A tumble on the roads of Croatia has brought a painful halt to Courier photographer Kim Cessford’s enjoyment of a Top Gear-type challenge across Europe.
Kim was within touching distance of the Athens finish line, which he and six motorcycling pals from Angus set off for almost 10 days ago on bikes bought for just £350 as a way of enjoying their annual summer tour.
The trans-Euro trek was going well until Kim (53) hit trouble in Croatia in an accident which has left him in hospital nursing three broken ribs, a fractured shoulder and a badly cut knee.
He said, “I don’t recollect too much about the accident, other than finding myself on the ground and then being in an ambulance bound for hospital.”
He was detained by medics who wanted to keep a check on his condition and, although battered by the experience, Kim is now wrestling with trying to find the best way to either get home from Croatia, or catch up with the group.
The others are due to arrive in Athens today ahead of their scheduled flight home on Sunday.
Kim was on the road with Angus biking friends Jim Morrison, Gordon Alexander, Fred Heenan, Colin Ritchie and brothers Gordon and Graeme Phillip.
He said, “It would be great to get to Athens and meet them so we can all travel home together, but it is probably easier and cheaper to come straight back home from here.
“They’re all concerned of course, but still managed a bit of biker bravado and black humour.
“One of the bikes had given up the ghost a couple of days earlier, but apart from a few scratches mine was okay after the accident, so they did point out that with six bikes and now six riders no one would have to go pillion.
“They came in together to see me before they carried on. Because there was no guarantee when I would be released from hospital they had to keep going because there were still 700 miles or so left to cover.”
Kim said, “It’s a big disappointment because it really had been great up to that point.
“We were in to the Mediterranean weather so I was in my element and it had just been a great trip.”
Kim is also managing to keep his spirits up despite the sore end to the summer sojourn.
He said, “I feel okay and it’s just frustrating to be stuck here in hospital. Even the coffee machine is broken and anyone who knows me will realise that is a big problem!”