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.

Kindness in Eardisley

Eardisley is a stunning black and white Herefordshire village where almost all houses are black and white, some going as far back as the 13th century. Ann and I arranged to meet the cyclists there for our picnic. They eventually arrived later than expected having travelled the ups and downs of the lovely Wye valley for 45 miles! We asked a couple who were trimming their rambling roses where there was a green where we could picnic. And then it began to rain! Having witnessed the arrival of the weary cyclists and hearing that it was for the GRCT charity, they insisted we picnic in their conservatory.Their cottage called Fox-Pie was built in 1480. (not the conservatory!) Chris and David Hodgson even gave us a donation for the GRCT.

We then said good-bye to Ann and Richard who were driving back to London. We are so grateful for their support.

Pat then reverted to solo cycling - for the first time in the rain. It was not too heavy rain and his new raingear kept him dry. I am typing this in the little Shropshire village of Bucknell. Pat asked 2 horse riders for directions here only to find that the young man had completed Lands End to John O Groats only 2 weeks ago! It's a small, quiet Shropshire village with an old disused railway station.

P3s should count the counties we have been through today: Monmouthshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire! Thank you to them for their support and to all of you who read the blog and encourage us and pray for us. £6500 has been donated to the GRCT to date!

Past Tintern Abbey

24.05.09

Richard Broad and Patrick cycled 71 miles today arriving at the B and B, Prospect Cottage (hidden down a long,long gravel track in the woods around Bigsweir House between Monmouth and Chepstowe)at 6.30pm. A very comfortable B and B with a wonderful view. Ann Broad joined us this afternoon and the 4 of us enjoyed an excellent dinner cooked by Fiona the Band B owner. The cyclists had cycled from Taunton in Devon, through Somerset,( great cycling county because it is quite flat!) into Wales and Gloucestershire crossing the Severn Bridge on the cycle track. Quite an experience that was! However the downside was that the hills reappeared. The upside was a beautifully sunny summer's day.

Having left at 9.30 am they were understandably weary but had much enjoyed the day.

TThe best part of the day for me was visiting the ruins of Tintern Abbey this afternoon. I last visited it almost 40 years ago and again found it quite magical - no doubt because I had learnt Wordsworth's poem about Tintern Abbey while at school and it had fired my imagination. I am in good company as Turner loved it too and his watercolours picture it in all its soaring magnicence. A Cistercian monastery; it was founded in 1131.

Facts and Figures

These facts are specially for Miss Fleming's class at East Linton Primary in Scotland.I know they are following the blog and would find them interesting. There is a museum at Lands End which tells you about all the various journeys from Lands End to John O Groats. A young boy not much older than P3s, once walked it in 40 days!

Richard joins us

The bike spent the night in a milking shed and we set off as early as the BandB breakfast would allow.Richard Broad caught atrain to Taunton and met Pat at Greenham which is 12 miles from Taunton. The Back-up was meant to meet them at lunch time with the provisions but got hopelessly lost in the wilds of Devon. I panicked a bit when I came to the canal track marked on the map and found it was only for cyclists and made a massive, unnecessary detour arriving with lunch at 2.30pm. Pat did 78 miles today and he and Richard have a long day tomorrow as they cross the Severn into Wales. I think they are not convinced that scenic routes are necessarily the best ones as today's schedule was punishing. Unfortunately Pat has a cold and is coughing a bit.

Another Hard Day

Pat had another hard and hilly day. From St Columb Major via Padstow (ferry to Rock) travelling parallel to the A39 north of Bodmin Moor through Launceston to Okehampton. He traversed a spider web of little roads ,one car width wide, meeting several tractors en route. Because of the many valleys and hills and the need to stop frequently to map-read, he was disappointed not to manage more than 63 miles today. We eventully met up at Fowley Roundabout outside Okehampton, loaded the bike and drove to the B and B in Bridestowe. Talking of B and Bs, I thoroughly recommend our first stop, Pentille Farm in Talskiddy. We met up with Lesley and Michael Flaxman tonight for a pub meal in Launceston and now need to get some sleep!

The Start

We got to Lands End at 9.30 and the rider sped away leaving me to have a wander and take photos before following in his wake. It was largely a coastal route throught St Just, St Ives, Porthtown,Perranporth and inland to ST Columb Major where we are staying at a farm B and B. Pat says there were some killer hills. I found them trying and I was driving. The very narrow lanes with high hedgerows can be a bit scary when a huge tractor comes the other way. Pat cycled 65 miles and seems in reasonable shape-has just had a long, hot bath while I have found the one window sill in the farmhouse where there is reception and my "dongal" works!! We both got lost in the late afternoon and yours truly was a wee bit stressed about being incommunicado and there being no way of giving Pat directions to a most hidden, inaccessible farmhouse. I eventually drove back to St Columb Major praying that I might find the lonely cyclist and there he was standing wearily at a crossroads! It's great to have the first day behind us and to have had some lovely sunshine in which to enjoy the splendid scenery.

Please know that any silence on my part is due to no reception as I so enjoy communicating with friends and sponsors. It's easier than cycling!

Getting ThereI

I did not blog yesterday as there was no reception where we were in Cornwall. The journey down took longer than expected and I drove the last hour or so with my progress punctuated by snores and comment such as "Change gear!" and "Mind my bike"(which was secured to the back of the car considerably increasing its width.) We had a lovely time in the Sloggett's cottage near Falmouth and Liz spoilt us with a superb Jamie Oliver dinner!The biker did not have too good a night- pre-ride nerves I think!

Great Encouragements

By way of encouragement one of our daughters gave Patrick this card today! It reads "Age is mind over matter- if you don't mind it doesn't matter." I guess there will be times on the journey when mind-power is as important as leg and lung power!

The great encouragement to us is that we have received at this stage £5000.00 in sponsorship. Thank you all so much. Take a moment to look at where much of the money will go: (www.epapfeeding.co.za )

A third encouragement is that Pat had a good training session on Saturday cycling 62 miles including the hill at Newlands Corner and was a little stiff, but is fine today. He went at a faster pace than he will be doing day by day on Le-Jog. The dining room table is awash with bits and pieces such Sudocrem and mapbooks and picnic stuff.Packing starts in earnest now as we leave on Wednesday for Lands End. You probably won't hear from me again until later in the week

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers!

Off to train again!

Pat is clocking up the miles while the money is pouring in from our wonderful supporters. We can't back out now! The Close Up maps of Britain have been highlighted from top to bottom and Pat has ordered some Sustrans maps as well. The first 4 B and Bs have been booked- with some difficulty as it is a Bank holiday week end. The Broads are kindly accompanying us for 2 or 3 days from Taunton into Wales and Shropshire, so Richard is also training. We have quite a few other preparations to make: more bookings, a new coolbag and thermos, acquiring a TOM TOM (Pat does not seem to have complete trust in the PEN PEN!)various phone calls, sending out the blog details to sponsors and friends etc etc. And we have the GRCT Trust meeting next Friday with some important business to do, so life is busy at the moment. Read about the GRCT on www.grct.org.uk so you know where your money is going.