Treking North and wondering why!

This post should have done in April, but we have been suffering some setbacks on the ICT front since leaving Lattes! Internet access has been cheap but slow, or fast but pricey, or non-existent, or inaccessible. So here is a quick run down on our run up France and England since April 3rd!
We left in fairly dull weather and were told by the campsite man that we were his clients sympas, which was nice! As we left we caught sight of one of the first Line 3 Montpellier trams in all its multi-coloured glory on the first day of operation. Five miles later came the first remarkable event of the trek. The two cycles were on the rack at the back of Yvette, and had been carefully secured earlier that morning, but we had not checked the fixing of the rack to the car, and rather close to a city roundabout there was a loud crash and we saw the two bikes (firmly attached to the rack) lying in the road behind! Zoot alors! Deploy high-vis vest and hazard lights and get fixing! Bob's good bike was on the outside and had suffered more damage, and the socket set needed for the rack was well-hidden, but a repair was effected and we moved on!

A highlight of the rest of the day's travels was traversing the Millau bridge. The outlook was a bit murky, but the structure is most impressive:- one of the great grand projets effected so well in France! The night was spent in Montlucon - and it was getting colder!
The next day we made quick progress towards Alencon and we geared up for an early arrival, but thanks to strange exit numbering, and a closed slip road we got into a serious "Lost in France" situation. We were within 3 minutes of the hotel, which we have visited before, but got sent on a Deviation, which was on reflection for those going elsewhere, went round the ring road with no idea what we were doing and ended up on the right industrial estate but unable to find what we wanted. Huge frustration and much of the saving on cheaper diesel frittered away! That evening Bob's shorts seemed fairly inappropriate for the weather! Next day we had the usual 250 miles or so to do, and the sun shone a little! We got round Rouen almost to plan and stayed at the new Dunkerque P Classe, where we were entertained by two Polish youth football teams enjoying themselves along the walkways! As we walked out for dinner people were pointing at Bob's shorts and exclaiming!
We were up early (Bob in jeans!) and took the 10 am ferry. This was uneventful, as was the drive up to Oulton Broad, where we went to Halfords and left the bike for repair. We stayed three nights in Ricky's place, meeting up with the rest of this branch of the family (and new naughty puppy!) several times - including for Easter Sunday lunch with entertainment at one of the many holiday camps on the coast, but once again the planned day out (Bank Holiday in this case) in Great Yarmouth was sabotaged by disgusting weather, and we were barely out of the car, pub or shopping mall all day. The consolations were market chips, and some excellent real ale! We set off for Yorkshire with some trepidation, and some new warmer clothes on Easter Tuesday (April 11th)