Neil's JOGLE for PLAN.

Mandalay Guest House was certainly one of the best situated of my accommodations on the trip. It was just a short stroll down the hill into the little village of Mevagissey and the pcturesque harbour. We (Brigitte was now riding with me) set off back along the cycle trail through the Heligan Valley towards Pentewan and then picking up lanes to go westward and join the A390 near Grampound. As directed by Google Maps we followed the main road into Truro. This was probably an error of judgement, the traffic was relentless and travelling at high speed with a mixture of dual and single carrageway. This was at best unpleasant and at worst dangerous. Having made it through Truro and again being directed onto A390 we took the first turning west and navigated village by village to avoid A roadsas well as Redruth and Cambourne. This entailed many Cornish Valleys where we had steep descents and what seemed steeper ascents. There was one lucky find a Bon Appetit wayside cyclists cafe with an ama...

Having experienced the gastronomic delights of Torpoint last night a good breakfast was welcome and then out on the road. The first leg was along to Liskeard which I remember from many years ago when I worked there. Google took me along the A38 for 10 miles all dual carriageway and not so pleasant. Then it was off towards St Austell and picked up a cycle route. This section much more enjoyable as more on lanes and cycle paths. I stopped for coffee and decided that as Brigitte's train was not due for another 4 hours I would cycle on to Mevagissey and check in at the Mandalay B&B and go back to St Austell for the 20.20 train from Taunton The cycle route down to Mevagissey is lovely and passes the entrance to The Heligan Gardens and above the Heligan Valley all off road. We decided at twilight it was safer to ride on road and also we hoped to get a fish supper down at the harbour. On arrival there we found the world and his wife on the Quay listening to live music as this was Mev...

It started off as a promising day weather wise so I opted for a route over Dartmoor. As I climbed up from Bovey Tracy in the general direction of Post Bridge it started with soft rain. Then Pegasus had puncture in her front wheel. There was no obvious lesion in the tyre or tube so I reinflsted to end up with a flat tyre in less than a mile. So I replaced the inner tube. It was interesting that while acyclic going g in the opposite direction and going uphill shouted if I was OK and it would have been unreasonable to have stopped him in mid ascent. The only car drivers that stopped were a Dutch Couple who offered to load my bike into their car and help. Eventually replacement tube in place I was on the road again but by this time rain had become torrential and I made my way over to Prince Town where I stopped for lunch. I must say that days like today make the prison look quite inviting rather than trying to escape across the Moor. Descending down to Yelverton and then onto Plymouth. In...

I left home in Taunton wirh the sunshining and followed my own route along country lanes to avoid the A38, around Wellington onto Culmstock, Uffculme, Kentisbeare to rejoin the old A38 at which point it started to pour with rain. I had a prolonged lunch stop and eventually rain stopped It was then through Exeterand back into the Devon lanes several fairly arduous climbs but panoramic views over to Dartmoor. My accommodation was the Cridford Inn Trusham where Paul and Diana met me. It was a genuine thatched country pub with good food and an enjoyable evening catching up over dinner.

This was a homecoming prior to my last leg of the journey. I woke up to heavy rain in Bristol but by the time I had sorted out my bags and prepared the bike the rain had eased off and with expilcit direction from Hamish exiting Bristol was comparitively easy, and I followed the A38 past Bristol Airport, but after 22 miles felt I'd had enough of A roads and diverted off the trunk road at Biddisham I thought Pegasus would behave like a riding school pony and take me home. I was sure of my own route but just out of curioity used Google Maps to see how they worked and after my own way to Woolavington and was directed on to a very good cycle rout along the King Sedgemoor Drain and eventualy via Chedzoy and Dunwear to Huntwort andfinally through Petherton, North Newton, Creech St. Michael and home via Henlade. Steve from the County Gazette was there to meet me. Then at six Liz with help from Brigitte organised a Barbeque for my local sponsors.

Liz took me back from Bishops Frome where she had e joyed Paul McCartney and orders strutting there stuff at Glastonbury and regaled the locals with her Glasto experiences. We met hamish and Sipgia at the Gloucester Road out of Ledbury and Hamish got his bike out to join me on this leg of the trip. w Western off at a good pace and soon made it to Gloucester here we went around the quays a d picked up the canal tow path. We then had a long stretch of pathway on the Gloucesterand Sharpness canal of varying quality from wide and well paved to rutted and difficult all with the added inconvenience if dog walkers other cyclists and fishermen with a lot of equipment. We left the canal to go throughFrampton before rejoining around Slimbridge. Apart from the challenges of the tow path it was generally scenic with a lot of water activities and house boats of varying quality. We had our mid day break at the Black Barn Cafe and bar. In the cafe we met a elderly gent (84) who told us all about ...