Final Blog of Pat's Le Jog

I promised to let you know the grand total of the sponsorship for Le Jog. It has now reached £10,000!!!!!!!!!! We are grateful to all our sponsors and supporters and we thank God for blessing us and consequently many children in South Africa. Pat seemed a little tired after returning but appears to have quite recovered and is back on the squash court. He has even regained the 2 kilograms lost en route.

In closing I would like to remind you of our website http://www.grct.org.uk/ and those of our principal beneficiaries in South Africa (http://www.epapfeeding.co.za/ and http://www.misssionvale.co.za/ ) You can download the Garden Route Children's Trust newsletters from the GRCT website.

Thank you for travelling with us!

Good Bye for Now and Thank you

Pat booked a night in the Forss House Hotel near Thurso to celebrate our safe arrival at John O Groats. It's absolutely lovely and not just because of the wi fi! And again we have eperienced such kindness. The dear manageress Anne, who has been here for many, many years, insisted on GIVING us champagne to celebrate and took the photograph. We are so pleased Pat is not on the road today as is very cold(10 degrees) and wet!

I have much enjoyed doing the blog apart from the difficulties with connection at times. Thank you to all our readers - in South Africa (Knysna, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg and elsewhere) in Paris, in Edinburgh, in various parts of Surrey and London and elsewhere in the UK , not to mention the readers collected on the road! The blog was even read every morning at breakfast in a certain villa in Tuscany! We apprecate your support on our adventure and your comments via the blog and texts. Thank you too for your prayers. We were blessed with wonderful weather, freedom from any serious setbacks and lots of happy connections made on the way.



We are particularly thrilled by the generosity of so many as we think the total is over £6000 raised for the GRCT.(http://www.grct.org.uk/) Part of this has come through Just Giving - www.justgiving.com/patrickfleming I shall post up the final total in about 10 days time.



Before signing off I want to thank the P3s of East Linton Primary for their enthusiastic support. Unfortunately we will not be able to get to East Linton before you leave school on Friday as it is a very long way from Thurso



And now I shall give the triumphant cyclist THE LAST WORD!!



"It has been a great adventure! We have journeyed through all sorts of interesting places, learned much about this beautiful island and met many friendly people. My route took me along tiny county lanes. minor and major A roads and even (horror of horrors) the expressways of Runcorn! I became an expert at reading maps and fortunately didn't take too many wrong turns. We were blessed with good weather - only a day and a half of rain - and my bike was superb - no technical problems and the smooth touring tyres made it over 1,000 miles of varying surfaces without a puncture!



"Because the conditions were so favourable and because I got fitter as I progressed I was able to complete the ride in 14 days - slightly ahead of schedule. I thought that was pretty good but then I learned that an army relay team had arrived in John O'Groats the same day having done it in 46 hours!!!!!



"None of this would have been possible without a fantastic back-up. I can't thank Penny enough for her support in so many different ways - booking B and Bs, meeting me each day with a high carb picnic lunch and her amazing blogs, to name just a few. And of course there has been encouragement and support from many quarters and helpful advice on training and nutrition . I know that Penny has already thanked you but I would like to echo that wholeheartedly. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH."

And Those Met on the Way

As you may have realized, the wi fi has gone to my head and you are having all these photos posted. We are staying in a lovely hotel for tonight, in Thurso, to celebrate the end of the End to End journey. We plan to return to Surrey via Edinburgh at the week end.

The stories behind these photos are that I chatted to a young farmer,who was a civil engineer,and who now farms the rarest breeds iin the world for a Rare Breeds Survival trust.

Then I was fascinated by the Laidhay croft building which Nicola guided me around. It is in the middle of nowhere in Caithness and the reason I stopped was because there was a lonely tearoom above it and it was coffee time. The Laidhay dwelling house incorporates both a stable and a byre.

Then I saw a sign for Caithness Cheese and sheepskin and after following a single track and becoming convinced it was going to deliver me into the sea, I eventually arrived at a simple farm building full of cheeses where this man was at work. He proudly told me that Caithness cheeses were even exported to Australia. Needless to say I bought 2 cheeses. I was plied with so many tasting portions that I would have felt guilty not to!

Last but not least I met these amazing walkers who are being sponsored to walk from End to End for a Cystic Fibrosis charity. They plan to do it in 57 days.

The Final Day-Places Passed

Some of the long roads with little change of scenery on which Pat toiled covering 160 miles on 2 and 3 June. I did meet him at the side of the road at Laidlay with alarge, freshly baked fruit scone which he devoured! The pretty harbour is Brora where we spentMonday night.

Got There!

At 4.40pm the intrepid cyclist was met by a welcoming committee of his wife, his driver, his back up and his blogger (all one and the same Penny) at John O Groats!!!!!!!!!!! The 70 miles today had been very hard because of the chilly headwind which prevented any build up of speed and some final killer hills outside of Helmsdale and through the Berriedale Braes. Pat says he was counting every tenth of a mile during the last hour. John O Groats is quite bleak and windswept- a good setting for a mystery/thriller.

The coastal A9 passed through green fields full of lambs and sheep with quite dramatic sea views at times. We sheltered behind a grey drystone wall to have our lunch just past Lybster, and because there was only the one road kept very much in touch as I had frequent photo stops. I guess I also wanted to keep the cyclist in my sights because I found the long narrow ribbon of road with swaying heavy vehicles and speeding cars a little unnerving.

The A9 is virtually the only road to the far north. It is a very sparsely inhabited area. Phil Horsley the author of the book about the ride writes "scatterings of Spartan windblasted houses"and "a wild section spattered with stark homes among the derelict cottages." Very different from Brora with its trees and pretty harbour and scenic golf course. The trees became bright yellow gorse and then finally scrubby grassland with not a tree in sight.Pat did 70 miles today bringing his grand total up to 1022 miles in 14 days. You will hear from the man himself tomorrow when we sign off the blog.

I am really fighting with the computer tonight as I sit on the Band B bedroom floor in Wick. Therefore I shall continue blogging tomorrow evening when we are staying in a nice hotel in Thurso to celebrate our arrival at John O Groats at the end of this great journey and adventure. I guess it will have wi fi.

950 Miles Done!

Last blog today! Just to say that Pat has cycled 950 miles to date. He has only one or two days to go. We shall let you know when we arrive at John O Groats. The photos show him taking on necessary sustenance at lunchtime and after THAT hill.

Scenery en route

I am getting a bit carried away with this unlimited access to the B and B wi fi and am making the most of it! These are some pictures I took en route showing the different kinds of landscape.

Lovat Arms in Fort Augustus

The reception staff in this hotel were so gracious and generous , that I said to them that I would mention the hotel on my blog. They allowed me to spend well over an hour in their lounge using my computer and their wi fi. It seems to be an hotel where the service is neither faulty nor "Fawlty."

A Heavy 90 Miler!

The day was heavy NOT the rider. If anything he is probably lighter but he is eating huge amounts voluntarily without coercion. The photo at Golspie was taken half an hour ago when I picked him up at the end of 91.3 miles. In the morning he rode from Invergarry to Beauly and I happened to pass him as he toiled up to the summit of one of the worst hills yet; hence the action shot! Pat says it was such beautiful scenery as he rode alongside Loch Ness though the headwind made riding conditions less pleasant. I stopped a few times to take photos but the loch was slightly shrouded in mist and the water quite choppy. We met at Beauly for our lunch and then Pat had a long hard ride. The landscape changed dramatically - more windswept and flat and sometimes quite bleak alongside the Cromarty Firth. The A9 was extremely busy with several huge vehicles. Not a great drive particularly if you are anxious about the cyclist following in your wake. I kept praying for his protection.

We are now both in Brora and about to go for a meal.

P3s I heard Alan Bennett reading Winnie the Pooh meets a Heffalump when I was driving and thought that you might like to ask Miss Fleming to read it to you. I wonder if her Piglet voice will be as good as his?

If I have time later I shall do some more blogging.

The Commando Memorial and Ben Nevis

Pat cycled past this lovely view and this very dramatic memorial yesterday. I am typing this in an absolutely superb B and B (so much nicer than some others!) in Brora and about to fetch Patrick as this is literally a bridge too far for him today! So glad they have Wi Fi!! It is 6.15pm on Tuesday 6 June. Will fill you in on the cyclist's progress later.

The Cottage and Loch Garry

Thank you to Karen for the cottage . We enjoyed being there and I cooked Scottish Oats for breakfast.

Even Hotter

1.06.09

It was even hotter today. Pat's temperature guage on the bike reached 93 degrees!So he was very tired at the end of the 71 miles he did today. From Oban to Fort William the road wound round the edge of Loch Linnhe and between tree clad hills profuse with purple rhodedendrons in full bloom.The scenery is stunningly beautiful. After Fort William he cycled on a minor road above the Caledonian Canalwith several hard hills. Then passing the memorial to the Commandos which overlooks Ben Nevis, he got back onto the busy A82. I met him at Fort William for our picnic having visited Morrisons supermarket to buy provisions.Then again he had some steep climbs before arriving at Invergarry.

From there we drove to this lovely little cottage where we were to stay. It is on the shores of Loch Garry in a very quiet and remote place with marvellous views and where the only sound is the bleating of sheep. The use of this cottage came as a gift. After I had spoken to a St Andrews womens' group in Oxshott about the GRCT and had mentioned Pat's impending cycle ride, the owner of this cottage approached me. She felt it was a God-instance and not a coincidence that she could offer it to us for 1 June! So good to have a place to oneself to do washing and to generally catch up with things (we were totally incommunicado there so I wrote this in note form and am now typing it in the Lovat Arms in Fort William where the reception- both staff and wireless- have been most welcoming- I have bought a coffee!).

We had a meal in avery quaint and isolated wee hotel, Tomdoun. It was the original Coaching Inn on the road to Skye. Afterwards we walked down to the loch below the cottage, where even at 9.30pm the light and the view was amazing. Pat has 150-200 miles to go depending on which route he takes. The body is holding up well!!

Uphill to Oban

Broderick Castle and Gardens

Again my National Trust card came in useful and I so enjoyed the castle and gardens. Apparently all of Arran used to belong to the Hamilton family. I am using the opportunity of the hotel wi fi to post more photos. I fell into conversation with a group of 8 thirty-somethings in the castle grounds and on hearing about Pat's Lejog and the GRCT the one young man asked "Where's the kitty?" At first I thought they had lost their pet cat and then realized they were referring to their communal holiday fund, when they gave me £20 for the GRCT!

Ferry Ride and Evil Hills

The day started quietly enough for Patrick with the ferry ride to Arran; I did not much enjoy driving the car on and off the ferries but feel quite accomplished at it now! Pat's high moment was a glorious trip down into Lochranza after a serious uphill. He beat his previous record reaching 38.4 miles per hour! He says he chickened out of going for 40.He just managed to get the 12 noon ferry to Claonaig and had a pleasant ride as far as Kilmartin after which he describes the last 25 miles into Oban as "evil." Horrible hills! But he can be proud of his progress as even with the 2 ferry rides he rode 78 miles in total . So we have reached the lovely town of Oban which on such a sunny Sunday was bustling. Needless to say, I could not get any B and B accommodation (we had not pre-booked as we were not sure how far he would get today) so we are in a hotel tonight with a wonderful view over the water.We have the use of a cottage tomorrow night, north of Fort William and are looking forward to that. Never thought I wouild be excited about access to a washing machine - but I am! The cottage is on the shores of Loch Garry.

We have enjoyed such magnificent scenery today. I absolutely loved Arran and visited Broderick castle and gardens getting a later ferry to Claonaig and the mainland. Argyll is lovely and the roads were not too busy as they meandered alongside lochs. Everything so beautiful and a perfect summer's day! The day ended with a spectacular sunset.

I believe Miss Fleming's P3s are very excited that we have reached Scotland. We think it is very beautiful! They would have loved the splendid adventure playground in the grounds of Broderick castle on Arran.

Feeling Strong

Pat had an excellent day today completing 80 miles. Some of that was due to a great road in the morning (he did not have to consult the maps frequently as has been the case). Until lunch time he was on the A76 which has a good surface and clear signposting; so he had already done 40 miles when we met up for our picnic.The afternoon brought with it some minor hills in Ayrshire but not to be compared with the Lake district. And then some heavily built up areas from Irvine onwards. Pat asked a cyclist for some directions outside Irvine as we are staying in Ardrossan tonight. Said the man "It's quite a wee way-about 5 miles." Pat had the grace not to say that he had already cycled over 70 that day! He says his cold is now behind him and he is feeling "strong." In fact we went for a good walk after dinner and I was the wearier one! We are here in readiness for the ferry journey to Arran tomorrow. I am really looking forward to that.

I had noticed a National Trust property on one of the cycling routes, called "The Batchelors' Club." It was a tiny place, you would miss it if you blinked while driving through Tarbolton . The curator was a dear old man who gave me a detailed guided tour and then when Pat passed through the village, he asked him if he was Mr Fleming and gave him a Bar One for energy. He also insisted that I did not pay for the little book of Robbie Burns' poems but would like the money to go to the GRCT. It was a delight to meet Duncan Cameron who seems to be an absolute authority on Robbie Burns.The cottage belonged to a friend of Burns whose wife used to serve Ale in the upstairs room which was the biggest room in the village in the 18th century. It was there where Burns started the first Debating society in Scotland with a group of bachelor friends. A quaint and fascinating place which seems to have far fewer visitors than it deserves.

Finding Wi Fi in Dumfries

Pat left fairly punctually this morning as we were able to have an early breakfast. After a huge piece of battered haddock last night, he felt less battered and had a good sleep! He visited the Dumfries cycle shop en route for a quick MOT of the mean machine.
I did battle with Saturday morning shoppers to find a Morrisons supermarket, a launderet and wi fi. The first 2 searches were successful; I have fresh bread and cheese and will fetch my washing in half an hour. But the wi fi is another matter. The girl in Morrisons directed me to the Queensberry pub where she said I should try the delicious potato skins! But the wi fi was not working and I was redirected to The Granary Pub which was closed. A local then told me to try Wetherspoons where there was definitely wi fi - so here I am......but wi fi- less! Only after buying my coffee did the manager inform the waitress that it was not working! They did offer to refund me the £1 for the coffee but it was coffee time anyway and it is quiet and peaceful in here with several local middle aged customers having a natter..

I have managed however to use the dongal ( I never know how to spell that word) and took 20 mins to get the photos up but at least they are there! Have taken some photos of Robbie Burns'
statue and the square on market day.

Must now be off to meet Pat at New Cummock at 1pm after collecting my laundry. I hope to be able to be in contact again soon but there is no certainty of that as we go to more remote places. We are on our 10th day with about 6 ahead and hope to arrive at John O Groats next week end.

Leaving Grasmere and crossing the Border

Photos to Follow

With poor reception the dongal isn't working very well and there is no wi fi here so I shall give up on posting photos and try again tomorrow. It's 11pm so we need to go to bed as Pat hopes to get away as soon as he can tomorrow. His maps are marked, in the plastic pouch and ready to go!

Crossing The Border

Pat left Grasmere at 9.40 and arrived at Dumfries at 6pm. He used a mixture of cycle paths and main roads today. Some lovely scenery and little traffic on the Sustrans narrow roads but, oh, the hills and the heat! Temperatures reached 80 today and he is rather red faced as a consequence despite frequent applications of sunscreen. One can't wear a hat and a helmet. We met at Gretna Green- how romantic- except it wasn't because he was hot, hungry and tired and I have inherited his cold. A great quantity of bread was consumed on our red rug in the sunshine before he hit the road for Dumfries. He covered 76 miles today of hard riding particularly getting out of the Lake district.

Our B and B in Dumfries is an old Victorian villa in the town; it is spacious and comfortable with a Patrick sized bath! He could stretch his legs in it. I had several jobs to do today such as filling up with petrol and drawing money and seemed to spend a lot of time driving. My route was less direct than Pat's as I went towards Penrith and then on the M6. But I did have another wander round Grasmere before leaving. Although Pat is weary he doesn't feel that he needs to take a day off - he just needs a good night's sleep. Tomorrow we travel to Irvine or Saltcoats/Ardrossan from where we shall get the ferry to Arran on Sunday.

Why We Are Doing It

This comes to remind you (and us!) why we are doing it. Pat has had at least £6000 in sponsorship for the GRCT (http://www.grct.org.uk/) Have a look at the website of our principal beneficiary to see where much of your money goes (http://www.epapfeeding.co.za/) And we also support the Missionvale Care Centre near Port Elizabeth. Thank you for all your support - emotional and financial!

Making The Most of the Wi Fi

I thought I would use the wi fi before I leave. Who knows where I shall get connection again? Pat is getting into his gear and gearing up for some serious hills today. There is one outside of Grasmere which the book describes as a"not pleasant" pull up for 800 feet!

Last night after dinner I walked in the gloaming and took pics of Grasmere in the fading light. Such a wonderfully beautiful place. Also visited Wordsworth's grave in the little churchyard. Seems as if I am following the man what with Tintern Abbey too. The Rhodedendrons glowed jewel like alongside Grasmere.

A Much Better Day

We have been so impressed with the warmth and kindness of Lancashire people. Our B and B proprieter at Willow farm near Preston exchanged much banter with Pat about Nog Tow and gave us a donation for the GRCT. As did the retired teacher/historian who was our breakfast companion and who hails from Hampshire!

We were off to a later start than usual and Pat did 64 miles some on the Lancashire Sustrans route through narrow lanes and pretty villages and the rest through more hilly terrain in the Lake district. Being half term time, the Lake district is heaving, with much traffic and many walkers so progress was slower than expected. Pat seems quite tired tonight and is having a good soak in the bath while I am doing the blog.We were able to get a room in Becks Allan Guest House in Grasmere where the proprieter is a South African. He and his wife work ever so hard without help, running the Band B together; we have enjoyed chatting to them. The accommodation is very comfortable and our room overlooks the river.

Our picnic/meeting spot today was the car park at Levens Hall on the edge of the Lake District where Pat did a bit of carbo loading among the cars and cows and I loved seeing the Levens Hall (largest Elizabethan house in Cumbria) gardens which the Daily Telegraph in 2008 described as one of the 50 most beautiful gardens of the world ! I also had coffee and wrote my daily diary in a coffee shop in the quaint little village of Scorton which is on the Sustrans track. While there I chatted to an older man outside what was clearly a cyclists' cafe and told him my husband was doing the End to End ride. Says he "Several of the lads in there done that one." I was amused to see when some of the lads appeared , that they were as old if not older than Patrick!! Talking about age, at Manor House farm, I said to our elderly host, "Pat has done 77 today." To which she replied, "He really doesn't look it!" We have had a good chuckle about that one.

So it is on to Dumfries and Scotland with some awful hills at the start tomorrow.

Pat attributes some of his weariness tonight to not drinking enough today as he lost one of his bottles of his energy drink on the busy Preston roundabout (it fell off the holder on the bike) and it would have been suicidal to retrieve it.Maybe 550 miles of cycling has something to do with the tiredness!

No reception whatsoever in Grasmere so please forgive the lack of response to text messages and calls. Fortunately this B and B offers wi fi; hence the blog tonight

A Very Stressful Day

Leaving behind the pleasant green fields of the Cheshire countryside, Pat cycled through quite heavy rain for several hours. Even the maps in their watertight Plastic pouch, got wet. The temperature was down to 13 degrees too. Adding to the difficulties were the huge trucks that whizzed past him and then the traffic of Merseyside was, he says, "ferocious!" He describes crossing the Mersey at Runcorn as horrible. It did not help that, on the bridge there was a large sign declaring "45 casualties in 3 years." I too found the traffic and the numerous large roundabouts and Motorways quite daunting. And the shrieking sirens of several ambulances didn't help my peace of mind. So it was wonderful to spot in the streets of St Helens a familiar yellow-clad figure on a bike, consulting his map! We met up as usual for lunch and I booked in at a farm Band B near Longton slightly south of Preston. Pat continued on towards Garstang and phoned me re a pick up point - Nog Tow. Unfortunately it turned out to be virtually a non- place despite being on the map. Sat nav knew nothing of it and nor did anyone I asked. So some hours later we met and loaded the bike, I having wandered for a long time in the wilderness of frequent turning in narrow places, use of hazard lights etc etc." A Nog Tow moment " will no doubt enter the Fleming vocabulary!

You will be glad to know that we are both feeling much better after a delicious meal in Midge Hall, a delightful Lancashire country pub full of really friendly people.

I would also like to thank you all for your support: phone calls, texts, blog reading, blog commenting and prayers. So much appreciated. Please forgive the lack of personal response but I have my work cut out trying to do the blog each evening! At the moment we are sitting on the bed preparing for tomorrow. The minor roads are often not well sign posted so Pat has to be very familiar with his route each day. He rode 69 miles today and we are on track.

A Good Day- now over 400 miles!

Pat did 76 miles today making a grand total of 420 miles. He says he took the wimp's route this morning avoiding the steep Stiperstones. But the road was undulating and there was a strong headwind in the morning so cycling was hard work. We met up for bread and cheese and fruit (bought by me at Craven Arms) in a tiny village called Melverley which has the most exquisite little church. There has been a small wooden church on that site since the 11th century. It had a very welcoming feel and a little book where you could write prayer requests. I asked for prayer for the travellers and left a GRCT card! While having our picnic we met the conservative candidate for the council elections and had a chat. We swopped leaflets!!

The wind died down in the afternoon as Pat dipped in and out of various counties and rode through a short shower. We visited Shropshire , Cheshire and Wales today! I fitted in a brief visit to the Abbey in Shrewsbury where Wilfred Owen that wonderful First World War poet is remembered on the memorial in the church.

Our Band B in Bucknell was a curious place; a 15th century rambling, ramshackle, rickety cottage with loose floorboards , a rusty claw-legged bathtub with dubious plumbing,yards of dusty net curtaining and more knick knacks than one could count! Run by Klaus, it was a very eccentric establishment, but fortunately had a clean and comfortable bed. We had our best night yet. We are staying on a Cheshire farm now which has such a beautiful garden. I arrived here a couple of hours before Pat and have had a pleasant walk and have enjoyed taking pictures of the pretty garden and countryside. And the sweet elderly landlady has been so kind allowing me to do a wash and tumble dry. A real boon when you are in a different place every night.

Our car has suffered a few bumps/dents enroute. It was reversed into a very, very low wall (guess by whom!) and was reversed into by the daughter of one of the B and B owners. The bicycle is doing much better and proving to be a trusty steel steed. And the back up is doing much better too now that she is using Sat Nav. Didn't get lost today!

Think of us tomorrow as we drive through Merseyside leaving green pastures behind us.