This morning I decided not to run or to try and see the cyclists off.   I had booked into the Haydock Park Hotel, by far the most expensive bed I will have all week.   The hotel boasts a pool, spa and a steam room.  It feels churlish not to make the most of every single facility laid at my feet.  Hence I find myself trotting for miles through the corridors that all look the same, dressed in my complementary robe and slippers.

With the whole depth at 1.5 metres I cannot even pretend that I leapt in, but took the more leisurely route down the steps straight into the beautifully warm water.   The pool was not big so I managed a few lengths before hauling myself and my soaked costume out of the pool and into the Jacuzzi before testing out the steam room.

Yesterday I was going to pop into Ludlow again and check out a few more places even try to get in to the Feathers for a cup of coffee, but as with all my plans it didn’t happen like that.   I got a text from Sexy Sporty Dad to say he was being patched up by the medical team having come off the bike.  Ludlow is definitely on the list to come again.

What do they say about pride before a fall except that it was my pride and his fall, not sure its suppose to work that way.

The great thing about covering the whole country is that in some places we will go through places we know or have a connection with.  So it turned out that the route cycled through Lymm and past the Green Dragon where I had already met up with his father and two brothers among  others.   We were able to cheer on several cyclists before Sexy Sporty Dad arrived for a quick drink with us, all patched up and raring to go.

His family joined us at base camp before we all went on for a meal at my exclusive hotel.  Despite all the style and expense there was a lack of personal service and I was just another paying guest rather than someone special with a story.  It is odd to say but from all the places I have stayed this is probably the only one I would not wish to revisit except in rare circumstances.

Despite his antics and the delay in Lymm, Sexy Sporty Dad still managed a very credible 102^nd.   It is still not a race but he seems to be getting the hang of it and has now passed the 4^th day which is the most difficult in terms of psychology.

So today I have learnt that the cost of something does not always reflect the quality.

Tiggy