I spent my day off yesterday reflecting on how I could tweak things to increase my enjoyment and reduce the nagging frustrations.
In my first four days I have stuck pretty rigidly to a book written specifically for covering LE2JOG. However, I have found it to be too cautious weaving through very quiet rural countryside road and I would prefer my journey and progress a little more directly and enjoy more interaction with others.
Therefore, I decided to rely on and use my cycling app Komoot a lot more. This proved 95% successful today as I covered my 83 miles in 9 hours inclusive of rest & energy stops. The early part skipped between National Cycle Routes 45 & 46 and canal towpaths.
However, my experience with the other 5% was a little bizarre. My cycling app has, what I think is a Home Counties public school educated TOFF barking instructions. I have to report that I may be displaying early signs of madness as I am finding that I am beginning to have a conversation with my posh companion. In fact, I’ve christened him Jeeves e.g. I was cycling along a road which my book map said to continue with, but Jeeves had other ideas and this is how it played out:
JEEVES: ‘Turn right’ (along a single dirt track in a forest)
SCOTT: ‘You are joking!’
JEEVES: ‘Turn right to continue the route!’
SCOTT: ‘Alright Chief ….. you better be right!’ (Scott gets talked into it)
JEEVES: Continue on the route
……… 15 minutes later
SCOTT: ‘Oh, bloody hell, I can’t believe I listened to you!’ (as Scott faces an increasingly treacherous surface, having persevered with Jeeves’ suggested off-road route for a couple of miles) and now regretted it.
Fortunately, I eventually found tarmac road soon after and continued with my journey. As I continued into the West Midlands, bypassing Wolverhampton and Telford, my journey took in wonderful agricultural land.
I stopped for lunch at The Crown pub in Albrighton and swung by the Royal Airforce National Museum, which is located on the outskirts of the town, for the obligatory photo.
A few miles further on is Lillieshall National Sports Centre for Excellence. This is where Sir Alf Ramsay brought his England team in preparation for some tournament they were hosting in 1966. More notably, this is where Mike Bassett, England Manager, brought his team ahead of preparation for the World Cup in Mexico 🙂
As I was making my way to Cheswardine I approach 3 x cyclists, kitted out with pannier bags. We got talking and it turns out they are also doing LE2JOG. Bradie, Tom and Jake are from Brighton. They have chosen to saviour their experience and take little longer than me in reaching John O’ Groats.
They are top guys and we would ride together for another 5 or 6 miles to Market Drayton, but they were heading for a camp site south of my destination of Nantwich. Who knows, I may bump into them again in the coming days, but they are taking a different route through Scotland.
I’m stopping over at The Crown Hotel in Nantwich which was rebuilt in 1582 after being burnt down.
I loved it with its quirky and wonky staircase up to the bedrooms and the hallway and bannisters which are all seriously uneven.
Today’s trivial facts
NO. OF MILES CYCLED TODAY : 83
MOMENT OF THE DAY: Meeting and cycling with fellow LE2JOG tourers – Bradie, Tom and Jake (Top Blokes!)
WEATHER: Dry, cloudy, 16 degrees
FUEL: I ‘fuelled up’ and ate a hearty breakfast and stopped for a pub lunch steak and ale pie and the best pint of bitter I’ve had yet. Lots of water, sports drinks and snack bars throughout.
SONG OF THE DAY: Far Far Away – Slade (Wolverhampton’s finest) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qysk6IgeFmQ
% of FUNDRAISING TARGET REACHED: 59% (Thank U for sponsoring me)
TOMORROW’S STAGE 5 DESITINATION: Garstang (83 miles)
Scotty Boy's Bicycle Across Britain 
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