All ready for the off! Cycled to Cambridge train station along with my wife, Alice. Typically we arrived with loads of time to spare, time to get a bit nervous! We said goodbye and I set off through the station to wait for my train. Traveling the length of Britain on a train with a fully loaded bike is a fairly daunting experience - so much could potentially go wrong: from the staff not allowing the bike on; to everything being stolen whilst I'm at the other end of the carriage...Boarding at Cambridge went without any difficulties though and I arrived at Peterborough station with plenty of time to spare. I found the platform and spoke to a platform attendant who advised me of where to stand ready for the train coming in. So far, so good. My train arrived but no train guard appeared, so with the help of the first class attendant, I manoeuvred my bike onto the train. At this point the train guard and the platform staff appeared and told me to remove my bike from the train, as they claimed I wasn't booked on. Bike duly removed, ticket presented, staff lying to my face and claiming that I had told them I was traveling to Leeds...Leeds?? I think not! I hadn't even ever seen this lying chump before. At this point I was feeling myself getting increasingly angry (you wouldn't like me when I'm angry)...calm down, swearing at these imbeciles won't help...By this point my train was pulling out of the station, leaving me stranded. The lying chump and his cronies duly departed with some haste, calling back over their shoulders that I would have to board the next train.
When the next train arrived some thirty minutes later it was already full of bikes in the guard carriage, the guard then had the gall to behave like he was doing me a favour in letting me on with mine too...dignified silence is the best policy when dealing with these people, but looks could kill!
From that point the journey went by without incident, until I spoke to Alice who said that she'd looked into the rest of my journey, and that because of the incident at Peterborough I would now miss my connecting train from Edinburgh to Inverness, and then on from Inverness to Thurso - nightmare! Thankfully Alice was able to book me into a youth hostel in Inverness, and I would then have to continue the final leg of my journey the following day - phew!Again, the staff at Edinburgh station couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful, promptly and without fuss reprinting my ticket for the following morning's journey, along with printed bike reservations - genius!
The train from Edinburgh to Inverness was fantastic, passing through some breath-taking scenery, beautiful mountains and lochs, with narrow roads winding their way up passes and down glens - soon I would be cycling along similar roads and the thought was really exciting! I also met an older gentleman on the train, a man of 83 traveling up to see one of his children and his grandchildren. We chatted for a while, about his life and about my trip. When he got off he gave me £5 towards my charities, which was a really lovely gesture.
I arrived in Inverness at about 8pm and quickly found the youth hostel, secured my bike and stashed my belongings in my room. I was heading off towards town when I met a bunch of young guys all going the same way. They were walking into town too, from the hostel, in the search of food and beer. I joined them for dinner at the local Weatherspoons, and a cheeky few beers at a bar nearby afterwards, before heading back to the hostel to get my head down ready for the early morning train to Wick and the 90+ miles to cycle too.
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