John retires from work and cycles home.. all the way from Germany
New grandad takes scenic route back to Stonehouse
A Stonehouse man returned to a hero’s welcome in the village - after cycling home all the way from Germany.
John Thomson has spent the past decade working as a mining engineer in Lünen, north of Dortmund.
And when the 57-year-old decided to retire, he shunned a quick flight and opted for two-wheeled transport instead.
He explained: “I used to cycle back and forth to work while in Germany, and I had the thought that I could just cycle right back to Stonehouse.
“That was the idea. I’m not a fitness fanatic in any way, and didn’t know if I could actually do it, but just thought, ‘why not?’, and went for it.”
As well as wanting to retire, John had an extra special reason to return home - to spend time with first grandchild, five-month-old Archie.
His family - wife Anne, son Ross and his partner Emma - were among those eagerly waiting to welcome John back home.
His 16-day cycle started with a day in Germany, followed by three days cycling in Holland. From there, he arrived in Harwich, and travelled through the south of England.
John continued: “I then went to the Isle of Man, and over to Belfast before getting the ferry to Stranraer and cycling through Ayr.
“I had company along the route sometimes. When I was in Germany, an ex-colleague cycled with me for a while, and for the last two days of the journey, I was joined by my friend, Colin Kennedy.
“All in, it took me 16 days. I stopped a few times and booked into B&BS and hotels for a rest. It was certainly an experience!
“I’m a member at the Masonic hall in Stonehouse and everybody was all there waiting on me getting back, it was a great afternoon.”