Country Life and Bank Cards

So we do 40 odd miles on Sunday and it's a boiling hot day in the Kent countryside. We feel we deserve at pint and so we stop off at Farningham at a local pub called The Chequers. I order 3 pints and 3 packets of crisps and present my bank card to pay...

But do they take cards? Do they hell as like. So I volunteer to go to the local garage to try and negotiate some sort of cash back but to no avail. A kind motorist and his son take pity and offer to run me to another garage 2 miles away (which I could have cycled in theory). I take him up on his offer and collect some cash from the Link till - I even forgot about the £1.75 fee to collect my own cash and headed back to the other garage and then cycle back to the pub. C and N had already downed the first pint and were waiting for me to furnish them with more funds for a second (the cheeky scamps).

Why did they not take cards? Even though Farningham is sort of in the country (though probably less than 20 miles from Piccadilly) it must be connected to a phone line. And the pub was full of moaning old gits who clearly objected to anyone in cycling gear or anyone without a beer belly.

Anyway I did 60 miles in the end which given the heat was not a bad result.

In other news I have finally decided to leave work in July. My boss took it well but I feel as if a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I will be free in 3 months time and have an idea about travelling round Europe for a while in the old van. We'll see how these plans come to fruition. I've got to get this ride out the way and then there's Glastonbury. And also there is the fact that I still have to spend 12 weeks at work.