Wednesday 25 May 2016
We all seem to get a good nights sleep and are woken up by hundreds of birds in the trees right next to us. It’s early (6ish) very chilly and our first grey skies since we left Lands End. The wind changed yesterday as well and is now in our faces….as if an extra bit of challenge was needed!
This is today’s route….it will be the furthest we have gone so far in one day although a bit less climbing than we have become used to.
We ran out of gas for the burner last night so there is no cup of tea for breakfast. Instead we decide to set off super early and cover some miles before hopefully stumbling across something for breakfast.
Dan “the Destroyer” has managed to go two whole days now without breaking anything so he makes up for it by breaking two things in one day today.
The first is just two miles down the road when he picks up the teams first puncture…
The second unfortunately is his leg which is starting to go the most peculiar and frankly slightly alarming colour.
Given they are both nurses I have to believe them when they say it’s all fine but I am very doubtful.
The search for breakfast is just starting to become quite urgent when we at last stumble across the Saffrons Cross Garage which is like an Aladdins cave of cakes, home made sausage rolls tea and coffee…..as well as garagey things obviously.
We get chatting with the two ladies there who ask about our adventure and then, bless them, give us £15 towards our total! Thank you so much Debbie and Sharon you are stars!
We arrive in yet another county shortly after….
We then push onto Ludlow for elevenses. Given it is famous for being a foodie capital we obviously choose Costa Coffee…we are nothing if not classy! The experience is marred only by a penny whistle playing tramp who puts me right off my latte…#firstworldproblems
Next stop Much Wenlock for lunch. It’s all very lovely but 20 minutes after ordering our baguettes i am ready to eat the furniture.
We make our way up and around the Wrekin (fantastic views of Wales in the distance)…
……before dropping down towards Market Drayton and our destination for the night, the weirdest campsite ever. It’s like all my camping nightmares have coalesced into a scene from Deliverance but in a crappy field (with gargoyles) in the middle of nowhere with ramshackle showers and a very creepy owner.
The day ends well a 25 minute walk away with dinner in the Red Lion in Wistanswick where Kate (Dans partner) joins us. To be honest it’s nice to see someone who isn’t Marc or Dan although it does make me wish Jo could be here. Going home and seeing her still seems a long way away. Night night.
Sorry before I sign of a few words from a guest blogger……
Hey, Marc here. Thought I might add a few thoughts from the day, (and give his thumbs a well earned rest!), and experiences from the very strange campsite and “local” pub. I was greeted by the very weird owner berating the hired hand (who speaks no English) to make sure the showers were clean and that we would need to go into his caravan to charge our phones!! I think we’ll take our chances with plugging our phones in the pub. Speaking of which, on walking about 2 miles to said pub (in flip flops can I say), we keenly order 3 pints of finest ale, only to have to send them back as they taste of vinegar. Needless to say landlady didn’t seem that impressed, although food still tasted ok, I think. Now just tucking into pudding , all is good in the world. Kate came to join us for dinner, which has been absolutely lovely, and as Nick said has been a welcome change!
Anyway, going to sign off now, please look out for guest blog from Dan tomorrow, who is going to present in rhyme!
M X