Our intrepid tractorman is spotted heading across the channel, our photographers having trailed him south were not allowed closer due to border restrictions.
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
The spirit of Dunkirk lives..
The sheer speed, you can almost see distortion of his features, or is that exultant joy at having made it to the coast?
Our intrepid tractorman is spotted heading across the channel, our photographers having trailed him south were not allowed closer due to border restrictions.
Our intrepid tractorman is spotted heading across the channel, our photographers having trailed him south were not allowed closer due to border restrictions.
Day 3 and 4
This will have to be short, because it's late and I'm well down the Calvados.
Yesterday was fine. Relatively easy run from Edenbridge down to Newhaven. Stayed over at Alfriston - a pretty village with too many Bank hol tourists. Also a lot of terrifyingly steep hills with sharp bends. With no brakes to speak of, this spices life to a degree I haven't experienced since working with a number of well known consulting companies.
Starting off from Alfriston this morning, I was amazed and delighted to be overtaken by Barbara and David, who had left this morning at 4am to see me off on the ferry. Slight problem as the tractor suddenly stopped in Seaford, but this seems to have been a temporary problem with fuel starvation. The mild panic this induced resulted in me heading off towars Eastbourne, readily correcte once I realised I was lost.
The ferry reached Dieppe at 4.30 pm, and was greeted with a reporter from the local press taking pictures and giving me a short interview. I'd already answered the ovious questions (why are you doing this?) by email, so we restricted ourselves to numerical things like fuel consumption and daily distances. He promises to send photos. Whether there will be an article I'm not sure.
Anyway, tomorrow's ploblem is to cross the Seine without going into Rouen, which is a challenge. Next blog will recount just how great.
Yesterday was fine. Relatively easy run from Edenbridge down to Newhaven. Stayed over at Alfriston - a pretty village with too many Bank hol tourists. Also a lot of terrifyingly steep hills with sharp bends. With no brakes to speak of, this spices life to a degree I haven't experienced since working with a number of well known consulting companies.
Starting off from Alfriston this morning, I was amazed and delighted to be overtaken by Barbara and David, who had left this morning at 4am to see me off on the ferry. Slight problem as the tractor suddenly stopped in Seaford, but this seems to have been a temporary problem with fuel starvation. The mild panic this induced resulted in me heading off towars Eastbourne, readily correcte once I realised I was lost.
The ferry reached Dieppe at 4.30 pm, and was greeted with a reporter from the local press taking pictures and giving me a short interview. I'd already answered the ovious questions (why are you doing this?) by email, so we restricted ourselves to numerical things like fuel consumption and daily distances. He promises to send photos. Whether there will be an article I'm not sure.
Anyway, tomorrow's ploblem is to cross the Seine without going into Rouen, which is a challenge. Next blog will recount just how great.
Sunday, 30 May 2010
trans Londres
Day 2. Started at 5.30 am from Stansted Abbots, in dry weather. Very little traffic (unsurprisingly) so made good progress down A10 to London Bridge. Phoned Tom from Old Street at 7.20 and was surprised he was already on location, given his hangover. Delighted first to see Fionaulla waving furiously from the central reservation, and then Tom and Steve (P) with cameras. I will try to attach one of Steve's pictures. Good to have achieved the first real milestone of the voyage. It's been quite sunny today, so a much more agreeable journey than yesterday's.
Crossing the North Downs was an interesting experience, with combination of unexpectedly steep and twisting hills with ineffective brakes. David F did warn me of the Biggin Hill to Westerham section, and I was able to savour that.
Arrived at Edenbridge about 1pm, and got a call to say Janet was on her way by car. We went to lunch in the village. Driving at 40mph seemed terrifyingly fast after 170 miles at no more than 12mph. Still, Janet does have brakes.
Spotted: Saffron Waldon - Sat 29th May 10:45am
5 minutes north of Saffron Walden, still full of early enthusiasm, if a little cold. A quick bite and he is on his way again. Having covered 20 miles, he was in search of a petrol station.....
Any sightings across England and France, send in the images and we will post them here.
and a video... he sets off again headed south:
Any sightings across England and France, send in the images and we will post them here.
and a video... he sets off again headed south:
Saturday, 29 May 2010
Day 1
Had a great send-off this morning at 8am. Many photos were taken, which will no doubt appear here eventually. Sam et famille intercepted me close to Saffron Walden and Sophie brought coffee and pain au chocolat, which was wonderful. No rain to begin with though skies were very overcast. The light rain started at about 11.30, making me damp. I stopped for a pint in Much Hadham, and came out believing the rain to have stopped. This was a mistake. Around Stansted Abbots it began in earnest, and since the roads were narrow and incredibly busy, I couldn't easily stop. I eventually reached the Marriott at Waltham Abbey (after a few navigational errors) about 3pm, thoroughly wet and cold and not a little dejected. Tried drying my jeans with the hotel iron, but that seems unlikely to work, so that task must await better weather. Went out to refuel, and met a French family at the gas station. They knew Cahors well , and were slightly surprised, but not discouraging, to hear I plan to drive there.
Tomorrow it should be London Bridge and then south, We'll see.
Tomorrow it should be London Bridge and then south, We'll see.
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Dress rehearsal
Just 3 days to go before my departure for France. Today was the final trial run, and the longest yet. To Saffron Walden and back via Balsham and Linton. Total distance was 82.2km (51miles) at an average (moving) speed of 20km/h. It used about 20 litres of petrol so, in spite of having weakened the mixture a bit yesterday, the fuel consumption is still only about 12mpg.
The trip to SW had a bit of everything - very narrow lanes, some busy and some not; busy country roads but wide enough for overtaking; towns with roundabouts. In some ways the first are the worst because people can't overtake and half the time I can't see them waiting because my wing mirrors (on loan from Beryl) are obscured by all the stuff on the back of the tractor. Actually, I'm thinking that while in the UK at least, I'm going to make more use of A roads than I had planned; the traffic may be heavier and faster but at least there will be fewer parked vehicles (which are a nightmare when you have more or less non existent brakes) and people can overtake easily.
Final packing will happen on Friday - I now have equipment for most contingencies, including a sleeping bag just in case a planned overnight stop in France fails for any reason, and the next hotel or chambres d'hôte is 30km away. I don't intend driving in the dark. The plan is to get away about 8am on Saturday and to stop the night at Waltham Abbey. I think I can cope with Saturday morning traffic in Saffron Walden, but I really want to avoid Bishops Stortford and Harlow, so I'm going to take a country route via the Hadhams. I reckon the distance is about 55 miles so it's much the same as I've done today. Should be an opportunity, indeed a need, to stop for a modest liquid lunch. Then it's up and away early on Sunday morning straight down the A10 into central London to cross London Bridge before the traffic gets too heavy. I plan to take the A21 south and east and then head for Bromley, Biggin Hill and Westerham, to reach Edenbridge where I shall spend Sunday night. Monday ought to be an easy run down to Alfriston, which is only a few miles from Newhaven from which I depart for Dieppe on Tuesday morning.
That's the plan. The reality will be revealed onthis blog as internet access permits.
The trip to SW had a bit of everything - very narrow lanes, some busy and some not; busy country roads but wide enough for overtaking; towns with roundabouts. In some ways the first are the worst because people can't overtake and half the time I can't see them waiting because my wing mirrors (on loan from Beryl) are obscured by all the stuff on the back of the tractor. Actually, I'm thinking that while in the UK at least, I'm going to make more use of A roads than I had planned; the traffic may be heavier and faster but at least there will be fewer parked vehicles (which are a nightmare when you have more or less non existent brakes) and people can overtake easily.
Final packing will happen on Friday - I now have equipment for most contingencies, including a sleeping bag just in case a planned overnight stop in France fails for any reason, and the next hotel or chambres d'hôte is 30km away. I don't intend driving in the dark. The plan is to get away about 8am on Saturday and to stop the night at Waltham Abbey. I think I can cope with Saturday morning traffic in Saffron Walden, but I really want to avoid Bishops Stortford and Harlow, so I'm going to take a country route via the Hadhams. I reckon the distance is about 55 miles so it's much the same as I've done today. Should be an opportunity, indeed a need, to stop for a modest liquid lunch. Then it's up and away early on Sunday morning straight down the A10 into central London to cross London Bridge before the traffic gets too heavy. I plan to take the A21 south and east and then head for Bromley, Biggin Hill and Westerham, to reach Edenbridge where I shall spend Sunday night. Monday ought to be an easy run down to Alfriston, which is only a few miles from Newhaven from which I depart for Dieppe on Tuesday morning.
That's the plan. The reality will be revealed onthis blog as internet access permits.
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