Letter from Big C

I have now received a letter from Big C thanking everybody for their donations to ride in memory of Shirley.  Once again many thanks for all your support.  You will see that the figure is approaching the £7,000 mark.  I have another £125 to send in which came this week so we may well make it! 

The Final Total for The Ride.

It is now a few weeks since the ride was completed.  All the monies promised for the ride have been collected and I am pleased to report that the total donated to Big C is £6,500    There may be a few odd and ends still to come through.   I am delighted and so very grateful for generous support of all our family and friends.   Thank you very much. I know that Big C will use the funds to ensure their support is available for others in the future as it was for Shirley and I. 

Everybody's Done That!!!

Take The Long Way Home.

We were up and about and ready for breakfast at 08.00   The owner, Mark, was ready for us and we enjoyed a  variety  of choice from the breakfast menu.    Car packed we left in good time and headed south through the pass towards Edinburgh.  After about twenty minutes on the road one, who shall remain nameless, but it was not me informed us that he had left his shirts in the wardrobe of his room. We turned the car around and returned to the Columba House Hotel. The owner was so pleased to see us again.   I think he thought we had decided to stay for longer.   Time was not an issue so we started off again and I gave John and Anne a fully detailed account of the bike journey which were now retracing.  Their eyes seemed to glaze over at times!   Progress on the A9 was steady and we continued down taking a stop or two. John was a little frustrated in Edinburgh when he lost.  Of course we are living in a blame culture it turned out to be my fault.  Never mind.  We continued on our long way home. Stopping at the border to record the moment.

Our overnight stop was at Leeds with Joseph and Louise.  Thomas was unable to get the night off work so we had booked for a meal at his restaurant and we were in his section so he looked after us. We celebrated together. 

A very busy city centre venue.       Tired and weary some retired to bed.  I watched a bit of television and then hit the hay. 

The Other End - John O'Groats.

The end of this ride for Big C was just 17 miles away.  An easy morning as John and Anne were on their way from their overnight stop at Pitlochry.  It was all a question of timing.    The legs felt good and on retrieving the bike from the garage it had no punctures. That did not seem right. No problem to solve.  The Norseman breakfast was as full as you could want it to be.      I needed new footwear and decided I would stop at Tesco on the way to John O'Groats.  

The bike packed up with ease and I got on my way in good time.   17 miles is still a good bike ride to complete.  The legs were in fine fettle.  So off I went on the  A99 towards the final goal.    Tesco duly delivered an identical pair of trainer shoes but in Wick they were twice the price I had paid in The Diss Tesco before catching the train to Penzance just over two weeks ago.       The old pair were binned and I felt  would now be looking my very best at JOG.       In touch with the recovery team had them about 90 minutes away.    I decided to make my way to the end and hold off to ensure that there would be no problems.  Knowing my luck of late! 

 

Whilst mostly flat there were one or two little hills to get the legs going.    I had hoped that I would find a cafe to stop and have a a drink.  Once again, no cafe.   I diverted off the main road and made my way through a couple of villages to use up a little time.  I stopped, on the coast,  went down to the beach.  No facilities in the village.  There was a telephone box but even this was a little run down.   

The sun was out but a chilly northerly breeze was blowing so I decided to move on the bicycle a little closer.   I waited on a side road until I knew that John and Anne were at the End and then rode in to the finish and a great welcome.   What a drive they had made to be there.  So kind of them to come all this way to fetch me.

After a good few photographs  taken at the official end of the "End to End" it was time to pack the machine away in the car ready for the journey south and home.    A small number of trinkets were purchased and the opportunity for a coffee taken.    A short debate took place on whether we were at the correct place for the end of the ride.     What we knew was we were at the official end of the ride. 

Just behind my right shoulder it is possible to see the sign post for John O' Groats.  I resisted the temptation to pay the high fee to have my picture  taken there.     Anne had produced a great banner and we have pictures to put up later on the blog.  

With all pictures taken it was time to head south. With a steady run back down the cycle  route we made it a little way past Aviemore  to Columba House Hotel at Kingussie.   We have John A to thank for locating this hotel for us although when we rang for service from ride control he had decided to step down from his post.    Within minutes he was back to us with a place to stay. Lovely hotel under new management, a couple from South Africa.   Rooms perfect and the dinner also of a high standard.   Very reasonable price too.   If you are ever this way try this hotel.

I would like to thank everybody who has supported this sponsored  ride in memory of Shirley with all funds donated going to the Big C Centre at Norwich Hospital.      I do not know what the final figure raised  will be. I will report back very shortly on this blog site.  If you have donated please accept my sincere thanks.  It will mean so much to people who need Big C  Centre.  Shirley and I did now know we would need the Big C Centre until we did and it was there for us both.   It is a great cause please encourage others to help by donating.  A little is a lot and it all adds up. 

The ride could not have taken place without much support from my family and friends.  John and Anne who have been there throughout and there at the end of the ride to bring me home.   Naomi, Joseph and Thomas who have helped out with training and with the blog and giving sites.   Stephen and Polly who tracked me down on day one and gave me a bed for the night and a lovely meal at the  end of day three.   John and Debbie for their perfect hospitality on the first weekend and for "Ride Control" throughout.  Richard Durrant for joining the ride for three days and spurring me on.  To Chris and Lou and family for diverting so far out of their way to find us on the road at Burton on Trent.  Andy for joining me for dinner at Chesterfield  and my two brothers who came to ride with me into Leeds where I stayed with my son Joseph and Louise, his wife.          There were also so many messages and calls of support on the blog and by text and telephne and I thank you all very very much.  

Wheeling to Wick

It was quite murky and dull in Golspie in the morning.  It felt like it could rain.  The night before a heavy mist had rolled in off the sea.    A delightful breakfast with a full range of cereals and fruits in addition to a choice of cooked breakfast.  As usual I chose the poached eggs.   Free range i was assured. Done perfectly and served with a smile.    No time for hanging around as I wanted to be on the road by 08.30     As it happens I did not depart this little coastal village till after 10.00  as I once again had problems with the bike.   Rear puncture with the new tyre and tube.  Seemed  odd.    I took it out repaired it and inflated.  Packed the bike and then it went flat again.  Took the tube out and it had failed along the seam.  I know you are thinking that it is the operator at fault, maybe pinching the tube. But no.   The very kind hostess told me there was a shop in the village with a bike repair department Lindsays. I walked there to acquire new tubes to save on time. No problem and I returned and fixed it all up again.    Just about to mount the bike and yet another flat.  I decided to wheel the bike to the shop and get some expert advice. My own little knowledge was dangerous.    Very kind young man took off the back wheel and examined tyre and tube.  It turns out that the tube supplied by the Inverness shop was wrong for the size of wheel and tyre  and I was inflating the tube too much thereby bringing about a rupture each time.  A proper sized tube sorted the problem and I could get on my way in the diction of Wick.  As I was  a Lands End to JOG rider he refused to charge me for his time.   What kindness shown again.   I was looking forward to flat run to Wick.   As it turned out some of the steepest short hills were encountered on the route this morning where the rivers flowed into the sea.  

There was one which had the steepest section of road on the whole trip. Another long two mile sweeping hill was thrown in for good measure to keep me on my toes or peddles.    The good thing, no further problems with the bike. Conditions were overcast with a light but very chilly northerly breeze.

I feel I must warn others who may follow by cycle or car that there are few if any services on this section of the A9.   I was looking forward to a stop or two as distance was not an issue today.  Just the 50 miles to cover. Nothing appeared around any corner and it was a dry old journey. Once into Caithness the mountains gave way to flatter terrain and an undulating road through to Wick. Eventually I found a tea room at Laidhay Craft Museum.  The lady was happy to serve us, I say us, as I had been joined for the stop by a cyclist going the other way, but we would have to sit outside as she was fully booked for lunch.   There is a business opportunity here for someone.   Following a cup of tea and a scone,  I wished the other cyclist a successful journey and got on my way with Wick a further 18 miles away.  It was time to speak with ride control and John A who was able to find me a hotel in Wick.   He secured a room at the Norseman, Wick's finest.    The last room was on hold for twenty minutes.   I booked it in double quick time.   At just before 16.00 good old Wick appeared on the horizon. What a sight.  I stopped for a drink and a Kit Kat and enjoyed the downhill couple of miles into the town.  The Norseman was easy to find.    

I will let the picture tell the story.  Very friendly welcome though and quite quickly I was in my room.  It had been brought to my attention that the blog for yesterday was not up.  After fighting to get a wifi connection the problem was solved.    Sounds stupid but the new shoes I bought for the ride are worn up and I needed to get into town and pick up a new pair.  I wanted to look my best for the end.  Perhaps have my hair done too would help!   I think the shoes were worn from the movement on the peddles.     The centre of Wick offered little in terms of choice.  There were a couple of cost cutting stores but no footwear that took my fancy.    Back to the Norseman for a wash and brush up.  On returning a large party of Americans had arrived.  They were probably "Doing Scotland" in a couple of days.   I am sure they will enjoy the delights of the Norseman.  Just before dinner I felt sure I could hear the pipes!   Sure enough adjacent to the hotel the Wick Pipe Band were being put though their paces.

Now in a Scottish mood, brought on by the music,  at dinner I decided that haggis was a must.  I chose the chicken option served on a bed of haggis. Very tasty it was too. No complaints and I could cut the chicken with ease.  You will not be surprised to learn that the Norseman does not have a baronial dining hall.  Back to my room to finish the chores, washing and drying kit etc.   A cyclists job is never done. Earlier in the evening I had spoken to the recovery team, John and Anne.  They had made it to Pitlochry in good time and were poised for the onward trip to JOG in the morning. They reported no punctures on route.  The plan is to meet at the end so John and Anne need to get ahead of me.   Hopefully your next read on the blog will be of a successful finish with pictures also.  This means I may need to kill some time in Wick. 

Sorry

I would like to say how sorry I was that the blog from yesterday did not get published.  Technical hitch. I have restored service now.  Please find the blog for yesterday where it should be.   Thanks for reading. Thanks for your messages and thanks for all your support and encouragement.  17 miles to go on Thursday. My recovery team of John and Anne are on their way as I write.   Blog for today will be up in the morning.