LEJOG day 12, Friday 30 May, (Peter)
Martin had received an encouraging text from his friend Melanie Drake after we had humbled Shap. Melanie is an experienced cyclist and End to Ender, and has been a source of invaluable advice to the team. And her message was that “it’s all downhill from here”! While this might be true psychologically, it did not quite seem so on the ground today......
We covered 60 miles, mostly uphill and into an unforgiving wind, cycling on a B road parallel with the A74, which runs between Carlisle and Glasgow. The team now splits into two. It’s not easy to stick together when cycling as a foursome. As two pairs, we take it in turns every few miles to be in the lead, the other rider tucking in behind, to take advantage of the slipstream. This worked pretty well today. But we were very happy indeed to see the sign for Abington, our day’s destination.
Tomorrow we head for Stirling, the ancient capital of Scotland, and the resting place of her kings.
Saturday, 31 May 2008
Friday, 30 May 2008
LEJOG Day 12 (Friday) (Martin and Richard)
Today's story was the Big Push into Scotland. We ventured north from just outside Carlisle and 61 miles later arrived in Abington, a hamlet in the heart of the Southern Uplands. It is perhaps best described by the response of theHead Waiter in the Abington Hotel when asked what was meant by the item on his dinner menu designated 'Brussels Pate'. 'Pate that comes from Brussels' was his deadpan reply.
But another anecdote brought pleasure to our day. Morale was raised when Richard and Peter stopped briefly at a shop near Carlisle and asked the lady in charge whether she met many "End to Enders". "Yes indeed" she replied "I had one in only two days ago - he said the whole experience was dreadful, his knees were killing him, he wished he'd never begun and had only agreed to do it because his friend (who was outside) had persuaded him to do so." "Well" said Richard "and how old was he?" "Oh" she replied "he must have been all of 40".
Today's story was the Big Push into Scotland. We ventured north from just outside Carlisle and 61 miles later arrived in Abington, a hamlet in the heart of the Southern Uplands. It is perhaps best described by the response of theHead Waiter in the Abington Hotel when asked what was meant by the item on his dinner menu designated 'Brussels Pate'. 'Pate that comes from Brussels' was his deadpan reply.
But another anecdote brought pleasure to our day. Morale was raised when Richard and Peter stopped briefly at a shop near Carlisle and asked the lady in charge whether she met many "End to Enders". "Yes indeed" she replied "I had one in only two days ago - he said the whole experience was dreadful, his knees were killing him, he wished he'd never begun and had only agreed to do it because his friend (who was outside) had persuaded him to do so." "Well" said Richard "and how old was he?" "Oh" she replied "he must have been all of 40".
Thursday, 29 May 2008
LEJOG Day 11 (Thursday) (Martin)
Well Peter has said it all - apart from getting the day wrong (now corrected). One of the strange side effects of LEJOGging is that as the trip goes on everything becomes an increasing blur, so that we can't remember where we were on given days or how long we've been out here.
Today was Shap Day, the climb from Kendal en route to Penrith which we had all been warned would make or break us. Well, it was tough, but the good news is that it isn't as tough as Cheddar Gorge. So we were feeling pretty euphoric by lunchtime - until that is we met Steve (see above). Delightful reunion with Richard's family for lunch in Penrith, made especially memorable by the first sighting for Richard of Clare (Richard's daughter) and Ted's new daughter Tilly who was born on the day we set off from Land's End. A delightful run in the sunshine to Carlisle, this being the first sun we have seen since Somerset a week ago.
Well Peter has said it all - apart from getting the day wrong (now corrected). One of the strange side effects of LEJOGging is that as the trip goes on everything becomes an increasing blur, so that we can't remember where we were on given days or how long we've been out here.
Today was Shap Day, the climb from Kendal en route to Penrith which we had all been warned would make or break us. Well, it was tough, but the good news is that it isn't as tough as Cheddar Gorge. So we were feeling pretty euphoric by lunchtime - until that is we met Steve (see above). Delightful reunion with Richard's family for lunch in Penrith, made especially memorable by the first sighting for Richard of Clare (Richard's daughter) and Ted's new daughter Tilly who was born on the day we set off from Land's End. A delightful run in the sunshine to Carlisle, this being the first sun we have seen since Somerset a week ago.
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
LEJOG Day 10 (Wednesday) (Martin)
Another lightish day in the office. We saw the sun for a couple of minutes in the morning for the first time since Somerset, but otherwise just a little light drizzle early on, not much wind of any description, and relatively easy cycling took us to Kendal. We have now completed 486 miles, which we hope is a little more than half way.
Very nice dinner this evening with Vicky, Geraldine's good friend who lives near Penrith, in the Brewery Arts Club in Kendal which was humming with anticipation as it was the opening night of "Sex in the City". Early bed in our 3 different B&B's, amidst much speculation about tomorrow morning's big event: Shap Fell. This is where we become, in the words of Martin's son Jeremy, "Fell's Angels". Say a little prayer for us tomorrow.
Another lightish day in the office. We saw the sun for a couple of minutes in the morning for the first time since Somerset, but otherwise just a little light drizzle early on, not much wind of any description, and relatively easy cycling took us to Kendal. We have now completed 486 miles, which we hope is a little more than half way.
Very nice dinner this evening with Vicky, Geraldine's good friend who lives near Penrith, in the Brewery Arts Club in Kendal which was humming with anticipation as it was the opening night of "Sex in the City". Early bed in our 3 different B&B's, amidst much speculation about tomorrow morning's big event: Shap Fell. This is where we become, in the words of Martin's son Jeremy, "Fell's Angels". Say a little prayer for us tomorrow.
This is Elsie. She spent her early years in the Lake District, but has been running this B&B, together with their 100 acre family farm, for the last 14 years. 3 of her unmarried children aged 45 to 55 live next door, and she still cooks lunch and dinner for them every day. Don't let your children read this blog
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
LEJOG day 9 (Peter)
An unusually quiet day at the office! The expected rain did not materialise, the wind abated somewhat, and the hills were gentle and few and far between. So riding conditions were much improved.
Riding through the territory between Manchester and Liverpool is hardly scenic, and the parts that we covered between Middlewich and Preston were very much the areas in which they used to “weigh” the Labour votes not "count” them.
We did, however, pass over one real gem, the Manchester Ship Canal. It was beautiful, quiet and empty this morning, but it was easy to imagine the freight that must have passed over the years from the “dark satanic mills” of industrial Lancashire.
I was reminded too as we neared Preston of a lovely Aularian, Roger Wilcock, sadly no longer with us, who lived in Preston, and who took pleasure in riding his Honda (I think) bicycle at enormous speed between Preston and Oxford. Two and a half hours was about par for the course, but I think he once almost did it in two. It made me realise that it’s taken us 8 days to do what Roger would have done in a few hours on his big beast.
Tomorrow we’re heading for Kendal and the Lake District, with yet more dire predictions of rain from the Met Office. We trust they’ll get it wrong again!
An unusually quiet day at the office! The expected rain did not materialise, the wind abated somewhat, and the hills were gentle and few and far between. So riding conditions were much improved.
Riding through the territory between Manchester and Liverpool is hardly scenic, and the parts that we covered between Middlewich and Preston were very much the areas in which they used to “weigh” the Labour votes not "count” them.
We did, however, pass over one real gem, the Manchester Ship Canal. It was beautiful, quiet and empty this morning, but it was easy to imagine the freight that must have passed over the years from the “dark satanic mills” of industrial Lancashire.
I was reminded too as we neared Preston of a lovely Aularian, Roger Wilcock, sadly no longer with us, who lived in Preston, and who took pleasure in riding his Honda (I think) bicycle at enormous speed between Preston and Oxford. Two and a half hours was about par for the course, but I think he once almost did it in two. It made me realise that it’s taken us 8 days to do what Roger would have done in a few hours on his big beast.
Tomorrow we’re heading for Kendal and the Lake District, with yet more dire predictions of rain from the Met Office. We trust they’ll get it wrong again!
Monday, 26 May 2008
Relaxing after today's relentless slog in The Vault in Middlewhich. There, Martin, Geraldine and Richard made the acquaintance of two delightful Middlewhichians (?) called Marcus and Sam, seen pictured here. Marcus is a hero of Iraq where he served with the Hussars, and he now works in the building industry locally. Sam is a chartered accountant and an investor of some considerable shrewdness, whose tips on oil stocks, gold and other shares were riveting. Unfortunately the FSA does not allow us to reveal any more, other than to confirm that we have now designated her the Sage of Middlewich. Watch out Warren Buffet!
LEJOG day 8 (Peter)
We were all nonplussed last night when our waitress asked Richard for his name, but asked noone else. All became clear when his steak and kidney pie crust was engraved “Richard”. The things they do to attract attention in Shropshire!
A hilly morning was accompanied by a 20-25 mph wind, gusting to 40 mph, against which we laboured all day. It’s an odd sensation; normally one goes along the flat at around 15 mph on average; today the best we could muster at times was 6 or 7! Gritty stuff.
Coming through Telford we engaged with a group of teeny boppers doing a 100 mile time trial. They'd completed 85 mls of it before we'd completed 10. And they left us for dust as they passed, wearing boy racer helmets, and crouched very low over the handlebars. We decided that we're not ready to turn professional just yet!
Lunch was a lively affair in Jones’s coffee shop in Market Drayton. Soup to die for, and the hostess with a winning smile looked like a younger version of Jancis Robinson. It turned out that she and her other half have a vineyard to the North in which they are experimenting with eight different grape varieties, seven of which we'd never heard of.
The afternoon continued the morning’s hard pounding, but through fine countryside and Nantwich, now very peaceful and devoid of election posters, to the one horse town of Middlewich. Fortunately we’re staying nearby, not in town.
The forecast for day 9 is for marginally less head wind, but for showers…….sometimes we wonder why we’re doing this......but the thought is only fleeting!
We were all nonplussed last night when our waitress asked Richard for his name, but asked noone else. All became clear when his steak and kidney pie crust was engraved “Richard”. The things they do to attract attention in Shropshire!
A hilly morning was accompanied by a 20-25 mph wind, gusting to 40 mph, against which we laboured all day. It’s an odd sensation; normally one goes along the flat at around 15 mph on average; today the best we could muster at times was 6 or 7! Gritty stuff.
Coming through Telford we engaged with a group of teeny boppers doing a 100 mile time trial. They'd completed 85 mls of it before we'd completed 10. And they left us for dust as they passed, wearing boy racer helmets, and crouched very low over the handlebars. We decided that we're not ready to turn professional just yet!
Lunch was a lively affair in Jones’s coffee shop in Market Drayton. Soup to die for, and the hostess with a winning smile looked like a younger version of Jancis Robinson. It turned out that she and her other half have a vineyard to the North in which they are experimenting with eight different grape varieties, seven of which we'd never heard of.
The afternoon continued the morning’s hard pounding, but through fine countryside and Nantwich, now very peaceful and devoid of election posters, to the one horse town of Middlewich. Fortunately we’re staying nearby, not in town.
The forecast for day 9 is for marginally less head wind, but for showers…….sometimes we wonder why we’re doing this......but the thought is only fleeting!
LEJOG days 6 and 7 (Peter)
Day 7 required the musketeers to be at their steeliest, esp. Martin and Peter. Richard and Stewart had presciently ridden on the Sabbath to Worcester, and so missed the morning’s steady cold rain. Martin and Peter, who had gone variously to Hay-on-Wye and Oxford on Friday, were scheduled to ride from Tewkesbury to Worcester on Sunday morning.
The rain was not so much the “interesting” part, as was the blustery, anti-prevailing Nor’ Easter. And so the two were pleased to get, damply, to the Old Rectifying House, a fine pub by the banks of the Severn in Worcester, to sit by a warm radiator, to catch up with Richard and Stewart, and also with Stewart’s gracious daughter, Laura, and her beau, Duncan, who teaches Poker..... The couple were headed to Hay-on-Wye to hear Jimmy Carter et al at the book festival.
After a restorative lunch, the team set off, delayed slightly by Peter having two punctures and needing to replace a gashed outer. The rain had stopped, but the wind hadn’t, and it was barely 50F at best. Any thoughts we may have had that the N.Worcs and Shropshire countryside would be as benign for cycling as it is for its scenery were quickly dispelled. It was like the more rugged parts of Cornwall, and we had 37 miles to travel. The best part of the journey, undoubtedly, was arriving at our destination, the very pretty and historic market town of Much Wenlock. And a very hot bath!
Day 8 takes us into Cheshire and through Nantwich where we hope that the dust has settled from the earthquake which was last week’s by-election.
Day 7 required the musketeers to be at their steeliest, esp. Martin and Peter. Richard and Stewart had presciently ridden on the Sabbath to Worcester, and so missed the morning’s steady cold rain. Martin and Peter, who had gone variously to Hay-on-Wye and Oxford on Friday, were scheduled to ride from Tewkesbury to Worcester on Sunday morning.
The rain was not so much the “interesting” part, as was the blustery, anti-prevailing Nor’ Easter. And so the two were pleased to get, damply, to the Old Rectifying House, a fine pub by the banks of the Severn in Worcester, to sit by a warm radiator, to catch up with Richard and Stewart, and also with Stewart’s gracious daughter, Laura, and her beau, Duncan, who teaches Poker..... The couple were headed to Hay-on-Wye to hear Jimmy Carter et al at the book festival.
After a restorative lunch, the team set off, delayed slightly by Peter having two punctures and needing to replace a gashed outer. The rain had stopped, but the wind hadn’t, and it was barely 50F at best. Any thoughts we may have had that the N.Worcs and Shropshire countryside would be as benign for cycling as it is for its scenery were quickly dispelled. It was like the more rugged parts of Cornwall, and we had 37 miles to travel. The best part of the journey, undoubtedly, was arriving at our destination, the very pretty and historic market town of Much Wenlock. And a very hot bath!
Day 8 takes us into Cheshire and through Nantwich where we hope that the dust has settled from the earthquake which was last week’s by-election.
Sunday, 25 May 2008
LEJOG Days 6 and 7 (Martin)
Day 6 - Saturday - had been planned as a rest day by the 4 guys, and so on Friday night the team dispersed, Geraldine to London, Peter to Oxford, Martin to Hay on Wye, Richard and Stewart to Cheltenham. After the rigours of the first week, this proved to be a very good thing, enabling us all to recover from the previous five days of intense physical activity.
Day 6 - Sunday - we regrouped and started again, gathering for a pub lunch on Worcester with Stewart's delightful daughterLaura and her boyfriend. We then set off for Much Wenlock in highly unfavourable conditions - the wind was howling from the North, rain was pelting down for a large part of the time, Peter had not one but two punctures, and those hills, oh those hills... As Richard said, this was like Cornwall in Worcestershire and Shropshire, to the point that we all began to think our destination would never appear. But of course it did, and we were all delighted to dismount at about 6.30 pm having put another 53 miles under our belts, taking us to 334 miles overall, or over 1/3 of our way to JO'G
Day 6 - Saturday - had been planned as a rest day by the 4 guys, and so on Friday night the team dispersed, Geraldine to London, Peter to Oxford, Martin to Hay on Wye, Richard and Stewart to Cheltenham. After the rigours of the first week, this proved to be a very good thing, enabling us all to recover from the previous five days of intense physical activity.
Day 6 - Sunday - we regrouped and started again, gathering for a pub lunch on Worcester with Stewart's delightful daughterLaura and her boyfriend. We then set off for Much Wenlock in highly unfavourable conditions - the wind was howling from the North, rain was pelting down for a large part of the time, Peter had not one but two punctures, and those hills, oh those hills... As Richard said, this was like Cornwall in Worcestershire and Shropshire, to the point that we all began to think our destination would never appear. But of course it did, and we were all delighted to dismount at about 6.30 pm having put another 53 miles under our belts, taking us to 334 miles overall, or over 1/3 of our way to JO'G
Saturday, 24 May 2008
Richard to Sharon, mine host at the Waldegrave Arms in East Harptree: "So how long have you been here?" "5 years" "Where were you before?" "A gentleman's military club in Bath. We created a wonderful pudding to commemorate the Battle of Solferino" "Richard: "How interesting - so could you tell us the difference between the strategies of the opposing generals at the Battle of Solferino?" Sharon: "No, I just made the pudding"
LEJOG day 5
Today had its different elements, as we will explain.....
We dragged ourselves reluctantly away in the morning from Harptree Court, mindful of 60 miles to cover. Charles and Linda Hill are the most gracious hosts, and included among the many luxuries of their house was a lightning fast wifi connection. Martin was able to broach the 351 msgs which had accumulated for him since LE.
The morning ride was hilly and fiddly and we were consulting maps constantly. On one occasion we were just hanging out in the middle of a rural road checking our route, when along came a small car which could only just squeeze past us. The driver gently remarked: “I see that it’s getting difficult to find anywhere to park bicycles these days!”.
We ended the morning at Pucklechurch where the HFT (Home Farm Trust) HQ team were there to greet us. A lively and sunny celebration at the Rose and Crown.
Rain had been forecast for the afternoon, a light shower or two we thought. But what came was a thunderstorm of biblical proportions, and we were all completely soaked. This gave us experience of riding through heavy rain on busy roads, which will come in useful during the next few days. Wearing lycra pants means that the nether regions dry out pretty fast, and we all have rain repellent jackets. Peter even has something like a bath cap to wear under his helmet to protect what remains of his hair.
We have now all retired for our Sabbath rest after a hugely enjoyable and often testing 281 miles. Normal service will be resumed on Sunday.
Today had its different elements, as we will explain.....
We dragged ourselves reluctantly away in the morning from Harptree Court, mindful of 60 miles to cover. Charles and Linda Hill are the most gracious hosts, and included among the many luxuries of their house was a lightning fast wifi connection. Martin was able to broach the 351 msgs which had accumulated for him since LE.
The morning ride was hilly and fiddly and we were consulting maps constantly. On one occasion we were just hanging out in the middle of a rural road checking our route, when along came a small car which could only just squeeze past us. The driver gently remarked: “I see that it’s getting difficult to find anywhere to park bicycles these days!”.
We ended the morning at Pucklechurch where the HFT (Home Farm Trust) HQ team were there to greet us. A lively and sunny celebration at the Rose and Crown.
Rain had been forecast for the afternoon, a light shower or two we thought. But what came was a thunderstorm of biblical proportions, and we were all completely soaked. This gave us experience of riding through heavy rain on busy roads, which will come in useful during the next few days. Wearing lycra pants means that the nether regions dry out pretty fast, and we all have rain repellent jackets. Peter even has something like a bath cap to wear under his helmet to protect what remains of his hair.
We have now all retired for our Sabbath rest after a hugely enjoyable and often testing 281 miles. Normal service will be resumed on Sunday.
Thursday, 22 May 2008
LEJOG day 4
With one notable exception, day 4 was flatter and quieter than the previous three. We whizzed through early drizzle and the N. Somerset countryside, and covered 39 miles before lunch. What the countryside lacked in stunning views, it made up for in cycle friendliness.
We passed through the town of Highbridge, which has a sculpture of its “son”, Major Tom Foley, who is thought to have rescued as many as 10,000 Jews from Nazi atrocities, more even than Oscar Schindler. Then lunched at a pub called the Packhorse in the village of Mark, the house next to which had, we were told, been owned by Jeffrey Archer’s ‘Gran', and was a home from home for young Jeffrey. The residents (at least the drinkers at the Packhorse) seemed proud of him!
In the pm the team assaulted the Cheddar Gorge, definitely a 5 piper, and, apart from “declining” 100 yds of ultra severity, climbed the 2+ miles in a little over half an hour; Richard again showing greyhound like qualities.
We are staying the night in a baronial B/B, Harptree Court, near Bristol, which is 5 star in every way. This was organised by the saintly Geraldine Conneely, who has proved herself supremely adept at looking after four '65 year old children'. We can’t imagine where we’d be without her; still at Lands End probably; whereas we’ve actually covered 215 mls.
.......there is a question, since we’ve been eating and drinking rather well, as to whether the calories out on this trip yet exceed the calories in!
With one notable exception, day 4 was flatter and quieter than the previous three. We whizzed through early drizzle and the N. Somerset countryside, and covered 39 miles before lunch. What the countryside lacked in stunning views, it made up for in cycle friendliness.
We passed through the town of Highbridge, which has a sculpture of its “son”, Major Tom Foley, who is thought to have rescued as many as 10,000 Jews from Nazi atrocities, more even than Oscar Schindler. Then lunched at a pub called the Packhorse in the village of Mark, the house next to which had, we were told, been owned by Jeffrey Archer’s ‘Gran', and was a home from home for young Jeffrey. The residents (at least the drinkers at the Packhorse) seemed proud of him!
In the pm the team assaulted the Cheddar Gorge, definitely a 5 piper, and, apart from “declining” 100 yds of ultra severity, climbed the 2+ miles in a little over half an hour; Richard again showing greyhound like qualities.
We are staying the night in a baronial B/B, Harptree Court, near Bristol, which is 5 star in every way. This was organised by the saintly Geraldine Conneely, who has proved herself supremely adept at looking after four '65 year old children'. We can’t imagine where we’d be without her; still at Lands End probably; whereas we’ve actually covered 215 mls.
.......there is a question, since we’ve been eating and drinking rather well, as to whether the calories out on this trip yet exceed the calories in!
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
As you can see we started off the day in outstanding fettle - for those who don't know us all, from L to R Richard, Martin, Stewart, Peter. Our day opened with another delightful rail track ride from Bridestowe to Okehampton, in perfect cycling conditions (apart of course from the continuing Nor Easter).
One of the technological advances of contemporary cycling is cleated shoes which clip into your pedals, but which require a certain dexterity of foot when you stop. As the man at Condor Bike Shop said, there are two kinds of people who wear cleated shoes: those who are going to fall over and those who have done so. Stewart was determined to be in the latter camp, hence the involuntary pit stop shown above. Then shortly after that he unfortunately mislaid his odometer. This is not, as you might think, a device for determining when your cycling colleagues are next due a bath, but rather one for recording distances, speeds, times etc. Happily it turned up.
After the rail track, we battled a stiff series of hills to Crediton where we lunched at the excellent Three Little Pigs. Then thanks to the man in The Bike Shop in Crediton, we took a fine and altitudinally forgiving detour around Mount Tiverton (as we designated it), culminating in our approaching Tiverton up the beautiful Exe Valley.
Another 47 miles completed, making 157 so far, with legs, cardiovasculars and posteriors all still present and correct.
Intermittent map tracks on Days 2 and 3 are due mainly to Martin's semi trained condition. This should improve as he does.
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