DAY 1

Heading South with Harassment 

At 0702 Dee arrived in the loaded van to collect Bowie deliberately and strategically two minutes late to fluster the time lord. After which Monkey was picked up a quick stop at Greggs Denton Holme and the riders headed south on the M6. With Dee driving to the M6 toll services the day was clear and uneventful. A quick comfort break and Monkey took control of the bus, with a chorus of are we there yet the journey resumed. Ten miles south of Birmingham despite Monkey having fastidiously planned the Cubs route Dee and Bowie discovered that he’d failed to mug up on the route to Exeter. After a 15 mile detour the route resumed and the heavy rain started, with this delay we were ideally timed to come across an RTA tailback on the M5, all of which it was agreed by majority decision was Monkey’s fault. Fashionably 40 minutes late the team arrived at Enterprise van hire Exeter South. At this point the team would like to give a massive shout out to the Enterprise staff at both Carlisle and Exeter, not only were they exceptionally financially kind to our cause in their charges the service was seamless and superb – thanks Enterprise van rental a top job. Cubs ready and loaded the team set off, after 35 miles a quick lard stop at Greggs where Dee adorned his T shirt with steak bake gravy. At Hillhead on the A379 the team took a quick detour to meet with Chris J and Chris C from Southwest Blood Bikes and presented them with a Blood Bikes Cumbria pendant. The journey continued to the first ferry at King Wear. Onwards the boys rode stopping a Blackpool beach to confuse all reading – Blackpool Sands Devon that is. Riding through Plymouth a family in a small red car on a three lane road thought it appropriate to suddenly change lane with out notice or mirror checks. Resultantly after some close call and deft manoeuvring Bowie averted being wiped out. At the next traffic lights on red captain calm Bowie merely pulled up behind the offending car, whereas Dee who had been behind Bowie took a rather more confrontational approach. The car’s occupants profusely apologised to Dee in effort to stop him “Twatting “ their car’s drivers wing mirror, peace and harmony ensued. Alighting the last ferry of the day the boys arrived at Tor Point their nights stop over point, after three brisk and not at all lost familiarisation tours around the town we arrived at the digs. Refreshment was taken in the Shoulder Inn where the accommodating landlady had her sister who runs a restaurant ten minutes away deliver dinner to the lads table in the pub and delicious it was. With 86 miles traveled on the cubs and 387 in the van sleep was required.