Wednesday 7 September - Big disappointment

Enid, David and Martin

Woke this morning still not feeling up to cycling but I have a cunning plan - I'll shadow Martin by train until I'm fit again - I hope that this is acceptable to sponsors.  (We  had agreed at the start that if one of us was unable to continue for any reason then the other would carry on). 

Having already lost a day, Martin needs to carry on, so after breakfast Enid, David and myself wished him  farewell. farewell

Then goodbye and many any thanks to Enid and David for putting up with the"invalid".



















A short bike ride into Carlisle City centre to collect my (still not completely charged) camera battery from Jessops whose charger is held together with elastic bands and sticky tape, my usual double esspresso followed by a couple of halves and lunch in Carlisle's oldest pub, The King's Head. 



This was one of the 363 pubs and 5 breweries which the Government acquired in 1916 in order to control drunkenness.  This was the "temporary" Carlisle Experiment which lasted 55 years until the State Management Scheme was abolished in 1971.

Unfortunately this was not my means of transport north!

Then on to the railway station where I was fortunate to see the steam train just in from the Settle - Carlisle run. 

And so on to the scheduled service to Kilmarnock looking out for a lone cyclist along the way!!

Felt a twinge of regret at crossing the border and into Gretna station at not pedalling through here.

A quick look around Kilmarnock and then a short but very soggy ride to Fenwick to the home of Barbara Morrison's daughter Susan Walker and her husband John.




Granny Susan with Finlay and Grace

  They had two of Barbara's great grandchildren with them and made me very welcome, and I've never seen antics like those performed by their mad greyhound Bonnie!!. 

As Susan and John are the proprietors of Walkers Cycling at Kilmaurs, Ayreshire, John gave my bike gears the once over and fitted a new rear derailleur which should make all the difference (beware of amateurs who think they can build bikes - I put my bike together myself!!!)

After a good meal, a glass of wine and and a shower I had a chance to gradually fall asleep over a computer.