ESTIMATED  DISTANCE  48MLS

8: 00 AM down for breakfast pleasant accommodation decent breakfast digs paid we were on our way up to the Lincoln Tourist information shop for our accreditation. We are there for 9am and they are putting the flags out. inside its free tea and coffee 

I didn't realise our cycle ride was so well known .We chat to the staff and discover its TIC week to coincide with St Georges Day, enjoy a free drink and then present our cards for stamping only to be told by the girl that we are in the wrong place we should be at the Castle Souvenir shop which is 200yds away and opens at 930am.We wander there and get the stamps, chat to the lady in the shop who when asked where we came from. announced she used to go to her uncles in Windlestone (.its a small world) . We meander out of Lincoln stopping for air for my back tyre
1000am we leave Lincoln down an off road section which is very muddy and we have to abort to the main road down through parkland past Lincoln Police HQ, I announce Ive played cricket there, and
then into the country. Graeme and Colin are powering on ahead and apart from one village where they miss the turn and I slide through( a touch of the turtle and the hare). I just cant keep up with them. I think I'm  struggling this morning as we ride through pleasant undulating countryside towards Market Rasen.I look at the speed we are averaging and wonder what's happening.
11:45am We are nearing Market Rasen 20mls in 1hr 45 mins, Graeme drops back and informs me it was a plot to get some miles under our belt and pull me along. I made it so we stop for a pint, A real Old spit and sawdust pub Landlord in Cardigan and braces we are the only customers, Colin orders his usual and the Landlord says OH MY GOD we don't have much call for that, we sit and chat while the landlord slag's off the town and the local police inspector who apparently is a bit of a young high flier, we sit in quiet amusement.

1245pm we decide to buy a pork pie and eat lunch en route, then  another disaster front tyre puncture, we push it round the corner find a puddle to trace the leak in and repair it. 1.15pm sorted, en route towards the Lincoln Wolds and the only hill. Walesby village, at the foot of the wolds we stop and re fuel on orange juice and pork pie ready for the climb.

 As usual Colin flies on ahead as Graeme rides alongside and we all get to the top without having to dismount I must be getting fitter. At the top of the hill we look back over the Fens and Lincoln Cathedral and a lot of happy memories especially in the Fens. We turn and cycle towards the Humber across the Wold tops and slowly drop down, just outside a village called Thoresby Colin's front tyre went flat big style with an explosion, another puncture, he states we wont need a puddle to find this hole and he was right. 

New tube put in and another unplanned halt. We cycle down to a village called Bleesby and we see a route sign Hull 30 mls  thats 20miles for us to just over the bridge. We climb over undulating country as we are climbing a hill approaching the A46 the mobile rings its Karen checking on our progress and to inform us that the T I C at the Humber Bridge closes at 4pm, its 3:10pm ish and we have approx 15Mls to go. A quick decision what to do, even Greame would struggle to make 15mls in that time. We decide to ask Karen to meet us at Gt Limber which is 5mls away collect the cards and have them stamped ahead. That's agreed we give Karen directions which means she crosses the Humber for third and fourth time. We then cycle 5mls in 15rnins we are in Gt Limber for 3 25pm no Karen, She arrives after 10 mins grabs the cards and then sets off to the Humber Bridge, we cycle on 

3 55pm she rings to inform us the cards are stamped 18mls in I5mins !!!!.
Pressure off we cycle along the route the sun is coming out and the end is nigh. We cycle over undulating countryside with a pleasant off road section, and then drop down to the Humber, as we approach Barton on Humber we stop near a small cottage and Colin is attacked again by a small terrier dog, why is it always him.
5pm ish We arrive at Barton on 'Humber a sizeable town we stop re-group and decide we will  go over the bridge together. We see a sign Mountain bikes two for the price of one. I wonder what trade he gets from
east coast riders, Colin,s bike has just made it? We get to the Bridge ring Karen so she can get in position and off we go over the bridge together me on the inside as I don't care for the height. Colin riding no handed on the outside waving to Karen. Karen in the distance Video running,  

Approx 5:30pm  we cycle past Karen at the far end of the bridge. Journey over. We stop and then cruise gently into the car park. A WHITE ESCORT is there with welcome home balloons, we are presented with T shirts, Framed certificates the Sun is also shining makes a change from Skipton,

 Karen states we don't look as tired as we did when we finished at Skipton (ARE WE GETTING FITTER). It was a wonderful sense of achievement, yet another great cycling holiday, I know Graeme didn't want it to end we had a brilliant time.

OBSERVATIONS OF THE RIDE

- SO MANY -
BEST DIGS - HIGHFIELD FARM GT RYBURGH
BEST BREAKFAST - HIGHFIELD, BECCLES CLOSE SECOND
BEST PUB - several CASTLE Inn FRAMLINGHAM, BEAR AND BELLS BECCLES
LORD NELSON BURNHAM THORPE, GOLDEN LION BOSTON, ROYAL OAK TATTERSHALL BRIDGE
BEST PINT - Golden Lion Boston
BEST BAR MEAL - Bear n Bells Beccles, Royal Oak Tattershall Bridge also excellent value.
BEST STOP - Sea Front, Wells next the sea
BIGGEST LAUGH - Too many to mention them all, 
Norwich sewerage works and my bike crash, Chapel Hill picnic bench, Lord Nelson Burnham Thorpe, Guinness Tanker, just a few.
WORST PINT - FIRST ONE - NEW Inn Framlingham Admans Ales
WORST DIGS - Kings Lynn

AWARDS

GRAEME - Thelmanthorpe - to - Bintree Sprint Champion

COLIN - The Fenland Tiger,  KING of the MOUNTAINS

MAL - The East of England Bottom of the Barrel Champion

 Colin's mileage chart which he checked against the actual mileage daily pointing out the the actuall was always greater than the planned.

Another Great Holiday - Roll on the next One  Glasgow - Carlisle ?? or Hull - Middlesbrough ??

Graeme summed the Holiday up cycling through the Fens

**** THREE LADS FROM MERRINGTON - HAVING A RIDE OUT****