GRETNA to WORCESTER

This year, the five Grumpies headed back from Scotland towards Bristol but used a couple of trains (we were not doing it as a charity challenge). Still it was expected to be about 280 miles and turned out at about 300 miles over six days despite 11 miles by train in a boring bit of Lancashire and a planned 70 miles or so from Worcester.
However only three (see photo) of the five made it as far as Gretna by train. Virgin Trains failed to allow the booked cycle connection at Birmingham New Street and the hour long delay so caused meant that two of us had to be content with starting the trip in Carlisle (NOTE: fair compensation now - mid September - received and will be shared between all Grumpies, who may even smile!)

Grumpies survive Lowestoft to Bristol during heatwave

But only just ...

and any further donations to  http://www.justgiving.com/Michael-Duffy8 for our charity for this year the TEENAGE CANCER TRUST would help to make it all the more worthwhile - many thanks to those who have already been so generous.

Grumpies at  the Far east point of England

The trip was like a sociological dissection of England: Workaday (almost Northern feeling) Lowestoft to posh Southwold and polished Suffolk, through commuter and Airport Essex and then by river and canal cycle route right through London's East End, then Camden Market and Little Venice. We stopped for a swim in the rather murky Serpentine before taking the Thames route to hospitable Twickenham and next morning out past affluent Chertsey through to Windsor Great Park (now there's privilege!) bfore reaching cosmopolitan Reading and across the South of England by way of the Kennet (in which we swam)-Avon Canal. We short cut via the newly opened Sustrans Tunnels to bypass Bath and staggered home after 324 miles in five days to Bristol. Each day we did about the average of our different ages in miles!

...of England that is!

Our starting point

16th July will see the five of us meet up in Lowestoft
at England's most easterly point for our fifth annual cycle fundraiser. Early that morning we will have taken trains with our bikes from Bristol. Five days later we hope to back in Bristol during the Bristol Cycle Week and in the 2015 Green Capital of Europe after cycling via Woodbridge, Stanstead, London and Reading. http://www.justgiving.com/Michael-Duffy8 directs you to our charity for this year the TEENAGE CANCER TRUST. Please give what you can.

County Cork to Bristol 2012

Many thanks to you-all who have contributed to St Peter's JustGiving (now closed) .  £721plus gift aid of about £150 is what we have collecetd: we cycled all the way home from  the wonderful Irish hospitality of Michael's family in County Cork. We travelled through Youghal and along the remote Gaeltacht up and down coast of County Waterford to Tramore and Passage East; on to

Cork-Bristol: ready to go - or almost.

Bristol G.O.M.s are soon setting off to County Cork and on Saturday 25th August will be heading back to Bristol on their cycles. Please contribute to St Peter's Hospice Bristol by visiting our Justgiving page for details

Further planning for Cork - Bristol trip

The time approaches for the off and still not nearly enough preparatory cycling done - watching Olympians is not training! Ken, Roger, David, Michael and Nigel will set off towards the end of August
Now it looks like, David will head off for Derry in advance by train and boat via Tenby, Pembroke-Rosslare, Dublin, Belfast and then make head south (still by train) for Cork, while the others pack cycles and selves into a camper van to be taken to Cork and left there for later collection.
24th August will see us all, we hope, united in County Cork and ready to set off on the morning of the 25th towards ( about 110 miles) Rosslare-Fishguard ferry on 27th and then about 160 miles through South Wales to Bristol arriving on the evening of 29th - about 270 miles in five days, we fear. Our chosen charity this year is St Peter's Hospice in Bristol.

Update on Cork to Bristol Green Charity Challenge at end of August

The grumpy five, or possibly six, will be cycling back to Bristol from Cork via Rosslare at the end of August this year aiming to arrive back in Bristol on 30th August.
A few things are now agreed but there are still a dozen or more Thursday nights to decide others. The Charity we shall be collecting for is St Peter's Hospice, Bristol.
And how we get our cycles by train and boat to Cork - what a shame the Swansea-Cork ferry has died a death!- is becoming clearer. Bristol - Holyhead - Dublin -Cork by 'Sailrail'  seems the only feasible route.