Day 25: Some things are a surprise, but then some things are expected

Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire to Redcar, Redcar and Cleveland, via North Riding
70.54 miles (1375.84 miles cumulatively)

Some things I fully expected to happen when I set off on Cycle England. The slow, but increasing ache my legs and posterior, the changing state of my emotions as the miles go up and up and up and the knowledge that I am going to come across the best and worst of people that England has to offer. I greeted both of those people today. But more about that later.
Firstly though, I would like to talk about the classic mystery of the disappearing signpost. It’s a cracker. Having followed, for about 32 miles I might add, a detailed and consistent signposting to Whitby via some amazing countryside, the signposts vanished, like witnesses in a gangster trial. Totally vanished and it was up to me to stop being lazy and bring out my scouting skills once again and map read. I think I’m becoming quite proficient at this now. Who needs Sat-Nav I ask? The lazy man’s map!
But onto the two examples of the best and worst of people that England has to offer. Unfortunately, the ratio is 2:1 (2 idiots:1 legend). I greeted (and I use this term in the loosest possible sense) the 2 idiots within about 20 miles of each other. The first came in the guise of a medium-lorry driver. I was just gearing up to take on as much as I could of a 25% hill (you heard, 25% - I thought it was mightily unfair too) when said lorry driver was inched away from sideswiping me and ending my cycle England challenge in one foul swoop. I have to say that over 25 days of sharing the road with the drivers of England, the fact that this was the first example of a close-shave has to be a very good thing and shows a very positive light for most drivers but that certainly doesn’t prevent this guy from being a tit.
The second of the idiots came just after I had passed into the Redcar and Cleveland area of the country. I was struggling up a pretty impressive hill (it seems this is when cyclists are at their weakest) when a car sped past me, the passenger stuck his head out of the window and shouted (are you ready for these cracking words of wisdom?)…
“W**ker”
Brilliant. I’m not overly sure quite what this fine specimen of a man wanted to happen from this exchange. Whether it was to shock me into falling off my bike, or for me to jump off my bike and throw it at the car as they drive away laughing, or perhaps it was for me to stop and shake him by the hand for an incredibly imaginative and well thought out comment. Who knows? But what I do know is that there are some people in England with brains that should belong in a gnat.
Thankfully, the day was very much rescued by the B & B that I was staying at in Redcar. A brilliant place with a lovely lady running it who had baked a cake for my arrival. How cool is that! So there you have it. England, a place of the great, the good and the prats.