Way back in the mid-sixties Graham and a school friend cycled from Leicester to Land’s End and back, Youth Hostelling along the way. This sowed the seed of an idea to cycle from John O’Groats to Land’s End the next year. Unfortunately the young man’s fancy turned and the project was put way behind the back burner. There was a half-hearted attempt to resurrect the project in the mid-eighties, but that didn’t prosper.

Fast forward to now and the fit and healthy teenager is now a 54 year old diabetic who likes a tipple and has very nearly stopped smoking (time for old joke, I only smoke when I have a pint – I’m down to 20 pints a day. Boom boom). The teenager is also now married.

Having started to cycle again the decision was made to do the trip. The announcement was made, hoping for permission from Steph, and to his total shock the reply was, “Can I come too?” Tyres were pumped up and gentle cycling commenced.

After a week spent cycling around Norfolk everything seemed possible. Now, lets dispel any thoughts you may have about Norfolk and Noel Cowerd. Noel Cowerd may have been a doyen of the musical stage and films about stiff upper lipped Naval officers, but he knew sod all about Norfolk. One thing Norfolk isn’t is ‘terribly, terribly flat’. Its Lifeboats may be more famous than its mountain rescue teams but it does have hills. It also has lots of locals all prepared to tell you this as you ‘rest’ at the summit of another hill. “I bet you thought Norfolk was flat, didn’t you?”