Storm Eowyn is battering the north of the country with 100mph winds today. But the south got off lightly with winds of just 40-50mph predicted. We originally thought there was no chance of getting out today, but the forecast improved yesterday, suggesting that by 10am the worst would have blown through, and it could be a nice day.
So, we arranged to meet at 11 o'clock, with the plan to ride to Yateley golf club and have a light lunch. This was to a be an easy ride, since Gill and Martina not been on their bikes since pre Christmas, and Jeanette still not completely over her cough / chest infection.
A message this morning from Daphne whose cycling group had chickened out, as predicted, and could she please join us? So she drove to Woosehill Lane to ride with us too. Andrea was busy today, so we were 7.
We opted to ride along Molly Millars Lane, to cross the Finch Road and into Ludgrove, rather than up to Magnolia Way and down Blagrove. This avoided the hill climb that wore out Jeanette last week. Unfortunately, as I stopped to photograph a huge herd of cows on the move at Ludgrove, she admitted defeat, and was struggling once more with her breathing. What a shame.
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| Follow the leader, along Ludgrove heading to Gorrick Woods. |
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| Daphne, Gill and Louise on ahead along the track to Gorrick woods. |
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| Jeanette, sadly phoning Martin to come meet her for a lift home, after feeling unwell. 😔 |
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| Still they come..... |
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| ...and even more. (We spotted a farmer across the next big field, unloading some hay). |
The ladies who had gone ahead, when I stopped to photographed the cows, wondered what on earth took so long? And of course I explained about Jeanette.
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| Rent a crowd ordering at the Sean Deveraux golf club. |
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| I opted for Tai fish cakes, which I had a couple of years ago and remembered them being nice. They were "ok". (I checked my photo from last time, and they are exactly the same😐) |
A couple of ladies had baked potatoes, which they said were very nice. Gill had a cuppa tea, since she had not long finished her breakfast😅 (she is jetlagged from Barbados.)
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| As we leave the golf club. 2 x yellow, 2 x blue, 2 pink. |
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| Better? 😂 ( they were laughing at the way I run.... Louise thought it was hilarious) |
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| and now Louise has lost the plot. |
Our return loop was to Eversley Cross and up the hill passing the Greyhound, and continuing up to Church Road, Finchampstead.
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| Finchampstead Church. A nice day and no reason not to be out. |
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| The oldies first up the hill. |
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| Here come the young ones. |
Now down White Horse Lane, and finally through Cali Park, and a messy Nashgrove Lane. Gill left us here to head for home. She is off to Cheltenham tomorrow to watch the brown horse again. 😄
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| Also in black. Very successful. 😂😉 |
Nice to see everyone and sending hugs to Jeanette and hoping that she will soon be back to fitness.