Day 65 of the End to End was an epic day. I made sure it got off to the right start by putting on my blue walking trousers. These are the same trousers I wore on the day Hannah walked into Scotland 7 years ago.
We were using her route to Gretna. Well in truth, non motorway traffic all has to use the same road, which runs alongside the M6. Indeed this was the closest I’d walked to the M6 in all the days I’ve followed the M6 corridor. Sometimes there was only a hole in the fence between me and the motorway.
This funnel into Scotland has one great effect: it concentrates the End to Enders into a narrow stream. Today I saw 3 other groups of End to Enders, all cyclists, my highest tally so far.
First there was Tim and Alan, Lejoggers from North Wales. Then there was Mel Nicholls and her team. This terrific paralympic athlete began a world record attempt a few days ago to Handcycle LEJOG in 9 days. Read about it here
Follow her @Dolly2racer
They passed me just before Metal Bridge, where we stopped for lunch, as we did the last time we came this way in 2012.
There was quite a cross wind on the next section and warnings for cyclists.
The third team of End to Enders were husband and wife cyclists, Colin and Sandra. Colin is 80 and they are going JOGLE. I met them just before Gretna as they headed for Carlisle.
Then it was celebration time at the border and a photo of me wearing the same trousers at the Welcome to Scotland sign.
There was time for ice cream and a bit of shopping at the Gretna outlet before I left Hannah’s 2012 route to go West towards Annan, getting to Rigg by day’s end.
Then a side visit to Bruce’s Cave on the way back to our campsite. By a small miracle it even had a resident spider. A sign? Maybe: persistence pays off when you are doing the End to End.
From 1 Thessalonians 5
Be happy! Pray at all times. Give thanks in all circumstances. Line up with God!
Not every End to End is a record,
But each one is a significant personal effort.
I pray tonight for
Tim and Alan, Colin and Sandra, and Mel Nicholls and her team, and all those other End to Enders I’ve not met yet.
God grant us all a quiet night and a peaceful end
JAL 17.06.3019
Harker Bridge to Rigg via Gretna.
PS thanks for all encouraging messages and comments: much appreciated.
I think Wallace would refer to them as “The Right Trousers”. Wonderful progress, Janet. x
😀