JOG finishing post

[Russ Camm]

I wonder if anyone has experienced a similar reception at J O G to the one I had when I finished on Sunday 14th June?

I realise that finishing alone is always going to be a bit of an anti climax following a week or so of toil and mental anguish, but I could not believe the reception I had. After 8 days of solo riding into mainly strong north easterly winds and a good deal of rain, with the added fun of a bad chest infection for the first 4 days at least, I finally reached by goal , clocking around 973 miles on my Garmin up the west coast route. I waited patiently at the JOG official 'mileage' sign post for another couple to finish taking their souvenire snaps, then still dripping wet ,cold and hungry, I politely asked the security type person who was guarding the end post if he would oblige by taking a photo with my mobile. I could not believe it when he quite rudely refused, stating, " if I did this I'd be doing it all day mate, you should have asked that couple to do it "

The guard was obviously very busy sitting in his sentry box guarding the sign post, and I could see that he could not possibly fit photography into his busy daily work schedule, so I awaited the next couple of tourists to arrive , and they kindly obliged with my finishing snap, thereby allowing me to go and engage in some competition eating in the Journeys End Cafe.

After my finishing photo, I noticed that the friendly signpost guard had in front of him a collecting bucket for the cause of Leukaemia Research, and at that point I felt particularly sorry that such a worthy cause should have such an unworthy representative, so before leaving I quietly placed a £1 coin in his collection and thanked the guard with the finest collection of words I could find given my current physical and mental state.

This was one of my lasting memories of completion of the ride, but other than this, and despite the weather and illness , the whole thing was a fantastic experience which I will never forget. Russ

[ferrit worrier]

Hi Russ

I finished my Le Jog on the 14th of June I rode solo but had Rachel running a suport car for me. I arrived at JOG at 5.20 pm I wasn't sure whether or not I'd make it before the last house shut. but never the less I did. Now when I got there, I couldn't find the finish line someone said there isn't one OK so to the shop / house I went. Rachel was out side waiting with the video camera running. The Lady from the shop came out," Oh you've made it ok," "Yes thanks", But I'd lost the plot entirely I was cold, wet, elated, tired, etc ,etc ,etc Rachel got me in the shop, and the lady in there was absolutly wonderful, She got the book out and placed it on the counter with a pen saw I was dripping wet and got me some toweling tissue. I didn't know what to do first write postcards or sign the book. Iasked her if many end to enders end up like this. and as her eyes rolled skywards she said "Yes all the time, some collaps on the grass outside," she'd seen it all before. she just told me to get sorted don't worry, If you want me I'll be tidying up just shout me. no problem. She was a star! . One of the many really nice people I met on my ride.

Malc

BTW what time did you finish ? and did you sign the book?

[Russ Camm]

Hi Malc,

Good to hear your finishing story. I must add to mine that my 'end post guard' event was the only unpleasant happening I had on the ride, because I too met lots of kind, helpful, and interesting people along my way, and I got a good reception in the Journeys End cafe. I arrived there just after lunch time , around 1330, but was maybe another hour before I signed the book because I had cold and numb hands/fingers ( I suffer this a lot when cycling any distance). I spent around an hour or so there making the usual celebratory calls and texts and then decided to set off back down to Wick in the steady drizzle to the camp site for the night. This is something I regret, and have decided never again to plan lightweight camping on any such distance events. I had 2 days to kill before my pre-booked train back to York, but one night in a cold wet tent finished me off completely and I decided to head home early the next morning and pay the ticket excess . It turns out I carried a tent and other bits the full length of Britain to use it only once ! ( I used B and B's etc because of the weather and my bad chest ).
The next morning siting on the train heading south, now warm , dry and fully recovered, I was examining the hills and roads I'd travelled the day before, and my mind was already starting to plan my next venture ! ..............around the coastline I think, but unfortunately will need domestic approval first !!

Regards,

Russ

[Mick F]

From my blog:
http://www.lejogandback.blogspot.com

I arrived at John O’Groats at 11.30 and noted that I’d covered 891.44 miles since Land’s End. I scanned around the place and made my way to the finger post. A chap in the nearby kiosk stood up and asked me if I wanted an official photograph taken. I declined, explaining that I was only half way through my trip, and anyway it’d be another £10. I supposed I couldn’t be bothered with it. I propped Bike against the post and asked a passing tourist to take a photograph of me with my camera instead, then took a few myself. ............
...........I looked around the touristy area and was saddened by how shabby it all looked. The carpark was pot-holed and scruffy, and the photographer’s car was parked right near the post, thereby stopping a decent long-shot of the area. An ice-cream van was in attendance, a small gift shop was nearby, and the famous John O’Groats Hotel was looking run-down and in need of visitors. There was hardly anything to attract tourists at all to John O’Groats, other than its position and it’s name. I know that some people prefer it to the commercialism of the Land’s End complex, saying that it’s quiet and unspoiled, but I just feel that it’s shabby, poorly run and under a great need of development, considering how many visitors it should get.

A sad place, and sad too that after all that effort.

[Ben Lovejoy]

I have to say I'm one of those who prefer JOG to the tackiness of LE.

A shame to have such a grumpy greeting, especially as one of the best things about the trip for me is all the lovely people you meet along the way.

[Si]

Not sure if we are talking about the same "guard" but didn't we have a thread a while back about the people that take official end photos as a business (and, indeed, supply and maintain the boards). If this was him then I'm not surprised that he wouldn't take a photo with your own camera - if he did this for everyone then he'd be out of business in no time (you wouldn't go to a cafe and expect them to boil a kettle for free so you could put your own tea bag in would you? ). However, I would also expect him to explain this to you in a polite manner (if it was indeed this chap?).

[mw3230]

I'm doing LEJOG in September courtesy of CTC Hols and whilst I appreciate the above comments (and never having undertaken such a long tour) I feel that the satisfaction will be from having ridden the miles, not from seeing tawdry or unkempt touristy landmarks at each end. Indeed, I may be a little at odds with many, but I prefer the less developed sites and areas of the UK and I wouldn't pay some profiteer for the pleasure of a photograph. However it takes all sorts and I would not disparage those whose view differs from mine.

[Si]

I wouldn't pay some profiteer for the pleasure of a photograph.

the term "profiteer" could be taken in a number of ways! Given the current state of the economy, the rising numbers of the unemployed, rising prices of "necessities", etc, I'd not use it in a derogatory way against someone who is trying to earn an honest wage. Afterall, no one is making anyone pay him for his services, and _if_ he does supply the signposts (which anyone is free to use in their own pictures) then I'd say that he is not ungenerous. Thus, I hope that we are not inferring that what he does is in some way morally wrong?

[Russ Camm]

In reply to Si's comment about the private company who maintain /supply the sign and charge for photos, well if this is the case it certainly wasn't apparent to me, but having said that I was cold, wet, hungy etc etc and suppose I may have missed any promotional signs. Having said that , this person did nothing to explain to me that this was the case and that he could take a photo for a fee. I probably would have paid for one if I'd known. So , if I have misread the situation here then I too can maybe understand the refusal, but that does not alter the fact that maybe he could improve on his 'people skills' somewhat.

Despite this, and the slight anti climax to the whole jouney, I too much prefer JOG to the sprawling commercial site of Land's End, and will always remember the sense of achievement and joy I felt upon arrival there. I would not let this one small personal contact to detract in any way from the great memories I have of the journey and all the kind, helpful and interesting people I met along the way.

Russ

[Si]

Well, I'm only guessing that this chap might be the one that posted previously about the company that does the photos and maintains the boards - but I don't know for sure!

[knickerscat]

We arrived at JOG yesterday afternoon at precisely 4pm after 15 days of cycling & Garmin clocked miles of 980. Weather had been dreadful all day, so we were cold & very soggy. I pulled up to the sign (mile markers removed) & had a look around for the photographer. No one made themselves obvious! The lttle sign on the photo shack said open from 10-4.
Went down to the shop to have photos taken by the painted sign on the wall as a second best option, only to meet 4 lads who had completed earlier. They said that the car plus driver who was parked near the end sign when I cycled up, was actually the photographer. They saw him watch me cycle up to the sign. He then got in his car & drove off without offering to take pics.
Not in the spirit! They had rung him up for photos earlier & he reluctantly turned up 3 hours later moaning about the lack of customers & the weather!!! If this is the attitude of these official guys, then they can stick their official photos & sign post! My Dad & Hubbie took some very nice ones of us which cost us nothing. Official ones would have been nice, but there you go! He was the meanest person we met. Everyone else was lovely!

[Mick F]

Well done girls!
Congratulations!

I'm sad you couldn't have been better treated at JOG. It worries me that they don't make enough money to keep at it after 4pm. If you think about it, the riders/walkers/skaters/elephant mahouts/pram-pushers et al leave JOG or LE in the morning, and arrive at LE or JOG in the late afternoon.

It isn't rocket science. Why not have two people at each end? Morning shift and afternoon shift?

Perhaps they don't make enough money out of the business. Why not close the business, and leave the signposts there permanently?

They obviously make some money, or they wouldn't guard the signs like they do, but they just seem to be half-hearted about it. I think they disappoint more E2Eers than they please.

[cavasta]

The "official" photographer that was on duty at JOG when I finished my recent solo effort on 2 July was, I very quickly concluded, the most miserable man in Scotland. I strolled up to him, where he was sat outside his little booth, head bowed staring at the ground, and asked him how much a photo would be. He lifted his head slightly and, without making eye contact, mumbled the minimum response: "£9.50", before dropping his head again. I asked him if he would do the same offer that I was given at LE, namely two for £12.50. "Yeah, ok" (I think that's what he said - it was hard to tell as I'm not very fluent in mumble). I replied that I'd like my photo taken and, in what must have been a supreme effort for him, he somehow managed to muster enough energy to lift his tired carcass off his much-used stool, heaving a massive sigh as he did. Still no eye contact. Every little movement, every mumbled utterance was a major effort for this wretched specimen. His huffs, tuts, sighs and general demeanour made my efforts of the past few weeks seem like a stroll in the park in comparison. God this chap was hard work - talk about having to climb a mountain. I asked him how long he'd been doing the job, to which he replied "five years - and I'm ready for a change". I told him I could tell. This seemed to prick his conscience a bit and he became a tad more animated, though he was still far from being fully functional . And so it continued until the arduous job of taking my photo was complete, at which point he sloped off wearily back to his little stool. My experiences at JOG were in stark contrast to those I had at LE. There, the couple were full of smiles and were chatty and very friendly. They took great interest in my ride, even though they must get hundreds - possibly thousands - of cyclists each year doing the same trip. Same company, opposite ends of the country, opposite ends of the pleasing encounters spectrum.

[The Macca Show]

The "official" photographer that was on duty at JOG when I finished my recent solo effort on 2 July was, I very quickly concluded, the most miserable man in Scotland. I strolled up to him, where he was sat outside his little booth, head bowed staring at the ground, and asked him how much a photo would be. He lifted his head slightly and, without making eye contact, mumbled the minimum response: "£9.50", before dropping his head again. I asked him if he would do the same offer that I was given at LE, namely two for £12.50. "Yeah, ok" (I think that's what he said - it was hard to tell as I'm not very fluent in mumble). I replied that I'd like my photo taken and, in what must have been a supreme effort for him, he somehow managed to muster enough energy to lift his tired carcass off his much-used stool, heaving a massive sigh as he did. Still no eye contact. Every little movement, every mumbled utterance was a major effort for this wretched specimen. His huffs, tuts, sighs and general demeanour made my efforts of the past few weeks seem like a stroll in the park in comparison. God this chap was hard work - talk about having to climb a mountain. I asked him how long he'd been doing the job, to which he replied "five years - and I'm ready for a change". I told him I could tell. This seemed to prick his conscience a bit and he became a tad more animated, though he was still far from being fully functional . And so it continued until the arduous job of taking my photo was complete, at which point he sloped off wearily back to his little stool. My experiences at JOG were in stark contrast to those I had at LE. There, the couple were full of smiles and were chatty and very friendly. They took great interest in my ride, even though they must get hundreds - possibly thousands - of cyclists each year doing the same trip. Same company, opposite ends of the country, opposite ends of the pleasing encounters spectrum.

Absolutely bang on.

I had exactly the same experience with this guy who acted in the same manner. He didn't believe me that my mileage was 890. "It's got to be more than that".

I then proceeded to try and rub him up the wrong way, after he asked me to spell my first name "N.E.I.L" I then spelled out every word, "L.E.J.O.G.2.0.0.9" and asked him if he needed me to spell the date as well. Cheeky bugger, me. Maybe this wasn't the best idea, as it doesn't seem to have aliviated his mood any!

[thirdcrank]

An interesting mis-match between expectations and reality.

I suppose one point is that if you've done the End to End on your knees for charity, nobody is obliged to cheer (although it costs nothing to be friendly.) It's not their fault if the conclusion of your efforts and all the planning etc., is a bit of an anticlimax.

On the friendliness thing, it's hard to imagine something more conducive to grumpiness than sitting in a miserable place hoping to make money from taking pictures of visitors - especially in these days of cameras with delayed action.

It's very much a market driven thing: somebody makes money but not enough to justify competition. With a bit of competition, the best customer service would be the one to succeed.

And yes si, I've known plenty of cyclists who expect to eat their own sandwiches in a cafe and would accept free hot water for their own brew, or even free tea if somebody offered.