Land's End to John O'Groats

Route Miles: 89.3
Total Miles: 525.1
Miles to go: 474.9

A very satisfying day's ride in which I skirted round Preston, had a big cream slice in Garstang, went round the Lancaster ring road twice looking for the sign to Morecambe and had a big lunch under the Eric Morecambe statue on the promenade. Did you know his real name was John Eric Bartholomew and that he had had a couple of heart attacks before he died of a third one at 58?

Anyway, I left behind a very pretty resort and continued on the A6 for 20 miles turning off for the Lake District and specifically Lake Windermere which is stunning. Seeing the country like this has given me so many ideas for our holiday next year and to come up to the Lakes will be high on the list. The only downside to cutting through the District is that there are many valleys and fells. To get to the Patterdale YHA I had to climb Kirkstone Pass which is at an altitude of 1500 ft and in some places the gradient is 1 in 4. On the way I passed the third highest pub in the UK but didn't stop as dusk was drawing. Coming down towards Ullswater I rode heavily on my brakes and found the YHA at the bottom.

Am staying in a 10 bunk room of which 80% is occupied. That night the male body orchestra was in full swing with various grunts, groans, snores and regular blasts of flatulence all combining to keep me awake for a large part of the night. Lucky I had a day off to recover some sleep.

Route Miles: 65.8
Total Miles: 435.8
Miles to go: 564.2

A great nights sleep in my first double bed for a week was marred by coming down and seeing the bike with a flat back tyre. As I went down some country lanes to get to Helen and Brian's house I had collected a few thorns, one of which pierced my inner tube. Replacing it was pretty straightforward and I bade farewell before setting off at a leisurely pace through leafy Shropshire and Cheshire towards Chester. Such is the Anglo-Welsh border, I zigzagged the countries before hitting the Wirral peninsula continuing to Birkenhead and the Mersey Ferry to Liverpool. Surprised by the fast running Mersey current and apparent lack of 2008 European City of Culture banners/notices or has all that finished now?

Since setting off last Friday the weather has been very kind and today was no exception. It felt like May rather than September. Got into Southport at 17.00 and found my B&B easily. Still feeling very good and my only ailment has been chapped lips. Southport is very much a holiday resort and I would say a smaller, cleaner version of Blackpool.

Repaired my inner tube and discovered that I had a double puncture. Anyway all fixed now and I hope the other guests understood that all my hand pump inflating was for good reason because those sounds from a man in a single occupancy room could be misinterpreted as blowing something else up. My bike was behind the B&B so they weren't to know but I'm sure it provided interesting gossip nonetheless.

Route Miles: 92.2
Total Miles: 370
Miles to go: 630

In Hereford at the moment typing up my blog whilst my bike is repaired (broke a couple of spokes and the back wheel is a little buckled which happened 5 miles south of Hereford). Too much luggage I think, so have just sent a huge parcel home with bits I'm not going to hopefully need. Will update later but have to get to Oswestry for 17.30 to meet Helen and Brian who are close family friends and in fact introduced Mum and Dad to each other. Will update again soon.

Wandered into Monmouth last night and treated myself to some tomato soup then Welsh Lamb. Getting used to being 'Billy-no-mates' sitting in the corner of different eating establishments and writing up notes for the day. I'm hoping that the various owners think I'm a food critic and therefore my food and the service is given more attention!

The B&B was the complete opposite to my Bridgwater experience and the host was very pleasant and helpful. After conducting my usual morning bike checks I left Monmouth at 09.30 and climbed the hills for Hereford. Disaster struck 12 miles into the ride when I heard a metal snap and then a 'swishing' sound from the back wheel. Further investigation revealed a couple of broken spokes and a slightly buckled rim. I made my way gingerly to Hereford and found an excellent bike shop who had it fixed and repaired in an hour. During this time I posted home a large box of items I'll no longer require inc. a jumper, radio, spare inner tube, spare gloves, socks and some toiletries. Hereford is a nice market town, with a cathedral more noted for it's literary significance than its architecture - it has a copy of the Magna Carta, the Mappa Mundi which is one of the most valuable maps in existence and a chained library with incunabula (15th century printed works which are very rare and valuable). Unfortunately I didn't have time to look around and with 75 miles to get to Oswestry I put the hammer down on the A49 which is a flat, fast and well maintained road. Passed a fellow, but younger, LEJOG cyclist who looked absolutely spent and said his knee was giving him gip. He was trying to make Liverpool and catch up with some of his friends who had left him behind!. I gave some encouragement and thought he would be better off stopping in Shrewsbury only 7 miles north at that time (17.00). I couldn't hang around so wished him the best and sped on with my lighter panniers. Made Helen and Brian's at 18.30 and it was great to see them again. Also very kind of them to put me up. We dined in a converted 19th century schoolhouse which served some delicious duck and their daughter, Michelle, joined us at the end of the evening. There's a picture somewhere of Michelle and I bathing together as toddlers (no doubt in this day and age it would lead to an arrest for indecent exposure) and when we were older we were penfriends at school.

Route Miles: 67.8
Total Miles: 277.8
Miles to go: 722.2

Now one of the pleasures of touring the length of the country is meeting different folk. I certainly met one such lady who owned this B&B where I stayed last night. Forthright was an understatement and she bordered on rudeness (when I said I was doing LEJOG for charity it was "Oh, how common", asking for brown sauce at breakfast was "How dare you. You haven't tasted it yet"). Her capacity for offending and upsetting people led to an Australian couple (who we know are the most laid back nationality) to check out early this morning vowing never to stay in B&B's again, to which the owner retorted "Good riddance and lucky B&B's". I overheard this from the breakfast table where her shy, retiring and brow-beaten husband winced. Deep down I'm sure she has a heart of gold but the customer approach could do with a bit of working on. It seemed as guests were an inconvenience to her. Maybe I'm doing the lady a disservice but I wasn't going to ask how many returning guests she had had back!

After the eventful morning I popped into Burnham where we holidayed last year in a disused lighthouse with some good friends. From there I took the A38 into Bristol and followed some cycle paths through a very industrial Avonmouth and onto the Second Severn Crossing. On the bridge I noted with amusement the 15 mph cycle path limit and felt the vibration underfoot of lorries and cars thundering past.

With a quarter distance of LEJOG complete I carried on into Wales, through Chepstow and into the stunning Wye Valley. A fantastic and very smooth ride with enough time to wonder round Tintern Abbey before arriving at my second B&B in Monmouth.

Route Miles: 74
Total Miles: 210
Miles to go: 790

Had a filling cooked breakfast at the YHA and started to climb the hills out of Okehampton. Beautiful countryside but punishing and torturous hills especially between Crediton and Tiverton.

On arrival in Taunton, cycled the canal towpath north to Bridgwater taking care to duck under the low bridges. A very relaxing 11 mile section with lots of fellow cyclists and families on their Sunday strolls. Put the foot down through Bridgwater to get to my first B&B 5 miles north of the town.

Route Miles: 79.5
Total Miles: 136
Miles to go: 864

Left the stunning views from the Perranporth YHA at 09.30 and headed north towards Padstow via Newquay. Pushed my bike up a couple of 'Cornish Curtsey's' (villages with a 'V' shaped contour) on this section and on arrival in a busy Padstow, refuelled for the next leg. A lovely, bright fine day with picturesque views and the Camel Trail between Padstow and Wadebridge being a highlight so far. Watched some rugby at Launceston where the home team are nicknamed 'The Cornish All Blacks' and got to Okehampton at 17.45, not so weary and stayed in the YHA which is a converted train shed next to a disused railway. Did a clothes wash in the shower and although pretty hilly so far, my legs haven't 'bonked' yet.

Route miles: 57.5 (including 10.5 from Penzance to Land's End)
Total Miles: 57.5
Miles to go: 942.5

Alarm went off at 05.30 and by 06.15 was on the train from Cosham to Bristol in a 3 coach commuter train sitting in canned sardine class. Changed at Bristol to get to Penzance and amazed that I could my put my bike in the guards van - something you don't see any more. Arrived in Penzance at 13.20 and set off to Land's End which was 10 miles away. When I got to Land's End I had the obligatory photo call by the signpost but was horrified to be charged £9.50 for the pleasure. I half jokingly asked whether this included accommodation at the nearby hostel but the chap just merely smiled for my benefit thus revealing a gold tooth which proved my suspicions that he was running a very profitable business. At least Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask..

With a lighter wallet I set off up the coast via St Just and St Ives passing redundant Cornish Tin mines and arrived at Perranporth at 18.30. The rain was intermittant on the ride i.e. light drizzle then heavy drizzle and there were lots of hilly up and downs. Think I've packed too much so I'll have to either find a Sherpa to carry the load (unlikely) or shed some gear. Expecting tomorrow to be one of the hardest days and I may not update my blog until a couple of days time as there don't appear to be many internet cafes in the South West.

The distance from Land's End to John O'Groats is under a 1,000 miles and I will be taking two weeks to complete the journey. Cycling predominantly back roads I aim to average about 85 miles a day. Eating food is about little and often when in the saddle (preferably every 15 miles or hourly intervals) and drinking lots of fluids. When reaching each destination I will be having large meals then consuming a hefty breakfast before departing.

Accommodation has been booked in YHA's and B&B's and the journey is as follows:
Lands End, Perranporth, Okehampton, Bridgwater, Monmouth, Oswestry, Southport, Patterdale for 2 days, Moffat, Loch Lomond, Fort William, Inverness, Helmsdale, John O'Groats.

Earlier this year, I purchased a Dawes Galaxy touring bike in British racing green with a 64 cm frame and 27 speed Shimano Deore gears. I also bought and fitted a Brooks saddle which although looks old fashioned, is very comfortable. In today's climate of mass imports from the Far East it's good to purchase a British built bike and to support business in this country. Two weeks after buying the bike I cycled to Brighton and bought some Ortlieb panniers and a bar bag to carry my gear that I'll need for the trip.

Right, 10 days to go and lots to organise. For those that don't know, I'm cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats (LEJOG) raising money for the Countess Mountbatten Hospice in West End, Southampton. Please visit www.justgiving.com/mharding and feel free to sponsor me.

Not participating in social websites, blogging or even owning a mobile phone, I've had to come out of my cave and reveal myself for this website. However, the aim of the blog is to give you updates of my daily progress and to share my experiences on the bike. Further posts will follow shortly on training, my bike and the plan. Stay tuned!