Selling the calves
We raised over £900 by popping Dave's calves on eBay, as advertising space 'that grows over time!' The winning companies were Dogcam Sport (left calf) and The Magic Touch (right calf).
Getting the van
A support vehicle hadn't been on the agenda until Holly Allen became the BoardFree photographer. With Holl's addition to the team the project changed. She was willing to dedicate time to the BoardFree UK trip and drive a support vehicle, which added value, not to mention safety, to the project. With three weeks to go VW Magazine came through and answered one of over 100 online appeals for a support vehicle, and they sorted out the logos too. Suddenly we had a bells and whistles support vehicle, and BFUK was on the way.
 Leaving John O'Groats
If you've never been there, nothing prepares you for John O'Groats. It's pretty empty. There are a couple of buildings, a signpost (which when we visited had been recently vandalised so there was barely anything left of it) that is supposed to echo the famous one at Lands End and the John O'Groats Pub. Outside the pub is the Start-Finish line drawn across the car park, and besides this is an End to End sign. We dutifully stuck a BoardFree sticker on it, which as a black stick man on a yellow board fit quite nicely with all the silhouettes of cars and horses and motorbikes, and then we left. There was nothing else for it, the project had been on the way for 9 months and finally Dave had a chance to put some miles on top of the preparation. Becs, Holly, Dim, Dan and Si were there for the off - they'd all be there in Brisbane nine months later, too. Dim fell out of the support vehicle a couple of miles in, but apart from that, and some wonderful scenery and rough roads, nothing else to report!
 Reaching England
Oh Scotland, 10 days of sheer turbulence, topographically speaking. England wasn't often going to be flat, but passing into Cumbria was glorious. Save had skated the length of Scotland and the dream was comign true.
 The Superheroes
With over 600 miles skated, a couple of blisters so wrong you could actually smell the rotting through Dave's shoes and Worcester another city we could tick off the check-list, the surprises began. First, Dave's Mum and Dad turned up on their bikes and then, while taking a lunchbreak in a roadside pub, cameraman Dim turned up with family and friends, all who were dressed as superheroes. The procession continued towards Gloucester that day, Batman, Little Red Riding Hood and Wolfman et al cycling and roller blading their way along the road with Dave. Amazing.
 The people
Tired, hungry and very often soaked to the skin, we encountered so many generous souls on BoardFree UK. When you're pushing yourself to the limit the general public shine like they never appear to as we go about our daily lives. The kindness of strangers was never more evident than in our encounters with Mary and Neil in Wick, Jack in Biggar, the Moon family who gave us sandwiches and wine near Crieff, Don Smart and his wife and friends, Anne in Whitchurch, everyone at The Stork Inn in Billinge, Nat's folks in Minehead, everyone who donated online, and so many more. Thank you so much.
The Falmouth Party
Si Thorpe, BoardFree cameraman extraordinaire, made sure the latter end of the trip was as special as could be. He and many others at Falmouth Uni put on a party to remember, raising hundreds of pounds to boot. Legend. Lands End
Need we say more. Dave had been skating thirteen and a half months before he pushed into Lands End, Cornwall on June 2nd 2006. With Australia knocking on the door, BoardFree became a respected project when the length of Britain was completed. Nobody had skated the route before, but however you're travelling getting from John O'Groats to Lands End and raising over £4000 doesn't happen solo. We had so many people there at the end to show their support, many of whom had been present earlier on in the journey for a day or two at a time. It was the perfect finale to the first journey. You beauty!
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