4 Guys On Bikes

Where are we now?

2008-06-08T23:31:00.005+01:00

For for more detailed maps and photos click:
The Start
Days 1 & 2
Days 3-11
Day 12...

2008-06-07T11:52:00.000+01:00

Four guys OFF bikes plus the incomparable Geraldine. Fin.

2008-06-07T11:49:00.000+01:00

...behind every lunatic there stands an amazed woman...

2008-06-07T11:47:00.000+01:00

...and here they come....

2008-06-07T11:22:00.000+01:00

We broach the town limits

2008-06-07T11:15:00.000+01:00

Mist in the air and in the eyes

2008-06-06T23:21:00.002+01:00

LEJOG Day 19 (Martin)

We awoke to find ourselves in the embrace of a thick fog in Dunbeath, some 36 miles away from John O'Groats. Before setting off, in a brief and moving ceremony we made a little presentation to Geraldine to thank her for her Herculean efforts on all of our behalves over the last 19 days. At 8.30 we climbed aboard our steeds for the last time, Stewart somewhat handicapped by having to pedal the child's mountain bike which he was lent by the friend of our landlady Mary (as a substitute for his incapacitated mount of the last 18 days - see yesterday). A brief coffee stop in Wick, and then at 1215 the moment of euphoria arrived...

4 abreast we crossed the finishing line, to be greeted by a reception party including Elise and Judy (wives of Martin and Richard), the Smiths friends Freydis Campbell and her brother Hallam Murray (who lent a little perspective to our achievement - some years ago he cycled solo from San Francisco to Tierra del Fiego!) and copious quantities of champagne. 931 miles and 19 days after leaving Land's End, we had done it!!

This has been a wonderful experience for all 5 of us. Between us all we have raised well over £50k, the great bulk for Home Farm Trust. We have experienced our country in a way that few have the privilege of doing; we have met the most extraordinary array of wonderfully welcoming people; and we have consolidated bonds of friendship going back over 45 years, enhanced by the inimitable and priceless presence of the great Geraldine. Are we glad we've done it? Without question. Would we do it again? No way! Would we recommend others to do it? If your heart is in it, go for it!

Thank you all for your interest and support: it has been hugely appreciated by all of us.

Martin Peter Richard Stewart and Geraldine. 4 guys on bikes - over and out.

2008-06-06T20:30:00.000+01:00

The perfect end to an amazing day

2008-06-06T20:24:00.000+01:00

Richard shrinking from the horrors of Berriedale Braes - without doubt the toughest hill between Land's End and John O'Groats. Aspiring LEJOGgers take note.

2008-06-06T20:21:00.000+01:00

Stewart's bike R.I.P.

2008-06-06T20:20:00.000+01:00

Martin indicating one of the greatest examples of lack of truth in advertising seen in recent years in the UK. The Sutherland Arms in Golspie. You have been warned

2008-06-06T20:08:00.000+01:00

Bliss to be on Golspie golf course this wonderful Thursday morning

2008-06-06T20:05:00.000+01:00

Stewart Ballesteros out of the rough at Golspie with Richard Longhurst looking on

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Evening golf at Golspie

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The Nigg Ferry coming to take us across the Cromarty Firth

2008-06-06T20:00:00.000+01:00

Beauly Firth on a perfect day

2008-06-06T19:49:00.000+01:00

Smith getting Slochd on the way to Inverness

2008-06-06T07:35:00.001+01:00

LEJOG day 18 (Peter)

The team has discovered, albeit late in the trip, what it takes to get Martin “to the church on time”. Put him in a miserable hotel that he can’t wait to get out of! He will tell the story of the Sutherland Arms better himself (when his computer is working some more), but cobwebs in the bedroom, a shady sausage at breakfast and a ghastly old bat proprietor are included in this harrowing tale. Suffice it to say that he was on the first tee at Golspie sharp at 0830 for another round in grand weather. It was as near perfection as one can get.

Unfortunately there was more work to do in the afternoon, perhaps the most serious work of the LEJOG (Melanie, did you ever ride this part?). Everything went swimmingly to Helmsdale, but then the scene changed. A two mile, and at times brutal, hill out of Helmsdale culminated a few miles later in the Berridale Braes. We had been warned, but Martin was dismissive, remembering of course that Braes were “bonny”. Well not these two vertiginous slopes down and then up. We made it on foot……

Leaving Helmsdale, Stewart’s gear simply sheared, and his bike died. Luckily a convenient garage in Dunbeath where we put up for the night had a mountain bike to lend, and Stewart went back to the “crunch” point to tackle the remainder of the Helmsdale Hill and the Braes, finally arriving at Dunbeath at 2030, in time to be whisked to the Portland Arms for a “last supper”.

The haar was closing in as we left the pub……..

2008-06-05T06:33:00.000+01:00

LEJOG day 17 (Peter)

“Flaming June”, Highlands style (a wee bit cooler than the SE); the roadside bursting with bright yellow gorse; kaleidoscopic views of hills, firths and sea, as in picture books. We were gobsmacked, even our Scottish team member.

We crossed three major firths today; Moray, Cromarty and Dornoch, the first of these across the breezy bridge from Inverness; lovely, but probably not a crossing to relish in a high wind. Then through the rolling coutryside of the Black Isle (escaping the A9), to Cromarty, memorable from the shipping forecasts and as a major harbour during two world wars.

Across the Firth of Cromarty on a wee ferry (two cars max, plus assorted passengers) to the landing point which is called simply “Nigg Ferry”. After an alfresco lunch in Tain, we reached Golspie in time for a 6pm tee off at this demanding, but entertaining seaside links course; the golf not quite matching the surroundings.

A 9pm dash to the Sutherland inn for supper before the kitchen closed. And so to bed!

2008-06-04T08:54:00.000+01:00

Highland perfection at Carrbridge

.....are we having fun!

2008-06-03T18:04:00.000+01:00

2008-06-03T17:35:00.004+01:00

LEJOG day 16 (Peter)

“Thunderstorms and heavy rain” said the Met Office last night. We woke in trepidation to see just a few grey clouds and a very little drizzle, which quickly faded and gave way later to a balmy day.

Martin and Peter shared their B/B with a German couple. His claim to fame, this morning at least, was that he’s the bass drummer in a bagpipe band near Heidelberg! Hence an annual visit to Scotland. This band is apparently far from unique to Germany. Such goings on might almost induce belief in the EU.

Had one of our easiest cycling days. Quiet, flat or downhill roads and a little wind behind. We stopped for coffee at the Carr Bridge hotel, and to remember David Band. David was a frequent skier in the Cairn Gorms way back when, and used to do damage in the bar of the hotel in the evenings. Martin remembers a particular New Year’s Eve when things got very out of hand.

Our tourmeister, Stewart, had fixed on Moy, about 12 mls from Inverness, as a good stopping place for a late lunch. Unfortunately the village contained but 3 cottages and a post box......

We dined out on a warm sunlit evening on the banks of the Ness river, during which Peter's cellphone called with an automated msg from the Environment Agency of a potential flood risk in Oxford. What is going on with our weather?

Onto the Black Isle tomorrow and thence, via a short ferry ride from Cromarty, back to the A9, the main drag North.

2008-06-02T22:47:00.000+01:00

The Hee Road - Monsieur Newellot asks that those of you who have zoom facilities on your computers do not use them on this picture

2008-06-02T22:44:00.000+01:00

Our watering hole in Dunkeld

2008-06-02T22:25:00.004+01:00

LEJOG Day 15 (Monday) (Martin)

Gentle start from Dunkeld in lightish drizzle, past Pitlochry to Blair Atholl. Peter and Martin sampled Blair Castle which they much enjoyed. Peter noted that the Castle encompassed much that was good and bad about Scottish history. Martin enjoyed the priceless grandfather clock in the Great Drawing Room, made by Mr Stewart of Dunkeld in 1859. The rubric said "This clock plays well known songs every hour but is a little temperamental, as a result of which the songs are occasionally unrecognisable."

On to the famous Bruar retail and food centre which elicited from Richard the comment "This is really like 'wow!'". Money changed hands.

Noses were then lowered to front mudguards as we climbed to the top of the Drumochter Pass, then cruised down the fastest run of our entire trip into the Spey Valley and Newtonmore. "Cresta on wheels", Smith was heard to mutter. 762 miles done, approx 150 to go. The lads are beginning to believe we might actually make it.

2008-06-02T22:24:00.000+01:00

Stewart giving Father Alexander a few tips on the Athanasian Creed.

2008-06-02T22:21:00.000+01:00

Why did they ever want to become Kings of England?

2008-06-02T22:19:00.000+01:00

Richard and Peter discussing calibres at Stirling Castle

2008-06-02T22:18:00.000+01:00

Robert the Bruce and Gezza the Juice (that keeps us all going)

2008-06-02T22:15:00.000+01:00

The view from Stirling Castle. Note Wallace Memorial in distance

2008-06-02T07:54:00.002+01:00

LEJOG Day 14 - Sunday (Martin)

We awoke to find ourselves basking in Mediterranean conditions in Bridge of Allen. This being our morning off, so we set off after breakfast to visit Stirling Castle (without Stewart who was staying with his friend Rory Williams - see below). It is a wonderful monument to the past and present glories of Scotland, beautifully presented and full of historical interest. We also visited the museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in the Castle, full of mementos of their extraordinary feats of arms over the centuries. Memorable.

Then to Dunblane, a very attractive town just 6 miles or so outside Stirling. We lingered briefly in the Cathedral where we stood before the simple and moving monument to the victims of the Dunblane massacre. We then went to visit Rory. After school with Stewart and Peter, and Oxford where he was a distinguished classical scholar, Rory went on to become a professional epidemiologist. But his main interest in life has been religion, and in particular the Orthodox Church of which he became a priest some 10 years ago. He and his wife Judy have converted a small cottage at the back of their house into the most northerly Orthodox Chapel in Britain, and it was there that we joined them for the closing moments of their Sunday morning service together with a small congregation including some locals, 3 Polish and one Eritrean Coptic visitor. There followed a light lunch in the garden, which provided 4 Guys on Bikes the unexpected opportunity to discuss the finer points on the Great Schism of the 12th Century and the intricacies of Synodic governance. A unique interlude in our adventure.

Then on through the fine Scottish countryside to our overnight stay at the fine 18th Century Atholl Arms Hotel in Dunkeld.

2008-06-01T07:39:00.000+01:00

Gorse and blue sky - a LEJOG cyclist's dream

2008-06-01T07:37:00.000+01:00

Richard finds some friends to help with the first of his punctures

2008-06-01T06:39:00.001+01:00

LEJOG day 13 (Peter)

Blazing sunshine, all day, and 70deg approx. We had to come all the way to Scotland to find it!

The team took different routes. Martin and Richard found an idyllic stretch of easy riding countryside near Lanark, while Stewart and Peter, directed by a well met cyclist, took a more urban route, which included a serious hill climb, before all meeting up for lunch, after a puncture apiece on each team.

We travelled country today that evokes the legendary radio football score announcer, James Alexander Gordon. Footballing towns such as Airdrie, Motherwell, Stenhousemuir, Alloa, Falkirk and Stirling are always on his weekly Saturday 5pm scoresheet.

In the pm Stewart and Peter headed on through Stirling to Bridge of Allan (for a day of about 61 miles) while Martin and Richard, intrigued by Geraldine’s earlier report of the excitement at the Falkirk wheel (www.thefalkirkwheel.co.uk) , diverted in that direction………only to find that the last wheel had been closed one minute before their arrival. But as they decided that they didn’t really like wheels anyway, not too much harm was done!

Tomorrow is a light morning which includes a tour of Stirling castle and lunch with an old friend of Stewart’s, who is Scotland’s only Russian Orthodox priest.

2008-05-31T07:31:00.001+01:00

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.

2008-05-30T22:08:00.001+01:00

Silly bloggers

2008-05-30T22:08:00.000+01:00

Marriages for sale

2008-05-30T22:07:00.000+01:00

The hammer of the Scots

2008-05-30T21:44:00.004+01:00

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".

2008-05-29T20:02:00.000+01:00

The culmination of a good day at the charming Wolsey Lodge home of David and Angela Carr just outside Carlisle

2008-05-29T19:56:00.000+01:00

En route from Penrith to Carlisle we were overhauled by Steve Norman. He is the first End to Ender that we have met, and he completely wiped the self-satisfied post Shap smiles off our faces by telling us that he was raising money for Motor Neurone Disease, and that he started from Land's End last Saturday and expected to finish this weekend. To add insult to injury, he is carrying all his own kit - as can be seen - making his bike so heavy that Peter and I could barely lift it off the ground. O tempora O mores.

2008-05-29T19:32:00.000+01:00

The doting grandfather

2008-05-29T19:29:00.001+01:00

Richard savouring Shap. That bit at the back is steeper than it looks...

2008-05-29T19:11:00.003+01:00

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.

2008-05-29T18:58:00.002+01:00

LEJOG day 11 (Peter)

The musketeers 4, Shap 0

2008-05-28T22:42:00.000+01:00

Stewart celebrating our arrival in the Lake District

2008-05-28T22:40:00.000+01:00

Monsieur Newellot's 'oliday

2008-05-28T22:28:00.003+01:00

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.

2008-05-28T10:05:00.000+01:00

Four more of Elsie's contented guests

2008-05-28T10:02:00.000+01:00

Team photo with Elsie just before setting off for Kendal on Day 9. Peter is having a pentecostal moment

2008-05-28T09:59:00.000+01:00

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

2008-05-28T09:51:00.000+01:00

LEJOG Day 8/9 (Tues/Wed) (Martin)

More pictures, we hear you cry. Well here we go. This is the delightful farmhouse B&B in Longridge, Lancs, owned by the wonderful Elsie Ibison, where we stayed last night.

2008-05-27T19:27:00.003+01:00

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!

2008-05-26T22:28:00.000+01:00

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!

2008-05-26T18:59:00.004+01:00

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!

2008-05-26T07:37:00.003+01:00

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.

2008-05-25T23:51:00.000+01:00

Peter and Martin prepared for the worst at the beginning of Day 6 in a car park in Tewkesbury. As may be seen Peter is expecting attacks from the elements from both above and below

2008-05-25T23:31:00.003+01:00

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

2008-05-24T10:16:00.002+01:00

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"

2008-05-24T10:09:00.000+01:00

Harptree Court - Geraldine's idea of a modest little B&B. Where would we be without you Gezza?

2008-05-24T07:17:00.006+01:00

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.

2008-05-22T19:03:00.000+01:00

In Cheddar trying to look relaxed before attacking the Gorge...

2008-05-22T19:02:00.001+01:00

Two more reasons why we are doing this....

2008-05-22T18:53:00.000+01:00

The Four Musketeers at the beginning of Day 4

2008-05-22T18:34:00.009+01:00

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!

2008-05-21T23:33:00.000+01:00

...this is why we are doing it...

2008-05-21T23:29:00.000+01:00

Peter doing a little market research in Thorverton

2008-05-21T23:17:00.002+01:00

LEJOG Day3

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.

2008-05-21T09:02:00.001+01:00

Stewart, Peter and Richard (Martin behind) about to be joined on the Camel Trail by Dominic, a delightful member of the local Home Farm Trust team. Dominic did LEJOG in 7 days a couple of years ago. Show off!

2008-05-21T08:26:00.005+01:00

LEJOG Day 2

Day 2 in tres partes divisa est. First was the idyllic Camel Path, along the disused railway track from Camelford to St. Austell through an ancient forest by the Camel River with dappled sunlight. Martin said that the best part about it was that it was flat. Richard's old schoolfriend Chris, who lives nearby, met us with coffee and biscuits for elevenses (see pic).

This sybaritic idyll was then rudely replaced by a climb onto Bodmin Moor which Peter suggested that Sherlock Holmes would have called a "five piper" (three pipes being the number required by the great man to solve the most intractable of mysteries). Half way up, to use a technical espression, we declined.

Then Richard was attacked once again by the bicycling gremlins, this time with a puncture, which produced an "oh bother" or two. The third part of the day was spent cycling down the Tamar Valley into Devon, interrupted by a heartwarming visit to the local Home Farm Trust in Tregadillet. Finally after a few more wind and limb testing mountains (strangely called hills by the natives) we arrived exhausted at Bridestowe.

Aplogies if the tracking isn't completely smooth yet, and the presentation of the pix is slightly erratic. 17 more days to get it right

2008-05-21T08:01:00.000+01:00

2008-05-20T07:35:00.001+01:00

LEJOG Day 1

We decided to have dinner at The Falcon at Mawgan. A closer study of the above sign post will tell you why for peculiarly Cornish reasons it took us a little while to find it.

LEJOG Day 1

2008-05-20T07:13:00.004+01:00

Below is a new blogging experiment. It is called a "collage". Each photo can be clicked separately. Hope it works for you.

Day 1 was full of excitement. Martin arrived hotfoot from the opening night at Glyndebourne on the overnight sleeper from Paddington to Penzance, where he was greeted by Peter and Geraldine (see pic). We assembled at Land's End with a greeting party from Home Farm Trust who gave as a royal send off (pic).

At approx 1015 we set off (pic). The whole point of doing the End to End in May is that it is always warm, and the prevailing wind blows steadily from the South West. In fact it was perishing cold, and the wind was blowing at 15 mph from the North East - but it was a spectacularly beautiful day. Richard went off like a greyhound so that by the time we reached Penzance we had lost him. This resulted in a little guidance being given which seemed to do the trick.

We passed St.Michael's Mount (pic), and then glided effortlessly (if you believe that you'll believe anything) through the wonderful Cornish countryside, finishing up at an appropriately named pub in Redruth for lunch (pic).

Just outside Truro, Richard managed to remove his chain and wrap it several times around his back wheel. Just as despair was setting in, a 12 year old boy came by and fixed it for him. We arrived in St.Columb Major at 6.30 p.m. having covered 54 triumphant miles.

2008-05-20T07:03:00.000+01:00

2008-05-18T10:40:00.001+01:00

...do you think we'll ever see them again...

2008-05-18T10:32:00.000+01:00

Day O - Sunday 18th May

Peter with Geraldine, Martin's invaluable assistant and freshly appointed support vehicle driver, preparing to leave Newnton House at 9.35 a.m. (5 minutes late according to Peter) to form the advance guard to Land's End. Per ardua ad astra.

Man and mode

2008-05-12T14:39:00.003+01:00

Martin Smith used to be a reasonably serious investment banker, and is now multitasking in the worlds of business, the arts, science and education, particularly in the environmental field. Over the years he has shown a propensity to take on challenges that he really shouldn’t, including running the marathon, conducting orchestras and doing whatever people do now who used to go foxhunting. He rates the Land’s End to John O’Groats project as one of the best things a 65 year old can do once he has discovered that he can no longer ski as fast as his children. His family don’t really understand why he is doing it but aren’t in the least surprised.

Technology whiz kid

2008-05-07T18:56:00.005+01:00

Stewart Jeffrey changed from teaching to social work when he realized that life beyond the classroom had more challenge,and spent thirty years in the Probation Service,mostly experiencing a side of Oxford unknown to students or tourists(except as victims of crime !).His three children are enthusiastic in their astonished support for this venture,for which regular local bike use has scarcely prepared him...

The boy racer

2008-05-06T10:23:00.009+01:00

Peter Newell splits his time unevenly between Oxford and New York where his wife, Betsy, is having the professional time of her life and shows no inclination to move East. He used to work in NYC too when he was in the tableware business, during which time he visited every state and department store in the Union, excepting only Hawaii. He currently manages a small AIM start up company cleaning up other people’s exhaust emissions, and so reckons himself on the side of the angels. Betsy thinks he’s completely nuts to do this trip, and usually she’s right!

Mr Cool

2008-05-06T10:21:00.003+01:00

Richard Barber has worked in the steel industry all his professional life, from which he retired in 2002. He is now Chairman of HFT (The Home Farm Trust) one of the leading charities in the country caring for adults with learning disabilities. He sees the End to End Challenge as a means of raising money for this wonderful cause – as well as a way of trying to regain lost youth by pretending that he is as fit and supple as he was when all four of the team were at Oxford together in the 1960s. His wife, two children and two grandchildren doubt this – but believe that there’s no harm in humouring him that it’s true.

2008-05-05T18:59:00.001+01:00