A view from the support vehicle - or – ‘Did I really commit myself to this?’

It’s all over now . . . well . . . no! Fundraising continues and the target from this venture to raise £10,000 must be reached. We, Bob, Dot and I, didn’t get saddle sore, neither did our legs have to make constant circular motions to propel us forward, not least of all up some of the most horrendous hills that Scotland and the north of England can provide (although I am sure there are much worse!). That was what the boys had and did. It’s for them and their fortitude through, drizzle, rain, mist and sun that this target needs to be reached to reward their contribution to raising this sum for the Oxford Transplant Foundation.

When I was asked to be a part of the support team I readily accepted knowing what the cycle ride was setting out to achieve. I did wonder at the audacity of the proposal – for relatively inexperienced cyclists to cover such a distance over such terrain in the time scale set down. And the support team was only armed with common sense not having performed a like duty on this scale previously, (maybe even that common sense had deserted us having agreed to this in the first place?!). But we all did it! Yes, there were a few grumbles on the way, but topography had dictated the inclines (as well as the declines) and there was no way we could flatten the contours.

Armed with a not exactly new transit van but one with a relatively low mileage, the journey up to was made without any hitch. Along with six bicycles, in various states of disassembly, one large and two small tents, sleeping bags and luggage for nine people together with the provisions and gear for making hot food and drinks and miscellaneous other bits and pieces (including a filing cabinet and a chest of drawers!), it was a tight squeeze. The chest of drawers was destined for Dot’s brother and sister in law, to be dropped off on the way up – that would give us more space  . . . . but for the fact that we took on board ‘in exchange’ an all singing, all dancing electric lounge chair for Bob to take home. Perhaps we should have left it for another day, but it did get home undamaged even though we had to pack everything else around it!

As for the filing cabinet – well, it did provide security for papers, wallets etc. – but it was rather big?????

The support team and the first four cyclists (Brian (the initiator of the venture), Martin (Brian’s older brother and reluctant hill climber), Paul (Spinney)(the quiet and totally uncomplaining one) and Andrew (we ran out of yellow jersey’s in his size) arrived in Scotland at friends Maureen and Harry (they are used to hoards of friends from across the border coming to stay – usually for a raucous New Year) for the last night of a painless existence – well, at least for the next seven days (and possibly beyond).

Having visited the Broughty Ferry Surgery andNinewellsHospitalinDundeeon Saturday 16^th August, the serious cycling began. It only took some 25 miles before there were the two punctures. Planned that we were never too far ahead or behind the cyclists, we were able to go back down the road and effect a rescue. Just getting Martin back on the road, the call came from Andrew informing us he had a puncture up ahead, so off we went. I think we were all impressed (even of our own early signs of  expertise) with the efficiency of the ‘rescue patrol’ and it was pleasing to show early that we were up to the support role which in turn gave the lads confidence we would not be far away in case of emergency - or for nutritional replenishment.

Stopping every 25 miles or so for water top-up, food and probably most of all, especially after the earlier longer and steeper hills, a respite, the pattern for the six days was quickly established. It was only after many rounds of sandwiches on the first day that we started to set up a roadside café to engage in the making of gourmet meals at lunchtime at the side of the road. Fortunately requests did not extend our limited expertise into the field of cordon bleu – there is a limit as to what one can do on one gas ring for up to nine people, when also ensuring that everyone had a hot drink as well! So, heated up tins of baked beans and sausages and pasta parcels were much welcomed after the first forty miles or so each day as well as the great British (Ceylon) cup of tea.

The five star treatment meted out to the cyclists by the support team took a slight knock on the first night! I had been assured when I signed the contract for this venture that night time accommodation would be itself of a first class nature – but I hadn’t realised that I was to be so close to nature, for that first night was spent in the middle of a field! If the truth be known I didn’t have a contract and so had to accept the consequences of my folly!

Actually it was an idyllic camp site with good, clean facilities and a first class pub/restaurant just outside the site. After pitching the eight man tent in rather blowy weather with rather small steel pegs which hit a stone layer under the soil only some two inches down, (we only found the right pegs in the bottom of the filing cabinet after we had returned home!) we made for the pub for an excellent meal and pondered over the first day!

The next night for the boys was at the top of one of the longer hills of the journey at The Feathers Inn, Hedley on the Hill, while the support team made their way back to Dot’s brother and sister in law’s home near Haltwhistle. At least the next day for the cyclists was downhill for the first mile or two.

Having felt for the cyclists at the bottom of each steep incline the third day gave us another cause for concern – the A1 is a rather busy road with a number of lorries and white van drivers proving to be a scourge for cyclists. The lack of courtesy exhibited by some drivers to cyclists, even when they were travelling on the inside of the white line at the side of the road, was pitiful and even disgraceful. But although travelling some 23 miles on this death trap they were able to make up time and came through at the end unscathed.

Harrogate proved to be a welcome stop for us all. But too late for tea at Betty’s! Accommodation at Travel Lodges is simple and clean without any trappings of luxury and no real breakfast – certainly not one which provides energy and stamina for a gruelling day ahead on a bike, especially when you need that extra energy to go that further distance when you take the wrong turn – lost inLeedsand stymied inSheffield! It was also disconcerting for the support team trying to find their way through large towns and cities when road signs suddenly leave you in the lurch not mentioning the road you have been religiously following at an important crossroads. InLeedswe all took the ‘wrong’ turn and ended up together slightly away from where we should have been.Sheffieldproved no better but again we all came together without too much anxiety – aren’t mobile phones and a map in the support vehicle wonderful?!

It was rather late when approachingNottinghamon this, the fourth day. The support team took a management decision to halt two of the cyclists some 10 miles to the north ofNottingham– dusk was rapidly turning into an early night with light rapidly fading – and take them in the support vehicle intoNottingham. To their credit they went back to the place where they had stopped the next day and rode in that last ten miles – even though that was their one rest day! And the fire alarm had sounded some minutes before 8.00 a.m. that morning with an evacuation of the Travel Lodge, raising them from a looked forward to, well deserved lie-in! Such is the resilience of the young!!!!

Third brother, heavyweight Simon, and another friend, another Martin (with the expression - don’t know quite why I let myself in for this) joined us inNottingham. Simon’s mountain bike – albeit equipped with road tyres – did the job – and more, since he decided to go on a frolic of his own around Northampton and, albeit having been travelling in a southerly direction all day from Nottingham, decided that a visit to Kettering (going back north instead of continuing south) would be a nice bonus!!!! The support team drove from just outside Towester, where we were staying the night, around Northampton (where, to be fair, all of us once again had lost the plot journeying with the aid of a non existent road sign at a crucial point – it was just that Simon had to go that one step further – actually 12 miles) to fetch a bedraggled lad back to Towester for another Travel Lodge extravaganza.

The last day required a degree of accurate timing – to arrive at theOxfordChurchillHospitalat 11.00 for a reception. So Martin (the brother one) decided to have an early puncture, not just one, but two (the second happening when blowing up the first replacement inner tube – not sure what went wrong there!). Back on the road both he and Paul made up some time and arrived at the hospital not too late after everyone else. It wasn’t so difficult for the support team to make sure they arrived on time!

Next stop was theRoyalBerkshireHospital– the van amongst all the smart saloon cars looked as if it might be the patient waiting in the car park. Here the Press was out in force. Both Bob, and Brian and (brother) Martin were interviewed and the whole team posed for photographs and were entertained in the hospital with a hot drink, muffins and a cake specially made and decorated by one of the nurses, after which the final leg of the cycle ride led to the Birch Hill Surgery in Bracknell.

All in all a very worthwhile experience – for all of us, but particular

congratulations to all the lads on their achievement, some of it coming through adversity (big hills!), getting lost (one more than others!); much enjoyable (hills sloping down and flat bits of road), camping out for that one night (well, you do have to look on the bright side – the tent didn’t blow away!), a hotel evacuation – that also has its funny side – but above all the satisfaction that the challenge was met with good heart. But – and this is to all who are reading this – the fundraising must continue! Please give generously to a worthy cause and in doing so give your congratulations to the six lads who all rose to the occasion.

And now Bob can relax in that electric lounge chair we so carefully looked after over some 730 miles!

Peter H (Support – and now in need of it!)