WLCG Wargrave Marina via Pudding Hill - 274miles

It's school holidays, so no "young ones" free today, and 2 of the "oldies" also not able to ride today.  So just 3 amigos.  Jeanette and I arranged to meet Gill at Pound Lane, but half way to Winnersh realised we had headed off in the wrong direction.  (this is what happens when you have no route to follow 😁)

I called Gill hoping that she had not yet left home, and arranged to meet her at the bottom of Sandford Lane instead. A few missed calls and missed voice messages later, we managed to liaise. 

No planned route today but this is where we went

Last night (whilst we had friends for a BBQ), we had some Biblical torrential rain and thunder, so we were a little wary of doing any off road sections today, and stuck mostly to tarmac. A little variation from our normal route, as we followed our leader Gill through Hurst on School Road  to the pond, which has some fun crochet of birds. Over into Hinton Road, past the Green Man pub.  We were into a head wind, but we should be ok for the way back. (As if that ever happens). Then on Hungerford Lane all the way to Shurlock Row Pond.

As usual at this miserable overgrown pond, no sign of water, but was very colorful with purple Loosetrife.

And a more interesting composition. 

We considered cutting through Shottesbrook, but decided against it, so took Butchers Lane to pick up the Knowl Hill Bridal circuit. The crop fields all cut now, so all looking very flat as we crossed to the cut through into Littlewick Green. 

Over again to Burchetts Green, ,and soon our climb on Honey Lane to use the woodland path to Warren Row. With a dense tree cover, we had hoped this path would be relatively dry, which is was. 

Babes in the wood.
(sorry not in focus!)

As we arrived in Warren Row, we talked about the new ownership of what was the Velolife cafe, opening today. "Sip and Spoke".   I screeched to a halt as I spotted John with his friend Dave in the car park of the cafe.  They were chatting to the new owner.  Opening day is tomorrow, not today.  They were doing lots of prep ready for tomorrow, including the chefs practicing making pizza. 

The new owner, a lady who was the Manager of the Velolife cafe here,  has taken over together with her son.  They are going to open 7 days a week. We hope they do well. The 3 of us left John and Dave behind as we took  off, and then screeched to a halt again, at the XRoads with Rose Lane.

Low and behold our friend ROSE with her friend ROSIE who leads rides from Maidenhead,  had just arrived at the top of Rose Lane with their Breeze ladies. 😂 (I trained with Rosie about 7 years ago!) They were closely followed by 2 horse riders, so all a bit chaotic to stop at the XRoads.  

Rosie at the front in her Breeze shirt, and Rose also in her Breeze leader shirt. 
Julie in purple has just qualified as a Breeze leader too. Couldn't quite fit them all 
in the photo, as was too close.

Much to our relief they were heading down to the Lockdown Lodge pop up cafe at Hambledon Lock, so they wouldn't be arriving at the Marina cafe with us.😄 But lovely to see them out on their bikes. 

From Crazies Hill, we opted for Highfield Road.  Gill at the front met a Waitrose delivery van almost head on at the sharp bend. Thank goodness it did an emergency stop, so no harm done. BUT, what if Gill had been a car?  It wasn't until I got home, that John asked if we had seen a van down Highfield Road. (he got ahead of us again, when we stopped to chat to the ladies).

It turns out he ALSO come close to being taken out by this delivery driver, who had to an emergency stop!  And when John told the driver he was going too fast, the driver said " It's 60mph down here, so F*** OFF".   Charming.  

John's son was a Waitrose Delivery driver and they are trained to drive properly. This should never have happened, and the driver could at the very least have apologised, rather than give abuse to John.  He has reported him, and also the incident with Gill too. 

(update...  Waitrose have already responded with a very apologetic reply that their driver will be located and dealt with, and hope that we have not been too badly affected by the incidents. )

But that aside, always an enjoyable ride on this lane, where the sunshine was lighting up this house at the junction at the far end.

End of Highfield Road.

Wargrave Marina

Busy indoors and out today. The 3 of us originally shared a table
with a single rider and John and Dave joined us once he left.

The boys left before us, and we rode back on Loddon Drive to Charvil, which we haven't done for ages. We popped into see Gill's newly revitalised garden pond on our way home. Looking good, as can now see the water again! 

Jeanette, on her ebike, was delighted that she peddled home from coffee stop without using any power.  Great news. She is well on the road to recovery. 😍