Anyway, plenty of choice so left it to this week to book. Whoops. Slim pickings in Falkirk. We tried the places with websites on the basis that they must be fairly successful. No joy, fully booked. We tried the places with nice pictures on the http://www.visitscotland.com website. Nope, all full. We tried the places with pictures, still nothing. We then tried the first one without a picture. SUCCESS! All booked, got the address and looking forward to it. I’ve never stayed in a PO Box before.

John O’Groats we got our first choice hotel. The only one in John O’Groats. No picture, but sounded nice on the phone. They have a website, but it doesn’t work. We told them we were vegetarians, it went quiet for a moment. I’m sure it will be fine. No, really.

Arrochar next. Again our first choice B&B. I’ve found http://www.tripadvisor.com quite useful to find photos of the rooms guests have stayed in rather than the rooms the B&B puts on the website or in the brochure. Long Shadows B&B is looking like a steal at á¸55.

Home next night. No booking required but will expect an excellent veggie breakfast

Finally, Land’s End. Not a chance. Land’s End Hotel wanted 200 quid a night. Penzance was the next best, but nothing stood out there either. So off to Hayle on the North Cornwall coast, bang on the money and the lady has a lovely voice.

No turning back now. Total accomodation cost: á¸223.00 Average cost per night (excluding home) á¸55.75 At last now, I can start finalising the route and things to see on the way. GAME ON!

Later today at work my co-directors car won’t start. I went and had a look, as I’m the car expert at work. In the land of the car blind, the guy who knows how to rev the car from under the bonnet is king. Car was turning over OK, but was clearly unwilling to start. It was either no fuel, or no spark. I couldn’t even find the spark plugs. Chris is in the RAC so gives them a call. Twenty minutes later, the van turns up. Pete the RAC man gets out the laptop and starts diagnosing the problem. No spark. Lots of electricity but no spark. Laptop says crank sensor. Whoosh. Quick phone around and off to the Vauxhall dealer who luckily had one in stock, and even more luckily, would leave it with a sales guy because they were closing in five minutes.

A crank sensor tells the sparkplugs to spark when the pistons (attached to the crank) are in the right place. When it breaks, the sparkplugs are not told to spark, hence the car won’t start. Got talking to Pete who turns out that he is good friends with my cousin Steve and share a common interest in old British motorbikes. They have both in the RAC for 20 years, real old stagers and both incredibly good at their job.

I have breakdown cover from my motorcycle insurer (Bennetts), must check that it includes everything before I go!

My first long trip on a bike was shortly after I passed my test. I rode my newly acquired 600 Diversion down to Chippenham from Telford. It rained. It rained like all the seas had been sucked up by a cloud that followed me, Linus style, and dumped its contents incessantly the whole way. I arrived at my destination and knocked on the door. My friend didn’t even recognise me, I must have looked like the creature from the black lagoon. I certainly felt like him, maybe even wetter.

I took off my waterproofs (ha!) and let them fester in his garage for the day. Come tea-time, I needed to get moving. The sodden kit squelched and clung to me as I wrestled it back on. Finally, the crowning glory was the gloves. Putting on thick, wet gloves. More like five-fingered sponges than gloves. Possibly the most unpleasant feeling I’ve had on a motorcycle, riding the three hours back up the motorway in constant spray, in wet clothes.

I remember my Dad doing the map thing before we went a long way on holiday in the 1970’s. He’d also get the car serviced, check the oil & water, tyre pressures and everything else I haven’t bothered with yet. Our cars were never 20 years old either.

Having done the rough route, a balance of getting through the miles and seeing some of the UK I haven’t seen so far in my 40 years, it’s onto Google to get some mileages. My Dad had a little wheel that he ran along the roads on the map and could work it out. I have a computer and Google maps. My Dad would have loved this, but never trusted it!

Having forgot to save Day 1, I can’t share that with you, but here are days 2 and 3, and I’m looking forward to these the most for scenery: