Awoke feeling refreshed and ready for another challenging day. After a good breakfast and loading up of panniers with various food treats to keep me going during the day it was on the road. You can always tell when I have stayed somewhere with people whose company I really value as it is a hard one to get out on the road (and is invariably a little bit later than intended).
Today was a day for 'chasing the pace' as I wanted to get to Tanglewood in Great Malvern by about midday. Got out onto the road for Cirencester and coasting along nicely. Then didn't realise that I should actually turn off for Cirencester - the sign pointed straight on for through traffic and I had assumed that meant straight on to go through Cirencester. It was only when I looked back over my shoulder and saw a sign saying 'Welcome to Cirencester' that I realised my mistake. Squeel of brakes, reversing 'beep beep beep', mild swearing as I waddled across the road and then on into the town. Cirencester was a lovely looking town - another place to go back and visit. It wasn't quite so easy to navigate quickly though - eventually got going in the right direction but on the wrong road so had a bit of navigating to get through to Perrott's Brook and the A435 to Cheltenham. Then I was flying along - gentle uphill slope but a good road and quite quiet. Coming in to Cheltenham was fine, but then the old problem of navigating whilst trying to avoid idiot car drivers and I must have missed the sign for a turning. A bit of wandering around the back streets of Cheltenham and eventually I found the right road.
Ankle was starting to jangle a bit at this point. Might have been as I had been chasing the pace in the morning. Headed through Bishop's Cleeve and on to Ashton Cross, Eckington before turning towards Upton upon Severn. At this point ankle really starting to jitter. Traffic getting a bit more insistent too. Eventually on the turning for Great Malvern. As I came into town an idiot driver through it would be a good idea to pull just in front of me and then turn left into a parking space next to me. He must have been coated in vaseline as somehow he slipped into the gap without knocking me over, but only just!!. Now as you may be reading this pre-watershed I will give you the censored version of my comments (muttered under my breath). Firstly I commented something about his family lineage. Then I suggested that a certain part of his anatomy was attached to his forehead which would make him a medical curiosity to say the least. I finished by asserting that he could take his car and proceed to insert it somewhere that is not only anatomically impossible but would also render driving the vehicle a distinct challenge. Was so miffed I almost missed the turning, but eventually I was turning into Albert Road and there were the familiar orange Sense t-shirts waiting to welcome me.
Now the Tanglewood team must have heard of my liking for banana sandwiches as there was a generous plate awaiting me. Unfortunately, I have realised that when my ankle is really bothering me my appetite goes through the floor and I couldn't eat very many of them. It has been a real challenge to have sufficient calorie intake on this trip and finding it difficult to eat when the ankle is throbbing doesn't help matters.
Tanglewood is a converted house which went through a major refurb about 5 years ago (Wayne - please do correct me if my memory is not great). The thing that struck me about Tanglewood is that it doesn't feel like a residential or care home so much as 'home' - the place that you or I would think of as our home is very much the same feeling I got at Tanglewood. Yes, there is the high-spec equipment such as the bed to bathroom hoists in each room, the snazzy lift system like the one I first encountered at the Dereham Resource Centre, and the usual friendly and professional Sense staff, but the thing that really struck me is that the service users each have a room that is very clearly 'theirs'. Each bedroom was decorated differently and has a real sense of the personality of the person to whom the room belongs. I even picked up some decorating and home furnishing tips from looking around Tanglewood. Huge thanks to Wayne and all his team for making me feel so welcome, and to all the service users for letting me visit their home.
Eventually it was time to move on as still several miles to go yet. Cycled into the Malvern Hills - managed to hit my head on a branch that was hanging into the road which was not an auspicious start. This was followed by the ankle turning audible as well as feeling squeeky - surely not a good sign. Walked up some of the hillage towards Little Malvern but managed to avoid the worst of the 'Bliss festival' traffic. Onwards towards Ledbury - saw the Ledbury foot and angle clinic and was suprised at how prescient they were in this town to have set up a service just for me. Darn, it was shut. Stopped at a pub in Much Marcle for a much miracle chocolate gateau and icecream break. Road got steeper and twisty, and then I was turning of the A449 to avoid the section at Ross on Wye where the motorway joins the dual carriageway. Went via How Caple Court after admiring a fine view over the Herefordshire and Welsh countryside. Of course when you leave the main road the gradient can be a bit more 'variable', as my tired legs and aching ankle found to their cost. Did get to ride through the beautiful Penalt village (although nearly burst my tyre trying to cross a cattle grid at speed) and then it was on through Hoarwithy and on to the A49. Stopped for a sandwich break and to look out for triple H's (the miffed apiary dweller will know to what I am refering - everyone else will have to remain mystified over that one!!!).
Onwards to the Border. I've got my passport ready. Unfortunately no signs on the B4521 to welcome you into Wales so I had no idea when I reached the land of the Welsh dragon. The view was amazing, the road a bit uphill for my ankle's taste (which was now screaming at me) and it seemed a hangmut of a long time before I got to Abergavenny. Then a long downhill cruise and I was in the town. May have taken some deep breaths when I arrived to steady myself - ankle was on its last legs (or is that too confused a statement) and my pain threshold had been passed about 15 miles ago...
Was staying at the Black Lion B&B and you couldn't have hoped for lovelier hospitality. My bike was taken through for me (whilst I did a quick emergency stretch of the achilles) and I was shown up to a lovely room with all the little extras that help to make a night in a B&B a real treat (they had white tea, and two types of biccies, and shampoo, and conditioner, and and and.... ) Had a good bath which seemed to settle the ankle a bit and then headed out for dinner (although I realised I was walking like John Wayne after a long day in the saddle). Had a huge and delicious dinner at the Sundarbon Indian restaurant. Oh but that was needed after a 100 mile day! Couldn't finish all the lovely food but they very kindly packed up the leftovers neatly for me so I could take them on my journey the next day.
Back to the guest house and the lovely landlady crushed up some ice so I could make up an icepack. She even offered me some of her Ibuprofen muscle relief gel stuff but given its warning about asthmatics I thought I ought not to risk it. Mind you the hot bath, excellent Indian food and icepack with my foot propped up on every cushion in myroom did seem to work wonders.
To sleep, perchance to dream. Not likely...too tired.
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