Tough Days, Tough Hills

What a week!

I had NO idea how tough the cycling in the South West would be. The hills are merciless, the rain unforgiving…….. and Torquay United’s ground seems to be at the top of a mountain! I had hoped to ride on today but the “easiest” road from Newton Abbot to Exeter is a straight 10 miles uphill climb and the infamous Exeter Hill from Teignmouth to Dawlish is simply a killer so I’ve decided to stay over and make a dash for Wells tomorrow.

Last night I went to bed with my laptop and was asleep before I had read my first email. 13 hours later I woke up!

So, as Bjørn warned me this would be a trip of high HIGHS and low LOWS. The visits to Keith and Carolyn in Hereford and Swansea were among the highest of the many highs. The night sitting outside is best simply forgotten about.

Happy memories keep me going. This is the “gang” from Swansea.

What else keeps me going? Knocking the grounds off one by one and today it was the turn of Exeter City. Sadly nobody was there to welcome me but it was good to get ground 71 ticked off and rejoice that it was very easy to find, well signposted …… and not at the top of a mountain!

Torquay Come Up with the Goods! BNI come up with the Goods again.

I was delighted to be present at the Ten Tors Inn for a superb breakfast meeting. It came as absolutely no surprise that director Chris Fleet came up with a contact at Plainmoor and 45 minutes I was chatting with Darryl Haggan the Torquay United website & programme editor. Top guy – football through and through and also gave me great directions out of town which must have halved the distance back to the ring road! He was a credit to the club and Torquay United (unlike their neighbours Plymouth Argyle) are a club whose results I will now look out for. Come on you Gulls!

All hail also to Chris Wood from Wotton Printers. He saw I did not have business cards and within two hours produced 500. That makes him a worthy “Sponsor of the Day”. Huge thanks to both men called Chris!

So, a day which had started so badly ended up being successful. As Bjørn used to warn me, “Expect HIGH highs and LOW lows.” He was correct.

Thankfully they are not all like this!

I arrived at Plymouth Argyle more in hope than expectation. They had not responded to my email of introduction and as I cycled through the park to the ground I was tempted to stop off at the circus which was drawing large crowds with lots of excited children seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were walking down a cycle path and were leaving the pedestrian path empty! Anyway, I digress. I was not hugely surprised to find nobody interested enough to even come out to say “hi”. It is after all only the most southern point on the football map and I am sure they get lots of people who cycle 3000 miles to see them. I waited outside their reception for 30 minutes, caught up on my emails and cycled on. Not one of the highlights of the tour but an omenous pre-cursor to what was to come!

Arrived at the venue for tomorrow’s early morning BNI meeting very late at night only to find there is no accommodation, no other within miles and the pub is in the middle of absolute nowhere.

I really did not need that after 7 hours in the saddle. No room at the inn and not a back of a lorry or Wendy House in site!

So, I realised that this was my first “real” night as a refugee. I only got 2 hours sleep and that was sitting in the beer garden. It was my first night outside and I had only a thin towel as a blanket. It reminded me that what I do for a few weeks, others have to do for a few years. The cold and wind finally kicked in at about 4am so I went for a walk to keep warm. The doors to the BNI meeting inn opened at 6am and, not surprisingly, I was first in! No coffee has ever tasted so good!
So, as Bjørn warned me this would be a trip of high HIGHS and low LOWS. today was without doubt one of the VERY lowest. The recent visits to Keith and Carolyn in Hereford and Swansea were among the highest of the many highs. The night sitting outside is best simply forgotten about.

MORE RAIN

I am getting a bit fed up with all the rain to say the least. Still, nothing I can do and it’s just a question of ploughing on and getting the last grounds covered. Got some great photos of Monday’s reception at Morgans. HUGE thanks to Carolyn

Last day of rest before BIG push to finishing line.

One thing that I have realised is that there is only so far the body will do on “empty.” The gods of travllers’ diaries have conspired a little in the last few days of the project and I need to get from Yeovil to Southend in 5 days (via Southampton, Bournemouth and Brighton). Why Southend? Well, my dear friend Milton has some mad idea that I want to play cricket after some 2,000 miles in the saddle. It would be good to see you at Southend – especially if you can bat, bowl or ease my aching bones! Seriously, one thing I have realised as I cycle around is that I should support those who support me. Milton and his colleagues at Ecademy have been a great support. (More on this tomorrow). Realistically, this is my last few hours of R&R and an opportunity to tidy blogs, add photos, confirm appointments etc.

It also seemed opportune to thank all those who have supported me in “oh, so many ways” as the song goes. The trouble is that it is invidious to single one person or a group of people out so I deleted the ever-growing list and thought I would simply say, “If you are reading this, I thank you with all my heart.” Yes, I thank you for offering me as in Steve Hall, the Mad Cyclist, millions of kinds of support, aid, help and assistance. YOU know who you are.

I’ll have an early night, look forward to Swansea Waterfront BNI and then I am off, head down, to Plymouth, Exeter and Torquay. I’ll apologise now if there is not too much daily comment as I have many miles and no accommodation in my diary for the next seven days. If you are in the South West and want to say “hi” I’d love to pull over for a while. If you have a bed, sofa, back of a lorry, Wendy House or whatever so much the better but all contacts are welcome.

Bjørn continues his efforts and the horrifying facts and figures he forwarded today from UNHCR remind me just why I am doing this little journey. Please remind yourself here of the scale of the refugee problem.

Fantastic Visit to Swansea City.

Huge thanks and congratulations to Carolyn Williams for getting her hat-trick! First Cardiff City, then Cowbridge and finally Swansea City. We were met at the ground by two lovely Swans’ employees and presented a signed shirt pitchside. It was also a great opportunity to explain to both the Swansea City ladies as well as the local newspaper the purpose of the whole journey. Hopefully they realised that the world’s 45 million refugees were worth cycling for! This stark figure Certainly keeps me going!

From the Liberty Stadium, it was a dash down to Morgans Hotel where Carolyn had arranged a recption in this prestige venue. It was a delight to talk to the GM, Christine Owen, and I was able to thank her for a raffle prize they had offered. There was a good number of Ecademists, football fans and others present including Carolyn, Simon “Web Wizard” Jones and Carolyn’s daughter and son-in-law. Thanks to all for making this such a memorable day for me and such an important milestone in the journey. 68 clubs now visited and now it’s the long, long trek to Plymouth Argyle, Torquay United and Exeter City. Wales has done The Shirt proud. Thanks, Carolyn and all who have supported you.

Rest Day

One of the things I very quickly learned on this journey is the importance of rest and I am constantly reminding myself of the tortoise and the hare story. For this reason, I try to get at least one full day every week with only minimal (say up to 10 miles) cycling. The weather gods dealt with me favourably this week and my rest day was in Swansea in the sun!

Cowbridge Football Club

…..is not the most fun I have had with my clothes on! Apparently, the Mumbles, Swansea was the wettest place in the UK today. That does not surprise me! Photos of the Swansea team playing in the sun at Norwich contrast markedly with driving rain and flash floods near their home stadium!

Great to meet an old friend, Mark Press especially when he volunteers to sponsor a day and to cycle with me for the afternoon. Mark becomes only the second person to accompany me…..but he can’t keep up. My slope is his mountain! Good to see you though, Mark!

Carolyn Williams also got me in front of Cowbridge Football Club and their Steve Day and Bob Murphy kindly donated a shirt. Thanks!

Had some good press this week from Whitley Bay and my local paper in Spain (See page 26). Enjoy!

Huge thanks to Cardiff City

I reach Wales!

Yes, I cross the border to Wales and the two clubs in the Football League Cardiff City and Swansea City both confirm visits to their new stadiums. (Huge thanks to Carolyn Williams)

I also have a GREAT sponsor for the day. Huge thanks to Mastercraft Cycles (below) for fixing bike at 30 seconds’ notice.

It was also fantastic to meet Georgina Lester in Abergavenny. Less exciting was the hostel (something out of the 70s!) and torrential rain. Georgina has been a huge supporter of the journey, a constant and consistent blogger and a great centre of influence within Ecademy

However, before I left England I had one final and very important meeting. I was welcomed by The Right Worshipful the Mayor of Hereford, Anna Toon in her chambers. She is keen to promote cycling within Hereford and beyond as well as being very sympathetic to the plight of the refugees. She had even been collecting for the Pakistan Disaster Fund that very week in a very concrete display of solidarity. She signed the shirt, I signed the visitors’ book. Seems like a fair swap! Both of us were grateful to Keith Witney for the intrdouction.