Our sleeper train was running 35 minutes late into Euston, and we were woken for breakfast at 6.45, twenty minutes before arrival as agreed last night. “Breakfast” on the Sleeper now only consists of orange juice or coffee, so Michael used the £1.79 bowl he bought at Ardgay to eat some cereal and milk, although neither of the others had time for cereal. We pulled into Euston at 7.05 and were then “reminded” at 7.10 that we had to be off the train by 7.15! Well, 7.15 was the time we had to be off if it had arrived on time at 6.30, so we felt they should have allowed us additional time to compensate for the late arrival. Such was the rush that Michael had to finish his complimentary coffee on the station platform!

The courier guy bringing the bikes had sent us a text at 6.40 to say he was ready and waiting, so once we were off the train, Michael sent Dillan and Jude with his phone / satnav to find him in Stephenson Way. They found him OK and were back with the bikes in about fifteen minutes, by which time Michael had hauled our many panniers down the platform towards the gate, a few at a time.

Weather conditions were much cooler now than they had been on the outward journey twelve days ago, although it still felt fairly warm on the platform. We hadn’t been allowed time to use the facilities on the train, so we had to use the station toilets for 30p each. Our train home from Paddington would be leaving at 12.30, so we then sat down to make plans for the morning.

Jude was anxious about crowds and only wanted to go to Regents Park, which ruled out several of the suggestions Michael made. Having said that, leaving the bikes safely outside any attraction that we might have wanted to visit would have been difficult. After a while we rode back to the Waterside Café in Regent’s Park that we had visited on the first day of the tour – it was closed at this time of the day of course, so we just rode up near the island, sat on a seat by the lake and chatted for well over an hour while watching the swans, geese and pigeons. It was a really nice time. Michael wanted to take some video shots, but sadly the camera battery was flat. Dillan fell asleep for part of the time. Jude and Michael had the pain au raisins we bought last night, although now Dillan wanted one too and wished he had asked for one. Michael offered to share his with him, and whilst at first, he thought that would be unfair as it was his fault he hadn’t bought one, he eventually agreed.

Next, we rode to Costa Coffee in Melcombe Street, near Sherlock Holmes, for 10.17. There were no toilets available, but we sat at a table outside on the pavement for a very pleasant coffee stop. As we were leaving at 10.56 Jude agreed that it was crazy that he didn’t have a Co-op membership card when he was such a Co-op fanboy, so he said he would get one soon.

Finally, we rode on to Paddington station, arriving at 11.06 for our 12.30 train. Michael had thought we could lock up our bikes there and walk somewhere to use the time efficiently, but Jude preferred that we just waited for the train, so we each bought lunch from the station shops and ate it on the seats near Platform 1. As things turned out, we would have done better to catch an earlier train home!

Our train was delayed, probably an engine failure as they had to bring in a new train at the last minute. This meant no seat reservation tags had been placed in the train. Dillan was using the station facilities when the train was announced to be leaving from Platform 4. We loaded the bikes as quickly as we could, unusually at the back of the train as this train was the wrong way around, and while we were doing that, Dillan managed to secure a table for us in Coach E. Then a bloke came along complaining to him that these were his reserved seats, even though no seat reservations were now in operation, and he asked Dillan where his family were going to sit if he didn’t have his table. Well, Dillan gave in and let him sit there, then found some more seats that were fairly close to each other. Later, however, Michael managed to find three seats on a table further along, so we sat there.

The train was packed, with some people standing, but it eventually left at 12.48, eighteen minutes late. It was further delayed by signal problems on the way to Reading, and by seat reservation problems at Reading, so we were 48 minutes late by the time we left Reading. As we approached Bristol the train manager announced that he may get a non-stop order, and as soon as we left Bristol, now running 33 minutes late, he confirmed that the train would now not stop at Tiverton, Newton Abbot or Totnes! We rang Jude’s Mum and she kindly agreed to meet us at Exeter St David’s. We were 23 minutes late leaving Taunton, then 30 minutes late arriving at Exeter at 3.44. It had been quite a journey.

Sue met us off the train on a warm afternoon and took us all home. Michael’s ankle was still painful for walking, but it had only caused problems as we were leaving the Highlands. We all felt it had been an excellent and memorable tour despite the occasional spells of bad weather.

For our last evening ride of the season we decided on a fairly short ride around Hockmoor, bringing us via Buckfast Abbey to the Salmon Leap café. Here we enjoyed hot chocolates and cakes before heading homewards for computer games at Crofters.