And so....50! Boys duly woke me to present me with er cards and presents. We had pancakes and bacon and maple syrup and slowly packed up, cleared the fridge of perishables and by noon were iat hers; then on the road to Newcastle for the first leg of the summer road trip.

An uneventful 2 and a half hours (phew) saw us there; unload kit and a brief foray to the Sage / Baltic before a birthday dinner on the Quayside; they were too full for cake back at the hotel so I was duly allowed to watch the day's TDF with a cold glass of cava.