Well, what a dream start.

After a wonderful send off from Totnes, my first lift was from Philip who drove me the 5 miles to the A38 at Buckfastleigh

Stood on the slipway, I was now alone, accompanied only with a sense of slight trepidation.

This lifted as after 10 minutes, Ian, driving a Landrover stopped. Coincidentally, Ian had introduced himself to me a week earlier on my pitch as we had a mutual friend living in Exeter; the place he was now bound. After deep conversations on Plato and Aristotle et al, he dropped me at Exeter Services. It was now 10;20am.

i didn’t look like a serial killer

My wait at Exeter Services was short lived as within 15 minutes, Danny stopped in his van. He was travelling to Tamworth, some 180 miles. A dream lift. But, for me, there was an elephant in the room. Having had cancer of the bladder some years earlier, the subsequent radiotherapy had left me with a bladder with minimal capacity; a bladder that needed decanting at frequent intervals and a bladder that gave little notice of when that interval was going to arrive. Although I’d purposefully had drunk no fluids for the past two hours, would my bladder survive the journey or would I have to ask Danny to pull into every damn service station we passed.

I needn’t have worried.

Just after driving off Danny informed me,  (almost as an apology) that he only had one kidney and subsequently had to drink lots of fluid which entailed him having to take regular toilet breaks. What a relief! At the next service station we celebrated with a visit to the loo and a large latte.

The three hours in Danny’s van flew by. A journey where we shared laughs, banter, views on religion, tales from our pasts and even a bit of poetry. It was a very pleasant time with Danny. He dropped me off at Tamworth Services as we hugged a goodbye and exchanged contact details

Not a murderer

A 20 minute wait and my next lift arrived in the form of a Transit van driven by Richie. He informed me that after 35 years of driving he had never once picked up a hitchhiker and that the only reason he picked me up was that, dressed in my garb, i didn’t look like a serial killer. Whilst a pleasant and very grateful 50 mile trip, our conversation was not quite as relaxed as the one with Danny. It consisted, in the main, stories about his work;  the advancement in the technology of industrial cleaning machines. Richie dropped me at Tibshelf services.

I was now on the M1. Far further than I’d imagine I’d be and with what seemed an impossible goal, now held the  possibility I might even make it to a friends for the night: A friend who lived some 100 miles away in Wetherby.

I waited on the slip road at Tibshelf for 40 minutes. Dusk was settling in. Fortunately the services had a motel I could stay at. Then, with a weary thumb, Rory screeched to a halt. What a blast Rory was. Rory, a soil scientist had just returned to the UK after working in Germany for six years. We clicked immediately. The journey was such good fun with the car awash with laughter when, simultaneously, we both realised we hadn’t asked where each of us were going. I’m heading for Wetherby services I said. OK . Rory said nonchalantly, I’ll drop you there! And he did. I’d made it!

On arrival, Rory insisted on getting out of the car and sharing a bear-like hug and an exchange of contacts. We said a long goodbye and I rang my friend who arrived in minutes, whisked me back to her home, a hot meal and a warm bed. A perfect day. The perfect start.

Today, a lift from my friend back to the services. Rejuvenated and with a thumb that’s eager to get back to work.

You can find the crowdfunder here:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/graham-walker-998

DAY ONE: https://www.totnespulse.co.uk/thats-it-im-off-graham-walker-starts-his-trip-day-one/

DAY THREE: https://www.totnespulse.co.uk/grahams-travels-day-three/

DAY FOUR: https://www.totnespulse.co.uk/graham-to-john-ogroats-day-four/