Day 14: after posting my last entry I was a little tardy in getting going but it was a 'not to worry' as we were not planning a big day. I set off from the site at 1050 and had my first stop at Whitchurch (not in the town to Alison's sadness but at the Little Chef); here I met a man who was undertaking a similar exercise, he cycling north, his wife driving ahead of him and setting up camp; he was travelling 80 miles a day (i.e. much more than I) and looked remarkedly relaxed; we had similar rituals of texting partners on arrival / departure. Alison came and joined me for lunch. It had been an easy ride, 21 miles at average 14.7 m.p.h. From there I went to Shrewsbury and got a better impression of the town by getting lost in it (the sun must have been getting to me). Eventually released from the the pleasures of the place I set off to join Alison at Church Stretton. 58.3 miles average for the day 13.3 mph. Settled with a mug of tea we were entertained by the arrival of a hot air baloon, Land Rover and customers; it is not a quick process getting in the air; quite a sight as it took off. Quite a time after dark people returned to collect their cars. We had a planning evening which plans have turned out to be implemented.
Day 15: another quiet night. Sunny to rise to; mysteriously the back tyre had deflated a little and I thought of replacing the inner / checking it generally but it had stayed up over breakfast and so I deferred this. I set off and did the first 10 miles at 18.5 mph before Alison caught me up; the tyre was still up so we decided to meet in Hereford, I stopping on the way (Alison expected at a Little Chef) for a break. I did not stop. I reached Hereford (40 miles) averaging 16.3 mph and surprised Alison who had gone on to get the van parked and cycle back. We met up, lunched and tried unsuccesfully to arrange accommodation for me for Friday night through the Tourist Information Office; sadly the office was due to close early that afternoon probably to close completely. We went into the Cathedral where my great uncle had been a bishop; we found he held office there from 1949 to 1961 and that the renovation of a small chapel had been dedicated to him; I think I had met him only once, a tall man (not just from height) who was said to be very kind. An occasion. From there we went to replace the old, now broken, tool saddle bag at a helpful cycle shop which undertook repairs, a facility we were hoping we would not call upon. After a little excitement with a bus driver we arrived at the railway station to buy Alison's ticket to travel to Edinburgh and back the next day (from Shrewsbury); this done we cycled out to the site at Tarrington, pausing at Longworth Lane, leading to Longworth, at a cross roads. The back tyre had not deflated but seemed marginally down so I gave the bike a treat of a wash and new rear inner. Mileage for the day 48.6 average 14.1
Day 15: started early with the alarm at 0500; Alison was all packed up and off at 05.45 driving back to catch the train from Shrewsbury in comfortable time. I decided to wait until it was almost light to set off for my free range day. Off at 0620 the wind was behind me, for the only session of the day. It threatened to rain, the roads were wet from the heavy fall in the night but as it got lighter it seemed to be drying up; I took off my cag and a mile later put it back on with the first spots of rain; those were the last spots of rain for the day whilst I was peddling; how many times in life have done this and other times when I have postponed the addition of the cag until its function became the retention of the rainwater. I arrived sweatily wet at Tewkesbury for breakfast at 0820, 22 miles average 11.6 done. Jelly Roll Cafe can be commended, welcoming and good scrambled egg and smoked salmon. A proper hour's stop (with a wee sketch). After this it was into the wind for the day; the character of the hills changed, long pulls up one after another. Stroud was reached after another voyage of discovery, this time round and through and back again in Cheltenham; I was pleased with myself when I actually recognised that I was pedalling the road I had come into town in the opposite direction; sadly this was not an early recognition and it stimulated me into asking my way out; a wonderfully helpful lady gave me very clear directions and walked me a deal of the way on her way to the hairdressers. I was feeling a little weary by Stroud and it was only 12.20 (51.38 miles average 11.5) and enjoyed a soup at an organic cafe 'Woodruffs'; there is a lot more to Stroud than I had realised and I took the precaution of asking directions for the way out before charging about; the directions were good, again. The wind had not eased up and the way to Bath began to get very tiring; I had not set up where I was going to stay the night. I came down the hill into Bath with one thought in mind, 'if there is a room available it would have to be very expensive to deter me from taking it'; it was pretty expensive, it was welcoming and I took it - Bailbrook Lodge 1540. 80 miles 11.3 average. The evening involved tracking Alison in her return from Edinburgh; her train was late so she missed her connection to Shrewsbury from Crewe and had to wait for a later train; on arrival she had to collect the van and then she drove back to Church Stretton to spend the rest of the night.
Day 16: I set the alarm and it was helpful; breakfast was enlivened by a couple over from the USA who had lived (not for a long while) near Newcastle; the lady was going to do the Great North Run as well as attend her niece's wedding. Getting ready to leave Alison texted me to say she was, already, at Stroud; this hastened my preparations and I was away for 1000. Alison overtook me on the hill, one of the hills between Batheaston and Bradford on Avon; she relieved me of my little sack and let me pedal light weight again; we met up by the canal in Bradford, where we had been 15 months before on one of Alison's 'family doos' (do's ?). Alison had breakfast and I had an unnecessary piece of carrot cake, good though it was. Getting ready to leave and go the Moulton home, in the belief that it being Saturday no one would be there, I met another cyclist also riding a Moulton; he did not seem as surprised as I was to see another; he told me this weekend was the meet there of the owners' club the 'Moultoneers'. I went, joined, was made most welcome and was asked to say something about my trip; I explained that my arrival was the success of imcompetence, which had a consistency - pedalling from the 'wrong' end / my refusal to plan beyong JOG to LE, which even that I had got wrong in that we had pedalled North to South of the Orkney islands before we started from JOG ... I watched Sir Alex cycle into the yard and round it, tight turns before his relaxed talk through various elements of his cycles; 90 years old.
I did not leave until about 1540 (lunchless) and applied myself to the 30 odd miles to the site where Alison had set up with the van; I met Alison about 7 miles from the site and pedalled the last bit back with her. 40 miles average 11.4; the site was at Lydford on Fosse was behind a pub so it was courtesy and cosy to eat there; quite a day.
Day 17: Sunday; we had set up to land upon Richard and Pat at Farway; it was not far but had the deterrent of being well defended by narrow lanes and hills. I felt I was not eating the right stuff as I met up Alison to a first stop at Ilminster; I thought I was really labouring along. Some of the feeling might have been as a result of the wind being against me a little; when I checked I had done 20 miles at average of 13.3. I lost my excuse for some heavy eating. The day kept sunny and I reached Pat and Richard's shortly after 1500; 44 miles average 12.4
And so we have been wonderfully housed and fed (perhaps not watered unless fortified versions count) and another delayed start to the day (Monday)
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