Day 9

Knutsford to Whalley is a 53 mile ride through the heartland of what was once a thriving manufacturing industry but today most of the mills have been turned into apartments or long since pulled down. The last 10miles or so seemed particularly hard today I guess the pedal strain has been gradually catching up with our legs and knees - but still we soldier on! Sandra and Steve exercised exceptional hospitality by collecting us and bringing us back to their lovely home in Preston for a fabulous meal and a very welcome bed for the night - thank you...particularly for the apple crumble! Road kill count went up significantly today which is probably due to it being bank holiday. Crossing the old bridge over the Manchester Ship canal was interesting and the lady in the toll booth did'nt even charge us.
Lands End now 465 miles away and tomorrow we should reach our half way point - it seems amazing to be so far north and still not got to that milestone yet.