D+5 Wed 06 July 2011

A full evenings entertainment after yesterdays blog at the campsite. We shared the tent area with another solo Lands End - John O'Groats rider who had completed 148 yesterday - Nails, and we meet him regularly en-route.  Always seen in orange, he is now known as Tango Man.  Also in the tented area was one man and his dog in a small one man tent. Our support crew fed his dog compo, before the chap took himself to the local pub, leaving his dog in his tent. We all made it in to our sleeping bags by 2130hrs, at which time it started to rain, and didn't stop all night.  The chap returned from the pub at 0200hrs obviously the worse for drink, and woke everyone with his falling about, and initial joy at seeing his beloved dog. However the joy turned to first shock and then rage, as he discovered that the dog had covered his sleeping bag and tent with his afore mentioned evening meal. We all climbed out of the sleeping bags at 0600hrs, less Maximus who got up half an early to boil water and make breakfast - what a help they have both been. On pulling back the fly sheet we find the sun now shining, but are surrounded by ducks trying to eat the muesli and cereals. Very odd.  The Major, true to form has impeccable self administration.  With no washing facilities at the campsite, and with only one pair of Lycra shorts (which Dad has given him), he had no clean shorts to wear today.  Dad as ever, stepped up and leant him some new shorts, but these were in a 'mankini' design with straps that go over the shoulder.  Having never worn such a garment before, The Major put them on the wrong way round, and would have remained that way had Kneel not shown him the error of his ways.  All this before 0700hrs.
After a Compo breakfast from the back of the van we left camp at 0715hrs and set off up the excellent, if a little busier than expected A6 to Lancaster.  Having now left the once industrial heart of Gods Country, we are now back in rolling countryside with traditional stone walls and sheep. Lancaster is a lovely town, but no time to stop, we continued North, and at the village of Beethan came off the A6, on to a more hillier, but more direct, quieter minor road which took us directly into Kendal.  Well worth it.  Lovely countryside, great houses to admire, and no traffic. At Kendal the skies opened and we suffered a torrential downpour of rain.
Whilst sheltering under cover in a Shell Garage, various donations were made to the charities, thank you everyone.  Thanks also to blond Sharon from the garage who donated 5 bars of Kendal Mint Cake. As the rain eased a little we continued through town.  Thanks to the schoolchildren and teachers we met at the traffic lights, who gave us a terrific shout and clap of hands for encouragement.  Now out of Kendal, and back on the A6, we made our way up the side of the Lake District.  Whilst beautiful, it stayed with tradition and poured with rain the whole way through. We reached and completed the infamous 'Shap hill' without even realising it.  Having researched the route, all riders were not looking forward to the climb.  Possibly due to our pre-training in the hills of Wiltshire and Dorset, but all riders made it up without to much effort, in awful weather conditions. Cries of 'Is that the best you can do' to make things as uncomfortable as possible for us. The support van was there to meet us at the top of the hill, and Maximus even ran in the last 100 metres with Dad.  Down then in to Penrith and on to Carlisle, our final destination for tonight. Yesterday Tonto had a dizzy spell in the last 10 miles, lack of salt and fluids.  Unfortunately no-one recorded it, so today all riders kept an eye on Tonto to see if he would give a repeat performance, that we could take pictures of him falling off his bike and rolling around on the ground. Unfortunately he failed to deliver.
Finally at Carlisle after 76 miles it is Kneel's 41st birthday and as such have booked in to the Travel Lodge for  the night.  The Major was given the card for his and Tonto's room and without glasses thought it room 201.  They climbed the three flights of stairs with all their boxes and spent two minutes trying to get in to the room.  Tonto took the card.  It was room 102!
We are now out for a quick bite to eat to celebrate Kneel's birthday, and then off to enemy territory - Scotland. Best the English Major keeps his mouth shut or he will have his throat cut by Braveheart.
FOOTNOTE
Quote of the day from Kneel, as is his right on his birthday. " We have travelled the same road all day, the A6, but it feels as if we have travelled many different roads". Very deep!