Day 8 - Sunday 7th July

The day dawns bright and beautiful over Edinburgh but we sleep blissfully on. I wake at 9 o'clock to find the Canns have only just got up too. Tim comes back from his night on the town and sets me down at a Safeway in Peebles where I set up the display and a collection box and then get the supplies in. The cyclists ride in at around three and we have a late lunch. We spend some more time looking at the route to Bristol. I think we need to aim at fifty miles per day to get there next weekend. A week ago I wouldn't have even contemplated suggesting it but now the kids just shrug n say "Yeah - no problem". Amazing. The schedule is now more convincing and we hope to stick to it barring major problems - have a look at it if you are hoping to join us for a while or would like to organise a welcome at one of the towns we will be passing thru. The final week will be a bit easier, finishing at Lands End the weekend after next. They set off again at around 5 and we follow with a small diversion to a downhill mountain bike course where Tim goes and plays for an hour. We find the camp site we were aiming for in the middle of nowhere in the Borders, its about 20 miles south of Peebles and about another 50 on to Carlisle. The countryside has changed noticably this side of Edinburgh, the hill sides are much greener and more formal fields as opposed to the wilder heather covered Highlands. Neither Orange or Vodaphone has coverage here so we cannot communicate with the riders nor check email/update the website. It starts to rain as we maneouvre the caravan and by the time Tim cycles off to meet them it is quite wet. Yesterdays health scares are behind us, Haby is much better today although she has had a nose bleed in the morning. Bow is a little 'sticky' and has more physio to shake the mucus from his lungs. He is still as active as ever - while everyone else chilled at lunch time he knicked Timotei's bike and went off practising hopping on and off kerbs !! I manage a little driving albeit just up and down the campsite to the laundry - I have perfected right hand gear changes !! We have had several offers of assistance from potential back up drivers. Thanks to all of you. Dolores is going to come up and meet us around Carlisle to help out with the remainder of my 'shift'. The kids add some words to their pages on the site. The rain has really set in by midnight - I hope its dry tomorrow. Today's 54 miles brings the total to 380 miles on day 8, highlights from the cyclists were seeing the oldest inhabited house in Scotland - it has been visited by 7 kings, rescuing a hedgehog & Jim getting pooed on by an adder. If you would like to send the Canns some words of encouragement please do - reading out the emails at breakfast is a great morale boost for them all.

Day 9 - Monday 8th July

Another blue sky dawns, the swarms of midges get us moving in record time and we moving at 8:40 - earliest yet. The Canns face the first serious headwinds for most of the morning while I set up the display at a Safeway in Lockerbie. Bow is definitely under the weather, he is polite and quiet at breakfast so obviously unwell, for the first time he lags behind and needs encouragement. Other than Jack the kids are exhausted by the time they get to me, they have a nap after lunch while we look at options for stopping this side of Carlisle. By the time we leave they have all recovered except for Calamaty who needs some hugs to get going...Tim and I hop from one camp site to the next as we are sure that they are going to make it. One of the problems of doing the support vehicle bit is not committing them to a longer cycle than they can cope with either physically or mentally. We settle on Gretna Green which is still just in Scotland. By the time they roll in Bow has fully recovered. It is a real relief to see him back to his old self - he has done the last few miles on Tim's bike, Tim on Haby's n poor old Haby relegated to Bow's !! Calamaty is feeling under the weather but by the time she's had dinner and a shower she seems to be fine - obviously not back to full health as she doesnt insult Jim at all. We have started to wind the publicity machine up a bit more, I get in touch with BBC radio Cumbria - we will at least get a mention on the news. Apparently Johnny Walker, a Radio 2 DJ, has been asking if anyone knows where the Canns are so there may be a mention on his show tomorrow. 47 miles today brings the total to 427.

Day 10 - Tuesday 9th July

A bright day again. All hands (except my left one) make quick work of dismantling the tent, preparing breakfast, washing dishes, servicing bikes and we are on the road in record time. Some discussion about whether to take the direct route down the A74 or use the cycle routes which will be less direct but safer and more pleasant and the decision is made to take the cycle route. Tim and I take the direct option which leads on to the M6 around Carlisle and park up at yet another Safeway at Penrith. The Canns run into problems with signposting on the cycle route, get slightly locationally challenged and tempers get a little fraught. Eventually they find us having cycled 50 odd miles, after lunch and a kip everyone is feeling much better and want to really push on. The only likely campsites are 10 miles south. Tim and I set up the caravan there - and then drive to Oxenholme station where Tim catches a train home and I pick up Dolores who has got the train from Exeter - she is going to drive for the next few days to finish off my 'shift' with me. Back to the site and dinner then we all get in the van to drive to Ullswater in the Lake District. This is the first time for ten days that they have travelled not under their own steam !! They have cycled an incredible 64 miles today bringing the total to 491 miles. Almost halfway. Apparently the funniest event on the road today was seeing Big Daddy end up on the road when his panniers caught a fence. These kids have no sympathy. Health scares seem behind us. Bow is back to his best, Jack hasnt mentioned knees for days, Haby is back on form and Calamaty is thinking that she may do the rest of the ride. Sam does have an attack of nappy rash - all the way down to her feet.

Day 11 - Wednesday 10th July

Again we have a beautiful blue sky to wake us. Jack is petting a lovely, fluffy little lamb when it bares its teeth and bites him. It actually punctures his finger nail !! Apparently Transylvannian sheep are considered a delicacy in the north. After patching him up we break camp and set off, Dolores is a little wary of towing the caravan at first but soon gets the hang of it. We wait at Kendall for the cyclists and have a snack with them. While tea is served I finally understand the Cann's naming process - my tea isnt quite sweet enough so I ask someone to pass me "..some sugar and or a spoon"- Sam mutters "Andorra-Spoon" and Jim says oh no she's getting broody... Progress has been a little slow this morning as they have been fighting a headwind, they were joined for a few miles by Snips - a fellow Devon hasher. Dolores and I get supplies in and then find a lunch spot a few miles north of Lancaster, we get some sad news from home, one of our baby goats died - condolences Fi. The sun is still shining tho apparently the rest of the country is wet. In Lancaster we borrow a flash card reader at Jessops (thanx Cliff) and download some photos from camera to PowerBook - there are some newspaper editors who have requested current pictures of the intrepid team. We also pop into the Lancaster Gazette and stir up some publicity. We stop for the night at a caravan site 10 miles south of Lancaster just off the A6. They have covered 50 miles on day 11, the total is now 541. We have a visit from Sue Taylor who gives the cyclists a much needed massage. Dolores also reikis some of the more sore muscles. The most remarkable things that happened today were that not only did it not rain but Jim stayed on his bike !!! The kids also learnt today that Flash Gran has had some part of her anatomy pierced, we have decided to have a sweepstake on where she has her new ring - Calamaty has chosen belly button, Haby tongue, Cappers upper left ear, Bow left nipple, Sam right little fingernail (?), Jim left eyebrow and Dolores nose. So who wins the six quid Squibby ?

Day 12 - Thursday 11th July

The blackest sky greets us this morning. The heavens open and the tent almost floats away - luckily we are in the caravan. The rain stops as we leave. In the van we meet another torrential downpour but the cyclists somehow stay dry all day. Dolores and I go to Ainsdale on the coast - this is where I lived as a kid. Back to the route and we meet the Canns on the A49 south of Wigan where we have lunch. Then its thru Warrington and we stop at a caravan site on the Leeds Liverpool canal. There we meet some Australian Hashers who are doing the End to End in the other direction - they are real impressed when they hear the mileages our lads are knocking out on a regular basis. The Canns are relieved to have got thru the worst of the urban areas. Dolores cooks a delicious lasagne - I think that the Canns are relieved I've done me shoulder in and we have a relief cook. After a couple of days of sunshine there are some burns, Haby's legs glow so much we could have fried eggs on em. Today Bow managed to bend his rear wheel in a collision with the barrier as we left the camp site, Jack took a tumble after a collision with Haby - some traffic lights took them by surprise - slick tyres and wet tarmac dont mix. 55 miles today makes the total 596.

Day 13 - Friday 12th July

Another perfect cycling day to wake up to. Bow again dismantles the tent Dolores and I are using - he is now putting it up and taking it down unaided, it is costing me the phenomenal sum of 50p per day. Dolores and I resupply at Whitchurch, I manage to get a cycle shop to detach Haby's SPDs from her shoes - they need to be adjusted and had rusted solid. We also bank some of the donations we have received on the way down. Just outside Whitchurch we park up at a trout fishery. Dolores knocks up an omelette which is a bit of a change from the lunchtime sandwiches supplied by the previous caterers.... Bow and Jim have a tussle in the caravan which leaves Jim with bite marks down his arm and Bow thrown out of the caravan window - apparently this is father/son bonding. Haby takes a photo of Calamaty attempting to apply cream to her nether regions - is nothing sacred ! On our way thru Shrewsbury we hear that the Canns have got totally drenched but enjoyed every minute of it, we set the caravan up about 10 miles south at All Stretton and Dolores takes my bike to go back and cycle with them for a bit. I am a little concerned not to see them after an hour or so - a phone call to Sam informs me that Jack has taken a tumble. Apparently his chain locked up while coming down a hill at speed - he hit a kerb and has cut his leg and grazed his face. Sam is relieved that it is no worse. He is soldiering on. I think Dolores's reiki powers will be called on again this evening. Despite this they still manage to cover 58 miles today bringing the running total to 654, just under two thirds of the way. When they arrive at the camp site the kids tell me that Jim has had a slap on the butt from a couple of ladies in Shrewsbury - they must have been right slappers. We pop into Church Stretton to see if we can hire a film on dvd, we ask one of the locals who must be into amateur dramatics - he all but falls over laughing before telling us that there is a Blockbuster 15 miles north and one 30 miles south. Luckily Jim realises that this must be the village idiot and stops at the Spar 100yds down the road where we hire Dr Dolittle 2. We set up an outside cinema back at the site and have a great laugh watching the film.

Day 14 - Saturday 13th July

The weather is still great when we get up, Calamaty awake early and has been to the top of the mountain that our campsite is part way up. I was supposed to go with her but she was unable to rouse me - first decent night's sleep I've had since mashing my shoulder. We take a while to finally get on the road, Dolores and I get one of the van tyres fixed - it has had a slow puncture for most of the trip. Just as we catch up with the cyclists again a car coming from the opposite direction swerves over and parks in the middle of the road - it's Madonna, one of the Kirton Hashers that we run with most Monday evenings. After some words of encouragement we are off thru the centre of Ludlow which Dolores proceeds to wake up with tunes on the horn as we slowly follow the Canns. It doesn't result in any donations but they are certainly aware of us!! We set up a lunch stop on a canal in Leominster (bizarrely pronounced Lemster) and enjoy a picnic in the afternoon sun while the kids fish (?) in the canal. Then on to a caravan site in Ross on Wye - we have just set the caravan up and Dolores has had a relaxing bath (yep a bath on a caravan site !! Only in the ladies tho - I haven't had a bath for over 2 weeks now) when we get a call from Sam - "Help, Calamaty has had a fall and her elbow is too painful to cycle any further". 10 miles of scenic (read bumpy) country lanes later and we meet up with a tearful Calamaty - messing about with Bow they have both come off - Calamaty has grazes everywhere and her left arm in a sling (copy cat), Bow of course is completely unscathed. A few phone calls later and we set off for Hereford Hospital as there are no X-ray facilities at Ross, the remaining Canns cycle off to the caravan. The hospital is not that easy to find - it was moved last week. We're not sure that the staff have been told its moved - not a single patient is seen for an hour and a half, we imagine the nurses sitting at the old hospital thinking "Hmm quiet night tonight". I get bored n go out to update the web site in the van. After 4 hours Calamaty finally hobbles out - the news is bad, not only has she broken a bone at the bottom of her elbow but they cant put it in plaster. It looks like her ride is over. She is really gutted. 59 miles travelled brings the total to 713 to date.

Words by Wheelie Bin aka Chris Wood - support vehicle driver

Week 1  Week 3  Photos

Bow-Jango's Diary  Capabilaty-Jack's Diary  Calamaty-Jayne's Diary  Haby-Blu's Diary