One wheel on our wagon, Tour de Vet2, week 1

It has been a week now since Tour de Vet 2 on behalf of http://www.cats.org.uk/ (Cats Protection) started, and what a week both Margie and I have had.

Thanks to our charitable partners Onswitch, thank you Alison and Donald, we  were ferried to our starting point in Truro in some style.

Clifton-Villa

Day 1, after Margie spoke with Clifton Villa Vets, the trailers were loaded, kit donned and off we set to our first overnight at a little B&B in Bocaddon and easy 30 odd miles, right? WRONG!!

After 7 hrs, one broken axle (overweight trailer) and an unsubtle dismount by Mike, we finally arrived wet and bedraggled after been blasted by gale force winds. It is said by people who cycle from Lands End to John O’Groats that the first legs are the hardest, they are.

identichipbarry-the-cat

Day 2 dawned…and despite shedding half our kit (we thought we had been travelling light to start with) we set off into the weather towards Plymouth Veterinary Hospital, where Margie spoke about Liver Disease, and then Felix1 and Felix 2 were idENTICHIPPED and scanned.

reflection-felixDay 3 where after an evening being looked after by Barry the cat, some running repairs to trailers, inspected and approved by Barry we headed over the hills to Kingsteignton, where we welcomed some vets from some other practices. A night spent in a charming cottage with 3 cats (thank you Petra) had us geared up for the next day.

Day 4, where else would you find a road that wasn’t a road and be whisked Back to the Future, we we would have been had I been able to turn it on. Vale Vet at Cullompton showed us they were very much a part of the present, before escorting us to the most fabulous restaurant/pub, the Mitre in the middle of Witheridge.

 

dirt-trackdelorean

 

bidefordDay 5, met after breakfast by Jon and Bill from Torbridge Vet Group, who escorted us all the way past “Nowhere” to Bideford, where despite it being a Saturday, we were met by a very lively and positive team for an Anaesthesia workshop.

one-wheelDay 6 began with the blown bearing on one of the trailers!, Margie graciously sacrificed her trailer wheel so we could continue to Taunton now with just one wheel on the Tour de Vet wagon!

route1