LEJOG Day 9

I left Stewsbury under the guidance of the Garmin.  It took me through at pedestrian precinct.   I was a accosted by a bloke in a tweed jacket who sounded as though he a had a plumb in his mouth and a pineapple  somewhere else. He informed me that I “was ride riding my bicycle in restricted zone and that there was a policemen behind me that will take the appropriate action”.  The said policeman soon appear and told me to “continue on,  that the t the bloke who spoke to me has form and not to worry”.  That is: 1 to the cyclist, 0 to the grumpy old fart and 10/10  for the policeman.

As I left the town I stopped in at bike shop to check the pressure my in my tyres.  The bloke who ran the shop was fascinated by the BadBoy.  He very interested in Rohloff and the front pannier frames.  He started a long conversation (one sided) about the Cannondale Lefties – bikes with only one fork.  He though they were not obeying the laws of physics.  I thought of giving him the contact details of my mate in Canberra who owns a  Lefty.  That was a cruel thought.  Next time I stop a bike shop I may pretend to be a mute.

I again left the Garmin do some of the navigation.  It took me down some great country lanes.   At one point it took me up a dirt track.  How had it know about that track?  Sometimes it will take me on an A road when there is bike path nearby.  Other times it seems to know about the most obscure paths.  Who knows???

The route me took past, not along more great canals.  How many are there in this country?

The weather had turned really nice.  This was an ideal time to use the tent I have been carrying the whole trip.   I checked into a camping ground on the edge of the Delamare Forest.  I set up the tent next to the biggest campervan I have seen outside the USA (check Flickr).  I then headed off the Fish Pool Inn for a meal.  This place has the same recruitment policy and the Lord Nelson (the Rocks Sydney) and the Beach Hotel (Byron Bay).  Great meal and service.

I slept well in my tent.

Good Ale at the Pub

http://weetwoodales.co.uk/index.htm

Flickr Link

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjGANHng

Garmin Link

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/337511440

LEJOG Day 8

I left Cleobury after a very comfortable night in an interesting room that had the smallest window I have seen in a hotel bedroom. Is suspect the pub was built before Australia was discovered.

The ride up to Clee Hill was long . I like the rolling hills of the English countryside and looking at the sheep with white and black noses, but there is so much you like of this stuff pedaling up and up. Finally there was some down. Sheep look better if you don’t have to look at them walking as fast as you ride.

Ludlow is a classic Market Town. It has won the ‘Best in Bloom’ competition for every year since that that completion started. It is a nice town with castle and quaint old buildings. There was market going when I arrived. One enterprising vendor was selling reasonable crepes.

I had let the Garmin do the navigating. My plan was to go to Stewsbury. I am not sure the Garmin took the best route. It did however, me through more fabulous countryside. I finally made it into Stewsury quite late checked into a funny little hotel on the edge of the town centre. The town centre is bounded by the Severn River. Just think, I was sailing on the same river last Sunday.

I went for a walk into the main street to find a meal. I found an Italian Restaurant and ordered Penne Arrabiata. It wasn’t too bad. I have found that most Italian food in England isn’t a patch of the stuff we get in Australia. We have been spoilt by all those Italian immigrants, particularly in Melbourne.

I finished off the night with a pint of Hobsons in pub in the High Street.

Garmin Link

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/337040654

Flickr Link

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjGzry4x

Hobsons Ale

Home

LEJOG Day 7

My departure from the Rising Sun Hotel was going to plan.  A cup of coffee with my escort out of Marshfield and breakfast was a good start to the day.  I then received an e mail from my Canberra Lawyers.  The result was a delayed departure as I composed my response.  One day I will post about my experiences with Lawyers on a number of issues.

As I finally rode off, I let the Garmin take charge.  Its first suggestion was a very steep lane (25% gradient) down towards Cheltenham.  This proved interesting with a fully laden bike.  It is times like this that I appreciate the Juicy Hydraulic brakes.

The route then took me towards Great Malvern.  My Marshfield host had pointed out the Malverns in the far distance the day before and had suggested that if I liked hills, I should head towards then.  I did head to towards ‘them there hills’, but not because I like hills necessarily.  After what seemed an eternity I finally climbed into Great Malvern a very pretty town that lies very close to the top of the Malverns.

This is Elgar country.  In deference to the great composer I played the Enigma Variations and the Pomp and Circumstance Marches on my MP3.  I must put the Cello Concerto on my music machine.  The Jacqueline du Pre version is just the most amazing performance.  Watch it on YouTube.

As I headed towards Worcester, I finally picked up a NCR trail.  It took me over a very futuristic bridge that has been constructed just for bikes.  Good on you Worcester Council.

As I rode into town I heard load clapping.  I was passing the County Cricket Ground. The Australians were playing Worcester in their second warm up game in the Ashes tour.  I spoke the gatekeeper and for the second time on tour, was allowed to enter a ground to take some photos.  This time (remember in Taunton the rain had started) I saw some play.  Clarke and Cowen were batting.  It seems Clark’s back is holding up.  It needs to if the Australians are to be competitive in the Tests.

I took a photo of the tour bus again.  This time the driver was in the bus and we had a chat.  He spotted that I was Australian – clever man.  He went on to tell me that the bus company was not happy with him.  For his penance he was given the job “driving a bus load of Aussies around the country for 3 months”.  He said he “had suffered serious sledging”.  Enough chatting, I was back on my bike.

My Marshfield host’s plan was that I ride to Ludlow.  When I got to Cleobury, the Kings Arms look like nice pub.  It had great Ales.  I decided to stay the night.

Garmin Link

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/336567573

Flickr Link

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjGyoVpL

LEJOG Day 6

Time to continue on to Scotland.

I had a great time with my hosts in Marshfield. It is so good to see familiar faces when you are travelling.

One of my hosts kindly offered to accompany me on my need leg. He, like me, is retired and has time to do such things. He also has an extensive collection of Ordinance maps detailing all the lanes and paths ways across the UK. Some research identified a route north and off we went. My host was somewhat amazed at the weight of my Cannondale laden with my meager possessions. The weight is in stark contrast to his road bike. This road bike is soon to be replaced by a new model as reward for achieving weight loss and other fitness goals. My host is yet another of my friends that made personal fitness a retirement project.

As we rode north, the contrast between the laden Cannondale and the road bike ridden by an ever increasing fit rider became palpable. I was slower on the flat, about the same downhill, but very much slower on the ups. My host had many opportunities to pause and take in the scenery en-route as I slowly made my way up the hills. Again, the country-side was great. The bright yellow of the rape plants is really spectacular. Our route took us past the National Arboretum. It is obvious why this part of the country was selected as the site of this important institution.

Our route took us into Cheltenham, which I recall is famous for horse racing. My host noted that the town did nothing for him. I agree. As I keep saying, I am intrigued why some towns and villages (e.g. RTW) seem to get more pleasant and other fade and become tacky.

The last part of the ride took us up a steep rise to Cleeve Hill and the Rising Sun Hotel. The view from the pub is spectacular. A great steak meal was washed down with a pint and a good red.

My host noted that he had successfully seen me out of the premises in Marshfield, escorted out of the village and made sure that I had left the county.

Next morning my host provided me with a suggested route. I think I sort of followed it – stay posted.

He headed back to Marshfield, taking about half the time it had taken the other way.

Garmin Link

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/336017739

Flickr Link

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjGynKqJ

LEJOG Rest Days in Marshfield (via Wimbeldon)

I spent the weekend with the daughter of my Dad’s best friend from school and her partner. It was great to meet up with them after a year.

After I arrived, we headed off for a couple of pints at the best pub in the village – The Catherine Wheel. This was followed by a great meal and conversation.

Back to Wimbledon

My hosts had tickets for Wimbeldon on Saturday. We woke up very early and headed off to London at great speed. The plan was for my hosts to meet friends from Melbourne at a pub in Wimbeldon Villiage called the Rose and Crown and to have breakfast and watch the Wallabies v British and Irish Lions game that was being played in Melbourne. As chance would have it, this pub is well known to my London hosts. They too were going to the pub to watch the game.

All readers of the post will know the result of the game. What a ripper!!! All looks good for the deciding Test in Sydney next week.

My Marshfield hosts headed off to the tennis and my London hosts and I stayed to watch the tennis in the pub. We were joined by a friend of my London hosts who is workings at a driver, transporting players and officials to and from the All England Club. This is a job with many ‘brushes with the famous’.

On our way back to Marshfield my hosts and I stopped off at the Brilliant Curry Restaurant in Southhall. The food was as the name of the restaurant suggests. The owner of the place is also ‘brilliant’ at self-promotion – check out his web site.

Sailing

The next day my host took me sailing at the Thornbury Sailing club. On the way I was asked if I had ever sailed. I told them about the Northbridge Senior I had as a teenager. I also told them that when I moved to Mosman I got to know the son of the designer and maker of the mast I used on the boat – he is Julian Bethwaite, the designer of the 49’s and 29’s classes. The former is an Olympic class. When we arrived at the club one of the first boats we saw was a 29er, prominently displaying the logo for ‘Bethwaite Design’.

Our sailing was done of a Seafarer 14 foot dingy. It was not quite big enough for 3 middle-aged men. It was also my first experience sailing in a tidal river. Apparently the Seven has the second greatest tidal movement of any river in the world. Sailing with, against and across a 3 knot tide is quite an experience.

We only managed one lap of the course before adjourning to the club house for an Ale. Our skipper told us of his plan to sail his 14 footer around the British Isles, stopping infrequently and sleeping onboard out at sea. Hmmmmm.

In the evening we had a BBQ in the sun the backyard of my host’s house. The end of another great day.

Flickr Link

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjGxFTd3

 

Good Indian Food

http://brilliantrestaurant.com/

LEJOG Day 5

Before leaving Cheddar I had a coffee and croissant in small café on the road leading to the Cheddar Gorge. The proprietor was a fount of information.  He told that that some Cheddar Cheese is still aged in the caves in the Gorge.  He also told me that he would not suggest buying or eating any of that cheese – interesting. The Gorge is apparently of significant geological interest.  I am afraid from my perspective it was just another steep hill.

The route then took me through the Chew Valley and lake – classis English countryside.  It is a pity the weather wasn’t a bit better to do justice to the photos.

I followed National Cycle Routes 3 and 33, hoping to by-pass Bath.  Nearing Bath I resorted to using the Garmin to take me to Marshfield.  This was a mistake.  My friend, the Garmin, to me into Bath.  Its route out of Bath was a horror.  One street was the steepest I have encountered so far on the trip to-date.  Not far out of Bath the Garmin sent me up a very small steep lane.  I ran into a runner coming the other way.  He asked “why are you riding up this lane? It is a dead end”.

Once out of Bath, the route became familiar. After a one serious ‘up’, I was in Marshfield.  A knock on the door of house in the High Street, some quick hellos and off to the Catherine Wheel for a couple of pints with my hosts.

This was followed by a great meal and conversation.

Flickr Link

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjGuKuAz

Garmin Link

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/334615866

 

LEJOG Day 4

I had a great breakfast in the pub in Silverton before heading out towards Taunton. I have virtually given up on the Garmin being able to plot a route.  The best strategy is to plot the route using Google Maps.   I take note of the villages at key points, e.g. turnouts.  I then use the Garmin to go point to point.

Failed Attempt to See the Australian Cricket Team in Action

The route took me into the hills nears Silverton heading towards the Grand Canal.  For some reason you cannot follow the canal all the way to Taunton. The plan was to watch a couple of hours of Australia playing Somerset in their 4 day warm up game for the Ashes.

I arrived in Taunton as the rain started as a bit of drizzle.   By the time I found the cricket ground, it had started to rain quite heavily.  As I walked through the gates, the covers were being put on the pitch and the players had left the ground.  The spectators were all leaving the ground and not bothering to the take pass out tickets.  The Poms know a bit about their weather – there was clearly no chance of any further play.

What is it about me, canals and rain?

I headed out of Taunton on National Cycle Route 3 which follows the canal to Bridgewater.   As I continued along the canal it started to rain more heavily.  Fortunately, the tow trail had not become too muddy.  This is in contrast to my first experience of a tow trail which was just over a year ago on the Kennett- Avon canal heading from Reading to Bath.  For three days it simply pissed down with rain and the westerly wind (sometimes over 50 mph) was blowing in my face.

After about 30 klms, I arrived in Bridgewater.  This place is proof that not all English towns are picturesque.  This place has serious of the ‘Pararmattas’.

By this stage it had really started to piss down. Memories of last year.  I headed on the main road towards Bristol before turning off on B roads towards Cheddar.  About 3 miles from the town, there was a sign saying “Road Closed Ahead”.   A very earnest woman under a huge umbrella stopped me.  She told me that I would not be able to get to Cheddar due to the road closure.  She then went on the give me the most convoluted instructions on how to avoid to closure.  I was totally confused.

At the next intersection I asked a bloke who was crossing the road if I could get through to Cheddar.  He looked at me as if I was stupid.  “The road is closed for MVs.  You’re on a bike”.

Another YHA

I arrived in Cheddar absolutely saturated.  I checked into the YHA.  The place is run by a young couple from Yorkshire.  I think they are Bail Faulty’s grandchildren.

Garmin Link

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/334127427

Flickr Link

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjGqE4fw

 

LEJOG Day 3

I am getting into the swing of this ride.
The route out of Launceston took me on to the ‘old A30’ to Okehampton . The receptionist at the White Hart Pub told me that it was “an ancient road on a ridge”. Apparent this had the benefit providing anyone that was on the road the “ability to see their enemies”. It occurred to me that the said “enemies“may have the same idea. This probably resulted in a lot of fighting on the road.

After a few miles, I ran into two cyclist with panniers heading towards me. We stopped for a chat. It turned out that they were Scots heading from John OGroats to Lands End. They were 10 days into their ride and hope to finish it in 12 days. Not a bad effort for Scotsmen.

Anyway the road was great: long gentle ups and downs. Such a contrast compared to the North Cornwall Coast. The book I am using as sort of guide noted that short of Okehampton it is possible to get on to the Granite Way Rail Trail. This one the best and best known Rail Trails in the UK and therefore, the planet. The Garmin went spastic and tried to put me on the A30 main road. Take a serious look at yourself Mr Garmin.

After Okehampton I followed a route I had plotted using Google Maps. It was great: virtually all on country lanes looking over classic Devon farm lands. The lanes are, however, a bit problematic when a big tractor meets oncoming traffic. Check out the pick of a serious traffic jam in a lane.

I made it the Silverton in reasonable time. No camping grounds near this village. I am staying at the Three Tuns Pub. It serves local brews including Exmoor and Dartmoor. The publican is anti “lager crap”. Good to see. He provided with a guide to local brewers Devon in and the surrounding counties. There are 17 in Devon. Apparently the number is increasing. Again, good to see.

Garmin Link

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/333726765

Flickr Link

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjGotVrR

 

 

I left Perranporth as soon as I could. The book that I am reading provides a guide to the route.  The advice was that the hills are “steep and sharp”.  This apparently means a shit load of steep up and down.  The first big town I passed through was Newquay.

Bedruthen Steps

Not too far north I saw a National Trust sign to something. I accosted I driver at the road related to the said sign and asked if it, was worthwhile seeing.  He said it was.  It turned out to be the Bedruthen  Steps.  I stopped that the entrance to the carpark to ask the attendant about the place.  He told me that the cliffs were the main feature, however, an interest fact was that site was an iron ore mine.  The ore was taken from the cliff via the natural caves.

I left my bike with the attendant and headed off to the cliffs.  At the top of the cliff I as engaged in conversation by another tourist from Dorking.  He picked me as being someone from the either NZ or South Africa.  His ignorance end did not end there.  I told him what I had been told by the carpark attendant about the site being an iron ore mine.  Oh no, was the response was “the only mines in Cornwall were tin”.  People from Surrey know everything.

It appears that the carpark attendant is correct.  Funny thing that; he works there and is not just a car park attendant.  The bloke from Dorking should get a job as a carpark attendant.

Bananas Don’t Grow in Cornwall

My next stop was a café in a farm.  Tea and scones were great. On sale was; “produce grown on the farm”.  I ordered a banana which is apparently good for preventing cramp.  I asked the café owner “where is your banana plant”? She thought I was serious.

Dogs, a Motorbike and Crepes

The route then took me the Padstow.  This is classic fishing village.  There many places in the ‘new world’ (e.g. Australia, NZ etc) that are named after town in Britain. I suspect there are few that could be as different as the Cornish and Sydney Padstows are.

On my walk around saw about 15 black Labrador dogs.  It seem like a dog convention.  I saw Laverda 1000 that was not a Jota.  The owner spoke at length about the virtues of the bike.  I should have given him the contact details of my Canberra host.

I bought lemon crepe at a mobile stall in the carpark.  The two very attractive Cornish girls working in the stall decided to start speaking French.  Not am not sure what was behind that strategy.

Another Great Railtrail

The route out of Padstow took me along the Camel Walk, a rail trail on ne of the meant lines closed following the Beeching Report in the 1960’s.  As will all trail trails, it has been a great success.

The last part of the route into Launceston, the ancient capital of Cornwall was on the A30.  This was not my preferred route, but there really wasn’t an option.  Given it was late I decide to check into the White Hart Pub.  A reasonable chicken meal was washed down by a nice glass of sav blanc and a pint of Skinners.

Flickr Link

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjGnfLxV

Garmin Link

http://connect.garmin.com/dashboard?cid=51379763

I am finally on my way on the Lands End to John OGroats ride.

I woke reasonably early and had breakfast in the YHA.  Over breakfast I chatted with a couple from London I had met the night before.  They were on a walking tour along the north Cornwall Coast.  TiThey made the observation that most of the people using YHA’s are in their fifties or older.

I rode from St Just to Lands End.  There is not much to say about Lands End except that it is to most southerly and west point of the British Isles and the place is a bit tacky.  I had the obligatory photos taken.

I let the Garmin navigate for a while.  It took me through Penzance  on the way to St Ives.  St Ives is great place.  I spent a very pleasant week in the place back in 1977.

My route then took me to Hayle where I stopped at bike stop to check my tyres.  The owner checked out the Rolloff and noted the cable housing was not properly fitted.  I must have do that when I repaired a puncture on my first day in London.  A good pick up.  I managed to buy a cycle map at the shop.  This turned out to vastly superior to the Garmin.

The next part of the route included some very spectacular scenery with rocky cliffs and sandy beaches.   The road included lots of ups and downs.  So of these were very steep.

A coffee stop I ran into two German blokes on motor bike – a BMW Sports Tourer and Triumph Tiger.  I guess one day I will get an Adventure bike.  The Triumph Tiger looks the go.

My destination was Perranporth.  I checked into the YHA which is perched high on cliff over looking the Atlantic Ocean.

I made my way down to the town a beer and dinner.  I had a couple of pints of Tribute, one of the local brews.   I watched  Lleyton Hewitt winning in his first match at Wimbeldon.  I suspect he could cause further damage this year.

During my meal I chatted to a couple form Sunderland.  We spoke about the changes to the city, including the demolition of Hendon where my father grew up.  They couple seem to be surprised that I would wish to claim any connection to the area of the city.  A funny thing – perceptions.

When I got to the YHA I found that I had the room all to myself – a bit of a surprise given this is the start of the peak tourist season.

Link to Garmin

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/332993873

Link to Fickr

http://flic.kr/ps/wGzXd