Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. Please dig deep and sponsor me online.

I am celebrating the arrival of my bus pass by growing old disgracefully. This year I have already completed the Swimathon and a midsummer coast to coast duathlon, the "Highland Cross", for charity.  The "Cross" involved a little mountain walk of 20 miles followed by a 30 mile cycle ride .  (Read all about it on  http://returnofthepinkpanters.blogspot.com/   )   

I am now training for the third part of my self imposed "triple whammy" and plan to donate all my sponsor money for this next event to MacMillan Cancer Care.

My plan is to cycle to the 4 Compass Points of the British mainland (The Lizard, Lowestoft, Ardnamurchan Point and Dunnet Head.)     The trip  will be made almost completely solo and unsupported. I hope to cover the 1300 miles in 3 weeks, starting on 28th August.  (My daughter will be checkpointing at weekends, just to keep an eye on her old mum!)

My husband has been fighting prostate cancer for the last two years and cancer has also touched the lives of several close friends and loved ones, so MacMillan is a charity close to my heart.  This is by way of a thank you to all who have supported us.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Macmillan Cancer Support will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

So please sponsor me now!

Many thanks for your support.

Sunday26th August Train Inverness to Edinburgh. Felt very alone as the train pulled out of Inverness. Cheered by a battery of texts which arrived from the Tai Chi girls.Spent journey wondering how I could reduce weight in panniers...only conclusion was to eat all the emergency rations...not a good idea. Nice evening with Hil and Dave

Monday 27th August Train Edinburgh to Penzance.  Braved the Edinburgh morning rush hour...that spare underwear was not excess baggage then!!. Nice uneventful journey, but LONG. Settled into Penzance YH for the night....so tomorrow it all starts folks.

Tuesday 28th August Penzance to Truro, via the Lizard - 57.5 miles. The lady in the dormitory with me was full of the cold...I hope she has not passed it on! Cornwall still has hills. Traffic seriously scarey - glad I had spare cycle shorts too! Sunbathed my lunchtime at the Lizard. Discovered that the owner of the Truro hostel was a member of the UKs most Southerly Hash, so gave greetings from the most Northerly Hash.

Todays lesson:- Cars hunt in packs of 4 or 5 at 1 minute intervals.

Wednesday 29th August Truro to Launceston - 54.1 miles. Somewhat less traumatic traffic-wise. Lovely run over Bodmin. "Granny"  working overtime. Got totally confused by Cornish roads. Met up with Sara briefly and in the evening Andrew and Jo' took me for a nice meal.

Todays lesson:- Signposts speak with forked tongue. 

Thursday 30th August  Launceston to Tiverton - 60.5 miles. Left lovely B&B in Middle Tremolllett, where the landlady gave a generous donation to the fund.  Hard to get going this morning and it was a long hilly day. "Granny" finally died - but a nice bike shop did the necessary - also advised a less hilly route.  Howerver, after my fun in Cornwall, I decided to stick to the main roads......and discovered that he was probably right!  The weather is still holding - Great.

Todays lesson:- What goes down then goes UP!!

Friday 31st August   Tiverton to Bristol - 73.9 hard miles -  Delay in completing log until had cup of tea and put feet up!   So much for the A38 being quiet! - however, compared with  day 1, anything is quiet........readers of Duncton Wood will understand "Roaring owls"!

Todays lesson:- Yellow saddle bag covers mean that cars give you an extra 1/2" space!!!

Saturday 1st September  Bristol to Ashbury - 55.1 miles.. A pleasant night with Dick and Helena........wine aids sleep.  Very slow getting away in the morning (?!) Major problems with gears - third engineer enlisted but this may become an ongoing saga!  Beautiful countryside, joined by Sara and she was better than any "Satnav"!

Todays lesson:- Late night = Slow day!!!

Sunday 2nd September  Ashbury to Shefford - 83.8 miles.  Kids running up and down YH corridors and setting the fire alarm off at 3am did NOT make for a good start to the day!!!  That said, it was a magical ride through the Chilterns.......and I found a tea shop to die for. This was a long day  and I could never have managed it but for Sara helping out by carrying the bags.......but I am now back on schedule.

Todays lesson:- When thinking of taking a cycle path always remember the Warrington Cycle Campaign website!   (http://www.warringtoncyclecampaign.co.uk/).

Monday 3rd September Shefford to Bury St Edmunds - 56.9 miles. Spent a very pleasant night chilling out with Beth's folk. Her dad came as navigator/companion for the first few miles today.  Steady progress through flat(ish!) countryside.... with some delightful, if confusing by-roads at the end.         Must sadly report that L knee is beginning to twinge alarmingly .

Todays lesson:-  English Youth Hostels need to be booked very well in advance!!!

Tuesday 4th September  Bury St Edmunds to  Yarmouth  - 70.9 miles.  Today went via NESS POINT (Furthest Easterly point - two down now and just two to go!). Delightful B&B last night at "Hilltop" in Bury St Edmunds - Mavis and Peter have been cyclists since before I was born! - and thanks for another generous donation to the pot .  This was a steady day in gentle gears - blue sky and leg seems to be standing up.

Todays lesson:-  I have just heard that Jane Tomlinson has died - That amazing woman makes my journey seem like a walk in the park. Please check-out her website

Wednesday 5th September Yarmouth to Long Sutton  - 81.3 miles. Traded adding distance for enjoying quieter roads. Had a beautiful run up through the North Broads. A steady head wind and a grumbling knee made the afternoon hard work. Hit Kings Lynn By-pass bang on rush hour - Oh! joy.

Todays Lesson:- Keep those wheels a turnin' and do a little more each day! (Apologies to Matt McGinn).

Thursday 6th September Long Sutton to Newark - 58.3 miles.  Michael's  comment that there really is no way of avoiding the A17, so you may as just put up with it...well that just about sums up the day!     Flat and lots of traffic - but at least headed North.

Todays Lesson:- If the movement of a butterflys wings can change the world.....................What can the back draught from an articulated lorry do?

                                                                                                                                                              Newarkto Friday 7th September -  Newark to York - a big day of 82.2 miles. Some mornings are harder to get going than others! A beautiful sunny day which was only slightly marred by a constant headwind  again. Was conned, yet again, by SUSTRANS - have to admit that the Selby to York  cycle path is very nice,,,,,,,,, but not if you in a hurry and on a tourer, which I was!

Todays Lesson:- Internet route planners may be very car friendly BUT add at least 15% to distances if you want bike friendly roads!

Saturday 8th September York- Clapham  67.9 miles.   Half way in days and Just Over half way in miles. Lovely B&B and the best Italian restaurant I have found in a long time. Beautiful day in lovely scenery - and with Sara carrying the bags, what more could a girl ask for?..............well actually, if someone could stop this headwind following me around life would be much, much better!

Todays lesson:- Everybody needs a "Saznav" to route find for them!

Sunday 9th September - Clapham to Carlisle 70.1 miles. There are thousands of motorcycles in Great Britain ... and they were all on the A65 this morning.  Well, that's Shap Fell out of the way and hopefully my last really big day out of the way for some time to come - unless I get hopelessly lost in Glasgow!

Todays sad  lesson of life :- When you don't want a tea shop they are everywhere but when you do want one they are not to be found !

Monday 10th September - Carlisle to Moffat 48.7 miles. Back in Scotland - Yipee!Carlisle must have the longest morning rush hour in Britain. Quite stiff after yesterday but a beautiful sunny day, so had a gentle tourist type potter....marred only by having to pedal all the downhills -  wish someone would switch of this wind machine!

Todays lesson:- Break a journey into small bits and it goes faster.

Tuesday 11th September - Moffat to Glasgow  64.1 miles. First rain of the trip so far - and that was actually more like a scotch mist, I have been so lucky with the weather. The wind relented somewhat today and the lack of "roaring owls" put my adrenalin level back to normal - at least until I hit Glasgow.  Met Martin, who acted as "domestique" for the last few miles. Talking of "domestiques" , I have been following the route of the Tour of Britain for the last four days - loads of jet propelled lycra about!

Todays lesson:-  Remember the tortoise and the hare.

Wednesday 12th September - Glasgow to Crianlarich YH - 54.3 miles. I must be heading homewards, I got bitten by ther midgies to-day!  A lovely gentle day, pottering along Loch Lomond side, I have to grudgingly admit that the West Loch Lomond cycle track is a vast improvement on the A82.

Todays lesson:- Find a quiet spot and just listen to the silence.

Thursday 13th September - Crianlarich YH to Oban YH - 42.2 miles. What a pleasant change to find a Youth Hostel with people who are really travelling and who are prepared to sit and have a natter. Steady day against the wind,which the knee didn't like much. Strange to think that I cycled this same part of the journey over 40 years ago as part  of my DofE  - and staying in these same hostels. Back then we got heat stroke problems, today was a bit more overcast but still as beautiful.  I stopped off at the Hydro Electric pump storage system at Cruachan and was pleasantly surprised to find that cyclists get in for free.

Todays lesson:- Don't get carried away yet! - there are still a couple of huge days to go!

Friday 14th September - Ferry from Oban to Craignure on Mull, thence to Tobermory - 24.3 miles. A bunch of Asian hostellers appeared last night, with a huge bag of fresh mussels and prawns and a live lobster.  While the rest of us opened our tins and looked on in envy, they proceeded to produce and serve a real gourmet meal. What should have been a gentle day was turned into a bit of an effort by the strong headwind ............... and the hills being much bigger than I remembered! However, blue skies and spectacular views out over the Sound of Mull more or less compensated.

Todays lesson:- Check the contours before assuming a gentle day from memory!!!

Saturday 15th September - Ferry from Tobermory to Kilchoan, thence back on the bike to Ardnamurchan   (Furthest Westerly point on the mainland....only one left to go now!) and then onwards to Strontian - 45.3 miles. Day got off to a good start with a donation from man on the ferry. The forecast was not good, so did not linger oe'r long at Ardnamurchan - but what a wonderful, wild, empty area it is. The rest of the day was, well - blustery! - but not as bad as expected.

Todays lesson:- Keep your eyes open! - Bloke with a huge telescope staring at an empty sea, while unseen above him an eagle was being mobbed by two ravens.

Sunday 16th September Strontian to Laggan  Locks 46.4miles                                  

 "Then doun cam a lashin' o' rain, like the wattest wat day in Lochaber". (W.D.Cocker)  A bunch of canoeists, hillwalkers and a cyclist all dripping wet last night in a bunkhouse with non real drying room...fun!  Despite todays rain made good progress with ....at last... a following wind.  Met the Barclays on the Corran ferry on their way home from Lochaline.  Great to meet John (and Skipper) at Spean Bridge. With the panniers safely in the car the bike fairly flew up to the Commando Memorial.

Todays Lesson:- Some car drivers are thicker than others, its just hard to spot the difference sometimes (nearly got wiped out on Loch Lochy side, still shaking)

Monday 17th September.   Laggan Locks to Evanton. 66.6 miles. Met "Fingal" locking up at Laggan and "Eilan Bhan" was moored at Dochgarroch, which served to remind me that I HAVE been wetter this year (but not much!!)  A mixed day of sunshine and showers with the wind all over the place. The Great Glen dodgem ride didn't seem too bad after the A17, which is more than can be said for the A9 from Tore to the Cromarty Bridge. More A9 tomorrow......whooopppeee!

Todays Lesson:- The miles seem to tick over much quicker on weel kent roads.

Tuesday 18th September.  Evanton to Badbea (no you wont find it on the road atlas) 56.4 miles.     Lovely to have a night in my own bed.  Snow on Ben Wyvis this morning......getting home just in time methinks.   Odd riding along one of my favourite training routes "for real".  With a tail wind and very little traffic even the A9 was almost enjoyable!  I always said that passing home would be difficult...have to admit I called in for a bacon butty!  Got Navidale Brae out of the way today which gives the knee a fighting chance for tomorrow.........and that brings us to......

Todays lesson:-  There is always a sting in the tail...roll on Berridale Braes...eat your heart out Cornish hills.

Wednesday 19th September.  Badbea to Dunnet Head 49.5 miles. Grand total 1370miles. Hit Berriedale before I had fully warmed up which took a lot out of the legs for the long breezy flog over the Causewaymire. However once past Thurso the wind was with me, and the best sight of the trip was at the top of the hill out of Thurso....Dunnet Bay spread out before me.....well maybe the very best sight was the lighthouse as I came round the last corner!  So thats it folks.. Dunnet, Done it.....(sorry, been waiting to say that for 3 weeks).   

A HUGE Thank You to everyone who has helped, supported, route planned, coached, bullied and donated. Without you all I would still be a quivering little heap 2 miles out of Penzance. As it is I have had an amazing journey. I wont name names, as surely I would leave someone out, but I really do appreciate so much support and kindness. I am very lucky.

 And the final lesson:- NEVER talk yourself into a corner that you can't extract yourself from. The next time I have a daft idea, for goodness sake will someone please sit on me!!!!