Day 6 in the saddle

After last nights gig we make plans on the way back to Pat and Wendy's for an early start for Andy and I. We agree a 7.30 breakfast and that we start to cycle by 8.30 and leave our support behind for an hour.

As it happens the fantastic hospitality keeps us at the breakfast table a little longer than planned and we get off at just after 9am. Prior to leaving there's an impromptu jam with host, Pat. Out come various guitars and Lyndon quietly belts out 'Treat Her Right' while Phillip tickles the drums and Andy acoustically plays the ukelele in his pyjamas.


 It's a little colder this morning and overcast but not so bad. There are some long steady climbs out of Chatham through Spencer's Town. At the top of the climb it starts to rain hard and the temperature feels like its plummeting. Having left Chatham with no gloves and only lightweight jackets we are soon soaked to the skin and freezing especially on the downhills. By the time we hit the 10 mile mark at Austerlitz I am in bits and have ice cream headache, my teeth are chattering and I cannot concentrate on the road. I tell the big man that I have to stop. We pull over and try again after a minute but the cold returns immediately.

We dive into an old wooden post office and the kind ladies there let us warm near a heater. There is no phone signal and we keep an eye out for the support vehicle. We've been out over an hour and haven't seen them.

Another 20 mins passes and still no sign. By now the big man is suffering as well.

We have cycled up and down the road trying to get mobile signal but have to go back to the post office and ask Suann to telephone our hosts from last night in case F troop are still there....they are.... Chatting and finishing off the bacon and pancakes... Andy explains to Gethin where we are.."you haven't got far have you" he says. It's freezing and we've climbed nearly 1000ft.

A Doctor comes in and asks us if we are having any hallucinations and diagnoses mild hypothermia.

When the support eventually arrive BFGUL gets out of the van and comments "bit chilly isn't it"!

We get into the van change into dry clothes and get some food and a coffee. Andy is so cold that he cannot hold his bowl of cereals and pours milk all over himself. Gethin has to dry him off with a copy of the Wall Street Journal including a quick dab around the 'man fruit'.

We do a few miles in the van and then cycle into Greenwich but not before missing our turning and doing an extra 8 miles into NY. We can't understand when we don't see the Connecticut state sign. We phone the support who reminiscent of the Tawawa incident declares that they are 'at Leslie's. Well we are not I explain and try to tell him where we are. ' you should have taken the 433 he repeats'. "shut up and listen to me explaining where we are" I say I the nicest possible way trying to avoid being mowed down on the main highway into NY.

He then suggests that we may want to cycle back up the 7 miles of hill to the turn. ' get in the van or car or whatever and get down here PLEASE' and I hang up.

The mono brow and Leslie turn up and give us a lift back to the 433 and we then cycle the last few miles through Connecticut and on to our welcoming party on Riversville Rd.

We're grateful to get to our end destination and get a shower and have great food and drink and a chat up with Les.

Tomorrow we're off into NY city to meet up with a number of expats and glitterati from Cymru for 'The Match' and a sing song hopefully with Bryn Terfel. Let's hope he can compete with The mighty larynx that is BFGUL....

Mae bys Meri-Ann wedi brifo,
A Dafydd y gwas ddim yn iach.
Mae'r baban yn y crud yn crio,
A'r gath wedi sgramo Joni bach.
Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tân,
Sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr,
A'r gath wedi sgramo Joni bach.
Dai bach y sowldiwr,
Dai bach y sowldiwr,
Dai bach y sowldiwr,
A gwt ei grys e mas.


Look out.........