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Day 8    Friday 30th April 2004

Walcote to Hinckley

The forecast was again not too bad but there was still a cold wind blowing from the north.  Where is the prevailing south westerly?  I remembered last night that I had forgotten to buy a postcard yesterday and as I am not going through any large towns I may be struggling to find one today.  I didn’t want to hang around today – I was going to try and make fairly rapid progress through Wootten Warren, Baddesley Clinton, Balsall Common, Berkswell, Meriden and Nuneaton back to Hinckley .

I passed the National Trust at Baddesley about 10.30 – they don’t open to 12.00 so there is no point in stopping here for elevenses.  This has been a favourite point to stop at on previous rides as the restaurant here provides a very good lunch.  I therefore decided to carry on to the cyclists’ café in Meriden which I got to at 11am.  A pot of tea for 90p gives me two full mugs.  I also have a round of toast for 20p.  I had to wear the cape this morning for about ½ hour – it wasn’t raining but it was a very heavy drizzle.

Meriden should be a place where I can find a postcard – I located the post office and find that they have just two sorts.  One has a picture of the cyclists’ memorial – a tribute to the cyclists who lost their lives in the first and second world wars – and the other postcard celebrating Meriden as being at the centre of England.  I opted for the first.  No need to put it in the post – it will be hand delivered within the hour.

Then off again through Fillongley and eventually into Nuneaton .  What a mess with all the road works in the centre of the town.  Queues of traffic everywhere.  I arrived back home at 1.20.  It was great to be home even if it is only for a short break.  Tomorrow will be a rest day and so will Sunday morning.  I don’t plan to start again until Sunday afternoon.

I had covered a distance of 39.1 miles today at an average of 9.6 mph.  This brings the total mileage up to 409.8. 

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