Monday 29th August Southfleet to Arrington

Wynne & Tony Creasy

We always knew Monday was going to be a bit of a challenge. Googlemaps said 70 miles, plus the Dartford Crossing to negotiate. After a slightly later than expected breakfast in no way related to the shenanigans in the pub the night before we said farewell to Wynne and Tony and headed off at about 9.30 towards the tunnel. Surprisingly the cycle route was quite well signposted and we found our way easily to the designated cycle crossing point. It didn't go quite so well after that. Eventually, after 2 phone calls to the security guys who take the bikes across, a landrover with a bike carrier arrived. No one got out so we put the bikes on the back and jumped in. Our escort can only be described as a grumpy sod. When we asked about how many bikes he took across, the response was "too bloody many, some people think I'm running a personal chauffeur service". He then took off like a maniac down the hard shoulder, and didn't say another word. I think it would have been unhelpful to point out to him that he was paid to take bikes across to the other side. This has seemingly always been a free 24/7 service ever since the tunnel was built. Once on the other side we met 3 less than sylph-like Mancunians going the other way. They, like us, were also on Day 3, but unlike us they had started from Manchester, and were doing 90 miles a day on main roads!

Mancunians loading bikes onto Mr Grumpy's Landrover

The next leg was up through the Ockendens to Brentwood, with a welcome coffee break with my parents-in-law, Colin and Dorothy. Then we met up with Phil from the Essex Roads cycle club, who guided us expertly through the rural byways into Hertfordshire as far as Puckeridge. By some quirk of fate we just happened to pass through the village of Moreton as the annual beer festival was taking place. Needless to say, that was the excuse for a mammoth ale sampling session, which improved Don's average somewhat (how lucky was that! - Don). Rather annoyingly the guy serving the beer was also a part-time gamekeeper and regaled me with stories of all the local birding rarities which I could have seen if I'd had more time. Phil left us at Standon after which we popped into the The Bell where we received a generous donation from two gentlemen at the bar.

What with the late start and the beer stops, we didn't get to the inn at Arrington until after 8.00, and the last hour along the A10 in the dark was a bit hairy, given that only Don has lights! Unfortunately they had neglected to tell us that they (like other pubs in the area apparently) don't serve food on bank holidays! Sarah, the manager, was incredibly helpful, and ordered us a takeaway from the nearest Indian, about 5 miles away. She also let us use the office PC for updating the blog. We also did quite well for donatation from punters at the bar, so thanks to Justin and the folk from the NT for that. Later, Don received a drubbing at pool , darts, and bar skittles (Martin just got lucky, AGAIN!! - Don) . He wisely turned down the offer of a game of Scrabble.