#Livingwage will always be the minimum wage

I have downloaded a link to the BBC today which covers the government's announcement of a 6.2% increase in the "living wage".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50947097

Here is my quick comment :

A living wage is an honourable objective. The reality is wage increases like this - 6.2% (3 times the rate of inflation) - in the sectors they really affect ( like shops, care, hospitality etc) are businesses that are already struggling. Unless these businesses can increase their prices to compensate many will either go under or reduce their wage costs by reducing their work force. So the real practical effect of this type of enforced increase is increased prices (so no net benefit) and/or increased job insecurity. Brilliant !

So why are the Government doing it? The answer lies simply in "politics". Actually in "The Thick of It" type politics. It is political expediency - like referring to it as A Living Wage rather than what it is - the Minimum Wage. (note the Labour Party were promising even bigger wage increases in their xmas sweeties manifesto). Unfortunately too many of the electorate do not understand the issues involved. They think they will be better off. Sadly they won't be. And the damage done goes further than that. These wage increases are inflationary. The will put up the price of our exports and make goods manufactured here more expensive to sell abroad and they diminish the buying power of savings and pensions.

The only way we will ever be able to pay ourselves a REAL living wage is by increasing our Per capita GDP and make sure it is shared out reasonably fairly.

One major component holding our production rates back is our infrastructure. We are gridlocked. It costs businesses billions. Why is our infrastructure gridlocked ? - mainly too many people in a small country.

Brexit may give us an opportunity to plan better and only bring in people that we actually need.

#LabourPartyLeadership but will there be a party to lead?

As a vehement anti socialist I am smiling as I write this blog. I have no interest in being constructive - I am just going to make these objective observations :-

• The Labour Party in the Corbyn era has become a much more democratic party. This is admirable. The paid up members have the power to choose the new leader and ultimately party policy.
• However the Labour Party's problem is the dominant membership are old school doctrinaire, aggressive, intolerant left wingers - represented by John Lansman's Momentum.
• Historically moderate parties have only ever been elected with their roots firmly grounded in the mainstream.
• Corbynistas are not mainstream particularly as the baby boomer generation fully understand socialism does not work - as they have lived through the disaster it was - when nothing worked - the economy was a disaster - confidence drained - interest rates soared  and the country teetered on bankruptcy - so cap in hand to the IMF for rescue funds to bail us out.
• Many of the Corbynistas are young - they have not learned from our history - they apparently have not looked out into the world objectively and seen the obvious. Socialism has never worked anywhere properly. It has always ended in disaster.
• However Momentum has a grip of the Labour Leadership and this appears to be their analysis of Labours election catastrophe : 

1) They lost because of their Brexit Policy.

2) The rest of their policies were well received and popular.

3) Corbyn was a negative factor but that was mainly the fault of a character assassination by the right wing press.

Is this analysis objective?  Many potential Labour voters disagree. They believe Labour policies were unattractive  - that the old public ownership policies have limited appeal.

• Many moderate Labour supporters want to get back to something more akin to Blair's New Labour because after all he won 3 general elections. They want to fight for the centre ground - social welfare without public ownership.
• However this would happen over the dead body of the dominant Momentum faction who believe their policies are correct and if anything they have to be more radical left.
• These 2 groups seem to me to be unreconcilable. The Labour Party broad church is likely to be no more.

The other problem the Labour Party have as I see it is their leadership candidates are evidently lacking. Here is my assessment :

• Long-Bailey - attractive back story maybe - but no charisma and not of sufficient calibre.
• Rayner - attractive back story maybe - not bright enough. Not experienced.
• Lewis - a nasty left winger. Immature.
• Starmer - London centric - metropolitan elitist. Tainted by his anti Brexit role. Dull.
• Thornberry - champagne socialist. Bullying. Arrogant. Metropolitan. 
• Cooper - credible in some ways but whimpering, negative and duplicitous. A career politician. Unelectable.
• Lammy - a racist.
• Lisa Nandy - relatively strong and thoughtful. I doubt she could work effectively with the Corbynistas. The best of a bad bunch.
• Jess Philips - she can make a splash but will quickly wear thin. The opposite to Nandy. Too emotional. Not credible prime ministerial material.

So my conclusion.

I cannot see the Labour Party being able to reinvent itself as a credible opposition leave alone a credible government. They will try. Eventually the pay masters - the unions will pull the plug and some sort of attempt of a breakaway party will emerge to fail as Boris and the Conservative Party will be firmly camped on the middle ground! Not a bad way to start the next decade if you are a one nation Tory!

#UKPolitics after the December 12th General Election

It is now 30th December and I have not written a blog since the General Election - although I have started a few. Maybe I have suffered from writers block! In reality it has of course been a busy time around Christmas but mainly I think my brain has been just pummelled by the momentous nature of the General Election campaign and everything that turned on it - as Brexit did - as for me and millions of others - our democracy did.

This morning as pretty much every morning I have had an early morning bike ride along the sea wall. It was a cold one this morning - a change from the last few days. My head is clear but full of random thoughts. Where to start? I have decided the best way is to start with observations rather than analysis - to keep it simple and short - so here goes :

The Green Party - the UK face of the Green Party for a number of years now has been Caroline Lucas. She has been the only Green Party MP - representing the maverick seat of  Brighton Pavilion. Under Lucas the Green Party has got nowhere and they should reflect why. I would suggest to them that Lucas is a total turn off for most of the electorate. Her shrill and nasty politics are embedded in Labour's Momentum type left which was so heavily defeated in the General Election. She is a doctrinaire socialist who has used the Green movement as a vehicle to promote her wider and contradictory ideology which has been compounded by her anti Brexit anti democracy stance. There is no way green issues can be considered mainstream under Lucas's leadership. The Green Party should position itself above the political spectrum. We all want to be Green but we do not all want to follow a 6th former socialist haranguing us as part of a political game.

What of the Remainers - Remoaners? There is already a new term Rejoiners - which of course reflects the reality that finally Boris Johnson will be able to deliver the 2016 Referendum Result.
Do you recognise the names on this list?

Adonis Allen, Heidi Bebb Bercow Berger Boles Brake Cable Clarke, Ken Duncan Gapes Gauke Goodman Grieve Gyimah Hammond Harrington Lee, Philip Leslie, Chris Letwin Lidington Perry Pidcock Rudd Sandbach Smith, Owen Soubry Spelman Stewart, Rory Swinson Umunna Vaz Wollaston

These are mainly MP's elected on a leave manifesto / voted for article 50 / said they respected the referendum result who then sought to frustrate the leave process. These are mainly MP's who have been telling the electorate they got it wrong and were particularly telling us the public had changed their mind and no longer wanted Brexit. These people were duplicitous. These people were anti democratic. These people negotiated directly with the EU to try and frustrate Brexit (which many see as treasonable behaviour). These are Ex MP's. Those that stood for re election all lost.  The message could not be clearer. The people wanted Brexit and or they respected our democracy - unlike the bunch above. It is hard not to say - good riddance!

Change UK - a new way of doing politics. You have to laugh. They were calling for a "Peoples Vote". Of course calling it a peoples vote got the peoples backs up right from the start. The people had had a vote called the referendum. At the very least if they were claiming to be doing honest politics they had to call it what it was - a second referendum - a chance to reverse a decision they could not accept. The other irony  - and a massive nail in their duplicitous coffin was they claimed to want a second democratic vote because the people might have changed their minds but they steadfastly refused by using all manner of weasel words to stand in a bye election to reflect they were now standing for a different party with a different manifesto. Alas they have come and gone. It was no surprise. What chance did they have - led by the self serving champagne socialist Umunna, the vacuous Heidi Allen and the crazed and increasingly hysterical Anna Soubry. They all lost their seats. Vanity politics. All put in their place. The people have spoken. Of course they should show humility - apologise - but no - more hubris - more duplicity - but gradually they will fade into oblivion. They have been roundly rejected.

Ok enough for now - I do not want to get too wound up or too triumphalist! Leave some for another day. Blogs on wokeness, fascism, channel migrants and  BBC bias to come soon!

#Socialism in illustration (it doesn't work!)

I despair how living through failures of socialism Corbyn is managing to attract the young to this deceitful philosophy. They should learn their history!

#NHS Privatisation. What does it mean?

It is in everyone's interest that when issues relating to the NHS and its future are discussed it is done without misunderstanding or knee jerk reaction. Unless we can do so there can be no rational debate - a debate that allows the best solutions emerge for the very complex challenges the modern day NHS faces.

A key term and one that is often used is "PRIVATISATION" of the NHS. Usually it is used when referencing the threat or perceived threat to the NHS posed by the Conservative Party - ie the Tories are/want to "privatise" the NHS.

There is a problem. "Privatisation" is a loose term. It means different things to different people. Unless it is possible to agree what it means or not mean we will have a problem moving on objectively and collectively - something we need to do desperately.

Here is an attempt to get the terms of reference for a debate about the future of the NHS on a clear footing.

The starting point :

Our National Health System (the NHS) has 3 core principles set down over 60 years ago when the NHS was formed. They are :

1. that it meets the needs of everyone.
2. that it be free at the point of delivery.
3. that it be based on clinical need, not the ability to pay.
   

In relation to those core principles what does "privatisation" mean. There are two possibilities and they are often conflated. They must be separated.

PRIVATISATION (Meaning 1) It means getting rid of the NHS as defined above and replacing it with another system - most likely an insurance based scheme as used in the USA and many other countries. (private health care). People who advocate this do so because they believe the NHS is inefficient, too costly, possibly too big to control and too unwieldy to meet future challenges and needs. Their conclusion is it is unsustainable and needs to be replaced by a better system. That better system will be paid for by individuals out of their own money - probably with the benefit of tax relief on premiums paid. For some it might simply be they see the possibility of making a great deal of money out of a new system.

PRIVATISATION (Meaning 2) It means the core principles of the NHS above are fully retained ie free to everyone based on need rather than the ability to pay but with the private sector (funded out of taxation) providing some/all of the services and treatments offered by the NHS.

Advocates of the private sector playing a part in the provision of NHS services and treatments might argue any of the following :

• It can offer choice.
• It can be more flexible.
• It can be niche.
• It can be more efficient ie the NHS becomes the customer rather than the provider. As such it can determine the contract and what it is prepared to pay for. This can encourage/require the provider to offer excellent service/results.
• It can sometimes offer better value for tax payers money than the NHS can provide for the same money.
• The private sector is often more innovative.
• The private sector can be more efficient and offering volume treatments such as immunisation injections - flu jabs - screening etc.
• It can be a way of the NHS obtaining new capital investment albeit indirectly. 

However there is plenty of opposition to this type of privatisation. Arguments against might be any of the following :

• For some it is emotionally and/or politically unacceptable to introduce "private" (and therefore profit motive) under any circumstances into the NHS.
• It is the thin edge of the wedge - a slippery slope. Those advocating Privatisation Meaning 2 are actually aiming for Privatisation Meaning 1 in the longer term.
• It must cost the NHS (tax payer) more because some money is being taken out of the system as corporate profit.
• Private puts profit before patient interest.

OBJECTIVITY NEEDED - MY ASSESSMENT (a personal  and lay opinion).

1. I do not believe any of the major political parties - including the Conservatives - want to Privatise the NHS as in Meaning 1 above as part of their manifesto or even hidden agenda. Apart from anything else it would be political suicide. 
2. However ALL parties faced in government with running and financing the NHS quickly realise how challenging it is to both fund and to meet public expectation.
3. Those that advocate everything provided publically (without profit motive) is good and everything provided by the private sector through Meaning 2 must be bad because there is a profit motive are being doctrinaire rather than objective.
4. The NHS is still almost entirely over (95%) outright public in its provision but bad care happens (South Staffs). Mistakes happen. Waiting lists happen. Targets aren't met. Over bloated management happens. Money is wasted - paying too much for drugs etc.
5. Some argue that 4 above is entirely because the NHS does not have enough money - or even - money should not even be a consideration in healthcare.
6. However resources come from taxation and are therefore finite. Choices have to be made about what is spent where. A terminally ill cancer patient can be given a very expensive drug that might extend life by 6 months to a year. That money could be spent on providing an extra nurse for a year and would help many patients. What is the right thing to do?
7. It is well documented and understood by the baby boomers (of which I am one) that the "public sector" can be very inefficient and wasteful. They are usually both monolithic and monopolistic - and as a result can be unresponsive to customers - badly managed - complacent and self serving. Not a panacea. We have experienced it first hand
8. As a result, past Labour and Conservative (and with the Liberal coalition) have seen there is a place for some limited privatisation under the NHS public umbrella. GP's and dentists are effectively "private businesses". Hospices are businesses albeit charity based ones. Many outpatient clinics are now run by private contact (such as Virgin) - for which the NHS pays and of course so are many support services - like IT, cleaning and catering. It is happening and by and large it works very well and there might be scope and reason to do more.
9. For me (8 above) is not an issue providing the NHS sets the clinical/medical standard. The important thing is not whether a particularly service is carried out by the Public or Private sector providing any private contract outsourced by the NHS - is paid for by the NHS and is free to the public based on clinical need rather than an ability to pay. Surely the most important focus is the quality of the service provided and not really who provides it.

So in summary I think the NHS is too big and the issues too complex for a one cap fits all mind set. The NHS must continue to challenge itself - find the optimum way of doing things - and the public would be irrational to be dismissive of private providers if they can offer a quality and cost effective service (for less money.) There is no doubt in my mind Public owned businesses can be wasteful and complacent and in some situations private business can do a better job.

A quick word about PFI contracts for those that do not know much about it. Private Finance Initiatives are very much in the news at the moment. Broadly these contracts/schemes started when Blair/Brown were running the Government. 75% of all existing PFI contracts were signed by a Labour Government. What are they? The Labour Government decided they want to provide new hospitals, schools and roads. However they do not want to pay for it by raising taxes. They could borrow the money - but that looks bad too. So what do they do? They find a private company to build the hospital, or school or motorway. The private company pays for it all before handing the completed building over to the NHS/Government. Look voters we have provided you with a brand spanking new hospital - vote for us! The deal is then the NHS/Government repay the private company over say a 30 year period. However now the penny has dropped - or been exposed - which is why it is in the news. Billions are outstanding to PFI companies and is costing a fortune to service. The tax payer will be paying through the nose for years and it is the Governments fault. There should be a lesson here for all those that want to consume now and pay for it later. Sooner or later the sh-t hits the fan. Better to try and live within your means. Morally better to live within your means than dump the liability on the next generation (your kids!)

#ShidetoTheSpyglass a hilly muddy 11 mile jog

My son James is a member of Isle of Wight Road Runners. I am a nominal member in as much as I pay the membership fee and join them for the odd club night run. The IWRR are a fantastic club and James gets a massive amount out of being a member - which is really tremendous for him.

Yesterday (Sunday) the Club organised a non official club run. There were no prizes, timings, water stations or marshalling as such. I believe it was a trial / dummy run for a future to be organised event.

Having said that my son James sold me a bit of a pup. He said there were going to loads of people there - families - dogs - all doing there own thing - low key - walking sometimes and plenty of chatting - not serious!

On Friday night in the pub we were talking about it. I had no plans for the weekend other than domestic stuff and the weather forecast was a mixed bag. The previous weekend I had done the bike ride and it reminded me very strongly how much I love being outdoors in the late autumn - the colours and the smells can be just atmospheric and special. Anyway in a moment of something, I said I could do the Shide (Newport) to The Spyglass (Ventnor) event. I knew it was 10 miles off road, lots of hills and mud. My rationale - I can walk the 10 miles if I have to. My plan was to jog and walk and chat as necessary - no pressure - and just enjoy being out there. ( I had to take James to the start anyway and George was picking James up from Ventnor so I could easily tag along.)

Anyway we get to Shide for the start. Immediately I think to myself "what am I doing"? While everyone was friendly and inclusive and the club is very encouraging and supportive, it was evident this was a Club run. I am not a club runner - I am now an occasional jogger. I did a 10k in February and run 2 or 3 times a week over 2 or 3 miles. A 4 miler would be unusual.

There was the shortest of briefings - but two things I latched onto. The first was we would all try and meet up at The Stenbury Obelisk for a group photo! This was approximately the half way point and more significantly - the highest point - 600 ft above sea level. The second was Aaron would be the "Back Marker"!

Immediately I feel under pressure. I don't want anyone hanging around for me. I explain to Aaron he doesn't have to wait around for me - I can find my way to Ventnor. He is having none of it - he doesn't mind how long it takes. But still! I chat to Elaine one of the main club runners. I tell her there is no need for them all to wait for me for a photograph at the obelisk. She laughs - is very easy going and supportive - you will be fine. We will wait - no problem!

Blimey I owe it to everyone to do my best - to run it as well as I can! I repeat - I don't want anyone hanging around in the cold for me.

It is a lovely autumn morning. We set off at 9.30 on the old railway track. I know the first half well enough. It is flat for 5 miles. Lots of puddles and mud because we have had a lot of rain. There was nowhere to hide on this first 5 miles. There is plenty of chatter - not so much from me. I doggedly jog. It is not too embarrassing.

We skirt Godshill - it is now up to Stenbury. It is beautiful - a late autumn sun is low is the sky. The light is great. Gradually the panoramas are opening up (not that I was looking that much I have to admit). It is a very steep climb and very slippery as some of it is turf only or unmade paths. In some ways it a relief for me. No one can run as such - it is a leveller. I am ok on hills but still last to the top. As promised they are waiting at the Obelisk (although rightly the speedsters had long gone.) we have the photo. ( I can see the runners have been waiting and getting cold but they are all cheerful and friendly - thank you). I am reassured the worst is over - now more or less down hill to The Spyglass pub!

We are jogging in a wonderful place. Quiet down land - unspoilt - 360 degree views of the Island. Ventnor lays down below us - some way ahead with the massive sparking sea behind. It is mostly down hill but not entirely - some very slippery up hills too but by now I am pretty much reconciled to the reality. I will get there. I am putting the effort in as much as I reasonably can. Aaron is relaxed and chatting away. My legs are stiffening up but more and more it is steep and often slippery down hill. Knees ache more on the down hills. We get to 9 miles. One more to go. We zig zag down towards Ventnor - some lovely paths I have never been on before. We get down to the Botanical Garden. Blimey this is a long last mile! Aaron then tells me it is not a 10 mile run but just over 11. Another mile to go! Down the steps to lovely Steephill Cove and along the sea wall towards Ventnor. We have to go over one more steep bluff. There is a very steep zig zag path and then an arrow with ha ha written beside it pointing to a horrendous flight of steps. A few more hundred yards. We arrive The Spyglass.

Most of the other runners are in the beer garden - food is coming out - they have been there a while! Everyone is happy. We chat about the run. It was a great thing to do. James has plenty of ammunition to pull my leg about my running!

Thank you Isle of Wight Road Runners for organising the run (especially Pat). Thank you all for the patience and support from everyone especially Aaron.

It was a simple but tremendous thing to do on a damp Sunday. The simplest pleasures are free - or almost free. For myself I did the 11 miles and I have got to be pleased with that. Like so often in life - ultimately the physical challenge plays second fiddle to the mental challenge. It is getting your head right.

Just as a footnote - I was chatting to Stuart Backhouse in the pub. He does ultra runs. He completed a 100 miles in 22 hours. That is really incredible!

Here are a few photos :

The start at Shide

James in the mud

Almost at The Stenbury Obelisk

Aaron nursed me around

mud and hills

Stenbury Obelisk - sorry you had to wait!

  

#DevonCoasttoCoast How it was for The Three Tenners!

It's been a while since I have written a Three Tenners blog. (The Three Tenners - me with brothers Rob and Mike.) For whatever reasons it has proved difficult to find a time slot for a trek together this year and we certainly left it late. Eventually we agreed to do something mid November - but what?

I had previously heard about the Sutrans Devon Coast to Coast Cycle route and looked it up.

The Devon Coast to Coast Cycle Route is a 99 miles (159 km) waymarked route from Ilfracombe in north Devon to Plymouth in south Devon. 

Created by Sustrans, the sustainable travel charity, the cycleway runs for over half its length on off-road routes along disused railway lines. The route is part of the National Cycle Network and is designated Route 27. It includes the Tarka Trail, the Granite Way and Drake's Trail, all off-road, plus generally quiet country lanes and bridleways.^[3] 71 miles (114 km) of the route are designated traffic-free, with at least one section between Braunton and Meeth being 30 miles (48 km) long.^[2]

Towns that can be visited along the way include Tavistock, Okehampton, Bideford and Barnstaple.

The route is normally cycled in two or three days.

While I knew the ride would appeal to my bruvs - I also knew while they owned bikes they were not regular cyclists and 100 miles on Devon's rolling hills would be a big ask. How much they thought about that I do not know - but I quickly got a "I am up for it" replies to my E Mails - so it was on!

Next the planning and logistics. The way we work - I do the courtesy of consulting my brothers via E Mail - but almost always they leave it to me to put a plan together. The usual challenge with something like this involving bikes! How to get to the start with your machine? How to get home from the finish? The Three Tenners are based in and around Exeter. The obvious solution was to use the train - but one problem - the train only goes as far as Barnstaple - 15 miles short of  Ilfracombe! Eventually we settle on riding north to south with a half way stop over at Hatherleigh - 7 miles north of Dartmoor - and about as mid Devon as you can get. We need an early start to cover the distance bearing in mind it gets dark by 4.30. Mike suggested taking a taxi from Barnstaple to Ilfracombe which was a good idea and I lined it up. However when we changed the start day from Saturday to Friday I found the minibus was needed for a school run and was not available. After some chat and some bravado (naivety) we decide to add 15 miles to The Devon Coast to Coast and cycle from Barnstaple to Ilfracombe for the start.

6.48 train from Exeter gets us to Barnstaple for just after 8am. It is cold but a fine morning. We are straight onto the "Tarka Trail" heading for Ilfracombe. It is lovely - easy cycling on a defined and well marked route - and then we emerge the other side of Braunton. We are on the western fringes of Exmoor. Hills kick in big time. It is a baptism of fire. Reality dawns - this is going to be tough. Personally I am pretty confident with my riding and get on a bike most days. My brothers don't. There are a lot of f's. It becomes obvious our rate of progress means it is becoming unrealistic that we will be able to get to Ilfracombe - turn around and get to Hatherleigh on the day. What to do? Rob comes up with the genius solution - can we get a taxi back from Ilfracombe to Barnstaple? The genius was the weight of his argument - we will have cycled the whole route - just Ilfracombe to Barnstaple in reverse. This felt morally ok! Thank heavens for modern technology. I google the taxi firm I had previously contacted and call them. Yes the mini bus has finished the school run and can meet us at Ilfracombe Quay. A relief. It gets us back on track. £40.

I estimate it will take us 45 mins to get to the start. It takes us 90 minutes! As we are going down into Ilfracombe Rob gets a puncture to add frustration and concern !

Here I give a big thank you to B Line Taxis Barnstaple -  https://blinetaxis.com. They were great.

Down to picturesque Ilfracombe Harbour (in the rush we forgot to take photos) - straight into the long waiting minibus and back up through the town to pick up Rob. It is then a tellingly long and windey route back to Barnstaple. Rob does a good job on the tyre fix and we are away!

The route to Bideford along the Taw and then Torridge estuaries with a stop at Instow was flat and lovely. We made good progress and spirits were high despite my bruvs saddle soreness!

There after it was some hard riding - plenty of hills but the scenery was lovely. It was cold - but it never rained. We crossed millions of autumn leaves. It was very quiet - for much of it we had Devon entirely to ourselves - although for much of the time we were a distance apart - those hills!

Rob & Mike arrive!

We got a little confused with the route around Petrockstowe as the afternoon moved on but we make Hatherleigh well despite the tough ask of a full day in the saddle. My bruvs had dug in well and were a credit to themselves. It was a great thing to do. You had to laugh - our over night stay - The Tally Ho Inn in the lovely village of Hatherleigh was on a perpendicular hill!

The Tally Ho Inn was perfect. A lovely warm room each - shower - beer - a Tally Ho burger - friendly locals. It was not a late night - but plenty of laughs. Great.

Next morning an 8.30 am getaway. Good spirits all round. Outside the pub - the route is to the top of the perpendicular hill. Black humour. 

The next 15 or 20 miles was beautiful. A very quiet Saturday morning. A damp chill so typical of late autumn. Beautiful colours - beautiful scenery. It would be fair to say the route was undulating - some staggeringly beautiful deciduous woods and farmland. On occasions wood burning smoke hung in the air - almost as many squirrels as sheep. I loved this stretch.

In a while we get to Okehampton right on the northern edge of Dartmoor. A big climb out of the town gets us to the Granite Way where we follow the old railway to Meldon. We are up high now - some beautiful views of the high moor as we cross ancient viaducts. This is great stuff. The miles tick by slowly. We are on to Lydford then Mary Tavy and the lovely town of Tavistock (apparently voted one of the best places to live in the UK!) We stop in the town centre and sit in the sun. (we were spectacularly lucky with the weather) to watch and listen to a mass Morris Dancer gathering raising money for "Pudsey". Mike and I eat food - Rob eats protein bars and "jells"! There are two reoccurring complaints - Rob - "how many more f..ing hills and Mike - lets say bikers bottom! I keep reminding them the last 10 miles is down hill! We still have miles to do.

We are now on the Drake's Trail and after we clear Tavistock we settle down again. Again lovely scenery - good riding - but yes to be kind - undulating! We pass over Horrabridge and eventually make Yelverton. The boys are tired. (understand the Coast to Coast route is not the crow flies route  - it is set to take you off road on to established paths and tracks or on the quietest roads possible. I think riders do use road bikes.That would not be my recommendation - but you do not need full on mountain bikes).

We get to Yelverton for the promised 10 mile downhill stretch. It shows the extent we have climbed. It really is a gentle downhill - interesting if you did Coast to Coast starting in Plymouth! 

Again we pass through some lovely scenery but gradually we make more human contact - with dog walkers and runners. Eventually we start to hit urbanisation and we have to cross roads. We have to cut under Saltram House Estate but I make a rash wrong turn and drag my brothers up the hill to the house. (at least we see the house!). They needed that like a hole in the head after 90 odd miles - sorry bruvs! We are soon back on track following the River Plym before we cross it and eventually head for the Hoe for the finish. We pass around the enticing Barbican - all those lovely eateries to get to the Hoe at 5 - just in time as the light was lost.

A quick photo - The Three Tenners have done it! We have to get back to the station as we have our bikes booked on the 5.55. Through sheer bad planning (or was it the hills?!) there is no time for a pub. We settle on cans of Tribute and Directors from the Spar - ha!

We enjoy the train ride back. Tired, relieved - but most of all chuffed. The beer goes down well! The bottoms and legs will soon recover. We are already laughing about the hills and start speculating about the next thing.

It was a great thing to do - especially good to do it with my brothers. I am proud of them - we are proud of each other. 100 miles + on tough terrain without being hardened cyclists and dare I mention age! Well done bruvs.

At Exeter we have to go our own ways. My daughter and son in law Phil are typically thoughtful. They have made a wonderful Thai Green Curry - perfect. Phil has some real ales in. A hot shower and a slow wind down. Thank you so much. A great couple of days.

Mike setting out Barnstaple

and Rob

Hitting the hills at Nomansland

scenes on route

scruff bags

Tally Ho Inn Hatherleigh at the end of  a long day

R Okement - Okehampton

Morris Dancers Tavistock

We make the finish as it gets dark over Plymouth Sound

Cheers on the way home!