Day 1 was full of excitement

Martin arrived hotfoot from the opening night at Glyndebourne on the overnight sleeper from Paddington to Penzance where he was greeted by Peter and Geraldine.

We assembled at Land's End with a greeting party from Home Farm Trust who gave as a royal send off. At approx 1015 a.m. we set off. T

he whole point of doing the End to End in May is that it is always warm and the prevailing wind blows steadily from the South West. In fact it was perishing cold and the wind was blowing at 15 mph from the North East - but it was a spectacularly beautiful day. We passed St.Michael's Mount, and then glided effortlessly (if you believe that you'll believe anything) through the wonderful Cornish countryside, finishing up at an appropriately named pub in Redruth for lunch. Just outside Truro, I managed to remove my chain and wrap it several times around his back wheel. Just as despair was setting in, a 12 year old boy came by and fixed it for him. We arrived in Columb St. Major at 6.30 p.m. having covered 54 triumphant miles.