A Final Note

As a final footnote to this blog, here is the map of the actual route of my trip, as compared to the original planned version that I posted just prior to setting off...

And for anyone interested, the final mileage total was 2078 miles: from home to home.

The End!!

Who'd have thought it? Back home, 9 days and a lifetime later. I returned to a hero's welcome with balloons and champagne and a magnificent cake. It's been quite an experience, and one I'm glad I had. It was a whole lot tougher than I expected. I was naive enough to think that I wasn't setting out on anything particularly tough. I thought "It's only Britain. Britain's a tiny island. It'll be fun." But I never expected it to be the test that it was. In some ways the weather contributed to that, but to be honest, I think it would be tough under any circumstances. So, if I'd known how hard it would be, I probably would never have done it. So I'm glad of my stupidity/naivety. If I had been brighter, I'd never have done it!

I have learned a lot on my way round the country. I started out thinking it was about the bike. Then I thought it was about the places. Then I thought it was about the challenge: End to End of the UK. But I look back and the thing I realise is that it ended up being about the people. I met so many amazing people, and not one of those encounters was a negative experience. Some were friends of old, some were people I only knew through the Internet, but most were complete strangers. All were kind, helpful and considerate. And all contributed in some way to help me reach my goal. It is so easy to focus on the negatives when you do something like this, but when I look back, each and every negative experience resulted in a positive. The Sat Nav failure allowed me to catch up with an old mate I would otherwise have missed, and allowed me to meet Lucy. She was the friendly face that I needed to meet right at that moment. The rain was awful, and yet it gave me a focus. Something to keep my mind occupied during those long gruelling days on the bike, mile after mile. Sale and the Sat Nav made for a delay and a setback, but they made me think about what I was doing and why I was doing it. They made me think about what was important to me about this trip and gave me the push to keep going. I've realised that it's adversity that makes life memorable. The things you remember are the problems and how you got through them. If it had been as easy as I expected, it would probably not have been an overly memorable trip.

This trip has changed me, and that's not something I expected. Whether it's a long term change, or whether it fades over time remains to be seen. But over the last week or so I have become more focused on solutions than on the problems. I have become a more positive person. And I have learned that, despite what we think about the modern world, people still have time for other people and want to help. Maybe in a couple of weeks I will be back to my grumpy old self. But I sincerely hope not.

So thank you to everyone who supported me through this adventure. All the texts, all the blog comments, all the phone calls and the people who took time out of their lives to meet me. Thank you. Each and every one of you contributed in some way to make this possible.

The Last Rest

This is Melrose Abbey. A stunning building, and the home of a group of Cistercian monks. Not now, obviously! i'm going to have a wander round, go for a cup of tea, and head off. This will almost certainly be my last Blog 'on the road', with one more entry to round it all off when I get home, probably some time this evening...

The Forth Road Bridge

Well, here I am, almost half way through my final day. And what a beautiful day! No wind, blue skies, dry roads. After saying farewell to fabweld this morning, we went our separate ways from Pitlochrie. I've followed the country roads down towards Edinburgh with the intention of crossing the Forth Bridge. The end is coming, and although I feel relief and can't wait to see Debbie and the dogs again, I'm feeling a little sad too...

The Last Night Stop!

(This is last night's Blog which it wouldn't let of send) Well, here I am in Pitlochrie. My last night away from home. Raining obviously! That's the view from the hotel. I met up with fabweld from my bike forum here. Big respect to him. He made a 3 hour bike ride to get here. He's staying overnight too so we've been for an Indian and a few beers. It's a perfect way to ease back in to normal life. It's odd but even though I've only been on the road for 9 days total it feels like I've been away for a month. It's been a fascinating journey and I've found out a lot about myself, Britain and also the people who live here. It's odd to think I'll be home tomorrow. I've missed Debbie and the dogs and looking forward to seeing them, but I suspect I'm going to be a nightmare to live with for a month or so (yes, more so than usual)...

Me and Ewan!

2 hours of beautiful weather. Happy days. Then the usual! Soaked through! You might be wondering about the title of this post. Well the photographer at John O'Groats commented that the wording I wanted on the sign was very similar to what Ewan McGregor had asked for yesterday! Yes, he and Charley Boorman set off on their 'Long Way Down' ride from John O'Groats yesterday! And I had actually seen them without realising it. Very very shiny BMW bikes with 2 support vehicles following behind passed me heading South as I was heading North on the last leg. I'd have loved to get the chance to meet them but just seeing them was pretty cool. Good luck Ewan and Charley...

The finish line

The end of the road...

The official photo!

Now it's official! I did it!

Lands End to John O'Groats

1087.3 miles, non motorway.

As far as I could go...

Just to make sure I took it as close to the sea as I cold get! I couldn't have gone any closer. Note the sunshine!

The End Of A Long Day...

Oh my god I made it. Today has been gruelling. I was determined to get here today but it meant 11 hours on the road. That's the longest I've done. That last 100 miles were tough. Needless to say, after I left Glencoe it started to rain. That type of rain that you can actually feel bouncing off your arms through a biker jacket and 2 other layers. Downpour! I almost came off at one point. Flooded road, change of camber, and a bend sent the bike sideways. Luckily I kept it upright. What a let-down that would have been! The scenery up here is stunning. All golds and yellows and greens and browns. The coastline is dramatic and the road follows it closely. And a miracle happened. I got about 20 minutes out and the sun appeared! Honestly, it is now a blue sky evening and I am hoping for a dramatic sunset. It's the strangest thing. it happened that fast. Just cleared up in minutes. I'm here. Can you believe it?

That's where I went wrong...

I hope you can read it. Just in case, it says 'there are two seasons in Scotland - June and Winter: Billy Connolly'

Glencoe

Glencoe, site of the massacre of the MacDonald clan. A fascinating and slightly spooky place. The incredible landscape was formed by volcanic then glacial activity. Look at me being a tour guide! These roads are why I started South and travelled North. You can go serious distances between petrol stations though. Still, I wouldn't mind a walk! That'll come back to haunt me...

Loch Lomond

I've always loved this place. It's probably my favourite spot of Scotland. The scenery just can't be beaten. Had to come through Glasgow to get here which has probably cost me some time, but it was worth it. I expected to hardly recognise Glasgow, but it seemed exactly as I remember it. Loads of bikes around up here, and even a warning sign about increased bike activity on the roads. I'm guessing there's some big event going on but I've no idea what. It's so peaceful here by the Loch I could just stay here all day, but I've got a date with John...

Once bitten twice shy...

This is my sat nav modification just to make sure it doesn't happen again during the trip. The hotel had a wedding function last night and my room is right above the dance floor. The windows were rattling and the radiator was vibrating. Not that it mattered. I went out like a light and slept like a log. And I rather enjoyed the band's rendition of 500 Miles by the Proclaimers. Which reminds of yesterday when Travis came on the MP3 player. 'why Does It Always Rain On Me?' I actually laughed out loud and then proceeded to sing along in my loudest (and probably worst) voice. Turned the heads of a few cows and sheep as I passed them (note for the lads at work: got a few good spots for the sheep poster on the toilet door)!

Fun!

Well would you believe it. I came out of Drumlanrig Castle and the rain had stopped. My followers had abandoned me! The sky was still grey but definitely brighter, so I managed two hours riding on dry roads and most of them were as much fun as the one in the picture. Ended up in my parents' town. Sadly, my plan of surprising them backfired on me as they went on holiday to Greece yesterday! So I visited some old family friends instead, caught up on their news and then rode another half hour before bedding down in a town not far from Glasgow. Long day today but I'm getting into a rhythm and can spend much more time in the saddle (oo-er missus) so 8 hours riding is suddenly quite reasonable in a day. So with that in mind, the grand plan is to cut out Skye and go up to Oban then across to John O'Groats arriving tomorrow night as originally scheduled! It's 8 hours on tricky roads though so we'll see how it pans out...

It's really Scotland!

How Scottish can you get? Don't be scared Merm...

It's Scotland Baby!

Crossed the border at about 3 o'clock. Type 74 rain. That's similar to type 73 but with slightly more bounce. Phone is now taking in water. Hope it lasts. This Blog is keeping me sane. Drumlanrig castle is amazing not what I expected at all. I rode up a little track and this was facing me round a bend. Ladies in the tearoom plied me with home made truffles. Nice!

Ambleside

I've been remembering a character in one of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker books. He was a truck driver who hated rain. But it always always rained wherever he went. What he didn't know was that he was a rain god and the rain was following him to caress him and fall on him so that he would feel loved. I think it's me. Anyway, here I am in the Lake District. Ambleside is much as I remembered it. Lovely place. Spot of lunch and North I go...

Don't know if you can make it out...

That's the view from my room. The other side of the bushes is the M6. Teasing me! Oh yes, and it's raining again. Yesterday was really nice weather and I hardly moved anywhere! I think the rain loves me. Behind schedule a lot now but by cutting out the Isle of Skye I'm hoping to get back on time.

Well well well

Where to begin. You may notice a lack of Blogs today. Well this was oh so very very nearly the 'I'm wimping out' post. This will be a very long post so you may want to skip to the end for the outcome and the bit with Lucy. Today became a problem. I set off to do the map thing but doing that on a bike and not using motorways is nigh on impossible. Particularly going through towns you've never been to and don't know. I was stopping every few miles to check the map. When you've got 700 to go (and that's just to John O'Groats) that's a lot of stopping. Fun factor zero. I looked at the sat nav again. More water. So I thought I might be able to dry it out if I could take it apart. Special tools needed. I knew I could get the tools from Screwfix and I knew they had a trade counter at Aintree. I knew how to get to Aintree so off I went. I got the tools and sat down in their car park and took my sat nav apart. It didn't look good. Rust on the inside of a gadget is rarely a good sign! Meanwhile my local mate was phoning every shop he could think of trying to find a replacement sat nav. Thanks machinehead! Meanwhile, I was touring gadget and car shops in the North West. Problem is there are only 2 bike sat navs out there. Garmin's is so new it's not actually available yet. And TomTom's has been withdrawn as there is a new model out next month. So, crap timing then! Then I went to Halfords. The guy was a star. I explained my problem. He ended up finding what I think is the last TomTom in Britain and gave me it half price! Then I decided to visit machinehead who plied me with tea so I decided to find an hotel in Preston and stay the night here. The bit with Lucy is coming up now! I tried a couple of hotels. All full. Then I tried a Travel Inn. They were also full but, Lucy explained (I told you she was about to feature), she was about to call the police to have two drunken yobs evicted and if I wanted to wait, I could have their room after it had been cleaned. I waited. We chatted and laughed. She told me tales of ghosts and the time passed. The police showed up and said they couldn't do anything. Lucy was not happy and was threatening to throw these guys' stuff out herself. It pained me to do it but I didn't want her to end up in trouble so suggested that maybe it wasn't a good idea. It meant no room at the inn for little me but I just couldn't live with myself if it would cause her problems. I'm sure one of her motivations was that she didn't want me to have waited around for nothing. In the end she phoned around and found me a room. She put a good word in for me and made sure I got a very nice room. Thanks Lucy and enjoy the psychic. So I typed up this long Blog while sitting in the hotel bar enjoying the above drink. I haven't drunk on the trip but tonight, this went down a treat. Lucy, I hope Darren comes home with armfuls of gifts and a wallet full of winnings. Thank you! And I don't just mean for the room. It's the golden moments like meeting Lucy and finding Mousehole and machinehead trying so hard to help and all the motivational texts from my mates (you know who you are) and Debbie's support that make all the crap less important than all the good stuff. It's been a long day and I've hardly moved. But it feels like the biggest day of the journey so far. I wonder what tomorrow will bring...

Plan B

It seems my joy may have been premature. Sat nav is doing everything but picking up a satellite signal. So not much use then. I'm well late having spent an hour wandering round Sale (which is the dump I found myself in last night) trying to fine this atlas. Will plug the sat nav in in case it recovers but for now I'm all 20th century and resorting to a book to find my way!

Yay!

It's back! 2 hours on the radiator and it seems to have recovered. The screen isn't right but it seems usable which is the main thing. Phew! Can't wait to get away from here. There have been joyriders pulling hand brake turns and wheelspins in the car park next door. Please let the bike be safe. Mousehole feels a million miles away...

Why?

I'd like to get my hands on the forecaster who predicted an unusually hot summer due to increased solar flare activity. My arse. This is me attempting to dry my stuff out. Note the sat nav sitting over the heater. Yes, it was so wet today that my allegedly waterproof satnav filled with water and died in the middle of a shitty area of some god-forsaken part of Manchester. Luckily a passing driving instructor saw me stop and pulled in to check I was OK. She managed to point me in the right general direction and I found a hotel to stop in. My biking gear is soaked through. I've forgotten what it's like to feel my hands. I'm doing this because I wanted to do something cool and fun. But it's become something else entirely. If the satnav doesn't recover I don't know that I can continue. The whole thing was planned in there. The great British weather strikes again. Global warming? I don't think so.

Billy No Mates Again!

Arrived at the Cat and Fiddle. In the peeing rain. For a change. Massive biker haunt normally. Just of and 2 staff! I'm soaked and I've got further to go today. I am doing this for fun. I am doing this for fun. I am doing this for fun.

Luckily the back up vehicle hasn't been necessary so far...

Shakespeare's Birthplace

Shakespeare was a lucky baby to be born here. There's a great shopping centre, a funfair just down the road and he must never have run out of personalised stationery.

Gorge-ous

Sorry. Couldn't resist that. This is a great biking road. Sadly wet (for a change) but still fun. While taking this pic an American man came to chat. He's a biker too. Loved the bike and the mirrors! He knew his bikes too as he said he was sure they didn't have this model over there. His parting comment: 'wish I'd left the wife and brought my bike'!

Say Cheese!

Cheddar at last. Thought I'd never make it tonight. The weather has been awful. It started out so well with patches of blue and no wind but about 20 miles North of Lands End and that all changed. The skies opened. It's been hard going in terrible conditions at times but it's all good character building stuff. This is proving to be a bit harder than I thought it would be but the weather is probably playing a large part in that. I'm now behind schedule but I think I should be able to catch up. 10 out of 10 to N3rdy for meeting me here. I didn't expect to see him given the rain (knowing how he protects his pride and joy - his bike I mean) but it was great to see a friendly face. He was too camera-shy to be photographed but consented to his bike being pictured. His is the clean one. Mine is starting to look like something out of Mad Max! Today's most interesting moment was when I tried to find a petrol station using my Sat Nav. It took me down some gravel strewn single track road with weeds and grass growing through the surface. Real fun on a bike - not. Then I got to where this petrol station was supposed to be. Guess what. Not a sign of it. Ended up having to go back along that same road. Then ended up filling up at a huge petrol station that Mr TomTom says doesn't exist! Yes I said it. Gadgets aren't always perfect. (This is actually last night's Blog but it wouldn't let me send it).

Well you can't come to Cornwall and not do it!

Stopped off at Tintagel with the intention of seeing the castle. But it's peeing down and there's a Land Rover service to get there! Time's ticking on so I decided a cream tea was the better option. I've already given up on reaching Stratford Upon Avon tonight and have decided instead to stay tonight in Cheddar. I was partly delayed by my (admittedly sad) decision to visit the Doctor Who exhibition at Land's End. Well, you see one castle, you've seen 'em all!

Actually I Lied!

The last picture was the signpost. This one is the start/finish line!

Here goes!

Well, it was with genuine regret that I left Mousehole but here I am at the most famous start/finish line in Britain.

I'm Never Leaving Mousehole

What a surprise! I only came here because I loved the name, and now I love the place. It's a beautiful little coastal town, and I have lucked upon the most stunning hotel I have ever stayed in. The picture is the view from the private terrace that is part of my SUITE!!! It's unbelievable. And after 8 hours on the bike (a 10 hour day in total) I am now going for a soak in my JACUZZI! The hotel is called The Old Coastguard. Please stay here if you ever have the opportunity. Today was hard work. The toughest day I have scheduled, but suddenly I don't care. It's impossible to be grumpy here. Yes, even for me!

Some rocks

What is the wind speed today? At times it felt like about 120 mph! Made it to Stonehenge anyway. Quietly impressive! I keep thinking of that 70's BBC series of Quatermass. 'huffity puffity Ringstone Round, if you lose your hat it will never be found'. When it blows here, it really blows! All adds to the spooky atmosphere though. Glad I stopped off here. Next stop, Mousehole!

Aaaaaaahhh

That hit the spot. Another eventful morning. Started off by receiving a reminder of what happens when you ride off with the disc lock still attached. Still, on the bright side, I discovered that I can lift the bike up unaided. Amazing what a mixture of embarrassment and adrenaline will do for you. Oops! Then a 3 hour ride through near monsoon conditions. Was supposed to meet up with Roadrunner from my biking forum today, but the weather put him off. Don't blame you mate! Cappuccino and sandwich and I'll be off again. It's a tougher day today. 8 hours and nearly 400 miles to cover. Next stop Stonehenge. Oh, by the way, I probably owe the people of Nottingham an apology. Didn't like the place much to be honest, but the people I met were lovely, even the ones with green hair.

What 6 hours on a bike will do to you

Well, day one over safely. In a way, I'm glad I did this on my own because for the first half I rode like a wimp. Not sure if it was fear of spotty teenagers on roundabouts or just not wanting to do something stupid right at the start! I improved though and started to enjoy it more after the chalk horse. The guest house I was planning to stay at in Nottingham wouldn't open the door so I've had to resort to a Travel Inn. Yech. Main things I've learned today are that buses should not attempt 3 point turns on country roads (especially ones that are narrower than the length of the bus), motorcycle boots are not good for walking in and I am never coming back to Nottingham. On schedule so far, but tomorrow's a more demanding timetable I think.

A very talented man

.Nuff said!

Just for Debbie's mum

No trip would be complete without a cow. If you look really close in the upper left corner you can see Len running away.

The Family of Man

I really liked this group of sculptures, even he one of them did look suspiciously like a speed camera.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

This place is well worth a visit. Basically, it's just a big country park with sculptures hidden amongst the trees. A real place of surprises. You just keep finding new things. Very friendly staff too. I loved the Andy Goldworthy exhibits. This is one of the most formal and one of the few you can photograph. His other stuff is amazing. The next few blog entries will be of other sculptures here.

What's missing from this picture?

Those early graffiti artists were pretty impressive. But I'm sure horses have heads. Unless whichever group made this were the forerunners of the mafia.

He's off!

Well, repairs completed (thanks again wideload) and off I go. After fond farewells to Debbie and the dogs - god I'll miss those dogs (just kidding Debbie!) - I finally hit the road. Hopefully not literally!

The Itinerary

Well, after much headscratching and puzzlement, I've decided on a route (click the map above for a large version). The idea was to incorporate breaks every 3 hours at most, with something to see at each place. It was also planned to incorporate some "interesting" roads, such as the road up to the Cat and Fiddle, as well as a stop off at my parents' house in Scotland. Rough timetable (and I do mean rough!) is:-

Day 1 (Sun): Leave Newcastle

Stop off at Chalk Horse in Sutton bank

Stop off at open air Sculpture exhibition (maybe bad idea - Bank Holiday weekend)

Spend night in Nottingham

Day 2 (Mon): Stop off at Stonehenge

Spend the night in Mousehole (just because I loved the name)

Day 3 (Tue): Short trip to Land's End

Stop off at Tintagel Castle

Travel through Cheddar Gorge

Spend night in Stratford Upon Avon

Day 4 (Wed): Lunch at the Cat & Fiddle (biker pub)

Stop off at the Ribble Valley (probably Whalley)

Spend the night in Ambleside

Day 5 (Thu): Stop at Drumlanrig Castle

Spend the night in Larkhall at my parents'

Day 6 (Fri): Stop off at Loch Lomondside for many pictures (I love Loch Lomond)

Stop off at Glencoe

Stop off at Dunvegan Castle

Spend the night on the Isle of Skye

Day 7 (Sat): Stop off at Strathpeffer

Stop off at the Black Isle

Arrive John O'Groats!

Day 8 (Sun): Stop off in Inverness

Spend night at Pitlochry

Day 9 (Mon): Cross Forth Bridge

Stop off in Melrose

Arrive back in Newcastle

Total Distance Covered: 2315 miles

Sounds easy!

A Perfect Start

Yes, 7 days prior to setting off, this is what some kind soul did to me on a roundabout. Seemingly, the whole trip would have to be cancelled primarily due to the rear brake pedal being snapped off. However, a guardian angel appeared in the form of a member of my biking forum (www.suzuki-gsr.co.uk) who had a spare one, lived near me and was willing to donate it. Wideload, you are a saint!