My Cycle tour (Bristol to Scotland) can I stay at yours?

[Andy Hamilton]

I am planning to cycle from Bristol to Aberdeenshire later this month. I will leave Bristol on the 21st October. It would be great if I could pop in for lunch and stay with some of you lot on the way. I am afraid the route will dictate when and where I can stop. If you live along the route then please let me know if you would not mind a long haired, knackered bloke popping by.

I would not want to free load and will be happy to sign your copy of the ish bible if you have one. Also I could offer a little bit in the way of gardening advice/home brew advice or even go on a short forage/help feed your livestock or whatever if I am not too breathless!!

The route is rough at the moment and slightly subject to change - I will plan the route as in the places I will sleep if you live in between any two towns I might be able to pop in and say hello, have a tea or a spot of lunch with you.

If you are not on the route then you can still help me out if you like as I will be trying to raise some money to help our local community to become part of a co-operative cafe/venue. The owner of my cafe/second hand book shop/photographic lab is going to live in South Korea and will need to sell the business. This shop is the only bookshop in the area and also many long term sick people use it as a kind of place of convalescence. In short it is a place that enriches peoples lives and I am raising cash to keep it open.

It will also be 4 years since I first started this web forum so it would be a great testament to ish if I can stay with people on the way.


The route (Subject to change)

Day one 21st October - Bristol to Oxford
22nd October - Oxford - Northampton (I have somewhere to stay as my Mum and Dad live here)
23rd October - Northampton - Nottingham
24th October - Nottingham - Gainsborugh or Scunthorpe
25th October Gainsborough or Scunthorpe - York
26th October - York - Middlesborough or Darlington
27th October - Middlesborough or Darlington - Alnwick
28th October - Alnwick - Eyemouth
29th October Eyemouth - Edinburgh
30th October - Edinburgh - Dundee
31st October - Dundee - Aberdeenshire
1st - 4rd November - Aberdeenshire for a while and then the 10 am train from Aberdeen. - This also makes allowences should the journey take a little longer so bear in mind that it all could be a day or two out.

[invisiblepiper]

I'm on the wrong side of the country I'm afraid - but if you ever travel by the Scottish west coast - let us know!
Would you like a painting to raffle or similar?
Will check your postings,

[Annpan]

um... I think you may have underestimated the hilliness of Scotland - can't see you doing it in 3 days, infact you might struggle to do it in 6. (unless you are Lance Armstrong)

[Andy Hamilton]

um... I think you may have underestimated the hilliness of Scotland - can't see you doing it in 3 days, infact you might struggle to do it in 6. (unless you are Lance Armstrong)

Well I have booked my ticket back for 4th November. If I do get stuck then I will just have to post my bike back home and jump on a bus. I am going to try and do it though. I imagine between Berwick and Edinburgh will be a struggle and then even Dundee to Aberdeen but realistically as I am doing roughly 200 miles in Scotland I have allowed 8 days for this journey to allow for any real struggle. Thats 25 miles a day should I really really struggle, I will have food, a tent and water with me at all times and also maps. So if really needs be I can sleep anywhere. 25 miles is pretty easy. Plus I am trying to hug the coastal paths as much as possible, hence darting over that way as soon as I reach the North of England.

Anyway, Nothing worth anything is ever easy!

[Super.Niki]

my geography's a bit crap but if you're travelling through Leicester and need a place to stay we have a sofa! If you don't need somewhere to crash I'm always available for feeding hungry bikers!

[Milims]

We are just north of Alnwick so you'd be more than welcome to come here! We'd love to see you!

PS - The Wombats can vouch for us! lol!

PPS - Please will you sign "THE BOOK" if you come?

[Shirley]

um... I think you may have underestimated the hilliness of Scotland - can't see you doing it in 3 days, infact you might struggle to do it in 6. (unless you are Lance Armstrong)

I second that!

[Jobi1canobi]

if you're travelling through Leicester and need a place to stay we have a sofa!

What Niki said! We have a spare room if required however we'll probably both (Jybson & I) be at work and have no annual leave left to book so we probably wouldn't be able to catch up with you during the day! Soz.

Hope it goes well

[peppercat]

Hi,
My partner & I live in Aberdeenshire just north of Aberdeen not far off the Sustrans cycle route 1 - you'd be welcome to stay with us/ pop in for a meal.

Contact me offlist for telephone, address etc if you want - peppercat@rowancott.f9.co.uk

[snapdragon]

Bristol to Oxford probably misses us out as we're southeast of that but I'll try and find you on the road

The Community cafe sounds a FanTastic project to be involved in

[becks77]

Nowhere near us in Sussex unfortunately,
but good luck and have a fab time

[Bigsis]

Oh bottoms. I'll be in Northampton on the 26th, I'll just miss ya. Good luck bro.

[2steps]

I'm in Grimsby so sort of scunthorpe way but unfortunately we are away in London that week

[Sharon]

Nowhere near us - on Kent/Sussex border, but all the very best.

[Thomzo]

Lunch in Swindon on Day 1? It'd have to be fairly central Swindon I'm afraid as it's a work day and I, too, will be on the bike. If you can't face the whole journey to Oxford in one day then you're welcome to stay.

Good luck - the cafe idea sounds fantastic. I've had a cuppa there and it would be a real shame if it was lost to Bristol.

Zoe