole in the wall before we even left ... so off we did jolly well go .... it was chilly but for the greater part sunny although in the first half an hour we did go through a hail storm. We also had a tail wind which made all the difference! Equally it is flat in comparison to what we've been use to ... top speed on the down hill sectors was in the region of 30mph and uphill (we're obviously becoming extremely fit now) was anything between 12 and 18mph. There were familiar landmarks of Longnor which is where Wendy and her pilot almost flew off the competition map on one occasion., Church Stretton, Cravens Arms and Ludlow Race Course are also familiar - We stopped for lunch at what Wendy knew as the Cookhouse since renamed the Clive Arms just as you come into Bromfield ... like everywhere else we have encountered, it was good food. She first came across it when the British Hot Air Balloon Nationals were held in Ludlow 4 or 5 years ago and most of the teams and officials stayed there., Paul who owns it, has a son who flew for the first time that same week. He is now at Uni in Surrey though. A little later onward again towards Leominster and Hereford before loading up the bikes into the van and heading off to Matt and Jules for the night. As we were approaching Hereford on the home stretch, the heavens opened and down came the snow again ... it started out as hail and ended up as snow but that was as we climbed one side of hill, by the time we were freewheeling down the other side, we had sunshine again! We really hadn't got wet either which was a bit of a mystery but what the heck., an hour or so later and we were in the comfort of the farmhouse where Jude had cooked chicken curry and we had both internet access and congenial company, what more could anyone one want at the end of a day in the saddle?
Friday 21st March (Stretton - Shrewsbury) We woke up to sunshine .... thank heavens that due to the CTC conference, meant bringing our schedule forward by a few days and as a result, we have had some reasonable weather including a clear view over the normally cloud enshrouded Shap Summit and are now ahead of the snow for the greater part. Shrewsbury is exactly 50 miles from where we were billeted overnight according to auto route ... but the wind is so strong that the risks were too high and given the conference is looming, we don't have the luxury of being able to sit it out so ended up leap frogging Cheshire for the greater part, via Northwich and the Anderton Boat Lift. First though, we found Dorfold Hall Gatehouse, the Cheshire Polo Club and Cabbage Hall pub along the A49. We were trying to figure out which part of the country the book, Wind in the Willows was based in., with a name like Cabbage Hall for the pub, could there be any relationship? Answers on a postcard please .......... We carried on hoping the wind would drop but no dice and now the clouds were getting blacker and blacker too so we conceded defeat and decided to take time out instead. It transpired it was the right decision as it was mainly hail which later become slushy snow. It also made for a very interesting and educational day .. we met a chap called Ted at the boat lift who is a volunteer. In 1983 when there was talk of closing the lift which was first constructed in 1875 or thereabouts, his wife was Chairperson of the Trent and Mersey Canal Association or similar so they started a campaign that was supported by many of their members and other locals including Neil Hamilton MP as he was at the time and his wife Christine, helped to raise the necessary funds by campaigning to have it restored and keep it open which they succeeded in achieving so hats off to them all. When we got to Shrewsbury, we dropped into the Travel Lodge at Shrewsbury Battlefield who were really helpful and found us a room at the other Shrewsbury Travel Lodge instead ... they were very helpful and very kind and given how the weather has deteriorated, the last thing the boys needed tonight is to sleep in the van!! Just as well, a few moments later and we might have been stuck and bearing in mind it is Good Friday., when we got there, they'd already turned one walk in away!! Apologies to that person and thank you to the Travel Lodge staff in Shrewsbury. Tomorrow it's home cooked food at Si's brother and sister-in-law's just outside of Hereford ... and we are well placed to go off in the morning, straight down the A49 as well.
Thursday 20th March (Lancaster - Stretton) It was at least dry when we woke up but seriously windy .... our main concern was cross winds coming off the sea and the effect it would have. Apart from making it hard going and slowing us down, it wasn't too bad - the main thing was the effect of the lorries etc., some of whom don't like cyclists and will cut the gap even finer if you're in a cycling lane than if there is no cycling lane. There was also the suction aspect and with the wind coming from the west, the larger, higher sided vehicles were already doing battle keeping themselves on the road so couple that with suction and being on the left of them with them being blown into your lane, it could get pretty hairy sometimes. Si caught up with us a couple of miles or so outside of Preston ... Milly meanwhile carried on and found Whithy Trees Pantry where we had lunch ... a nice friendly bunch so if anyone reading this goes down the A6 themselves, perhaps worth popping into for a quick bite. They are in the Broughton area of Prestonnjust after the Shell garage by the traffic lights as you come in from the north. Duly refuelled, off we went again ... don't know when we will next get WiFi ... one we tried earlier, their system was down so it was only on our second attempt we found a WiFi functioning establishment. However by doing so, Wendy played a blinder ... when she packed the laptop away having checked emails etc. what she didn't notice was that she'd left the camera's memory card in the Scan Disk wotsit and didn't realise it until we got to Stretton where we found a Premier Inn where the manager, Andrea kindly offered us two rooms for the price of one given what we are trying to achieve and because they were not full thereby able to do so. Between Preston and Wigan we switched from the A6 to the A49 and Wigan was a little like Carlisle, left, right, left, right and so it went on .. more accurately around several roundabouts too with the wind was just getting stronger although the rain did gradually peeter out by the time we had found our night stop given a lack of YHAs in the area! We did pass Haydock Park race course and was one of two that pre her nursing training, Wendy led up as a stable girl when she worked for Barry Hills in Lambourn many moons ago so it bought back a few memories for her. She thinks it was the first race meet she went to as well! A bummer about the photos 'taken' en route down can't be published as the card was in the van not the camera!
Wednesday 19th March (Penrith - Lancaster) Milly woke up with cold tootsies, said there was ice on the inside of the van which says it all .... but they joined Wendy for a full English b'fast which helped them to thaw out a little. We then went back into Penrith, found the A6 and off we went again. As we were leaving Penrith, we also saw a sign to an area that had some relevance to King Arthur although we can't remember what exactly ... Not such a numb bum initially so able to appreciate some of the scenery but the batteries in the camera were running down so didn't get pics of the gatehouse at the entrance to the Lowther Castle Holiday and Caravan centre or the two gate houses either side of the drive just before the turning to Thimbles Cottages which I guess are holiday lets. We made Kendal for lunch and found the Tapestry Tea Rooms, having first ridden over the Shap Summit which was over 1600 feet ... which is actually higher than Rannoch Moor and the Glen Coe summit which is around 1142 feet plus or minus if memory serves me correctly! Got to give the Tea Rooms the thumbs up for their unusual and natural menu ... their soups being celery, pear and tarragon or carrot and sweet potatoes with some wonderful home made bread with sun dried tomatoes. One of their soft drinks was a delicious pomegranate and blueberry - if you're in the area, would strongly recommend trying it out., it's on the one way system in the centre of town. The other great thing about Kendal is something I've not seen in a long time .... posties using the traditional bikes we always used to see them with in the past., I saw three alone and what a glorious sight it was too!! Suitably replenished, we set off again ... destination Lancaster and pasted Levens Hall en route - not sure what had happened but it sounded like a burglar alarm had been set off as we pasted close by on the A6. What we found so amazing though, was the tree sculptures in the garden .. in fact all the architectural styles and materials used right the way across the country from end to end, is something that we find quite interesting. Shortly after that, we saw Morecambe Bay or possibly the Kent tributary., can't be sure but it was certainly tidal as the mud flats were visible at the time. We're staying at the Scale Hall Farmhouse Tavern tonight which is approximately a mile down the road from Morecambe just on the edge of Lancaster, our having stumbled across it accidentally as we were looking for Bookers to get some more rape seed oil - Milly's van runs on 50% diesel and 50% rape seed oil before anyone asks!! Karen who works behind the bar, has been a gem, negotiating a reasonable price for us although this time we don't get breakfast but that's OK, McDonalds is just down the road and we can then publish the update!!
Tuesday 18th March (Lockerbie - Penrith) We originally posted an update at lunch time as we did't know when we will find another McDonalds ... we have now crossed the border and are in Carlisle, with Penrith as our final destination today! The numb bums are still pretty sore but hopefully they will start to ease now, we were told around Day 7 it would begin to settle down. As we approached Gretna we went through a village called Kirkpatrick Fleming where we noticed a sign post saying Bruce's cave - as in Robert the Bruce possibly .. Si, our support driver and sometimes cyclist, says that Robert the Bruce is to the Scots what King Arthur is to England. We continued onto Gretna and had the proverbial photos taken before crossing the border to Longtown where we picked up the A7 to Carlisle. Had a call from a journalist in Cornwall at the same time which is why we are doing this now, the West Briton has a deadline today and he has asked us for photos ........ Somewhere around there we also got our first sight of the sea since John O'Groats, the Irish Sea in this instance as we headed across the border or thereabouts .... we can't remember where exactly but there were no lochs around so it can only have been as it was too large an expanse of water to have been anything else. Sadly we also found a dead swan on the edge of a lake the other side of the MOD base at Longtown which we went into one of the shops in Longtown to try and find out how to contact the RSPCA., just in case ... From Carlisle we continued down the A6 to Penrith tonight after we'd have checked out Hadrian's Wall having seen a signpost as we came in and then on again, to Lancaster tomorrow ....... When it came down to it we ended up at the Edenhall Country Hotel in Edenhall with the boys camping in the van again because of the financial situation., however thanks to Trevor who was the Duty Manager tonight, who offered me a rate we couldn't refuse given what local B&Bs in Penrith were asking in comparison, has been superb so thank you Trevor, really appreciate it!
Monday 17th March (Larkshall - Lockerbie) Last day on the north side of the border, tomorrow we will be back in England again., is it really possible ... we also have a problem with Wendy's mobile so if anyone has called her, please keep trying until she picks up as she can't pick up any messages. When her car was broken into, initially we thought her mobile had been taken too but thankfully discovered that wasn't the case only AFTER it had been blocked. That block should have been lifted but until we can get to an O2 shop, there is little we can do. The boys are sleeping in the van tonight, they've got it well sorted into bunks almost - financially we are struggling having had all the grief over the break in etc. the main problem being it is darned cold here. We went through Abington today, which to our surprise states as one enters the village, to be the highest village in Scotland which might explain why it is so cold still. However whilst were there, we went into the local shop and Post Office where they not only sell a wonderful array of coffee but a thing called Forfar Bridie as well which is Scotland's answer to the true Cornish Pastie however as we'd all had a good breakfast before setting off, we really couldn't manage one and they were freshly cooked too ... we didn't have time to explore the Lead Mining Museum nearby either, it was cold, we had nowhere to go tonight and just wanted to get down to Lockerbie and get it sorted. We took the well known B roads that run almost parallel the M74 which is also the Sustrans National Route 74[S] and does for the greater part, have a cycle path the entire way down sometimes on the side of the road, at other times alternated off road on the side of oncoming traffic although the M74 takes most of the big traffic so is a good road to ride - apart from some areas where the road does need resurfacing due to the potholes etc. almost certainly as a result of frost damage if the altitude and temperature was anything to go by ... there was ice on the roads this morning too. We finally found the Bluebell Hotel in Lockerbie after knocking at all the B&Bs who either couldn't take us or were away. Peter Vicars who was acting manager in the absence of the new owners, made us welcome and gave us wonderful customer service bless him so if you are passing through, do look him up!! We did find the Garden of Remembrance though where we least expected it, almost out of Lockerbie totally on the Dumfries road .... there by the grace of God - Wendy and her family used to live at Heathrow, parallel to the runway that the jumbo took off from that night., in fact if it had been further delayed than it already was, it could so easily have been a very different story!
Sunday 16th March (Balloch - Larkshall) For the first time, we are taking the cycle path into Glasgow and should discover the sail through Fish and chip shop on the bank of the Clyde - as we are going to have to part company with Si as obviously he can't drive the van down the tow path, that is the designated place to meet up again, pro temp at least ... only we just hit another snag ... Milly has locked the keys in the van and we are on the outside LOL Until we resolved this one, we were not going anywhere ... and the later we left it, the more chance we have of running into the Sports Relief guys in Glasgow., just as well Milly and I have our Sports Relief socks on then!! Hey ho ... once again, it was the RAC to the rescue!! Finally we got away and almost lost our way in Dumbarton when the cycle path ended and the signage was no more ... did you know it has it's own castle though? Eventually we found the cycle path again and carried on ... past Bowlers and on past the drop dock if you please, where the water level is forced DOWNWARDS so that boats can go UNDER the road rather than a swing bridge!! A mile or so further on and finally we found McMonagles, the Sail Thru Fish and Chip shop so we did the only civilised thing and stopped for lunch quickly!! We were all agreed, it is certainly the best fish and chips we've ever had, the fish was deliciously fresh and the chips were wonderfully cooked., we'd recommend it any time! It was getting late by the time we headed off again towards Larkhall via Hamilton, again on the cycle path the past the S V Glenlee at Glasgow Harbour, built in Clydebank in 1896. It was a very pleasant spring afternoon and plenty of families were out cycling too. Tonight is our last night in a Scottish YHA, at the only YHA this side of Glasgow that we can find in New Lanark which is a World Heritage site. The YHA itself was once upon a time, home to the mill workers and if we only had the time, there are badger and bat walks as well as three very different waterfalls, one of which is an 85 footer
Saturday 15th March (Glen Coe - Loch Lomond YHA) As soon as we began, we began the steady climb to the summit ... the views are spectacular looking back down into the valley so got several good photos. Missed a couple yesterday because of playing catch up .. shame but there it is! It was a steady climb, more an incline than a mountain pass of approx. 12 miles. From Glen Coe we cycled across Rannoch Moor and as we came down the hill, there is a viewing area where two wild deer appeared looking for an easy meal from those who'd stopped there to take pictures. Then onto Bridge of Orchy for lunch, Tyndrum and finally Crainlarich, at which point a long downhill stretch of about 16 miles kicks in all the way to the top edge of Loch Lomond at Tarbet. Glorious after all those long inclines, to just be able to relax with the Trossachs National Park on the left as you descend ..... the road along side the actual loch is more undulating as it is twisting but a pretty ride down nonetheless to the south of the loch near Balluch. The YHA is actually a former castle built by a tobacco baron about 170 years ago or thereabouts and the inside certainly needs some attention ... it's convenient as a starting point tomorrow though, as the Clyde Cycle Path starts near the bridge in Ballach just down the road. It leaves a lot to be desired though, not one of the dormitories had a lock on it so very insecure and the ratio of showers etc. to beds was at atrocious to put it mildly! Friday 14th March (Inverness - Glencoe) We finally made the YHA in Glen Coe around 4.30ish or there abouts with very sore bums but we can't say that we weren't warned ... another couple of days and we won't even notice ... our first pit stop was Urquhart Castle and then we carried on down to Fort William on the A82 via Invermoriston and Spean Bridge. As we approached Drumbuie Farm just before Drumnadrochit, we saw the inshore lifeboat there. It didn't look as though anyone was around though so didn't drop in. We did notice a new cycle path a few miles outside of Fort William, spanking brand new and purpose built by the looks of it but not being sure where it went, think something about Torcastle was mentioned, we just carried on along the A82. One minor diversion was to Neptune's Staircase which is the Fort William end of the Caledonian Canal at Banavie. It has about 8 or more locks but Fort Augustus only has 5 these days yet Wendy remembers a flight of at least 12 18 years ago unless someone can tell her differently? Simon and Milly switched in Fort William as Milly needed to go and do bits and pieces so to keep things straight, Si joined me instead for the last 16 or so miles to the YHA in Glen Coe. One minor problem, about Onich my battery started to drop out, by the time we crossed the bridge over the loch between North Ballachulish and Ballachulish, it had died with a good 4 - 5 miles still to go., thankfully on reasonably flat roads with some slight inclines. Si had a similar problem and Milly hadn't caught up with us yet so we couldn't make any switches but we all got there in the end ... obviously getting fit at last ;-)
Thursday 13th March (Golspie - Inverness) We woke up to what looked like another wet day although there are some bright patches .... listening to the weather forecast, Sutherland where we are and Caithness where we were yesterday, should be the two best areas in the country ... trust us to be going the wrong way LOL We discovered last night that there is a local bike shop just down the road who is a Giant dealer by the looks of it so as the Twist is still under warranty, and Dave from Lindsey's Cycle Shop and Hardware bless him, got it sorted - you want to see the tyre, it had to be a manufacturer's fault, no way could I be responsible for that. We wanted to get going as soon as possible and now it starts to become very scenic., it would be wonderful if the weather holds long enough to get some decent photos., our objective tonight being either Drumnadrochit where Milly has friends we might be able to stay with if they are not off on tour (as a member of a big orchestra) or Fort Augustus if they are. We didn't get quite that far as Milly had problems with his bike this time ... he needs to replace the gear cable but we did make Inverness .... however we are determined, Glen Coe YHA is booked for tomorrow night and Loch Lomond on Saturday so we should be back on schedule all things being equal. We also did a quick interview with the local paper and given how many people have helped us in the Golspie and Brora, it's a good way to acknowledge their support and assistance. We've narrowed it down slightly more too, to 26 miles give or take so slowly getting there!! As soon as you cross the Cromarty Firth, there is a long and steady climb up to Tore, well, a little further on anyway but it is good practise for Glen Coe in a couple of days and then downhill all the way to the Moray Firth bridge into Inverness. Then you have a wonderful long downhill through Tore although there is also a roundabout or two to negotiate but it's downhill all the way to the Moray Firth Bridge ... yippee. Having come this far on the A99 and A9, we now had to switch onto the A82 which would take us right down to Loch Lomond .... which was the best part of 150 miles over the next couple of days or so and with the Glen Coe summit to negotiate although we've been told it will then be all downhill Loch Lomond which is a fair way and something we are looking forward to!
Wednesday 12th March (John O'Groats - Golspie) We spent a very comfortable night at 'Impala', a very kind B&B we discovered through Tesco's in Wick ... unfortunately the CTC listing has not been kept up to date by the proprietors and the prices are twice, in one instance, three times (an establishment that changed hands) as much as stated. However James and Sally who own the establishment which isn't listed, were open to negotiating with us, given our limited funds replacing equipment after the Plymouth incident. Our driver, Simon, who as someone who lives in a caravan, volunteered to sleep in the van to keep costs down, was offered a room in addition to breakfast which he was originally invited in for ... We set off at 9am when initially, the weather was glorious, eventually making Golspie later (much later) on, calling into into the Ben Bhraggie there which is run by Manuela and Desiree. Wendy met them last year when she did the risk assessment and they and her staff welcomed us with open arms. so we promptly booked in ... by then the weather had deteriorated totally. Soon afer setting off, we were playing ping pong with the hail., thank heavens for cycle helmets ... they really do work LOL Be warned however, getting there is a bit of a toughie ... there are two hills, one much worse than the other ... around Berriedale and later on Navidale just before you get to Helmsdale. The steeper one (and longer) one of the two comes after you pass a turning to a post office on your right as you ride south in the middle of the dip, Navidale if memory serves me right. Apart from that, it is wonderfully scenic although hard going if you get a cross wind as you are very close to the North Sea all along there. We should have made Ardullie but with the van having broken down yesterday and the cross/head winds and trust me they were strong - the relief when it became a tail wind was fantastic and we found ourselves doing in the region of 18mph even in an uphill direction, so we decided to quit whilst we were ahead as in one piece although we still have approx. 35 miles to make up. And on top of everything else, there was what sounded like a sudden gun shot, a huge explosion whilst we were having lunch .. Wendy's tyre had burst, not just the inner tube but the tyre was totally ripped open by the force of it. And those who were in the vicinity of it when it happened, thought it had been someone firing a shot gun., oops! Thankfully she has a back up in the form of the LaFree so isn't out of it at all and Milly was carrying a spare tyre, Wendy having been given a spare inner tube by Hot Pursuit when she picked it up. All Milly has to do now, is to figure out how to get the back wheel off ........ probably another call down south in the morning!!
Tuesday 11th March [Glencarse - Wick] We managed to get as far as Glencarse last night and stayed with Wendy's cousin whom she's not seen in more years than she cares to remember .. leaving again this morning at 8.45ish to drive the last 200 odd miles to John O'Groats and finally get on our bikes just after midday heading towards Helmsdale. Went up the A9 to find a place called Slochd - given this is the land of Scotch, there is no answer to that one!! We broke down on the north side of the Cromarty Firth 3 miles or so east of Dingwall just off the roundabout and there we waited for the RAC chap to come to us, meanwhile we pray HARD for a miracle! And Richie worked miracles too, it was a loose fuel line coupling ... but he had another call so John back at Victoria Garage in Brora sorted it out so we were able to continue., a very big thank you to them for all their help and support ... tomorrow is another day and this time we will start in the morning rather than late afternoon .. We had been warned that the signpost wouldn't be there unless we called the chap who owned it as more than once both the JoG and LE signpost had been stolen so now they are removed at night. We could have called him but discovered another one attached to the harbour wall so did the proverbial photo there instead. Why not be different, haven't seen too many other people using it as their starting point after all! Monday 10th March .. [Truro - Glencarse] We woke up to high winds and a dubious weather forecast with news of snow showers over the Grampian mountains ... not exactly what we needed to hear at all ~ this time last year spring sprung and how., the three day forecast is slightly better if we do leave John O'Groats tomorrow, we could well have tail winds and with a couple of mountain passes between there and Helmsdale which is our first goal, neither of us would argue that. By the time we get to Inverness we could have sunshine which would be nice!! Better sign off as we are about to head off ... Sunday 9th March For those of you who are old enough, do you remember the build up to your wedding assuming that you're married? Doing the E2E is a little like that .... talked about for ages, planning not quite as long and now the pre-wedding jitters are setting in!! The bikes are ready to rock and roll, just need to put the mechanical support and first aid kit together, maps all done etc. etc. Might help if I packed some clothes but it seems like I've already put most things apart from the kitchen sink in! Leaving crack of dawn tomorrow, we are all loaded up and ready to hit the road to hopefully reach Perth or Inverness tomorrow night.
Not the most auspicious start to the adventure .... picked up my new bike from Totnes yesterday and then stopped by one of the new instructors who lives in Plymouth on the way back home - only to find when I emerged from the house that some charming person had smashed the driver's front window and stolen the pump which fits onto my bike, indeed, is specific to it and built into the frame, the Tifosi Q3 Glasses (like these ones) but black frames that I'd bought at the same time so when the weather isn't so clever, the yellow lens (they are interchangeable) will come into play (both of which were in the panniers that I took off the bike before loading it), the Topeak TourGuide Bar Bag and yellow rain cover to carry our bits and pieces (only the framework is still on the bike for it to latch onto so it only has it's detatchable shoulder strap and built in hand strap across the top) with a clear bit for my map and a TomTom (One XL GB & ROI widescreen) which by all accounts isn't something that exists as such, as it seems these day one can only purchase Regional or Europe! That narrows the field down a bit .... In the unlikely event (but given how small this world can be, not impossible), if anyone in that area was offered any of the above under shall we say not exactly kosher circumstances, please can you get in touch with the police., a crime report was made and it was discovered at 9.05pm on Friday 7th March in the Mannamead area .... Thank You!! They say there is honour amongst thieves, I'd really like to believe that ... unfortunately the perpetrator wore gloves as the SoC officer said, you don't get stripes like that on a finger print! Replacing bits and bobs on top of the insurance excess was not something we needed 2 days before leaving when we are doing this on a shoe string in the first instance and does mean the boys will be sleeping in the van as a result!
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