Report by Sally
It was great to have so many members join us last Monday as we listened to Kate and her husband John’s exploits on a tandem round the UK. For the benefit of those who were unable to join us, here are some pointers:-
The starting and finishing point was Mote Park in Maidstone. They were cycling in aid of Guide Dogs. They were away for seventy days and completed 6800 kilometres. Their only luggage was three bags on the tandem, two of which were probably claimed by Kate, leaving John one. There was only room for two cycling outfits each which meant that every evening one outfit had to be washed and dried ready for the next day. The person in the front of the tandem, John, was in control of speed while the person at the rear, Kate, did the hand signals. Interested to join them?
They cycled anti-clockwise round the UK coast. Sundry facts – on a bike there is no charge at the Dartford crossing. To cross the river at Burnham on Crouch, a dinghy was used. They passed a Kinder transport statue at Felixstowe; huge wind turbine paddles in Hull. East Haven provided the best facilities on their travels!
They allowed themselves a day off in Skye but then had to retrace 35 kms as the ferry let them down. To avoid the worst of the midges, one needed to be cycling faster than 8mph! The longest climb was Apple Cross Pass, but overall, surprisingly, there were more ups and downs to traverse in Devon and Cornwall than in Scotland!
Inevitably, life went on during their travels as they experienced two bereavements and the arrival of a new grandchild. They cycled through all the elements, including Storm Floris. They witnessed the kindness of strangers as when they had tyre trouble, a stranger swapped one of his tyres for the problem one!
A very interesting evening and I admire both Kate and John for completing the trip! It made me feel tired just hearing about it!