Land’s End to John O’Groats by Moped, May 1987: Day 1

Wednesday 6 May

Set off from London at 5.45 am, the weather good and sunny. Traffic light, except in Winchester. Saw my first swallow.

10.20am – Now eight miles east of Dorchester, having covered 120 miles in 4.5 hours. All is well, average speed 35 mph. Finding it hard to change down (gears), as side pannier is in the way of my foot. It is a lovely day – went off my track at Dorchester and on to the coast at Weymouth. To get back to the A35 at Bridport, I took a coastal minor and very hilly road and I ran out of petrol at Abbotsbury. I had to push the bike up some steep hills and free wheel down, getting petrol at Burton Bradstock.

Now back on the A35, pressed on to Exeter and on to Oakhampton, Launceston, Bodmin, Redruth, Penzance and finally on the camp just outside Lands End – in a meadow. There was no hassle but it was very cold and a heavy dew wetting everything, just like rain. Distance today was 311 miles and I am whacked. The cold woke me up several times during the night.

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