Day 5: Wed Sept 5

Lambourne to Wandsworth, London.

Distance: 115 km.

Time: 5 hrs 49 mins.

Speed: 20 km/ hr

Distance so far: 715 km.

AHR : 110 beats/ min 

Feet climbed today: 1406 ft.

Weather: Hazy at first but bright, sunny and very warm in mid afternoon. Wind..headwind in afternoon as forecasted.

I left David and Rebecca's at 8.15 and since Lambourne is in a general depression it was hazy but certain to burn off.

My route out of Lambourne was as I had come in yesterday evening and it meant a long steady climb. But this was the only remarkable climb of the day. Nothing like what I had over the last 2 days. Once out of Lambourne I was at 800 ft above sea level and I knew that I would be descending all the time to the Thames Valley.

After 20 km on a good country B road I was in Newbury and on the A4 heading east. Every second vehicle that asset me along here was transporting horses....and not in just horse-boxes.

I stayed on the A4 till the 100 km mark but it was much more pleasant than the A417 of yesterday. I sailed through the centres of Newbury, Reading, Maidenhead and Slough never experiencing any navigational difficulties.

I noted that Reading is twinned with Clonmel and the centre was beautifully decorated with flowers.

I stopped for a bite to eat at the93 km mark just across from Heathrow with the accompaniment of planes landing and taking off.

At the 100 km mark I pulled off the A4 (just before it became the M4) and crossed the Thames across Busy Kew Bridge.

Along leafy streets I cycled on A205 through Richmond and Putney and into Wandsworth to reach today's destination at Irene and Justin’s. Indeed Irene had given me great detailed directions for the approach and they lead me first time right to the door.  

So I’m here virtually now in south-west London on the banks of the Thames.

Along the way today I visited some of the bigger electronic outfits (PC World, Maplins etc) to rectify my problem with uploading photos, but no luck. This evening, I had all that sorted out just up the road from here. If you need an issue sorted out go to High St, Wandsworth.

I'm ready for a good rest tonight and tomorrow will be a short one.

Thank God for the health and for the energy.