The ‘quaint’ Park View Hotel and BnB (without breakfast in St Helens was memorable – helpful staff lady eventually let us put our bikes in dining room as arranged, room was cramped but clean and bathroom spacious. The Bird I’th Hand pub didn’t do meals, the Black Bull a kilometre away did. The mixed grill was so big I had to work to get it down.

Over dinner Jane confided that she might leave our trip which surprised me. Anyway, she did leave us this morning. I hope she feels better soon and is able to continue her holiday.

The rest of the day was uneventful. A longer than usual stretch on a busy ‘A’ road, bike shop Burscough for morning tea (great coffee and walnut cake), a wrong turn by me that led us into an earthmoving school training ground, a trip across a public footpath (sign at far end said “no horses, no bikes”), and lunch in the initiative award winning village of Croston (prettiest village and cute humped bridge). Afternoon coffee at Preston lock and out on the Guild Wheel bike path for some kilometres before the 10 kilometres along the Promenade into Blackpool. And a home cooked meal in the apartment. That was it.