In an unexpected turn of events, Skegness Freemason Bob Craig and his wife Mel, who were cycling from Lands End to John O’Groats, ran into a familiar face at the end of their journey. The person they encountered was none other than Chris Jones, a fellow Freemason they hadn’t seen since the start of the year.
The couple had previously seen Chris off at the Skegness Masonic centre as he embarked on his round-Britain walk. His goal was to raise £100,000 for the Freemasons’ charity, the MCF. Chris expressed his surprise and delight at running into Bob and Mel at John O’Groats, calling it a “pure fluke”.
Bob, a member of St Clement Lodge, shared that their itinerary had been set in August of the previous year. He found it astonishing that they arrived at John O’Groats within 12 hours of Chris, without any prior planning. The couple’s journey involved 112 hours of pedalling, covering a distance of 1,065 miles, and climbing 53,041 feet.
Bob and Chris had initially met during the lockdown when Freemasons were distributing hand sanitiser. Chris, who was part of the Free Wheelers Lodge, had delivered sanitiser to Bob in Skegness. They stayed in touch afterwards, with Bob introducing Chris to another couple who had retired to Stirling in Scotland. This couple graciously hosted Chris for a couple of nights during his walk.
After their unexpected reunion, Bob, Mel, and Chris enjoyed a few coffees together before the couple had to cycle another 17 miles down to Wick to begin their journey home.
Source: lincolnshiretoday
