Day 10 - Kielder Forest to Swindon

Monday 31/05/2021

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Slept well after a long day of riding down from Nairn. Kielder Forest was nice and Bellingham was a pretty village to go for a walk and a pint. Such long days here, seemingly never gets dark.

We woke to another warm and sunny day, packed slowly and started the long journey home down the M1. The ride out of Bellingham was fun and some of the dead straight Roman roads were fun with their blind crests! Hadrian's Wall was nearby, but we didn't have time for it this time  so we jumped on the A1 / M1 and just ate-up the 330 or so miles home, stopping a few times for fuel / food and backside recovery. After the coldness and wetness at the start of the trip, dare I say it, it was almost too warm riding home and at times I struggled to keep my eyes open!
 
All very uneventful, but over out headsets we discussed some of the great things we had experienced, the sights we had seen and the great people that we had met. The extreme weather and minor accident just went to show that you can have an 'adventure' on these Isles. You don't have to travel the world to experience extremes and discover wild places, new people and to expand your horizons.

It was a hell of a trip and we all loved it. The downs only made the ups feel so justified - the hard work paid off. Thanks to Nathan for all the organisation and for the effort put in to try and satisfy such a diverse bunch, all with different agendas and expectations. The ban on organised trips in Scotland of more than 8 was a real headache for Nathan, but we all managed and all had our own great experiences. Thanks to all the others for welcoming us into the group - what a diverse but likable bunch we all are!

2 more beers and the holiday is over. I would go back now and do it all again (probably best to fix my bike and get new tyres first). 


Mileage: 2362
Beers: 46 + 3 bottles of white + 2 red
Fines: 0
Bribes: 0
Ass pain: 8/10
Mechanical issues: 0
Accidents: 1 (me running into Konrad)
Wetness: 0/10
Coldness: 0/10
Birthday's: 2 (Krysia and Barry) 



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