A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

Here are a few photos to illustrate our experience and to fill time while Vicky creates her Saturday Night masterpiece!!

DAY 1

Vicky was our first faller - no photo of the event but this is the aftermath:

Alex was next:

Then deep joy for all (including me as it was very funny) I joined in the falling:

Just after the White Horse at Uffington on the chalky track.

Picking up a hitch-hiker!

And made it to our quality accomodation - this says it all!

DAY 2

We found a smoother track and celebrated with a photo.

And some open space:

Picnic delivered by our day 2 support team - Roger, Georgina and Rebecca.

We cycled through woods.

Then relaxed as we arrived at The Thames:

Next came the Kissing Gate challenge - this is one of many:

We were exhausted and just had to take a break:

Vertical was necessary as we arrived at our lovely night 2 accomodation:

DAY 3

There were some very tough bits:

But finally we finished in 'not just any car park'

A Day of Endurance and so much more...

Our full day (Saturday) ride started uneventfully and, at one point, we wondered when the action would begin. Then over the horizon came a horse. We pulled over to let it pass and spotted the rider's map - we had come across an endurance ride. Another horse appeared, then another and another (and so on). So Vicky got her horse fix and we, in turn, got supporters as many of the (mainly women over 40) riders cheered us on with comments like "oh MacMillan I for one appreciate you" and "where would I be without them?" etc.

At a junction with a road we came across a 'travellers' camp. Now, ordinarily, we would have cycled on by - without judgement but without feeling the need (or able?) to mix. One of the campers had seen us coming though and jumped out and stopped us. 'Are you cycling for MacMillan?' he asked (we were wearing our green T-shirts) and, on our confirmation, went on to tell us he had been diagnosed with cancer and was determined to raise funds for MacMillan by running. He wanted advice on how to go about doing this and we found ourselves engaged in conversation with him, and his family. This was a poignant moment.  Here were the Belles mixing, on the one side, with well wishing wealthy  women and, on the other, sharing our ideas and experiences with good solid down to earth travelling folk - hey cancer knows no bounds.

After Vicky helped a, frightened of tents, horse past the camp we waved our farewells and peddalled onward. Our progress was so impressive we had to stop and rearrange with our super support team of the day (Roger, Georgina and Rebecca) so that they could meet us further on than originally planned.

At the Wantage Monument we met a fellow cyclist - Kevin - who happily took our photo and passed the time of day with tales of steep hills to come! Kevin lives near Avebury and was impressed at how far we had come so far (sure, yeah he was bearing in mind our average age!!!).

Lunch was delivered by the support team at the Ridgeway car park above Streatley on Thames. Cheese and chutney sandwiches with crisps and a cup of tea were hugely well received. Followed by a pudding stop at the ice cream shop in Goring on Thames. Nice ice cream (Rebecca, aged one, got to try her first) and even nicer people who were keen to find out about our mission and to 'contribute' financially. We left the cafe feeling like super hero's and with additional fund for our cause.

One lady (Marge) and her daughter invited to stop at their home as it was on route (in South Stoke) if we needed anything so we stopped for water bottle top ups. Marge had just lost her best friend to cancer. 

It was here that we were due to leave The Ridgeway and use the Swans Way for a while (this being the Bridlepath). But, despite directions from the locals, we failed to find the Swans Way so returned to The Ridgeway knowing that it would become footpath. Luckily there were no Nether Winchendon landed gentry there to hinder our progress - just a field of cows with a bull (we braved them - yeah) and hundreds (perhaps thousands) of kissing gates. AND we had to lift our bikes over every kissing gate - jeepers blooming creepers that was hard!

The final section was a mix of bridlepath and footpath but all very narrow. We picked our way along, over tree roots and rocks and down steep hills. Oh yes, steep hills - on this section Alex had her first very steep, off road, 'you've GOT TO cycle it' experience. She did really well to pluck up the courage to launch off the top (with lots of encouragement from fellow belles and the crop spray machine driver) and we are NOT going to call the stop part way down a fall. It can be classified as a technical 'off'. The next 2 or 3 similar downs were 'water off a duck's back' for Alex - today she became an off road pro.

3 very tired belles left the Ridgeway just above Nettlebed to find our B&B for the night. I am going to leave it to Vicky to tell you about our experience here - suffice it to say it was a huge contrast to last night and started with a fabulous welcome. Read our next blog to find out more.

Breakfast

We only paid £30 each for our 'luxury' B&B which didn't entitle us to a cooked breakfast - we were cool with that. It didn't entitle us to the posh cereals either and we got the cheap seats. So funny - we got the (sticky) table in the kitchen with the super market own (Waitrose Essential , allelujay!!) cereals. The other guests got the posh room with the granola cereals. We did get to try the local honey but that was quickly moved to the other table too.

That said, we enjoyed our chat over breakfast with the owner: Mrs Reid. She is quite a gal - a 70 year old endurance rider who looks 60. She told us she was schooled at Hartwell House (near Pollicott!!) and got into endurance riding because her father wouldn't buy her a horse trailer (so she rode her horse back to school - through Reading and on to Hartwell) - I now forgive her the double bed faux pas!

We also heard that Sue MacGregor (Radio 4) was a Hartwell girl and interviewed her ex school mate, Mrs Reid, about her late husband's biography of Marie Curie. (Later research suggests this was Robert Reid - and his 1974 biography). If we had had the time methinks Mrs Reid would be an interesting story in her own right.

'Unfortunately' we had to leave so we said our goodbyes (to the dog, the geese, the pigs, the chickens and the lady sleeping in the horsebox). Then, one nice moment: as we set off up the driveway Mrs Reid chased behind us to take a photo. So we think she really cared about our mission - Hartwell must have simply bashed tact and diplomacy out of her. What a character. And, there are more adventures and characters to come - we will be back...

The Naked Truth 2

After waving Pollicott goodbye we were eager to embark on our weekend's adventure, and after what seemed only a short drive, but was in fact an hour and a half, we reached Avebury where we parked and got our bikes off the car, slapped on the sun cream and started on our way!! Free parking courtesy of the Avebury Club - permission given by a member we met in the local petrol station - what a lovely man.


The start of the Ridgeway was kind for the first few hundred yards, but the ruts soon set in and with Alex and Vicky complaining poor Sian must have wondered what she had let herself in for!!!!

JUST 5 miles in Vicky threw herself to the ground to claim the 1st fall of the ride and the culprit was a RUT, so maybe we were justified in our complaining! However we were soon up and off again, but only 3 miles on Vicky fell AGAIN, this time she managed to impale herself on the handlebars and the gear chain!! At this point we were very glad of our girl guide preparation and used our 1st aid kit!!

Another mile on Alex was our next casualty falling off into one of the only patches of stinging nettles in a huge field, once again the first aid kit came out and Vicky brandishing bite cream was quick to apply to Alex's already swelling arms!! Meanwhile Sian was busy photographing the event so we could put it onto facebook!! Alex produced some of her famous Sweeties!!

Just desserts - Sian got her wheel down a rut too and rolled elegantly into the undergrowth. Fantastic - she was stuck under her bike, unable to move, with Vicky and Alex wielding cameras and inwardly and outwardly chuckling, nay hooting. What a result!!

After our casualties we seemed to progress pretty well for a while, and we were all on the understanding that we had 20 miles to reach our B and B, so we felt confident that we were making good time. Then it got hotter and hotter and Alex was really suffering so Sian produced some jelly sweets and after a rest in the shade for a while the jellies had worked their magic and we were once more on our way.

Alex had a smart cycle computer fitted to her bike and after 20 miles on her computer there was still no sign of a B and B or Andy and Joe, our back up team for the first night. Andy rung to inform us that he had dropped our bags off at the B and B and he nearly got eaten by the dog AND the proprietor was very 'to the point'!!

AND NOW WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR ...NAKED MAN INCIDENT....

Let's cut straight to the chase - on the final run of the day, just behind the White Horse (Uffington), we came across a fellow cyclist. "Don't mind me" said he "I'm just practising for next weekend". "Oh", says we "what are you doing next weekend then?" - genuine innocence reigned over the Pollicott Belles. "Naturist cycle ride in London" said he. "Oh" said we - looking down, then quickly up, then down again, then up again. We held 'polite conversation'. We cycled away, politely downhill, smiling inwardly. Then the first (how do I spell it?) 'phmmmmphhmppppkkkhhhgggfff....' from Vicky, followed by same from Alex, then me. By the bottom of the hill we were screaming with laughter. Andy knew we were on our way and he was still a mile away. My lasting memory will be from looking back - oh my god I should not have done that!!

The rest of the day was comparitively dull - however we still had Mrs Reid, her cockerel, her dog, her security light, her lampshade, her shower, her non-blind in the bathroom, the death ride in the car and the shock return of the naked cyclist midway through our dinner!!! not to mention her pointed announcement that I (Sian) looked like I needed a double bed - what??
We will tell you about breakfast tomorrow....

The naked truth...

After waving Pollicott goodbye we were eager to embark on our weekend's adventure, and after what seemed only a short drive, but was in fact an hour and a half, we reached Avebury where we parked and got our bikes off the car, slapped on the sun cream and started on our way!! Free parking courtesy of the Avebury Club - permission given by a member we met in the local petrol station - what a lovely man.

The start of the Ridgeway was kind for the first few hundred yards, but the ruts soon set in and with Alex and Vicky complaining poor Sian must have wondered what she had let herself in for!!!!

JUST 5 miles in Vicky threw herself to the ground to claim the 1st fall of the ride and the culprit was a RUT, so maybe we were justified in our complaining! However we were soon up and off again, but only 3 miles on Vicky fell AGAIN, this time she managed to impale herself on the handlebars and the gear chain!! At this point we were very glad of our girl guide preparation and used our 1st aid kit!!

Another mile on Alex was our next casualty falling off into one of the only patches of stinging nettles in a huge field, once again the first aid kit came out and Vicky brandishing bite cream was quick to apply to Alex's already swelling arms!! Meanwhile Sian was busy photographing the event so we could put it onto facebook!! Alex produced some of her famous Sweeties!!

Just desserts - Sian got her wheel down a rut too and rolled elegantly into the undergrowth. Fantastic - she was stuck under her bike, unable to move, with Vicky and Alex wielding cameras and inwardly and outwardly chuckling, nay hooting. What a result!!

After our casualties we seemed to progress pretty well for a while, and we were all on the understanding that we had 20 miles to reach our B and B, so we felt confident that we were making good time. Then it got hotter and hotter and Alex was really suffering so Sian produced some jelly sweets and after a rest in the shade for a while the jellies had worked their magic and we were once more on our way.

Alex had a smart cycle computer fitted to her bike and after 20 miles on her computer there was still no sign of a B and B or Andy and Joe, our back up team for the first night. Andy rung to inform us that he had dropped our bags off at the B and B and he nearly got eaten by the dog AND the proprietor was very 'to the point'!!

AND NOW WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR ...NAKED MAN INCIDENT....
Let's cut straight to the chase - on the final run of the day, just behind the White Horse (Uffington), we came across a fellow cyclist. "Don't mind me" said he "I'm just practising for next weekend". "Oh", says we "what are you doing next weekend then?" - genuine innocence reigned over the Pollicott Belles. "Naturist cycle ride in London" said he. "Oh" said we - looking down, then quickly up, then down again, then up again. We held 'polite conversation'. We cycled away, politely downhill, smiling inwardly. Then the first (how do I spell it?) 'phmmmmphhmppppkkkhhhgggfff....' from Vicky, followed by same from Alex, then me. By the bottom of the hill we were screaming with laughter. Andy knew we were on our way and he was still a mile away. My lasting memory will be from looking back - oh my god I should not have done that!!

The rest of the day was comparitively dull - however we still had Mrs Reid, her cockerel, her dog, her security light, her lampshade, her shower, her non-blind in the bathroom, the death ride in the car and the shock return of the naked cyclist midway through our dinner!!! not to mention her pointed announcement that I (Sian) looked like I needed a double bed - what??

We will tell you about breakfast tomorrow....