Update: Monday *and* Tuesday

OK, so now we're in Charnock Richard, it's about time to do a proper blog post. This one will be for Monday and Tuesday, but first as bit that got missed from Sunday.

It appears that the bloke who does the LEJOG stickers for the windows had fat fingers when making them - this year we mostly all have stickers saying "LEGOG 2009". So, any ideas for what this actually means?

Anyway, up early on Monday as usual, woken by a combination of baking heat in the tent, and manic seagulls outside. Threats of shotguns and other surface to air weapons failed to shut them up so the decision was taken to get up and get ready for Lands End.

Off to Dartington Crystal for breakfast as usual, typical fare which set us up for the day and after official photos we were off down through Devon and Cornwall - unsurprisingly the usual way to get to Lands End.

A fairly quiet run down left us at the entrance, with the jobsworth bod on the gate sending us into the car park whilst John went to find someone who knew what they were doing. Eventually we got to our usual parking spot by the cliff, with plenty of tourists wondering what all these strange people dressed in Hippy costumes were doing there.

Many photos were taken, and a few of us managed to get our cars (and in some cases, trailers) in front of the signpost for "official" photos with the professional photographer who at one point was asking Tony for hints...

After pasties, loo breaks, hunts for forms for the End to End club and a bit of a chill out in the sun we set off again - although through a breakdown in communication we didn't get photos at the start line, despite the best efforts of one third of Team Jellybean.

Big delays getting back were caused by an accident involving a cyclist - though thankfully not involving any of the LEJOGgers. An enjoyable but long and otherwise uneventful drive found us back in Devon, with some filling up or shopping at Morrisons and some heading straight for the campsite, tired and ready for food and more chilling out.

Baz came up with a solution to the seagulls - peanut butter and alka seltzer. 10 points for guessing how that works.

After grub at the Sunshine Cafe, a bit more "cheesecake" and attempts to load up as much as we could before the early start the next day it was bedtime - hoping for uninterrupted sleep - ready for the long drive up to Charnock Richard.

The morning came a little too early. Cloud had stopped the sun heating the tents up, but the rude awakening was actually Tony setting off the alarm on Dennis trying to pack. At least it wasn't the seagulls.

Throwing the rest of the kit in the car, packing away the tents and heading away from the campsite, we went to Morrisons for breakfast - as usual. Myself and Tony got the rough end of the service from the staff, getting our food after some who ordered after had finished theirs. At least no-one went for the two breakfast option...

And so, after tanking up again, we were off over Exmoor (where we got to see some of the equine wildlife on the road) and the fun that was Lynton and Lynmouth. The downward stretches weren't too bad, having plenty of braking performance at the bottom, but Countisbury Hill proved difficult as I mistimed a change from 1st to 2nd and ended up holding the rest of the convoy back. Sorry!

Porlock Hill was a bit rough, using first for a good chunk of it. At least the rebuilt gearbox could take it this year, although the brakes were in a poor state at the bottom of the hill.

The run up and out of Devon went well, and £5.40 later we were soon over the old Severn Bridge and spending a bit of time in Wales. Apart from the odd set of lights splitting us up we were as a convoy for much of the way. No breakdowns, no-one getting lost, no emergency cleanups to do... bliss...

Running up the borders and into Herefordshire the weather was mostly with us - cloud was welcome at times but even with the cover it was getting hot and muggy. A few idiots on the road - as usual - but they passed without incident. Some of the hills proved troublesome with slow trucks in the way but without much stirring of the gearstick we managed to cope.

Into Shropshire, the only trouble so far was the tip of my Charlie Brown aerial disappearing somewhere between Bristol and Craven Arms, where we stopped for the loo, some grub and a leg stretch. Forging on through into Cheshire, luckily without a low loader this year, and we eventually got to the motorway.

Rumours were about that some of the services on the motorway might sell CB equipment, so just off the M56 and before the M6 proper, I announced (over the fairly useless Charlie Brown) that I was going to the first services on the M6, and would meet everyone at Charnock Richard.

Unfortunately my message didn't get through, so I ended up leading a confused bunch of LEJOGgers off the motorway, round a couple of roundabouts and into the services. Handily for some of my temporary followers, the loo stop helped with the 20 miles of traffic on the M6 before we got to Charnock Richard...

After unpacking the essentials and booking in to our room with unfinished paintwork and complimentary mouldy windowframe, I had chance to borrow Lottie's magmount aerial, which was luckily the same make and model as mine. Lastly, after fixing my horn and headlamp flashers with another quick tweak (this time of the power feed to the fusebox), we all broke up for food. One Burger King later and I'm sat putting this together with a Guinness and a story or two about Neil's ablutionary habits whilst the fog rolls in like the film. Bliss.

Early start tomorrow - the "short" run up to Moffat. Rumour has it that the weather's going to be good, so we might get to see the view over Shap Fell. We shall see.