WRWR??????

So you are thinking WTF is WRWR…. well hold on to your hats…

This is it… one day a woman called Hayley Bell was sitting at her desk in the UK wishing she was riding round the world and was suddenly struck by a lightening bolt… if I can’t ride around the whole of the world maybe I could get other women to ride too and we could have a round the world relay. She put the idea on to facebook and within a few short weeks 13,000 women bikers around the world had responded and in a few months it has become a reality.

With an actual handmade baton complete with tracking device it began its journey around the world under the guardianship of individual women bikers riding in groups, being handed over at the end of each leg. Day 1, since starting at John O’ Groats at the top of Scotland it has crossed the Irish sea twice, traversed Wales and middle England and is arriving at the Ace Cafe in London today on day 11 where I and my good pals Sylvie and Annemarie from Dykes on Bikes London join the relay. We ride to Gillingham in Kent, where Annemarie will have to leave, but Sylvie and I will continue to Boulogne Sur Mer in France tomorrow.

Relay Day 11 – My Day 1 Ace Cafe to Gillingham, Kent, England

9th March 2019

Met up with Dykes on Bikes London at Big Moes Diner in east london for a spot of brekkie, then on the road round to the Ace Cafe to greet the girls riding in from Leamington Spa.

And here is the inspirational Hayley herslef with the now famous baton, in its specially made carry case.

At Big Moe’s I noticed that my rear left side indicator isn’t working so, while we are waiting for the relay to arrive, I decide to take a little look. The rear wheel has rubbed against the wiring so I attempt to fix it,

Badger is helping by cradling my head… very sweet of her but about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. I fiddle around with it for a bit, but, can’t get it working so will have to use hand signals that side.

After the relay arrives and we have a massive group photo

at around 1.30 we decide to start making our way towards Gillingham, although we will divert to the Isle of Grain as that is where we have booked some accommodation overnight. So with Badger, Doc, Slick and our great supporter Pumper in tow we start to leave the Ace…

and head off on the north circular car park… bloody traffic. After the junction with the A1 I suddenly realise we have lost the gang and it’s just us three chickens.. not sure how that happened!!

We ride into the Isle of Grain and are immediately confronted by a huge petro-chemical works, not exactly scenic. A few miles further on and we come across the village where we are staying… pretty ordinary. We spot a pub behind our accomodation so that is probably where we will eat.

The B&B is fine, clean and warm so that’s all that matters. The owner confirms the pub does have a restaurant… fab. We also spied a signpost to the beach and, as its still quite early, we take a walk down there. It is rather nice, probably more so in the summer.

We wander back to the pub, which is quite charming, and order some food.. all very nice indeed. The pub is small and soon fills up with young people obviously celebrating the 21st birthday of one of their number… as it starts to get a little loud we make our escape back to the B&B and a relatively early night as we have to be at the rendezvous point in Gillingham, some 10 miles away, at 8.30 in the morning.