Roadkill Potatoes, a Rare Blessing

A slightly frustrating day, but nobody said it was going to be simple. I had
to wait for the new SatMap to arrive, so I nipped out to fill the bike up and
got a fag lighter socket to wire into the battery so I can charge up my
menagerie of Satan's techno trickery on the move - pretty neat eh? As I
finished the wiring job, right on cue the postie rocked up with the new
SatMap, and the chargers from Sara - ta, doll...

Sooo.. called in at the post office on my way to the coast, posted off the
old Satmap and then realised it still had the Ordnance Survey chip in it.
The new one just has a road atlas thingy which ain't much use for my
purposes. Anyroad, I whizzed over the Severn bridge and into Wales, and
started to try to ride up the coast; all well and good until Cardiff. Then
it became a rolling traffic jam, crummy signage and pitifully slow to boot.
I gave up after Cardiff, pulled over and flashed up the stove for some late
lunch. Sitting on a pannier by the road, peeling a spud or two (having
parked right next to an errant bag of them lying on the verge), I became
aware of the constant scrutiny of the stream of as you likeys who
were driving past, goggle eyed. I suppose cooking is a slightly lost art
these days, but I did feel like a bit of a hi-tech tramp!

I'd been offered a bed by Terry Brooks, who I had never met; he lives in
YSTRADGYNLAIS, some ten miles up the road from Swansea. Do the Welsh
Assembly tax vowels or something? I got to the town armed with his postcode
and Mobile number... but no signal. Bum. So I got to within 50 yards of his
gaff when I was accosted by a genial man called Elvis who said "you looking
for Terry?" I was a bit taken aback to say the least. So here I am, full of
fish and chips and feeling ready for some zeds. About 600 miles covered so
far. Later.

[If anyone else living on the coastline of Britain would like to offer Mike a bed for the night it would be greatly appreciated. Please get in touch using the email address on the right-hand side of the blog. - Ed.]