Summary of the week

 

Oh and it reached the high 20’s with low winds so I’m a tad brown in places!

 

Day 5 - The End

 

Day 4 - Ceremony time

 

 

At the Chemin Des Dames memorial in the blistering heat after a 2 mile climb.

Aaaaaannnnnnnndddddd relax

Day 3 - time for new cleats

After a cleating "incident" on a roundabout

 

Day 3 - complete

A long day (although fewer miles than yesterday), and I'm pretty drained.

 

It's gone well though, so I think it's the after effects of working so hard yesterday to do the extra miles during the day to get to all my fallen family.

 

A longer day tomorrow and it threatens to be warmer and sunnier so the extra expensive sun protection I got(having lost my cheap Sainsbury's one) will probably be necessary.

 

Not only is mileage up, but we shall now be ascending throughout the day.  Blimey! For a fenbois this is going to be a challenge....

Day 3 - canal du nord

 

 

Geld by the Worcesters 45 against100+. March 1918

Day 2 - DA Bryant

 

 

 

Day 2 Thiepval

 

 

Day 2 - E Cartman

 

Day 2 - AG Bryant

 

Day 1 - taken by a pro!

Arthur Edwards (look him up!)  is with us for the ride this week, so this is a) a pro shot, b) the closest you'll get to seeing my face!

 

I wore this shirt to respect the Canadians with whom we rode in 2012. It seemed the right thing to do 😊.

Day 1 - Vimy Ridge

 

 

 

If you've not been, go. Photos don't do it justice, but it's here anyway.  (a bit like the grand canyon in that respect).

 

I was given the honour of reciting the exhortation here today.

Day 1 - Memorial to the tunnelers.

 

Day 1 - a typical Battlefield Guided stop

The GBG volunteers see simply amazing. Their research is meticulous, and the presentations are very real.

 

A nice day helps..

 

Day 1 - Neuve Chappelle

The Indian Memorial

Day 1 - water stop

And lots (I mean lots) of refuelling

Day 1 - The off!

 

Day 1 - T Cartman

 

This this is the approximate location of the trench in which private Tom Cartman was gassed in late April 1918. I don't know the precise location, but this is as good as we can work out. He died a fortnight later in Brighton and is buried in Ripon, Yorkshire.

Tonight. The Menin gate ceremony.

Thousands of names...

Spotted on London Transport

Ah, the old signage...

Another in an occasional series...

Confident builders.

 

To all who sponsored me

For Help for Heroes cycling this year and since 2012.

 

THANK YOU

 

And I'm on my way again to the continent to cycle the Western Front from Ypres to Verdun.

 

I hope to blog during the week, see you kn the