That's not the lot.

Still more pics to come, don't stop watching. We both feel very flat now the experience is over, so come on. Talk to us!!! Cheer us up! Take the piss! Just say something!

The truth in pictures....

This is it, we have finally arrived at the Ridgeway (a little later than planned).

Paddy is looking fine after his travels.
We are all dressed up and ready to go.
(do the nerves show?)


This is just to prove that we were really there.

And did eventually manage to get underway, if not very elegantly.

After a night's rest the boys were raring to go , whatever about us.
This is the yard in Ogbourne St George where we stayed.

So which way now??????

You might think from the pics that we were having a lovely relaxing holiday...
In fact we were deeply traumatised after crossing the M4, and were trying to settle our nerves.

Paddy got bored eventually, so we left (the pub had closed about an hour ago anyway).

Rash managed to stand still and look pretty for a few seconds.

And off up the road in the general direction of Sparsholt Down.
Little did we know what lay ahead......

Next day (no pics of the evening's events, or earlier that morning, it all happened a bit fast).
At this point we were all suffering from post traumatic pig disorder.

Something must have happened during the day between Sparsholt Down and Streatley, but mostly it seemed to be wind and rain. This was our lunchtime pitstop.

And off again into the unknown. Luckily the weather improved.
There may have been some gallops.




A bit of a gap here. Unfortunately I haven't sorted any pics of Streatley. We had had a trying morning including lots of lorries and getting lost. We hadn't had breakfast and greeted the cans of cider (all there was in the lorry) brought to us by our very thoughtful driver with relish. Which is why we look like this!

Failed at first to reach a concensus on which direction to take.

But got there eventually. Headed for Lewknor.

This is where we stayed in Lewknor.

Perhaps we lowered the tone a little?

Another pic of us in the pub.... Another traumatic morning. Got lost in Princes Risborough, then ascended and descended the steepest, narrowest most slippery track ever. Landed (literally) at the back of the pub, with minutes to spare before they stopped serving food.

All's well that ends well, sort of. Got fed and watered and off again.

Paddy is just about to leave a parting gift. Then up a steep narrow wet road and onto the most unlikely looking (and unsigned) bridleway yet. Had to hack a path through it. Ended up in front of Chequers. Smiled for the security cameras. Off to Dunsmore.

It rained and the photographer from the Bucks Herald turned up. He mentioned that his job for the next day was to take pictures of floods. Ooh er....

Then it rained some more, and some more. Thunder and lightning too. Decided that the dresses would be too much of a liability and invisible under the layers anyway. Not that any sane person would be out there to see us!

There is one final pic, but it was so dark by then that you can barely see that it's of the horses tied to the lorry, up to their knees in water, so you will have imagine it.

What next?

This is Rash doing his impression of the Uffington White Horse, at the Uffington White Horse.

This was possibly the scariest moment of the whole ride, the M4 crossing. Lovely open sides so the boys could see what they were walking (or in Rash's case leaping and snorting with his eyes out on stalks) over. This was combined with a noise like the dawning of armageddon. Fun!
There are loads and loads more pics to come, we just have to get them developed... keep watching.
But what next?
What hare brained scheme should we embark upon next? Either in balldresses or on horses (although Shell swears she will never repeat the experience. I'm sure she will change her mind once the sores heal.)
Suggestions please!
So far there's balldress surfing, climbing the mast of a tall ship in a balldress and balldress bungee (bit short of horsey ideas....)
Come on out there, say something, insane ideas welcome :-)

anticlimax

This is the very beginning of our ride. It already feels like a lifetime ago. The boys were remarkably unfazed by their lengthy journey.... Unlike us.

Then there were many days like this...
Interspersed with the occasional moment of excitement...

And suddenly it was the last day (naturally the weather obliged)
But we persevered anyway.



Up to a point! Sometimes discretion is the better part of valour.
(This is not in fact a river, it was the road home, it was like this for about five miles)

The main thing is that the boys (and us) made it home safe and sound.

And I finally got to rediscover and revel in the joys of indoor plumbing (the bath is in fact white).
We spent most of today cleaning up and emptying the Turd. All our stuff was starting to smell due to the soaking we got yesterday (and other lesser soakings on previous days).
We will be writing up our adventures properly in the nearish future when we have regained the use of our limbs and brains,
We did keep a diary, but it's unpublishable due to being written under the influence. (Alex was supposed to turn those texts into English.... Git!).
We also have loads more pics which have yet to be developed/uploaded.
You know, there is a reason why my email is on the top right corner...
And I do know that people are reading this, in some cases regularly.
So stop being so bloody lazy and give us some feedback!

Made it (alive)!

What a day! Apocalyptic weather.We are home at last, all of us exhausted. Far too tired to elaborate. Will do a proper update soon. We are planning to write an 'Idiot's guide to riding the Ridgeway' (or something like that). Anyone interested? We'd love to hear what you thought of our escapades so far and what sort of info you want to hear....
Messages of congratulation and further donations also welcome!
Huge thanks to everyone who helped and supported us before and during the adventure, particularly Diana Fenton, Juliette Dean, the blokes in the horsebox from Nicky Henderson's racing stables who helped retrieve Paddy and Mr and Mrs Bishop of Streatley farms.
Loads more pics to come.... Watch this space.

Dispatches 6

TORNADO SPOTTED OVER AYLESBURY. NO SIGN OF INTREPID TWOESOME!

Dispatches 5

Text received 19/07/07 19:31
Survived another day. Got lost again, in the middle of Princes Risboro! We knew w'd gone wrong wen we hit a round about. Went up v. steep hill, boys slid down it on their bums. Nice lunch at pub. Got lost agen due to crap signage. Lucky not to end up on lawn of Chequers. Roads horrible. Stayinin Dunsmore wivJuliette Dean. Lovely. Sore arses all round. Luv U. X

Dispatches 4

Texts recieved:
12:42
Bout 2 cross grims ditch. X
13:53
I want my breakfast!
14:27
Now we r lost!
14:31
We in front garden o stately pile...
14:34
Pads shat on it, now leaving in a hurry!
15:21
Breakfast @ last. Unfortun8ly it's a pint o cider...

20.21
Long day, left Streatley. Much traffic. Crossed Thames, some snorting and many funny looks. Path ran alongside fast railway. Bit tense all round but was ok. Bridleways much less maintained once off ridgeway. One very nasty road crossing. Miles n miles of no civilisation. Got lost. Breakfast in layby @ 3pm ish (cider). Padsspooked at mearest whif of pigs. Jumpd puddle. Finally arrived Lewknor. Now off to pub. Hope it open!

Dispatches 3

Text received 22.32 17/07/07
Dreadful start 2day. Did radio interview wiv 3 counties, didn't help nerves. Drivin rain. Horses wound up frm spendin night nxt 2 cattle. Pads bolted 3 timesb4 we even got on him.Thanx 2 blokes from Nicky Henderson's yard 4 helpin 2 catch him. Got underway, more wind n rain. Boys on der toes. A34 underpass intrstn. Goin bn poor but managed couples canters. Arr Streatley 6ish 2 lovely welcome n cupo t from Mrs Fenton, stable cottages, Streatley. Luv u. X

Dispatches from the front 2

Text messages:
13.13
crossed M4 in pub having restorative pint
19.11
Crossed M4, needed drink! Horses not impressed. Passed Wayland Smithy 'n' Uffington White Horse. Hairy moments getting to horse B&B. Pigs, cattle... u name it. We ACHE!!! U ok? X

Dispatches from the front 1

Texts received:
11.26
Only just got Rash loaded, little bastard! If u want u cud come and wave us off from Melton traffic lights bout 15 mins?
14.06
Halfway round M25 w8n 4 my turn 4 bog. All Ok
17.40
Now riding ridgeway At Last!
21.36
Survived first day. Dry but sore arses all round. X
23.52
We ache n da bloody pubs r shut!
23.53
Sent sum pics o today. Landscape is Smeathes Ridge. Goin Stony, lots o g8s, sore bums, tired. Pubs all closed 930! no rain. Luv U Tess