: MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY :
southampton to edinburgh

2nd July MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY March
I wanted to go to Edinburgh to march at the MPH rally on the 2nd July before the G8 leaders gathered for the sumit at Gleneagles. Why? Becase I feel strongly about seeking justice for the world's poor.

I also feel strongly about the environment and I'm deeply concerned about climate change, so I decided to cycle to Edinburgh. I live in Southampton. 530 miles South. This is my journey.

Friday 24th - Southampton to Oxford
The day of rain! Just 3 kilometres into the ride and Luke suffers his first puncture. A tremendous blow-out would be a more apt way of describing it. But a new tube was quickly changed and we stopped at a Peter Hansfords to get inner tube supplies (and a new cyclo-computer for me). Shortly before Winchester the first enormous thunderstorm engulfed us and we sat it out. More thunderclouds threatened us but we were already wet through.

We skirted on and off the A34 which was pleasant and fairly quick in places. Lunch was taken at the M4 services when a massive storm moved in which didn't stop. We headed off into the thick of the rain as the A34 became particularly nasty north of the M4. This was unpleasant and we took the next leave and finished back roads into Oxford, an evening sun drying us off.

Time : 4 hr 39
Distance : 66.2 miles
Average : 14.2 miles / hr

Saturday 25th : Oxford to Leicester
A cloudy day was what we woke to, with a wind somewhere from the south. Good progress was made pretty much due north through the rather lovely villages of Deddington, Banbury, Southam (particularly nice) and Lutterworth. We met some nice folk who ask of our travels and generally enjoyed the back roads - a relief from the A34. We were put up splendidly by my step-sister Em and watched Richard Curtis' splendid film for the G8 'The Girl in the Cafe'.

Time : 5 hr 01
Distance : 71.16 miles
Average : 14.2 miles / hr

Sunday 26th : Leicester to Lincoln
A comfortably short day was expected, but we took the slightly longer route via Grantham. The sun was shining with a patchwork of clouds hanging in the sky as we passed a railway bridge that was attracting attention. We stopped and watched an old steam train pass under. Grantham for lunch was made rather pleasant by finding that the church where we stopped had held a celebration for the Africa cycle team who left from London the same time as us. We were catching them up!

Arrived in Lincoln and stayed with an old friend. They took us to church which was great, though I found prayers to be dangerous 'near-sleep' territory.

Time : 4 hr 25
Distance : 65.0 miles
Average : 14.7 miles / hr

Monday 27th : Lincoln to York (via Humber Bridge)
Due North was all we needed to do before Lunch. Lincoln cathedral and old city centre on the hill was a delightful find, and we plowed at some speed straight up the A15 roman road. We followed the road to it's conclusion on the River Humber bank then skipped along to the Humber Bridge where we took lunch. Just over half way along the bridge my odometer reached 250 miles - our half way point, nice.

At the next services we met some lovely police constables who asked us if we were heading for the MPH march. I asked them if they were also going and they couldn't tell me (there were). Market Weighton was our next junction and second lunch where we serendipitously met the Africa Team who were heading for York. We then cycled the remainder of our route with them, all very pleasant and social though it did severely kill our average speed for the day. We then had a truly pleasant evening with a family Luke knew from 5 years ago.

Time : 5 hr 19
Distance : 81.17 miles
Average : 15.2 miles / hr

Tuesday 28th : York to Durham
The wind was less pleasant but the sun was still shining for most of the day to keep us warm. The scenery was getting more interesting but that did mean more hills. However, this did mean a new top speed of 41 miles per hour :) First lunch at Thirsk and second lunch at Northallerton. We met some of the Africa team again just outside Darlindton and road with them some distance. Some very hospitable folks put us up in Durham for the night after enjoying a chinese take-away watching the castle and cathedral lit up a fiery orange by the setting sun. Quite how we achieved this amazing average speed I don't know.

Time : 4 hr 32
Distance : 74.48 miles
Average : 16.3 miles / hr

Wednesday 29th : Durham to Hetton Hall
This day was quite a killer. Not only in its length but the hills and wind were all taking their toll on us. We took the A691 then B6309 out of Durham to Morpeth via Hadrian's Wall (where we had first lunch). This was fairly hilly and quite a de-tour, but was pleasant enough, and a nice bit of history for the soul.

Morpeth housed us for second lunch and was notable in three respects: Edinburgh was on the signpost at 110 miles for the first time; the URC church had been encircled by a giant white band - a welcome encouragement; and I met a nice guy in the Oxfam shop who said he was going up for the march (indeed he was as we actually met on the march route!).

North along the A697 took us eventually to Wooler. Chatton was then located which we knew to be near the Northumbria Community, the open monastery-ish place where we were staying the following nights. Nobody in Chatton know of it, but suggested a place called Hetton was a possibility. Thankfully this turned out to be right and we were warmly welcomed into their community, with dinner and two chapel services before bed.

Time : 6 hr 27
Distance : 91.26 miles
average : 14.1 miles / hr

Thursday 30th : Northumbria Community Day of Rest
The Northumbria community is a group of people based at this Hetton Hall, an old manor house, who are seeking to live out a monastic way of life in an open style. People there are married and single, some living full time around the area and others just coming up regularly or every so often. The community also welcomes guests who can stay in the many rooms available and join in with the monastic way of life. It's not silent, oppressive or weird, just truly pleasant, peaceful and surprisingly humorous.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day we spent there, with good food (that we helped to prepare in the grand kitchen with six-hob cooker - I was in my element!), lovely chapel services that were singing/chanting based and gloriously peaceful. The people there were also so lovely, and loving, members and visitors alike. There was time to rest and read a book, to potter and work. Luke and I headed off quickly to Lindisfarne for a mini pilgrimage which was rather nice.

One of the thanks I'm most grateful for was meeting an American minister and her daughter who were also staying there. They were from San Jose in California and were a refreshing change from the 'American' that I've been exposed to of late. She was really open about the discrepancy between Bush's Christianity and real Christian faith, about how Jesus was all ab out justice not rues and imposing moral values on others. She also explained more about how the Democrats really need to come up with better goods next time and confirmed that 50% of the American population really don't support Bush. Praise the Lord! I was delighted to be able to have her signature on my MPH banner and take it on Saturday's march.

Friday 1st : Hetton Hall to Edinburgh
This day was a mix of emotions. The wind was always going to be our enemy, being a strong south-westerly as we were tracking north west - not the best combination. We decided to take the coast road (A1) with the hope of a flatter route and possibility of a sea breeze to kill the prevailing wind. The first hope was realised. The second wasn't. Noticeably so.

Our morning ride to Berwick-upon-Tweed was ok, but the wind was bad, and it didn't ease as we road to lunch near Grantshouse. I was fearfully aware of the time limitation on the day's ride - arrival at Dalkeith by 3:45 for the Triumphal Entry into Edinburgh with all the other cyclists - but didn't want to burned Luke with this knowledge. Lunch was short and we headed on as the road snaked West and flattened out leaving no hindrance to the wind as it relentlessly battered us. I'd called for prayer support at lunch to get us through the day and we needed it.

I had a rough idea of the distance we had left to travel, and they were converging rather too rapidly with an average speed that was dipping sharply. I was concerned. Scrap that - I was downright pissed off that our chance of making this deadline was slipping away from our grasp. I was pissed off with the wind, with myself (for not having taken the A697) and at God for being God an not helping us out. I headed off as fast as I could - which wasn't fast in the wind - really pushing Luke, who coped amiably with the ordeal. I coped less well resulting to screams of anger, pain and disappointment at numerous times when the coast seemed quiet.

But blessings upon blessings we made it! We reached Dobbies Garden Centre in Dalkeith at 3:43 to applause from those 200+ cyclists already gathered. We then set off, with police cordoning off our route into the heart of the city, following the Southampton rickshaw - a great snaking trail of cyclists and white banners flapping in the wind. We were roused by the honks of horns from motorists jammed by our blockade. It was a truly triumphal entry and a great start to the weekend's events. Helicopters circled overhead filming us on the BBC 6 o'clock news, reporters feasted on our tired minds and boxes of fair trade juice and falafel arrived to fill our empty tummies.

The evening was also a great event. Luke and I found a great indian take away and eat well before a ceilidh (pronounced ka'le - the Scottish version of a Barn Dance, only way better) at St. Peter's Church. We danced the night away on out aching knees - a really enjoyable event, and great way to end the ride!

Time : 5 hr 37
Distance : 79.72 miles
Average : 14.2 miles / hr