Travel Biography Photo Extravaganza - Part 8.

Introduction to the 1990 John O'Groats to Land's End Cycle Ride.

During the height of my days of Travel, I once told an interested enquirer that one should check out his homeland first before setting out overseas. Not including the trips to Italy with my parents during my teenage years, it was during my childhood that I began walking alone across London before expanding across the UK during my late teens before setting off overseas, namely to Spain in 1972, aged 19.

As far as I remember, the only occasion my parents took us (my brother and me) by car north of Watford, was to Ancaster in Lincolnshire to visit our Aunt and Uncle (Dad's older brother). In 1969, I travelled by coach to Biggleswade in Bedfordshire with other members of Bracknell Athletic Club, as well as to Stoke on Trent, and as far north as Blackpool to run in cross-country championship foot races.

Although our father's car journeys seemed restricted, he spent some time working as a waiter at the Derwentwater Hotel in the Lake District before he married. Other than that, day trips were always to Brighton or Bognor Regis, both those resorts on the Sussex Coast or to Box Hill in Surrey. However, as a boy, my primary school took everyone whose parents could afford the travel and boarding fees to places as far apart as Llangollen in North Wales to visit Conwy, and Swanage in Dorset for the surrounding cliffs. These were two-week excursions arranged by the school, and in those days, school discipline demanded we always walk in twos in a neat line led by one of the adults and also backed by another at the rear of the line.

Years passed. During those intervening years, I travelled across Western Europe to Spain, and then Italy. In 1976, I stepped outside Europe for a three-week stay in the Holy Land consisting of both Israel and the West Bank. In 1977, I flew across the Atlantic for the first time to visit both Canada and the USA. Then a year later in 1978, I returned to the USA for my first visit to the Grand Canyon with an unplanned hike to the Colorado River flowing through the canyon floor. 

However, at the end of the seventies, there was also a turning point in my work life. Gone was a secure job at the British Aircraft Corporation (then renamed British Aerospace) and a year of unemployment followed until I was advised to launch out on my own. In 1980, I started a domestic window-cleaning business which I successfully held down for the next 35 years until health issues bid me to retire from paid work in 2015, then aged 63.

Even while it took an effort to establish my rounds, and there were times when I was questioning whether my rounds would fall apart due to a shortage of regular clientele, the travel bug never died. Instead, it just slumbered until the right opportunity. The precursor to the 1990 End-to-End bicycle ride came a year earlier in 1989 when a group of Thames Valley Triathletes members agreed to team up with the Reading Lions for a charity cycling challenge of riding 300 miles in three days, that is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Reading - which totalled 302 miles or 486 kilometres.

Our Newcastle to Reading Cycle Ride, 1989.

The ride was fast, despite collecting two flats on the first day of the ride from Newcastle to Thirsk in North Yorkshire, thus building a reputation in the group. Yet it was the success of this ride that inspired me to visit the Bracknell Athletic Club hut which was recently built and opened. Inside sat Gareth, having completed his evening's training. I then proposed the idea of an End-to-End cycle ride over two weeks, and southwards from John O'Groats to Land's End, as this would be psychologically healthier as we were heading towards rather than away from home. He immediately agreed.

And so, in early August of 1990, we boarded a train at Bracknell Station with our bikes and luggage for the journey to London Waterloo. We then cycled through Central London to Euston Station for the overnighter to Inverness terminus, where we changed trains. However, it was at Inverness where we were refused boarding as we didn't have reservation tickets. And so, we spent an extra four hours in Inverness until the departure of the next train to John O'Groats Station.

The 1990 End-to-End was an eye-opener to both the natural beauty of Britain and its history. On this ride, we avoided the slums that characterised many urbanisations, although, between Blackpool and Chester, we passed through the outskirts of Greater Manchester and recognised the residential area made familiar across the nation via Coronation Street weekly TV soap.

Britain has coastal contrasts between the Geo of Sclaites at Duncansby Head in the Scottish Highlands and the wide sandy beach at Blackpool. Also the contrast between Chester, which is built on a Roman fort, and the fairground of Blackpool Beach.

The traditional road route from end to end is 874 miles or 1,406.6 kilometres. But on our ride, we detoured from the traditional route to spend a night at a hotel in Blackpool. With other minor detours, especially through the Lake District, I wouldn't estimate the overall distance any less than 900 miles or 1,450 km.

In this week's Extravaganza, I posted the first half of the ride which is from John O'Groats to the Lake District. Some detail is given to the Geo of Sclaites and the Duncansby Stacks, as to us, these geological features were so spectacular. The second half, from the Lake District to Lands End, will be posted next week.

For the link to the Travel Biography Index, click here. This ride is covered in Weeks 42-45.

Photos of the First Half of the Ride.

On the most Northerly Coast of mainland Great Britain.

Note: We spent the first day after we arrived here cycling locally to explore the region. The Ride proper commenced on the morning of the second day.

Lighthouse at Dunnet Head.

Screes on the Highland Coast.

Gareth at Dunnet Head.

A remote sandy Beach en route to Duncansby Head.

Some Stacks.

Another view of the same Stacks.

The Geo of Sclaites...

Is a steep-sided Inlet in the Cliffs.

Different views of the Geo.

One last look before moving on.

The Duncansby Stacks.

These Stacks - the same rocks as the Grand Canyon.

We walked as far as we could for this.

Our Great Cycling Ride begins...

We leave the Hostel, a distance outside the town.

We approach John O'Groats.

We pass the First and Last House.

We pose at the famous sign.

"Ready?" I cried. "5,4,3,2,1 - Go!"

Dornoch Firth, nearly 100 miles into the ride.

Carbisdale Castle Youth Hostel.

River Shin as seen from our dorm window.

We crossed the Cromarty Firth into Black Isle.

A Scottish scene is seen from the A9.

We stopped at Inverness for lunch.

This is Aviemore Youth Hostel.

Ancient stone circle near SYHA Aviemore.

No! We didn't cheat. From here, we cycled on.

We passed a waterfall at the Grampians.

A flat between Aviemore and Perth.

Blair Athol Castle. We stopped for lunch here.

A sample of Scottish culture.

River Tilt

River Tummel before it joins River Tay.

Evening view of the River Tay, Perth.

Firth of Forth Railway Bridge.

Gareth poses at the Firth of Forth Road Bridge.

Edinburgh Castle.

Broadmeadows, the last Scottish Hostel.

The A7 cuts through a valley.

River Esk, Langholm, the last stop in Scotland.

We just left Scotland...

To enter - er -(E)ngland.

Our first English city is Carlisle.

We approach the Lake District.

This is Carrock Fell.

Carrock Fell Youth Hostel, Lake District.

We left our bikes at the hostel for a hike up the Fell.

View from the summit, facing North.

Summit view, facing south into the Lake District.

We cycle on and take a break in a pub garden.

We approach Lake Ullswater.

A View of Lake Ullswater. 

I love the mountains surrounding Ullswater.

The Lake District is a photographer's dream.

We approach Kirkstone Pass.

Looking back at Lake Ullswater from the Pass.

Looking ahead to Lake Windermere.

The flowery beauty of Lake Windermere.

 At L. Windermere where we will spend 2 nights.

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Next Week: After two nights and a day at Lake Windermere, the cycle ride continues to Land's End.