Degrees of separation

Bob Jones is two thirds of the way through a cycle tour around the British Isles, partly as a personal challenge, visiting ports and harbours in which he has a professional interest, and partly to raise money for charities concerned with strokes and meningitis.

Last December he put out a request, via the Geograph UK website, for anybody who could offer him accommodation along his route - which I was happy to do. (The remainder of the time he camps.)

So he turned up on schedule yesterday evening at the end of a sunbaked ride down the coast from Aberystwyth. I'd never met him before; he lives on the other side of the country and his background has nothing in common with mine. But what is it they say about Six Degrees of Separation? The hypothesis that everyone in the world can be linked in no more than six steps? We soon discovered that we both had offspring in Bristol, they were both involved in the music scene there as DJs, and sure enough when I checked with my son he does know Bob's daughter.

The weather broke overnight and he departed this morning, heading west, in cloudy conditions. I was glad for him when the sun broke through shortly after.

Bob's website.