Sunday 29th June 2008

Last night we were welcomed and fed by the Bell Ringers of the St Columb Major tower. Well, we were delighted with both the food and the company. They have a tower of 8 bells and are very enthusiastic about their ringing. The Ringing Captain is a College Youth which is the highest accolade available in this activity! A big thank you to them for their support. Today we hit off at 07:00 hours and before 4 miles we had a chain link brake. A roadside repair quickly got us going again. Our first stop was at Padstow where we took the passenger ferry across the river Camel estuary (see photo). The weather was good and we made good progress through the lanes of North Cornwall passing Delabole, Davidstow and finally to Launceston. With all this activity hunger is affecting us to various degrees. During a stop where we found a Coop shop open, one of the team ate 80% of their daily calorific requirements in less than 20 minutes! It has been suggested that some members of the team may set a record by actually GAINING weight during this End to End trip. We crossed over the River Tamar into Devon and cycled along the old A30 which was quiet and pleasurable. We eventually arrived at our campsite just outside Bridestowe near Okehampton at 16:00 hours and pitched camp in record time. This evening our meal was kindly supplied by the Bridestowe Bell Ringers. Again the hospitality was outstanding. They ring 6 bells and visitors. would be welcomed. Again a big thank you.
Miles today = 55. During these first two days we have kept the mileage down purposely to cope with the many hills in Cornwall and Devon and to ease us in gently.

Saturday 28th June 2008

At 07:00 hours we left campsite with the bikes loaded on the wagon and travelled to Lands End. After photos we set off at 09:10 hours. Travelled past the docks at Newlyn and Penzance. Took a stop at the Star Inn in Crowlas, the owners of which are relatives of friends back at Martock. This pub is thoroughly recommended and has just started brewing its own beer (see photo). Onward we cycled skirting Hayle and took an hour stop at Portreath. After this we travelled on hugging the coast passing through Porthtowan, St Agnes, Perranporth and St Newlyn East. We arrived back at the campsite at 18:00 hours. We now understand comments made about the difficulty of cycling in Cornwall. There are many sharp ups and downs. Me thinks sleep may come easier on some tonight!
Miles today 62.1

Friday 27th June 2008

We were humbled by the gathering of folk that assembled at Digger Dave’s house to see us off. We left promptly at our scheduled time of 13:00 hours. The trip down to Cornwall was uneventful and drizzling most of the way. We arrived at our campsite at St Columb Major near Newquay around 17:00 hours . The awning was erected, not quickly but it gets faster each time. Our first communal refuelling was coffee and some delicious donated cake once our mobile home was fully set up. Dinner was supplied by Jean Farmiloe and prepared, via the microwave.

Saturday 21st June 2008

It is now only one week before we set off on our adventure. Today was to be our last training ride before setting off. Digger Dave had some lorry components he wished to examine that were located the other side of Gillingham, Dorset. We therefore headed off to Wincanton on a route we have done several times. We will not have this familiarity on our LEJOG trip and seeing something new around every corner will be very exciting. After a good break at Buckhorn Weston Church we cycled through Gillingham to a farm where the said lorry components were located. Dave took the relevant photos and measurements and we then headed off to find a suitable human refuelling station. This was found at a pub in East Stour. Suitably refreshed we made our way home via Stour Provost, Fifehead Magdalen, Milborne Port and Sherborne. We passed the post box that we had previously seen with a swarm of bees (see Blog entry on 31st May). The photo clearly shows they have gone. Travelling back through Yeovil could not see Dave, and also Geoff, pass the "sweety shop" (TRI UK Cyclles) without doing some window shopping. Who says this is just the province of women! It is just that the shops are different. We eventually prized Dave away from all the red bikes and headed home.

Miles today = 62.5

Monday 16th June 2008

Back to our road bikes today and, like Saturday last, we were able to cycle in glorious weather. We met up with "Insurance Nick" at Othery and headed off towards Weston Zoyland. Our procedures for coping with town traffic are now working well so negotiating our way in and around Bridgwater was done with little hassle. We emerged the other side and took an hours break at Cannington Church. Refreshed, we visited Combwich on the Parrett estuary, and then onto Hinkley Point Power Station. We asked if we could charge our mobile phones but apparently they did not have the right adaptor to fit into their nuclear powered steam turbines! We were then able to sniff out a delightful pub at Shurton which was half way between Hinkley Point and Stogursey. Vet Geoff had an appointment so cut his lunch short and blasted back to Martock. The remainder returned with rest periods previously agreed and consequently would have been more able to cycle the next day than Vet Geoff. No photographs were taken today so one of a Cornish beach is included as a taste of things to come on the LEJOG.

Miles today = 64

Saturday 14th June 2008

Today we decided to do something a little different and involve some other people. We swapped our road bikes for the mountain variety and cycled the Taunton to Bridgwater Canal path. Our guests were Linda, Liz and Clive. We took our bikes by motor vehicle to a car-park adjacent to the said canal at Bathpool. The cycling needless to say was near to level with only a hill the height of a lock to contend with. Some of the path was fairly overgrown and we had to look out for pot-holes and encroaching vegetation, especially stinging nettles. Several families of swans, including cygnets, were seen at fairly close quarters. One adult male swan was keen to give Mrs Robinson a nip but the calmness and swift cycling action of the said lady meant he was unsuccessful! We enjoyed coffee breaks outward and return at the Maunsel canal-side cafe. Lunch was taken at a pub close to the M5 Motor-way near Bridgwater. This ride was a refreshing change from churning out the miles on the road.

Saturday 7th June 2008 Martock Fete

It is now close to our trip so we thought it appropriate to show ourselves at Martock Church Fete. This would also give us an opportunity to get to grips with setting up the caravan and erecting the awning. The photos show confusion and the final, satisfactory, result. We thank all those who came and saw us and wished us well on the LEJOG trip.

Sunday / Monday 8th/9th June 2008

We now have the caravan adapted to our needs so we thought it a good idea to test it out with an overnight stay and two consecutive days riding similar to that we shall experience on the LEJOG. After an early morning 26 mile ride up the A303 to Charlton Mackerell, Butleigh, Compton Dundon, Somerton and back to Martock we had an hours break before setting off to Wareham. We met up with Motor Mike and the caravan at King's Stag for another hours break (see photo) and then preceeded to Wareham Forest via Higher Ansty, Milborne St Andrew and Bere Regis. We managed to erect the awning much quicker than at the Church Fete so our home from home was soon in action. Another early start saw us cycling up the Purbeck Hills and back to Wareham via Corfe Castle. Again 26 miles was cycled in this early stint. We had an hours rest before setting off home up through the Piddle Valley with its lovely associated village names.

This whole trip was extremely useful. It gave us confidence that we can make early starts and are able to repeat the necessary daily mileages. It also high-lighted that some of the arrangements and facilities we have in place need some tweaking before our mammoth LEJOG trip

Miles, Sunday = 67, Monday = 73

Monday 3rd June 2008 Ride

With neither Mrs Robinson or Rev Trev present today, Digger Dave and Vet Geoff cycled to Glastonbury to meet up with our cycling companion Insurance Nick. After a bit of a break and gawking at all the hippy type people, we headed off towards Shepton Mallett. We stopped off at Pilton and looked at the construction of the music festival site at Worthy Farm. What a massive enterprise including nearly 8 miles of high perimeter fence under construction. A photo of Dave and Nick against Pilton Village Hall was taken to give some ideas of steps etc for someone's garden. We traveled on through Pylle and Evercreech to lunch at Alhampton. We retuned to Glastonbury for another coffee before parting with Nick and returning home. Our little extra for today was some nesting swans that seemed unconcerned at our presence. 

Miles today = 62 at a good pace with an average of 12.8 mph.

Supplement to 31st May's ride

We are extremely fortunate to be able to cycle off the beaten track and in doing so see things unusual and interesting. Today's little extra was a swarm of bees that had decided to take up residence in a Victorian (see V R a the top) post box. This box was in the wall of a large stone farm buliding on a country road near Sherborne. We pity the postman that collects the mail at 9.00 am on Monday!

Saturday 31st May 2008

In four weeks from today we start our LEJOG trip. People have been extremely generous with their donations and we are delighted that target of £20,000 has now been exceeded. It will soon be our turn to respond to all this generosity and "front-up" with the cycling. Today we wanted to try and go somewhere different, our local roads are becoming very familiar, yet still cycle our daily target of 65-70 miles. Outward bound took us to Yeovil, Queen Camel, Sutton Montis, Compton Pauncefoot, Wincanton, Buckhorn Weston, Gillingham and Shaftsbury. To prove we got there, the photo shows the Hasbeans at the top of Shaftsbury's famous "Gold Hill". On our return journey we lunched at "The Plough" in Manston. We then cycled via Sturminster Newton, Lydlinch, Stourton Caundle and the deligtful village of Purse Caundle where a couple out walking their dogs kindly took the photo of us all. The final leg of today's ride took us through Milborne Port, Sherborne and a back road to Yeovil. After a refreshment break at Rev Trev's home we returned to Martock via Thorne and Tintinhull.

Miles today = 71.

Saturday 24th May 2008 ride

To assess if we are fit enough for the forth coming challenge, we have been advised we must be able to cycle to Bridgwater, then over the Quantocks and then cycle home again. Also we wanted to put our regular rest stops in place during the ride. We therefore set off to Bridgwater via Curry Rivel, Stathe, Burrowbridge and Moorland. We headed out of Bridgwater past Durliegh Reservoir to Enmore. We had a good rest at this village's church (see photo). The phrase often seen on tomb stones, "Rest in Peace" also seems to apply to the living! Rested, we then cycled up onto the Quantocks which was a good test of our fitness. We then took another well deserved rest at Fyne Court. We, and especially Dave, wanted to descend from these hills into Taunton via the site of Dave's accident in February. This time we were all able to negotiate this bit of very dangerous road safely. Another sort of cycling that sometimes gives us concern and can be equally dangerous, is in town traffic. We have decided the safest way to negotiate large busy junctions is to stop, dismount and walk across. We applied this method whilst cycling through Bridgwater and Taunton and we all felt it gave us the confidence to travel through towns safely and with considerable less hassle. Our return trip took us through Trull, Corfe, Staple Fitzpaine, Broadway, Ilton and Shepton Beauchamp. Again we took our rests - see other photo.

Todays miles = 69. If todays trip was a test to see if we are ready for our future challenge, we believe we have passed.

Monday 19th May 2008

A full team today. When we start our actual trip on the 28th June we intend to split the day's cycling up with regular stops. This is in an attempt to prevent fatigue, rather than resting once it has set in. Today we tried to do a long ride with these stops in place. It did not go exactly to plan but we all agreed that these stops are a considerable help. With a long day planned, we decided to cycle on the Somerset levels as much as possible so as to not over do it. In Glastonbury we joined up with "Insurance Nick" and headed across the levels through Westhay, Mark, Webbington (you see the Webbington Country Club when travelling on the M5 just north on the Brent Knoll service area) and finally for lunch at Cross near Axbridge. Our return trip took us through Brent Knoll, East Huntspill, Woolavington, Cedzoy, Burrow Bridge, Langport and home. With all the extra miles that Rev Trev has to do for paying the price of living in Yeovil, he is going to be the fittest of the hasbeans. Todays photos are of the beautiful scenes we get to experience cycling off the beaten track. These were taken from a path that runs alongside King's Sedgemoor Drain near Weston Zoyland. Well worth a visit whether your transport is foot or cycle.
Miles today = 82