A nervy day that started with the first introduction to our beloved ‘Frog’ (our tech van). Mr and Mrs Webb arrived to help us load the van early that morning and everything was quickly packed before we were left minus our bikes to make our way to Dartford where we were to spend the night prior to our early start at Woolwich Common the next morning.
The Frog
On arriving in London we stopped for an hour or two to steady our hands with a couple of pints at a Marylebone boozer with our good pal Baskers. Sat outside the pub with the sun on our backs and in our eyes the trusty grog tasted better than ever, what cruel twist of fate was this that we could not commit to an afternoon of getting slowly steamed! but today was all about preparation and we had a date with destiny looming large at some ungodly hour the next day.
London Boozer
So back on the train we clambered bladders weakened by our afternoon distraction and with Manchester United 2-0 down to Spurs we headed to Dartford. On arrival we opted to find a place to eat prior to going to our hotel whilst loitering at the bus stop waiting for a bus to the Bluewater Centre we heard a torrent of abuse directed at us spew forth from an open window on the top deck of a passing bus, ”Bus Wankers” a somewhat confusing but totally original insult this was our welcome to Dartford.
The Bluewater Centre is an odious creation nestled in what appears to be a quarry or enormous crater but aesthetically pleasing or not we were here and we hungrily paced the artificially lit monstrosity before settling for a dismal interpretation of lasagne in one of the many eateries it housed. This of course did us absolutely fine though as we just now needed carbs and a lots of them! Following the meal we headed straight back to the hotel and met up with Peter and Brian who were to be our 6th and 7th team members on hand to guide us to Paris avec ‘La Grenouille’ (The Frog). We milled around the foyer before finally cutting the crap to hit the sack! ”see you at 6:30am” was the parting verbal shot.
Bluewater
