Wednesday 1 August 2012

Menheniot to Land's End

1st August 2012  80 miles


Well, we gone done and done it, didn't we!?


Drinking time!


xxxxx





Lots of sunshine, much cloud and some very heavy rain today.  Quite warm, tailwind shifting to headwind. 

Via Redruth and Penzance

We woke early for the final assault on the summit.  Well not exactly, but we knew that despite the exhilaration and entertainment of the night before we still had quite along way to go.  Breakfast at Pauline’s was hearty, although Dave didn’t know that the full English was available and Pauline thought that none of us were that hungry….  Next time Pauline, if there’s any left after Tim and Andy had their portions!  We said our goodbyes to relatives, old and new friends, dogs and cows and left uphill to a cacophony of cheers and cowbells.  What a riot.  We had been exposed to the happier, quieter, softer side of the west country, hadn’t we, my luvverrrrr?


A fond farewell to Pauline, Cathy, Julie, Jane, Tim, George, Ellie, Lucy, Jack, Ollie and Ruby dog.




The high-sided hedgerows kept us from views and the weather for a short while, but to go faster we decided to attempt some of the A roads, A fast ride past Liskeard, Double Bois and along the Fowey river to Bodmin parkway. Yipppeee no hills for a few miles which fran loved!

Took a short detour through the grounds of Lanhydrock House national trust property then joined the A30 to make up some miles. Didn't count on the heavens opening and another puncture for Dave by the side of a very busy road! Pauline's sarnies were a welcome distraction!

Cold, wet and feeling a bit mis we pulled in to 'sizzlers' for coffee and hot chocolates and Charlie's tuck shop opened! Here we opened the map book and decided on a quieter route passing by Indian Queens where Joe told us Pocahontas was waiting. It's true, we googled it! 


We rode on passing near to St Columb Major where Fran's Alan spent 6 months as a wee boy. A scenic tour followed through the Lappa Valley, no wine here, just steam trains!

 Go Charlie, go Frannie go!


Fortunately, as a local Joe was quite capable of figuring out ways of heading westwards.  Fran and Dave were a little disoriented by this but quite happy just to ride and not have to think to much.  

Our water bottles made from Pauline’s well was, well, unusual – it tasted of coffee!!  Interesting, my luvver!

Onwards, we saw some interesting sights and kept up with depleting the tuckshop in Charlie’s bag:



Mandy, only 1/2 a mile away!

And then to meet Andy and Pauline for lunch at a Starbucks on the roundabout at Scorrier. Well nourished we pushed on to Redruth, Camborne where we picked up the A30 for a busy, noisy stretch, very scarey, we no likey, so we once again took to the B roads adding extra miles. 



The distance was getting shorter but as the afternoon wore on we were clearly getting more and more fatigued.  The hills kept coming, as we used the minor roads and got some fabulous views as we approached Penzance:


St Michaels's Mount

 Aye, aye!


But  - we were getting there, weren't we my luvvers!

Up to Cripplease before a final descent into rush hour, heavy traffic, Penzance . No pirates, just a comfort stop at Tesco and it was here that Charlie's tuck shop opened for the last time. 

At 5pm and with only 11 miles to go we set off up and up Mount Misery we went and the realisation and emotion hit us all.We counted off the miles whilst singing . Tim, Jack, Judy and Bob passed us in the car and gave us the energy to crack on. 



A head wind had been with us for most of the day, we had worked really hard and at 2 miles to go we stared to smile, sing, wave at the passing cars and anyone else around. We could by now see the finish. The sun came out!!!  We stopped for a brief moment to take in the sight before us and changed into our charity shirts. (justgiving FrancesJones2)
  



Our pace quickened, the leaders changed order, the end, the end.... we raced in... everyone waved from their cars, from the shops and cafes, exhilarating stuff.  
(the locals must have this happen every half an hour in summer!).  We whooped and chanted all the way to the line- 'we've done it!' we all screamed at each other!  
Crossing the line , our welcome party of friends, family, banners, flags and other random Land's End visitors  all clapped and cheered our achievement. (Andy, Jane, Ollie, Cathy, Pauline, George, Ellie, Julie, Lucy, Bob, Judy, Oscar, Tim, Jack and Ruby) and made us feel like Olympic champions!

We had made it, Jane provided some bubbly and we celebrated formula 1 style and then we took the photos to prove we really had done it.




 Thanks Chris!!!

Champagne !!

Thanks everyone, brilliant to have you there!!




Our trip was a real adventure, we visited places that we would normally fly by in the car, most were beautiful and would re visit. We met some fantastic people who were generous in many ways, thank you to all of you for helping make our trip as comfortable as possible. 

We have been amazed by the generosity & support of family, friends and complete strangers on the way. Thanks to Paul, Chris, Stuart, Kirsty, Nick, Chris, Mandy, Mark and Joe our cycling buddies and navigators! Love you all.

We'll now look at the map of the UK in a different light and are amazed that our legs have carried us 947 miles over 13 days! (we are tourers not racers!) It has been an exhilarating, emotional, exhausting, inspiring 947 mile trip for us all and would recommend an adventure to everyone......watch this space for the next one!
Did we mention we cycled 947 miles?!  That's over 1500 km!!!

Let's not forget our reason for this adventure. We have currently raised well over £2012 on the justgiving page and have loads more to add and we estimate to have raised around £4000 in total. Amazing!!!!!!

It's a funny thing, wanting so much for us all to get there, to finish, to be at the end... but when it was all over you just wonder whether you can just keep going, to get back in the saddle...  Of course not!!!

It had started to rain again... 

So we headed home for a big roast and celebrated until we were tired (which only took about an hour).

What a great adventure it was.

Big love to you all, Fran, Jan, Charlie & Dave x





Tuesday 31 July 2012

Crediton to Menheniot

31 July 2012,  55 miles


Mist and rain, sunny spells, moderate wind, clearing later.


"We've only gone and bloomin' nearly done it".  


An early breakfast with Angela and we were off into the drizzle, counting tractors as we went along.





Frist stop the Bakery at Okehampton for multiple serves of Cornish Pasties, doughnuts and Eccles Cakes and coffee.


Joe won the competition for not licking his lips



We joined the Granite Way at the Railway station at Okehampton (big hill to get there).  Beautiful views and good pedalling country.









Dartmoor in the background, then a rapid and scary decent into Tavistock as the heavens opened.  Only our second soaking of the trip.  How lucky have we been....




Joe took us to his favourite greasy spoon Bob's East End Cafe, "alright darling?  Lovely thanks Treacle"  Baked potatoes, lovely!







Tavistock to Gunnislake and we were in Cornwall, the last county!  And then we began to really climb...


5 miles before our destination, Tim, Jack and Roooooooooby flew past and collected our bags from us at the roadside.  Lovely to see everybody.


Jan pointed out the Tamar River leading to Plymouth Sound:


We thought we had made it with 2 1/4 miles to go, but Charlie lied about the remaining hills:




We heard Charlie's family before we saw them... but the last hill was no match for us, especially Charlie who won maximum polka dot jersey points in the final dash for the stage win!!!

Everyone had been waiting for 2 hours!!  Pauline, Cathy, Julie and Jane, Tim, Andy, Georgie, Ellie, Lucy, Ollie, Jack, thank you for such a warm welcome, a lovely Cornish Cream Tea .... and Welcome Home Charlie!!







 Decorations around the garden by Georgie, Ellie and Lucy


Banner by Jack, Oliver and Gabriel.  Thanks guys.


Scones by Pauline :)

Dave did not write this!  Thanks to Cathy and Julie.



And bootiful Ruby:

Dinner followed at the Hayloft pub with more friends, Derek, Dee and Sarah.  Thanks for coming, it was lovely to see you and have your support!  Great fun tonight, we feel really at home.





Last day of our "adventure" tomorrow!  Long way still.... we'll be up at 6 and off at 7.


"Bring it on"