The Fridays Tour

Just wondering.... Has anyone heard from Glenbank House? The gentleman said he'd call me back when he had a handle on all the numbers, but I realised tonight that I haven't heard from him yet.....

Yes - he was very helpful. You should ring him and see what's happened!

I've got a list at home (presently in Wales, still getting over the rugby) - I'll dig it out tonight

Another of your hidden talents? Well played anyway!

Ross - you're in Room 3

Fab, thanks Simon. Sounds moderately sinister..... Suppose it could have been room 101

You make an innocent booking, then some shadowy Svengali figure controls where you end up. Sinister indeed.

What do people think about charity fundraising on this jaunt? I ask because I'm involved with the Friends of University College London Hospitals and we're trying to raise money to re-equip on of the UCH hospital radio studios. I'd like to get all my mates to sponsor me - but I don't want to annoy anyone. Can someone let me know what the protocol is, if any?

And if anyone else wants to join in this fundraising, the Friends of UCLH would be eternally grateful!!

no protocol at all.

You all have e-mail. It's terribly complicated, so do please read and inwardly digest.

I'm intending to fundraise for a friend's daughter who has Friedrich's Ataxia. The money is needed to adapt their house for ground floor living and they have a significant funding shortfall.

Thanks for the update Simon.
Update for anyone else who's intending to fly back. I was under the mistaken impression there was an Easyjet flight from Inverness to Gatwick at 1345. There is, not on Sunday though, it's either 9.10 or 8.45...which made Wick-Southampton with Loganair & Flybe by far the better option for me, £100 all in to get home earlier- from Gatwick would be later and no cheaper. Now booked on the 1630 flight.

Other than consultation with one's captain (who will, of course, graciously accede to any proposal...)

I know that some of you have been tempted from the paths of righteousness and are thinking of coming on the trip with mudguards. Indeed, some poor lost souls have made mention of racks.

I don't take this personally. But one thing to take in to consideration is this - both the six seater van and the Luton will have plenty of space for luggage - the rear of the six-seater is much bigger than I thought it would be. If you wanted to bring mudguards and racks along, but save them for a rainy day, you could put them in the van.

It turns out that Andy C's mob are planning to do LeJoG in eleven or twelve days, and not the five that one usually associates with young athletic types. I have suggested that they ride northeast from Somerset and meet us and go east of the Pennines. They could help defray the cost of the van.

Andy was a bit worried about spending time with old people - he thought that if he owned up to knowing us his friends would think him 'uncool'. I have re-assured him on this point - I think his friends would love to join in our nightly beetle drives and skiffle sessions, and I've known young people to be transfixed by my lecturettes on church architecture. I'm sure that Stephen would have them singing plainsong and enjoying it, and I'm equally sure Susie could give the straight ones some much needed fashion advice.

What a ridiculous thing to say. Quite absurd. Why, some of us are under 60 years old.

One will, one could, but one won't.

And some of us aren't!

But I thought I was a very young 63-year-old today when I helped someone who'd fallen off in the rain at a roundabout and he turned out to be 82.

yaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!! MaccyDs at Hockliffe has agreed to open the doors for us at 3.30 in the morning.

With these Tescos and McDonald's you are spoiling us.

Are they recruiting?

To get you really excited about Tesco Wellingboro' here are two photos as I was passing last night. (It's on my route to Northamptonshire Contemporary Jazz, which meets once a month in W'boro.) It may look to you like the usual Tesco but this is a Tesco in "a lifeless Midlands town" (Simon Jenkins). The jazz (the Geoff Pearson Quartet) attracted more people than the Tesco caff.

To be fair, Jenkins rates St Mary's, Wellingborough - the masterpiece of Ninian Comper - as in the top 100 churches in England; and, as you won't see it early on the Saturday morning, here's a photo of part of the ceiling too. Early 20th century, I kid you not.