and finally, Monday 15th!

Didn't want to get going today. People at the camp site sponsored me five quid. Towards Redruth and then Penzance. 30m in 3 hrs. Had to wait for Pete, so crossed walkway to St Michael's Mount. Pretended to be J and National Trust member and climbed up to see castle. She pretended to be Steve! Then left for last 12 miles. Not as hilly as last year! Registered and took photos, before going for a meal with the family. Also forty quid from strangers! Jenny has earnt her freedom! Thanks also to Molly, Peter and the family for letting me do it, and Alan the blog! And to all the people who have donated money. So 936m in 15 days and 3 mountains ~ what next?     

(Jenny) Brenda cycled into Land's End shortly after 3.30pm today. She was met by Peter, Jessie, Harry, Charlie, Steve and Molly. She is driving Molly back to Kingsbridge and will probably be updating blog at midnight. Thanks to everyone for their messages of encouragement. Not too sure what David meant by 'why stop now?' ~ did he expect us to cycle on water? i have been given my freedom and will take a while to adjust ...

Sunday

(Jenny) After serving my master with orange juice, yoghurt, scrambled eggs and tea in bed I packed up the tent, said goodbye to Mary and took the morning off. Went for a lovely walk from Fingle Bridge to Castle Drogo and back. Nice to get away from the old dragon (B) for a while. Must go ~ she who must be obeyed calls! 

My turn! Then we went to the Jamaica Inn for a cream tea. I presented Jenny with some newly acquired road kill! I have been over lots of dead hegdehogs and rabbits, so today I found a fluffy dog and a rabbit which I gave her ~ shame about the real road kill though. Jenny still has lots of gas but I draw the line at her cooking and eating badger! 

Anyway last find was heaven sent ~ a beanie neck pillow, just made for my saddle! It helped so much with the 75.78 of uphill today! Jenny said I should wear it inside my trousers and create my own cycling shorts! Anyway past Indian Queens, on our way to Redruth and the finish in sight tomorrow!

Saturday

Left campsite heading towards Taunton. Thought I was going particularly fast at 53 until I realised I had changed setting to km per hour instead of mph. Therefore 111.48km is today's distance; how many miles is that? Disadvantage of this was that my 10 mile stops came round sooner so don't think I was burning as many cals as I was taking in today!

Past Wellington and joined the Great Western Canal to Tiverton. Canal was best yet; lovely path and views and saw horse drawn barge. Stopped for coffee in a barge. (I was there too! Jenny) 

There where loads of hills this afternoon. Measured 9 on Brendas richter scale of hills, same as Chittleford in Widecombe. Devon is definitely the worst place for hills! It took ages to get to Crediton. Now camping at Crockenwell at Mary's old house. Family joined Jenny & I this evening for a chinese meal in the tent.

Jessie wrote this due to Brenda's slow texting.!

Friday PM

Forgot to say, Jenny must be missing work as she was keen to brush up on her First Aid yesterday when my leg was bleeding. Wouldn't let her ~ might hurt! Given two quid today by a man who showed me a quicker way. Hills and scary traffic today but lovely eve. Crossed Severn Bridge and going through Bristol happened upon a hot air balloon festival! Bit distracted by that and an ice cream van! Cycled on to near Cheddar and another fulfilled wish 101.5m! I knew those o's would come in handy!

Friday AM

Left Ludlow early. Equestrian centre. Slept in car, lovely views by day and night. On to Leminster ~ have left out the 'o' as it is not 'Leo' ~ what a waste of o's! I could have used them at the end of my donations to my website or for my daily mileage! Sooo ... Hereford, Monmouth and now heading for Chepstow 45m. Thought I had trained J well yesterday when she stopped at 20.01m, but today stopped on hill! Awful hills ~ just like home.

Thursday PM

Jogled along canal path today. Very reluctant to renew my membership to the Baboon Club! We were doing great baboon impersonations yesterday to stop ourselves getting blown off the mountain - keeping down low. After the canal I was held up with awful wind! S Westerly as I was warned. Escaped another wasp sting, which flew down my clothes and then finally hit the wall mid afternoon. Had hands facing the wrong way for a rest, misjudged a turn and hit leg! Another lovely bruise!  On to Shrewsbury, visited friend later and now stopped overlooking Ludlow Castle - 68.14m today.        

(Jenny) Brenda apparently was negotiating a lift from one side of canal to other on a narrowboat when somebody pointed out the bridge ! I think she was disappointed.

Thursday AM

(Jenny) Thursday 1.30pm Brenda and I would like to thank Jean and Rod, Christine and Tony, Chris and John for letting us stay at their homes and for being so helpful. Today Brenda cycled the Shropshire Union Canal between Nantwich and Market Drayton. Slower than road but safer.

Today I have worked hard in my encouraging role and have had to use the little whippy stick for the first time ~ thanks for that Jessie!

Wednesday

Persistently raining all day. Tried Snowdon; not right to top as worried about getting blown off! Jenny is always getting wet! Restarting at Nantwich tomorrow.

Tuesday PM

Warrington this afternoon to Nantwich so I can do Shropshire Union Canal Thursday. Off to Newcastle under Lyme to stay with more of J's friends ~ good job she's got some! Completed my challenge today ~ ate all 4! I'm avoiding cramp, which I had before leaving, by making sure I top up with electrolytes. As with the strawberries, thought I was a bit lacking in chelsea buns!

Tuesday AM

Nice stay in a caravan in Warrington. Returned to Croston near Eccleston to start. Have gone through Wigan to Warrington. Seemed such a long way by car. No overtaking cyclists today. Have consoled myself with the fact that Big Peaks bike shop thought that my old bike would cause me to use at least 25% more energy. Will tell them if I can catch them! Haven't got off at any hills though and barely used bottom set of gears!  Going far too fast so taking another day off tomorrow to complete the 3 Peaks Challenge. Today's challenge is to eat all 4 chelsea buns that I bought this morning! Jenny seems to be worried about her figure, I'm worried about her getting pressure sores from all this driving so I give her lots to do! Don't want her joining the Baboon Club!

Sunday & Monday

Took Sunday off and decided to have an easy day and put our feet up on Scafell Pike! Hideous drive there up a road called Hardknott Pass. Jenny obviously wanted to make another dream come true for me as I have had similar nightmares of driving up such steep hills, that the car falls off them!  Hair pin bends, steep drops and blind summits, brilliant!

Stayed second night with Jean and Rod and then left Penrith Monday 7am to drive to Kendal and started from where I left off on Saturday.  Pretty flat to Lancaster and then directed the wrong way to find the Lancaster Canal, so took me a while to sort out. Canal was not tarmac the whole way and soon became grass or mud!  Still it was flat so continued about 35-40m. 8 herons seen. Also warned about 4 large rottweilers;  man said "Don't get off your bike"  Why not?  And "They won't touch you".  Each one ran straight at me!  Also got stung by a wasp. Funny Jenny said about covering my cycle helmets holes in case of this; this one went inside my glove.  A lucky escape, as very like when the dog got bitten by an adder, I'd just stopped for a wee!  Anyway, after sting, all other pains forgotten!
Canal finished at Preston and I followed Jenny out towards Wigan, finally both getting lost and giving up at 70miles.  Picked me up and took me to Warrington to stay the night at Steve's cousins.

(Jenny)
Roads liable to icing - good for confectionary trade I suppose! Just want to write: I have never got lost - but someone here can't map-read!!

Saturday

Left at 7.30 from Bruce's Cave. Jenny thinks I've got OCD as I have to stop for breaks in multiples of 10 miles! Mileage yesterday 75.01 (having cycled round the campground to make up the 75; OCD again?!). Given 10 quid by campsite owner for Starlight. Also given free hot crumpet at Premier Inn when asking the way.

Heavy rain this morning. Map soaking and hard to read; wet feet and gloves that are serving two useful functions. Jenny says snail trails snot acceptable! Tan on legs is really the beginning of trench foot!  Pub lunch outside Penrith.

Continued Penrith to Shap in rain with feet inside plastic sandwich bags, not to be re~used! Returning to Penrith by car to sleep in a proper bed tonight (molly's friends) and taking a day off tomorrow (Sunday).

Friday PM

Jenny had fun shopping in Moffat. Revived me with strawberries and then I flew to Lockerbie and on to Robert the Bruce's cave and campsite not far from Gretna Green. Jenny is washing my extremely smelly socks while I put my feet up!

Friday 5th AM

Horrible headache today. Decided to take minor roads but like cycle routes, ran out of signs. Never found Uddington where we were headed. Lost Jenny too! Went to Abington - the highest village in Scotland, which I'm glad to say I didn't have to climb any higher. Put some sunglasses on to help the headache. Think they magnified a bit too, which made everything seem a lot nearer, but I became terrified I would fall off from such a height and I didn't dare look at the hills! On to Moffat and Carlisle ...

Thursday 4th PM

This morning cycled along the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond that took forever in the rain. Took tea beside the bonnie braes. Crossed the Erskine Bridge and Jenny guided me through Glasgow and Paisley to East Kilbride. After that it was countryside but nowhere to stay for night! 

(Jenny) Feeling teed off tonight because we are staying at a golf course, and the two of us will be out clubbing. Brenda has decided today she could never have done this without me. yippee! please send marigolds ~ my chores are endless!

Thursday 4th AM

Left Tyndrum in rain today and rain has just stopped. Wet feet, otherwise doing well. Decided after 3 days to join the Baboon Club (!), as although it is at great personal cost, I am sure that I now meet the criteria!  Have tried several overgrown cycle paths and so, with wet clothes, feel personally responsible for the spread of ragwort in Scotland...

Tuesday covered 83 miles; lost Jenny in Inverness and first hallucinations kicked in, seeing people & cars I thought I knew! Today left Fort Augustus along Caladonian Canal. Lots of wind farms in Scotland! Bit distracted by wild raspberries and more deer. Passed Loch Lochy, and then Linnhe to Fort William. Lift to see Neptune's Staircase. On up to Glencoe; 8m hill! Hallucinations (again) getting worse as uphill looked like downhill! Don't appear to be getting any major headwind, although I think that sometimes I am going so fast I am creating my own wind! Jenny reckons my toilet humour "knows no bounds"! Anyway, got to Tyndrum, 82m covered, near Crianlarich.

1st August

Camped at jog last night. Up at 6, left 7.3o in rain. Have passed 4men, pushing up steep hill. Was beginning to think i should change my challenge 2 the 3 peaks as i passed much more people on ben nevis!  did 75m today and sleeping in car near golspie. Wet mattress as water carrier has leaked! Legs aching but no cramp. Hope i can move tomorrow!