2024

Glasgow to Dunbar

Prelude

Ride was all planned and sorted. For once it  all came together quite nicely distances and hotel stops all fell into place  for a three day ride.

It was all planed with an easy route along the canals so no complications were expected.

Costs had been estimated and everyone had paid for their share of the travel and hotel costs and ride memorabilia shirts, which were looking fab
in black with silver stitching, I'm even getting better at shirt designs

The design test patch

Looking good on the shirt

Ian was sorting out the van hire so I didn't have to be involved in that. 

Plans were take a train to Bishopbriggs, walk short a  distance to Morison's supermarket and meet Ian with the van where he would have easy access and parking.

Then I found out  that there was  new artwork on the canal that we all  thought would be nice  to see, the only problem was, we would not be passing by it on the original route plans .
 A check with everyone and we all wanted to see it, so a quick calculation  on mileages and it was only a short 2 mile backtrack to the art installation, 
also flat along the canal side  so  it was decided that's what we would do.

Then the train times changed, which meant that my timings would not work. 
I had to have a rethink  and so I  came up with a change of starting point and change of plan for the start of the ride.
We would take a train from Durham to Glasgow, as  Ian was not keen on taking the van into the city centre  
I found a trading estate just outside the M8 motorway with lots of parking and right beside the canal making it  a good starting point for us.
 It only meant we had a 1 mile walk through Glasgow city centre to meet Ian, but the timings worked so that was the ride plans all worked out again. 

I purchased the tickets from Bishop Trains. I had it all written down and asked the lad serving to sort out the tickets so we were all sat together for the journey to Glasgow, 
but as I had requested on open ended return we were unable to reserve seats for the return journey from Dunbar.

We had decided to return to Darlington as we could then easily catch a train to Bishop and get collected from the station, making it easier for our wives/partners.

On getting home I was sorting the tickets out into Travel to Glasgow on Monday  and return from Dunbar on Wednesday.
That's when I noticed that they had printed return tickets for the Monday.
A quick phone call to Bishop Trains and they agreed to refund return tickets and re issue ones for Wednesday.
All sorted again for the moment, things just keep getting thrown in the works.

Two days before the ride, the  Premier Inn in Falkirk, which was the stop for the first night, emailed to say their restaurant was closed on an evening so they were only doing breakfast.

This meant another change of plan. A quick search of  restaurants in the area turned up a Chinese buffet,
I checked with the lads, they were all happy with that choice and it was only a 5 minute walk from the hotel.

Then the night before the ride Connor messaged to say he was in Dublin, but was hoping to get an early flight to meet up with us for the ride. 
There was nothing I could about that at this late hour, just live in hope that he makes it.

 
On the Sunday evening before the ride Ian called round everyone's houses with the van to collect all the bikes and bags.
Graeme brought his bike through to Daves on the Sunday  so it was easier for Ian to collect as he lives twenty mile away from Bishop. 
We certainly rely on Ian being helpful and organised he was spot on as usual.

Ian told me the hire co had given him the wrong van, he had called in earlier in the month and booked the van he wanted,
Unfortunately, they had hired it out to someone else and the only van they had was an old builders van, and that the rear door would not secure.
 Ian explained we needed it to be secure as we left the cycles in the van overnight, 
Poor Ian, he had to wait an hour while they repaired the rear load door and fitted a hasp and padlock to make it secure before he could drive away. 
But after all the niggles the Plans were starting to come together

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