The alarm call drew me back to life, and fully resuscitated with tea, I packed up my kit and enjoyed two masterpiece sausage sandwiches. We said our goodbyes and made our way to my foremost milestone, the River Severn.

We headed south through Redbrook, Newland, Whitebrook, Llandogo and then we hit the mountains hills at Tintern Abbey, I remember taking the Mother in Law (Julie) and Mrs here a few years ago and commented that I’m glad I wasn’t riding my bike up here, strange how comments come back to haunt you. I had my crash here, being a bit weird I tried to lean over the stone barrier stopping cars falling to oblivion, and peer down the shere drop beneath us, whilst doing so I whacked the barrier with my pannier and roll mat and nearly bounced into the side of an Iveco lorry, not my smartest moment by far but the view down was awesome all the same, still I survived again.

Excitement over, the route to Chepstow though was excellent, down hill pretty much all the way and then we approached the truly magnificant Severn Bridge.

We stopped briefly on the approach to discuss where the pictures would be taken, then too my horror I was virtually half way across when I realised Mark and David had already stopped, and were merrily taking snaps of the moment. We met at half way and enjoyed the moment as team Madelin.

Having enjoyed the splendour around us we pushed on through Aust, Easter Compton, Avonmouth and Bristol. Quite hilly terrain we headed south slightly along the A38 through Abbots Leigh, Upper Town, Langford, Sidcot, Badgworth and Tarnock to Highbridge. This part of the journey felt like a long haul through Bridgwater, Taunton, Wellington to Tiverton where we stopped for fuel. The result of the effort was a short stint to our next stop.

I stupidly left the MacDonalds without sufficient fueling and the next twenty miles hurt big time, low on energy I started to slow down, I drank my water and scoffed sweets but I couldn’t keep the usual pace, I drank some of David’s spare water and then finally my body responded and we cracked on to my Uncle Mike and Aunty Kathy’s.

We arrived late and tired but it was so good to see the gang, my Cousin Matty is a propper little chap now and is picking up some of Kathy’s Kathism’s. It is just being with your brothers and sisters at home for Christmas, and a little like being in a cyclone when they work on you, but its all good fun and very very amusing. You can try to keep you head down or fight your corner but either way you’ve got to enjoy it.

Distance cycled 123 miles.

Time 13 hours 1 minutes.

Heart rate average 118 beats per minute.

Calorie expenditure 7,318.

Fat percentage of energy during exercise 55%.