The Kindness of Strangers

A month ago I undertook a solo six day cycle ride around the North York Moors and Wolds.
Leaving my car with my friends Terry and Gill at Driffield and after enjoying a pleasant day ride with Terry I set off on my solo ride. I cycled via Scarbourough, Whitby, Great Ayton and Osmotherley. I stayed with Mike and Naoko in Great Ayton and enjoyed catching up with friends at Osmotherley. Leaving Osmotherley early in the morning I thought I could make the 64 miles to Driffield in one day. Alas 10 miles from York on the busy A19 I got a puncture and couldn't pump up the repair as my pump handle snapped after a couple of strokes! I tried hitching to no avail and was walking towards York when I saw a house on the right with a couple of men working on it. Thinking the house might have a resident cyclist and therefore a pump I stopped. No luck but they said try the offices in the old mill set back from the road. Entering a large office 20 office workers swiveled in their chairs and stared at this bedraggled old fellow confronting them. After explaining my predicament and having established there were no cyclists and therefore no pump I asked if they knew a local taxi firm. They did and arranged a taxi, then after conferring amongst themselves offered me a lift in one of their vans instead. They cancelled the taxi and sat me down with a cup of tea while waiting for the van driver. The van driver was a lovely man who took me to a cycle shop in York. It was closed but ( wait for it ) he then offered to take me to Wilco where indeed I was able to sort the problem and continue my journey. I didn't make Driffield but was left feeling so grateful for the kindness of strangers. With all the terrible things going on in the world we sometimes need reminding most people are kind and generous. If you are wondering what the photo has to do with this story, well it is in my next village where the residents are trying to care for the annual frog migration and is therefore another example of kindness. Let us celebrate it.