Day 4

Key stats: 107 miles, current location: The Crown Hotel, Wetherall (www.crownhotelwetheral.co.uk)

The day got off to a slow start: Will’s gears were playing up, there was a steady drizzle and the countryside lacked the Highlands and Islands of the previous two days. With 20 miles on the clock, the troops pulled into the somewhat sorry town of Crumnock, looking for a lift. All they found was a sorry pub where some kind cleaners took pity on our oily faces and stopped scrubbing Buckfast off the floor to make us a brew. However, no amount of sugary tea could lift us. Robin was taking some long hard looks at the empty Redbulls and asking, was the dream over?

Our lift came from an unlikely source: a chav in an orange Ford Focus (please take time to reflect on who drives an orange Ford Focus). He’d stalled at the lights and as a result had to follow us through the road works. Not happy with his lot, he wound down the window to rasp a few choice comments and shared some graphic hand signals with us. This had a strangely galvanising effect and, allied with the sign of some sun and a favourable tail wind, set the wheels in motion for the rest of the day.

Thereafter, we didn’t really look back and despite some niggly aches and pains creeping in, motored on through the lowlands of Scotland to Gretna Green and into ol’ Blighty. With Scotland and Robin’s poor Scottish accents behind us (it sounds like he’s from Lahore), we’ve spoilt ourselves to a night in a hotel with a pool, Jacuzzi and sauna, well appreciated after another long day.