Tuesday June 10
Slaidburn Y.H.
Dear Mum, Liz & Toby;

After all my planning on how to get to Manchester-Mossley, I won't be going there! I phoned Auntie Hilda again tonight & it turns out that she has to leave tomorrow with Betty & so I won't be seeing her or staying there. Since she was the only reason for going to Manchester, I'm going to Preston tomorrow instead. Hopefully there will be a bike shop where I can get my spokes fixed & wheel re-greased. If not, there are plenty of other large towns in the area. I hope to arrive by lunch time & get the bike done in the afternoon. Fingers crossed!

Today has been another scorcher. I've got a sunburn on my legs now. I passed through Kirkby Lonsdale this morning & as Uncle Tony said, it is a beautiful town. Lunch was in Lower Bentham & then I had to go across the moors to here. Very hot work! Here is a nice but rather primitive hostel in a town so small you can't walk for five minutes in any direction without leaving. It has a post office, two gift stores & one pub.

Wednesday June 11
Preston

Something absolutely terrible is going to happen tomorrow to make up for everything going so easily today. There hasn't been a single cloud in the sky all day but although it's been terribly hot, I didn't mind because I arrived here by noon & it was downhill most of the way. I found a guest house for £1.75 almost immediately, becasue I'd been directed to it by a guy in the hostel last night.

The scenery on the way here seemed similar to the east coast but although the terrain was generally hillier, the road followed a river most of the time. After a ride through town, I found a bike shop where he fixed the spokes & regreased asle & chain for 90p. While I was waiting, I got my laundry done. Right now I'm lying on the grass in a nearby park watching a rather amateur kids cricket game & eating a ginger cake (McVities) which tastes like ginger pudding.