h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm doing the London to Brighton bike ride on Sunday, and it appears that the hardest part will be getting to London.

The Isle of Wight is easy to get to with a bike – you can take it on the ferry from Lymington, Southampton and in Portsmouth you're spoilt for choice with the ferries either to Fishbourne, Ryde or the hovercraft. If you want to get to London, though, there's only one train line. I checked in advance and there was no engineering works on Sunday in Eastleigh, just in Southampton, so the rest of the line is unaffected. Now, though, they've announced that the whole line between Southampton and Winchester will be affected, with no trains running. Buses will be replacing trains, only they don't allow bikes on them. (I am considering claiming that my bicycle isn't a bicycle, but a charity fund-raising device that is only an inch wide).

At the moment I've managed arrange to stay with a friend in Winchester, and can catch the 7am train from there to London (assuming the engineering works doesn't spread there). Oh, and if anyone wants to sponsor me, feel free to visit: http://www.justgiving.com/Matthew-Sprack1

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