rnli coastal cycle ride

Day 58  Sunday 1 May: Mayday, Mayday. The distress call I hope never to use. Very unlikely, being neither a pilot nor a sailor. I have however, experienced engine failure in a two seater light aircraft, some years ago. The pilot sitting next to me was brother Neil, Mr Cool. We weren’t high enough for Neil to have the luxury of time to consider the most appropriate distress call. The ground was approaching quite quickly. Fortunately we were above a field so large it has its own name. Bedfordia. With the light wind roughly parallel to the ploughed furrows, decision made. Mr Cool’s perfectly executed no power glide approach put us down gently in a soft, muddy field. The hard bit was getting it out of the middle of a field the size of five thousand football pitches. That’s another story.
So why am I telling you all this? Can’t remember…
Oh yes! Mayday. Today’s date and the distress call used by those in trouble at sea or in the air. Also the time of year that most Lifeboat communities around the coast hold fundraising events like the big burger event on Saturday at Invergordon Lifeboat station.
Also, not much to say about today’s ride from Inverness to Buckie. A gently undulating, quite fast 60 mile ride via no Lifeboat stations. Except much classic car rally activity and associated nostalgia. Feeling a bit sad about another love of my life. DEB. My 1953 Rover 75, tucked up in the garage in Lowestoft. Our faithful family car for many years, covering thousands of miles of regular domestic duties plus several long range family holidays, a few memorable European tours and a good number of wedding car duties for family and friends. Not exactly ababdoned but not receiving much attention these days. Any offers?
I digress. Again.
Much more relevant tales to report tomorrow I hope, with three Lifeboat stations to visit. Buckie, Macduff and Fraserburgh. They sound more like three dodgy local characters.