This small market town is a cyclists’ favourite place to stop off for refreshments. So I’ve stood here many times. It’s the climax of one of my regular rides. There are about 18 miles on the clock as I pull up and sit on one of the benches on the green outside the Co-op.

I make a long phone call from here – business has to go on and so we chat, appropriately, about arrangements for the storytelling course we’re running at the Riding Lights Summer School.

The summer school is one of the reasons I’m doing this ride. Four Palestinian students have been invited to travel here and I hope to help them pay the airfare. A quick look at the help.co.uk/ridingbike website reveals donations have reached £360.00. Gift Aid will bring that total to £458.00. Good progress for the first few days. The momentum has to be maintained for a number of weeks yet.

If you want to donate click here

After a four finger Kit Kat and some grapefruit juice I’m on the return trip.