Ludlow to Worcester

It rained! No sooner had I left Ludlow, than it started. And so it continued all morning, accompanied by a strong wind, leaving me shivering. It's surprising how even in summer, when exposed to the elements, one can lose body heat. Whilst I climbed steep Worcestershire hills, any possible views were shrouded in sheets of rain and cloud. My back wheel had developed quite a buckle, so much so, that I was forced to stop. Two broken spokes! Fortunately I had had the foresight for such an eventuality, and had removed three spokes from the back wheel I had discarded in Carlisle. It must have looked an odd sight, a penny farthing on its back by the roadside, in pouring rain. By the time I reached Lower Broadheath, the birthplace of Sir Edward Elgar, just outside Worcester, I was cold, tired, and despondent. At least the rain had stopped, and the irregular shape of the Malvern hills were visible.

As I had two hours to spare before I was due to meet Dave Preece, I sat and watched barges negotiating the lock gates between the river Severn and the canal. Never having observed this before, I was surprised how quickly the water rises and falls as lock gates are opened and closed, bringing the barge to the right level. The sun came out, my eyes closed, and before I knew it, I had drifted off to sleep. I was woken half an hour or so later by heavy drops of rain on my face.

Dave cycled his 54" penny farthing from Land's End to John O'Groats last April. It's one of the elegant looking Czech replicas, with lovely attention to detail. Unlike me, he experienced icy winds and snow in Scotland. He also came across people undertaking some bizarre ways of travelling end to end, including two men on BMX bicycles, and a man dressed as superman, who is attempting to set a record for the longest distance travelled by bike, dressed as the superhero. Now why didn't I think of that? Today I am heading for Cirencester, where I shall spend a couple of nights, allowing me a rest day. On Thursday, I shall press on for Bristol and the home stretch.