Well it wasn't really the end yesterday as we had to get to Thurso this morning and say farewell to Jet and Lightening...it was a long protracted good-bye which took place over about 2 and a half hours and was aided along by the nice man Sam in the Bike Shop and the lovely lady from Dunnet who works in the sorting office....
You may be slightly confused by the previous paragraph! As you may or may not know we were unable to get our bikes on the train so plan G was to send them via Parcel Force. We called Thurso Bike shop last week and they kept a couple of boxes for us...the morning then went as follows:
1) Cycle 20 miles to Thurso in lovely sun-shine
2) Go to bike shop - discover they have boxes but that we can't cycle our bikes holding boxes.
3) Leave boxes at bike shop and go to Post Office
4) It starts raining
5) We do a relay manoevure between Bike Shop and Post Office to get boxes and bikes in same place
6) Discover we have to go to sorting office to weigh bikes
7) Take bikes to sorting office leaving boxes in post office
8) Meet lovely lady in sorting office who is very helpful and rings post office with weight of bikes
9) We go back to post office in shifts to get boxes
10) I pay the grand sum of £36 something to send the two bikes back to Harpenden
11) We have bikes and boxes in same place (sorting office) and start trying to get the bikes to fit in boxes...realise the peddles won't fit without taking them off
12) Wheel bikes back to bike shop and the nice man Sam takes peddles off for us
13) Back to sorting office...we try again to get bikes inside boxes. After a while we manage (although they didn't look very box-like by the end)
14) Go out again on a mission to buy parcel tape and marker pen. Mission successful.
15) Finish packing up bikes and go and eat massive lunch.
Ironically we were probably more tired and sense of humour tested after all of this than any day of cycling but thanks to the lovely people of Thurso our spirits remained (reasonably) high!
We're now sat in a bizzare fish and chip shop/backpacker hostel/internet facility...While Yvonne filled you in on the last few days I went to buy the nice man Sam some chocolates (he seemed very surprised by the gesture!).
It's still raining....
We're off in a minute to get our train to Inverness - we look a bit odd as we are dressed in all of our cycling garb (with bright yellow jacket) and carrying pannier bags but have no bikes any more...oh well - we're used to looking a bit odd now!
Thanks for all the encouragement that you have given us and check out the blog next week for some photographic evidence of our journey.
You may be slightly confused by the previous paragraph! As you may or may not know we were unable to get our bikes on the train so plan G was to send them via Parcel Force. We called Thurso Bike shop last week and they kept a couple of boxes for us...the morning then went as follows:
1) Cycle 20 miles to Thurso in lovely sun-shine
2) Go to bike shop - discover they have boxes but that we can't cycle our bikes holding boxes.
3) Leave boxes at bike shop and go to Post Office
4) It starts raining
5) We do a relay manoevure between Bike Shop and Post Office to get boxes and bikes in same place
6) Discover we have to go to sorting office to weigh bikes
7) Take bikes to sorting office leaving boxes in post office
8) Meet lovely lady in sorting office who is very helpful and rings post office with weight of bikes
9) We go back to post office in shifts to get boxes
10) I pay the grand sum of £36 something to send the two bikes back to Harpenden
11) We have bikes and boxes in same place (sorting office) and start trying to get the bikes to fit in boxes...realise the peddles won't fit without taking them off
12) Wheel bikes back to bike shop and the nice man Sam takes peddles off for us
13) Back to sorting office...we try again to get bikes inside boxes. After a while we manage (although they didn't look very box-like by the end)
14) Go out again on a mission to buy parcel tape and marker pen. Mission successful.
15) Finish packing up bikes and go and eat massive lunch.
Ironically we were probably more tired and sense of humour tested after all of this than any day of cycling but thanks to the lovely people of Thurso our spirits remained (reasonably) high!
We're now sat in a bizzare fish and chip shop/backpacker hostel/internet facility...While Yvonne filled you in on the last few days I went to buy the nice man Sam some chocolates (he seemed very surprised by the gesture!).
It's still raining....
We're off in a minute to get our train to Inverness - we look a bit odd as we are dressed in all of our cycling garb (with bright yellow jacket) and carrying pannier bags but have no bikes any more...oh well - we're used to looking a bit odd now!
Thanks for all the encouragement that you have given us and check out the blog next week for some photographic evidence of our journey.
1 comment:
Hello, Yvonne and Helen! My name is Amberdawn Stewart aka 'lovely lady from Dunnet'! I have just received your card and chocolate (yum) in the post and I am thoroughly surprised and as the man who was hit by the train said 'chuffed to bits!'I am so glad both you and your bikes made it home safe and sound. It wasa pleasure to meet you both and I'm very glad that you have been left with fond memories of our wee town and its folk, we're not a bad lot once you get to know us! I did actually note down your address and had every intention of writing to you to check you'd got the bikes ok but I thought you might think I was stalking you!!!! Anyhow, if you are ever in this neck of the woods again please do look me up. Best wishes and good luck for any future exploits.
Amberdawn. XXX
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