Thanks for visiting my fundraising page for Village Water.

Here is my trip report:

About 970 miles in 12 days – Land’s End in the extreme SW of England to John O’Groats in the extreme NE of Scotland. I came back tired but proud I’d completed the trip and also in the process managed to raise over £2400 for Village Water.

The first day was Lands End to Liskeard, a mere 73 miles. The route took us past my house, which was a very strange experience. John, my partner, rode with us till lunch. I rode with 2 men, Tom and Steve, (as well as John) and was delighted to discover that I was in the fast group at the front. There were 12 other riders and 2 support crew with two vans.

The second day was Liskeard to Sampford Peverell, 72 miles. It was raining when we left Liskeard but eventually the sun did come out. Once again I rode with Tom and Steve, enjoying being at the front again. I know it’s not a race, but it still feels good to know I’m faster than so many people who are a lot younger than me. We have two support crew and one of them,Kenny, asked me my age in the evening. He nearly fell off his bar stool when I told him!

3^rd day once again I rode with the two “boys” Today it was Sampford Peverell to Tintern and a longer day at 86 miles. There was a last sweeping descent to Tintern itself and a sudden magnificent view of the ruined abbey there – worth the hardship of the day for that view. Rain in the evening, although it had been fine during the day.

Tintern to Shrewsbury for the fourth day.  88 miles. Rode some of this on my own as I was tired from the fast pace of the first three days, but I was still faster than most people. Got lost round the one-way system in Shrewsbury town centre but eventually found the hotel.

Shrewsbury to Preston (77 miles) was dire with riding on the A49 (especially the bit through Warrington) being fairly challenging. Every traffic light seemed to be against us, and then it started raining. I had a rain jacket with me but even so I got wet and cold – glad to reach the end of the day.

The 6^th day brought Shrewsbury to Carlisle and Shap Hill. We were told how bad this was, but I was second up and a bit surprised it hadn’t been steeper. The weather started to come in, so Tom and I had a quick lunch at the top of Shap Hill (provided as always by the support people) and set off again. About a minute into this part of the ride the heavens opened. A passing car aqua-planed on the road but fortunately it had pulled right over to the other side to pass me so I was not in any danger. Very quickly I left Tom behind and cycled on feeling strong. Soon the rain stopped and the sun came out and I enjoyed going fast and feeling good. 

Day 7 was Carlisle to Kilmarnock in Scotland. In theory 96 miles today, but Jason, the other support guy, told me an alternative route to get to the hotel and added 9 extra miles to my ride by mistake! A long day and I rode most of it on my own, meeting up with some of the others at the 3 roadside breaks (mid-morning, lunch and mid-afternoon). At last we were in Scotland I was beginning to appreciate just how far we’d cycled.

Day 8  Kilmarnock to Inverary was the day we travelled about 78 miles and used a ferry to cross to Dunoon.  A magical day with the sun shining and the route taking us round the sides of some beautiful Scottish lochs. A slight head wind for some of it but nothing like what was to come. (Looking back after day 12 I wondered why I had complained about the head wind on this day - it seemed like a gentle breeze by comparison.)

Day 9 was Inverary to Invergarry – a longer day of 95 miles. I think it was on this day that I walked up part of one very steep hill – the only time I did it – but my legs felt very tired and I decided not to push myself. Am I learning sense at last?  More Scottish lochs and great scenery.

Day 10 Invergarry to Bonar Bridge. 76 miles. I was really beginning to feel tired, but still managing to enjoy the riding even so. That night three of us stayed in a separate B&B as the hotel had not had room for us all.  It was a truly sumptuous place – I felt a bit nervous about my dirty sweaty clothes. Next morning a great breakfast but we had to be on the road so we couldn’t really relax and enjoy it to the full.

Day 11 Bonar Bridge to Bettyhill. 55 miles – that now constitutes a short day! Some pretty scenery and some rugged bare mountain wilderness. The east wind is really beginning to blow. The second half of the afternoon we turned into this cold head wind and it was time to grit the teeth and just keep going. This was actually one of my favourite days. I love the experience of cycling (when I’m really fit) and pitting myself against the elements. Everyone else hated the day. When we got to the hotel we were told the forecast had been for a 25 mile an hour wind. “What about tomorrow?” we asked. “Oh worse – 25 mile an hour winds, gusting to 40 miles an hour and a high chance of rain.” Other cyclists laughed and asked me if I was going to enjoy the next day as well!

Day 12 Bettyhill to John O’Groats. Well, this was the toughest day of all even though it was ‘only’ 52 miles. The weather forecast was correct. The wind was still in the east. We were going mainly east and occasionally turning north. The wind was truly horrendous – you’d have to describe it as a gail-force wind. My average speed on the other days had been around 13.5 miles an hour with one day averaging over 15 miles an hour. On this final day it was 9.1 miles an hour. The ride demanded total concentration: if you stopped pedalling when you had the east wind, the bike felt like it was about to go backwards. If you stopped pedalling when riding north, the cross wind would almost blow you and the bike across the road. The rain lashed at my face stinging it and making it difficult to see. I enjoyed the first 20 miles but after that it became a hard grind. About 2 miles from the destination I eased up on the riding and spent a few minutes reflecting on the trip and what I’d achieved.

The plan had been to have a big celebration at John O’Groats, take photos and sign the official end-to-enders book.  Because of the weather conditions, we didn’t do any of these so the only proof I have that I got there is a certificate from the company who organised the trip.

Now I’m back at home, resting a bit, catching up with work and friends and reminding myself to eat less!

Thank you to all of you for supporting me through donations to Village Water (http://www.villagewater.org) and through your cards and good wishes. If you’d like to do a similar trip, then contact the organisers Discover Adventure (http://www.discoveradventure.com).

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Village Water gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!

What Is The Money For?
I am raising funds for a well for a Zambian village organised by a small charity called Village Water. The charity works with the village to produce a sustainable water and hygiene programme:

*** the community must set up a village water committee with a simple written constitution that the charity gives to them
*** the treasurer collects small monthly donations from each working adult; this allows them to fund spare parts and keep the pump in good repair
*** select two villagers, one man, one woman, who are trained as pump minders
*** embark on a sanitation programme where they dig their own pit latrines, one per family
*** use the cement and other materials, that is donate for digging latrines, but they must provide the labour
***install a hand washing facility at the exit of each latrine and at entrances to communal eating areas
*** engage in hygiene education classes concerning kitchen and food cleanliness, dog control and children's needs

What Am I Doing?
I am riding from Land's End in the extreme South West of the UK to John O'Groats in the extreme north of mainland Scotland. The trip takes 12 days and we ride about 1000 miles in that time. We start on May 5th and I'm hoping for the sun and the wind on my back. The trip is supported so I'm not carrying my gear (thank goodness). The trip is rated by the organisers as 'tough'. I'm 61 now and I know I will really have to dig deep to complete it, but my cycling mantra is: I may not be fast, I may not be elegant but I get there in the end.

You can see more details about the trip here.

I am paying all the costs of the trip myself so all the money you raise goes to the charity.

Please support me - these villagers deserve clean water and good sanitation.

thanks

Jane Thurnell-Read