As Steve, David and I embarked upon our 23rd leg, the world was once again full of change and uncertainty.
A general election was due in less than a month; an apparent maniac was somehow still in charge of the world's only superpower; and most importantly, within the past week, the A5 trunk road had suddenly and completely disappeared from Hertfordshire with the opening of the M1's new junction 11a (an event of such import that it even made a feature on Chris Evans' Radio 2 breakfast show).
It was fitting then, that the A5 should comprise a central feature of this leg, starting with us rejoining it at Bangor, then spending several days performing a circuitous little dance around it, before finally abandoning it and moving on to better things, just as Hertfordshire had now done.
Symbolic? Well, it's a load of something, that's for sure. Anyway, let's now rejoin our heroes as they disembark at Bangor station, having braved a soaking on the cycle ride in to Harpenden station; tolerated a standard class journey up from Euston to Chester; and then spent most of the north Wales coast line journey pointing out to David where they went last time...