FROM WEAR TO WALNEY BY CZECHS / SLOVAKS & SCOUSERS JUNE 2006

June 2006 will probably be remembered for all that World Cup ballyhoo in Germany .......... however ......

I'll remember it more for the journey of a lifetime as a group of friends of mine (aged between 45yrs to 61yrs) who decided to mount a challange on the W2W from Sunderland back to Walney.

The Veterans group consisted of:
(3) CZECHS: JIRI (That's George to us) aged 55, his brother EMIL aged 53, & their crazy marrionette making neighbour KAREL, aged 52, (that's 'Charlie' to us). All from Prague.
(2) SLOVAKS; MILAN (aged 61) & MIKEY(aged 48) both from SMOLNIK a small town deep in Slovakia.
(4) SCOUSERS; EDDIE (aged 51), GRAHAM (aged 45) & me (PAUL) aged 54 who has been mates with the Czech guys since 1968....but that's another story.
Plus..........JOHN (Our driver) the most important member of the squad who enjoyed his 59th birthday on the trip.

THE DIARY:
WED 20.6.06; The journey from Liverpool to Sunderland saw us take advantage of the superb Tennis facilities @ 'The PUMA Tennis Centre in SUNDERLAND and an impromptu 'Davis Cup Round Robin' type tournament ensued.Which GB won incidently (for a change).

This afforded us a healthy thirst, so after dropping the bags @ the more than comfortable 'ROKER LODGE' overlooking the lighthouse & start of the W2W, we retired to the 'Queen Vic' pub & enjoyed their Carvery............no need to translate anything there..........if you want it ....... eat it..... & as many times as you like.

Excellent fayre..............naturally washed down by that Lager stuff.

THURS 21.06.06:
An early morning swim (6.45am) in the persistantly cold NORTH SEA (guys from Land-Locked countries simply cannot resist the sea) preceded our 'Full English' breakfast before our departure @ 8am, soon the horizon of DURHAM surfaced & saw our first 'Pit-Stop'...........The Durham Light Infantry Museum........!!!......Eddie's father fought with distinction for them in WW2.............so our W2W had an element of WW2 attached....!!.

Suitably refreshed & educated we pressed on............next stop HAMSTERLEY to 'The Cross Heys' pub where we were extended great hospitality (Special thanks here to SAMANTA who looked after us).........where we just managed to take our seats @ 2.50pm as the Czech national played prior to the World Cup match, its not every day you hear a central European National anthem sung with such gusto.......!!!.......pity about the result...,,
ITALY 2 v CZ REPUBLIC 0

Never mind.........back onto the horses for our overnight stay @ 'The Black Horse' in BARNARD CASTLE where our host ANDY POWER had gone to extreme lengths to accommodate us..............the billboard outside the pub announced the 'Italy v CZ' game for that afternoon with special encouragement for the CZ team...............moreover it was written in Czech language too.........!!!.......PLUS the Czech flag adorned the bar area....he told me it was too windy to attach to the flagpole outside !!!. Our guests were naturally impressed.


The hospitality was 2nd to none, plus the beer as equal to that served in the CZ Republic & Slovakia (no need to comment any further after a statement like that !!), then to crown it all we all enjoyed a superb Thai Buffet in the BLACK HORSE from the attached Thai restaurant.(THE WHITE ORCHID).

Andy (our Host) encouraged us further with an outrageuos Kareoke performance...........we didn't dissapoint...........anyone ever heard 'Mull of Kintyre' sang in Czech....??........a rare treat for any discerning listener.

We slept like babies......especially Milan who enjoyed the 4 Poster bed !!!

Total 51 miles.

FRI 21.06.06:
After another superb 'Full English' these continental "Johnny Foreigners" were beginning to realise the importance of crispy bacon, HP sauce & fried bread & the fact it will knock spots off any bread roll & a sachet of jam every time.

We depart @ 9am ready for the assault on the north face of Everest (TAN HILL), thus slowly but surely it materialised like an oasis in that old 'Skol lager' advert @ 12.15pm....................some refreshments & postcards (suitably stamped for verification from bar staff) despatched world wide we departed @ 1.15pm.................downhill mostly all the way to KIRBY STEPHEN................with broad smiles we devour 'Fish n chips' @ one of the lovely pubs there..............than back on the horses to TEBAY.

At this point I realise the bearing on my rear wheel are shattered & too dangerous to continue plus its 3.45pm on a Friday.......!!....Panic is the only panacea....I ring THE KIRKBY STEPHEN CYCLE CENTRE & explain to ANDREW the mechanic. Amazingly within 20 mins my wheel is repaired & brakes tweaked......... Three cheers for Andrew.


We duly arrive @ TEBAY (The Old School) for 6.30pm, to be greeted by our host STEVE DUKENFIELD.

All showered up & reeking of after-shave we appear @ THE BARNABY RUDGE TAVERN were we are ensconced on a table even King Arthur & his knights would have been proud of.............once again we were hungry & the food didn't dissapoint..........ALL local produce...............you CAN taste the difference.

Thanks to our hosts JIM & SANDRA for excellent the cuisine.

We force more lager down to numb posterior & various other joints we didn't know we had........!!!!

Total 42 miles.

SAT 23.06.06:
We awake @ 7am for "The Final Push" of 68 miles to Walney, the dormitory has that hush akin to WW1 just before the whistle blows to go "over the top".............everyone knows what the other is thinking....no need for any translations at this point.

The final "Full English" pulls us around........the jokes start again....the tractors or primed....we thank Steve & hit the road @ 8.08am.

We plough on and on, we pause to watch a wedding @ CARTMEL, then we reach PENNEY BRIDGE for 2pm and call in at THE BRITTANIA pub where DAVE the manager makes us the best plate of Cheese n Onion sandwiches ever produced.

Suitably refreshed we take our leave.......only 17miles to go now.......the team can feel it.......we are closing in on the kill.

Eventually WALNEY begins to appear in the only misty rain we encountered............we pause a couple of hundred yards from the finishing point to unfurl the flags of Cz Republic, Slovakia & The Mighty George Cross.It's 6.30pm.


We felt justified to cycle abreast of both lanes on the final straight, holding the flags aloft & singing that World Cup ditty........"Aye Aye Yippee the Germans bombed our chippy.....et al" (Lyrics courtesy of Stan Boardman esq).

John our driver was there with cheap champagne so the scene was more "Formula 1 on the Podium" than some 'old veterans' cycling........the local model aircraft club happened to be there & gave us a rousing reception too.

We retreat to THE GEORGE PUB just 300yds up the road where CARON the manageress provided us with a magnificent meal....we can still smell the ribs & Fish n chips. Fully reccomended.

We return to ULVERSTON to stay overnight @ THE SEFTON HOUSE and complete the wind down in THE GLOBE pub just 25yrds away...........it was as far as our bones would go.....thanks to WENDY in the Globe for looking after us there. An excellent pub.

We slept with a contentment that is hard to describe.

Over another fine breakfast and throughout the next couple of days before the guys flew back we reflected on a fine tour, the Czechs & Slovaks have fine countryside themselves but they were stunned by the W2W and its demands.

Thanks to all concerned in making it available for everyone.



Nazdravi (That's 'Cheers' in both Cz & Slovakian) !!