Home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wouldn't have been right for the final 50 miles to go smoothy.

Off from an empty Bedford at 8.30am, roads very snowy and the air freezing with misty patches. Actually found that the safest way to make progress was to cycle on the other side of the road so that any traffic would be coming towards me, giving me a chance to get off the road. Very snowy roads for 10 miles or so then . . . .

The first puncture! Great!

Eventually got that one fixed. Cycled on. Northampton - puncture number 2, or so I thought. Same tyre flat but coudn't find a hole once the inner tube was out. Onward.

4 miles before Daventry, tyre flat again. Out with a kinked inner tube and inflation. Thinking that this would be a regular requirement for the rest of the way, set off expecting another deflation. By now the journey had taken 5 hours. Guess what? No more problems, well not from the tyre anyway. Only problem now was the slushy, frozen snow on the roads but at least traffic was sparse.

Never so happy to see a county sign but the blue bear of Warwickshire came up as did a huge cheer and a few tears. Home.

Actually had another ten miles to go and the impacted snow on the road bewtween Leamington and Warwick almost had me falling off. Incredible how my balance has improved over the year. Can I call myself a cyclist now?

Time for reflection. Time for thanks and time for recuperation but not just yet. Iceland gull and Long-eared owl to find.

Back now clean, fed and sitting listening to Pink Floyd's Money live from the Pulse tour on Youtube. With my wonderful parents again. Done it!

Love to everyone,

Gary