Thursday 13 May (Lucky for some!)
Traffic has been thundering by all night on the busy A1, mainly heavy stuff which makes me shudder, as I have now to go back on that juggernaught race track again.
Breakfast this morning, in the rain, brown bread, beans, cheese, Yorkie bar, an orange and water, which I got at a service station south of the Forth Road bridge, and it tastes distinctly of detergent (the water I mean). Everything wet and sodden – still raining and I am very reluctant to battle on my flimsy machine on that road today (13th). It’s not funny at all – it’s madness, which later when memory recalls will make me chuckle a little and thank the good Lord above for giving me such a large slice of The Luck of the Irish. Hold on a while Dermot, it is raining heavier than ever.
Still the same with the Honda. Must hand to those Japanese, for a machine, as long as it has fuel, it goes on and on and on. A bit of late news before I pull down my tent – the tent now contains mod-cons, a toilet, as it’s much too wet to go outside. I have to dig a hole with a stick, at the bottom of my tent and did a no. 2, covering it up with earth. Not many tents can boast of such mod-cons – you dirty *******, I promise not to make a habit of it. Us Land’s End/John O’Groaters can be very rough and uncouth at times – a bit of the caveman in us all.
Went on the A1 to Berwick but left it at Grantshouse A6112 to Duns, Coldstream, Kelso and Jedburgh. It’s very wet since it has been raining all night and on into the day. Traffic easier on the minor roads. I join the A68 which I should have taken out of Edinburgh last night. That put is about 40miles on to my journey. I crossed in and out of Scotland several times over the River Tweed. The A68 is a very hilly road – hills and valleys appear perpetually, with small towns here and there. I join the A1(M), by passing Darlington (Durham), then south to North Yorkshire. The rain eases as evening approaches but there is a cold northeast wind. I had to rest up several times because of cold and cramp and do some exercises to restore the circulation. I got some grub in one of the towns, Kelso, where there is a ruined abbey. I had to camp, in wet gear because there was no drying today, North Hallerton (Yorks)
