02:15
TB - Wake up mumbling, "Where are we? What's going on?" Matt replies, "Still in f**king Scotland mate, need sleep" before pulling into service station for a kip.
03:00
MP - Low-point of journey for me. Wake, pee, resume driving. Somewhere in next stint we exit Scotland. Tom tired, asks if I'm man or machine. Neither mate, at the minute.
03:15
TB - Matt clearly a machine. I'm no use at the moment. Crack open another can of Red Bull in vain attempt to wake up.
03:45
TB - Back in England after 364 miles and 11 hours. Scotland has never seemed so big before. And I've never been so grateful to see English motorways before.
 |
| Tom steers the Prius home |
05:15
MP - On M6 in Cumbria. Dawn breaks, feel much better. Very scenic around Shap, but hills still a plague. Can't slipstream lorries either, which is worth mega-mpg, because if they increase speed, you try too, and CVT gearbox changes ratio. Grrr... Tom takes the wheel.
07:00
TB - Pass Manchester and Liverpool on M6. Meet stop-start traffic for first time. Crawling along at 50mph in inside lane with mirrors folded elicits odd glances from overtaking motorists.
Speed up to 56mph so lorries don't need to overtake us. Economy hit slightly, but worth not having 44-tonners bearing down on me.
Having to look over left shoulder more now to see if anyone is joining M6 at numerous junctions - maybe wiser to fold mirrors back out.
08:03
TB - Traffic's really building up, matrix signs warn of queues around Birmingham.
 |
| Matt takes a well-earned kip |
08:05
MP - Stop at Keele services. Tom has breakfast, I take long snooze. Decide to stay here an hour or so, rather than face rush-hour traffic at M6/M5 junction around Birmingham.
09:15
MP - Feels like we're on home stretch now. Bright day, could get warm in here later. I take to back seat for well-earned kip. 4Car fluffy dice prove comfy pillows.
09:20
TB - Down to just two fuel-gauge blobs. 529 miles and average 66.8mpg. No chance of Land's End now, unless on back of a low-loader.
