Despite the reduction in lung capacity, I felt well enough to set off on this week’s planned adventures, but have toned down the level of challenge to factor in my weakened state as well as a rail strike! We left The Cottage at dusk and drove north in a well loaded van. It was bizarrely warm and despite the M56 being completely closed, we made good time as we travelled through the wet and windy weather to the north of England.
After a few hours of sleep in Darlington, we parked up the van on someone’s driveway (pre-arranged!), and cycled off to find the (very grand!) railway station.
Which boasts the bold claim of being the first passenger railway, not only in the UK, but the entire world!
The train can only accommodate two bikes and it is not possible to book them onto the train, so it was a fairly nervous wait on the platform for the first train of the day.
Thankfully, we are two of only three passengers and the only cyclists on train so our worries were unfounded!
So, the initial plan had been to cycle coast to coast across England, from Carlisle to Tynemouth, roughly following the course of Hadrian’s Wall, then to travel south to the Yorkshire Dales to meet Anna, Jonathan and Ben. Having left the van in Darlington, we hoped to take the train to Carlisle, then continue on bikes, to complete the circuit. A train strike now means that it’s not possible to get to Carlisle, so we are cutting the journey slightly short and not quite doing the full sea to sea challenge. My lungs, for one, are quite happy with this! All that remains to to sit back and let the train take the strain for the morning until we get to Haltwhistle - and keep our fingers crossed for a week of favourable weather!
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