Only two white van men on the long loop

Big surprise in store for me today, only two white van men to disturb my day - more or less. the M 8 was very quiet through to Glasgow with no low flying vanmen - bit odd, anyway made it through to the office nice and early, but then spent an hour doing paperwork before heading South on the M74. First white van man, in a Renault Kango did the usual and raced by me, only to cut in and turn off a quarter mile along the road at Lesmahagow. ( the opn cast works there are massive, no wonder the locals are up in arms and the eco warriors have been attacking the site)
Work is progressing with the new wind farm on the hillside alongside the M 74 through the valley before the Moffat turn off, towers have the turbines fitted, next up will be the blades.

Made it to Risley without event, topped up my thermos mug in the Office and then headed off east on the M62, onto M60 ring round Manchester and then back onto the Trans Pennine bit of the M62, highest bit of motorway in the UK at 1,221 feet above sea level - I think.

Eventually found Weatherby, which was more or less a slight detour off the A1 (M) for me as I called into the office there - so with time marching on, Northwards heading back to God's country, the Land of the Gaeles, etc., but not before I was had to sit at 50 mph for about eight miles near Catterick through the roadworks and under the evil eye of the average speed cameras. Onwards, past the Angel of the North at Team Valley, Newcastle. Weather was nice and the views over to Lindesfarne Island were good. Got a bit confused in roadwords near Alnwick and ended up with a scenic detour through the ancient border town beofre getting back onto the A1 .
I had forgotton how frustrating the A1 was with slow traffic, not helped by my second white van man, who was crawling along at 45 mph with along queue built up behind him. Only held us up for about fiteen (bl**dy) miles before he turned off.

Over the Border into Bonnie Scotland, and I spied a naughty radar camera van, tucked in at the side of the A 1 south of Cockburnspath beside some vans at roadworks - no chance for anyone to see it before being nabbed.

It was nice to get past Torness and the Cement Works at Dunbar, and onto a decent bit of road again, what a change in that section of the A1 over the past ten years, which made for an easy run to join the A720 city by pass. Unlucky for some on the by pass as a tractor with trailer had shed a wheel just east of Sheriffhall Roundabout and was causing big tail backs onto, through and on all the approaches to the roundabout - ouch !

Home - only 545 miles today, time for bed.