According to my Blog, Andrea hasn't ridden with the WLCG since October 2020 (our ride from Bradfield). But she is back!!
After a very long break due to injury, she has been building miles and confidence on my Breeze rides this past few weeks, so it was great that she felt ready to join us today, especially since the other 5 members were also free. I have been raving about my bike mirror and how much more confidence it gives me to know what's going on behind, so that has also been added to her bike.😇
Gill needed to be home for 12.30ish today, so we planned a shorter route, to take in the Greyhound Pub, Finchampstead on the return home. It reopening recently, after refurbishment, and now also serves coffee, and has a shop too. (photos at the end)
Route
We headed across Wokingham to Ludgrove, then headed south passing Heathlands and over to Ravenswood.
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| Waiting for the others to catch up, after they got stuck on a red light. |
Into the golf course, and on the track for a bit, then left into the Heathlake Park estate, on Merryman Drive, to connect to New Wokingham Road. A right turn then soon left into Oaklands Drive. I rode on here a couple of weeks ago, and it was fine. Today it was a mess! Very muddy in places, and so it was part of the reason that today our average speed was under 10mph.
Into Buckler Ride, which was actually the wrong turning, but we wiggled around this new development and soon found the entrance I had planned to come to at the edge of the old TRL site. Lynne very familiar with this, since her office is here, so she led us around the most interesting bits.
Next, passing the station, we headed to Ambarrow Lane, enjoying the downhill to ride past the lakes, to Yateley and onto Eversley. Just need to get up the hill now to our coffee stop, at the top of Longwater Lane.
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The "new" pub shop. Very well kitted out, with the old sliding ladders,
just like the Two Ronnie's shop. |
We ordered tea, and purely by chance, we were also entitled "by tradition" to a free shot and mince pie. (if you arrive between 111 and 11.30).
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| Our Madera and mince pies "on the house". |
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| 10 degrees so we sat outside. Cheers! |
Gill shot off on her own, whilst the others ambled back via Church Lane and down White Horse Lane, the finally through California Park and a very muddy Nashgrove Lane.
Wonderful to have a full team out today, and the icing on the cake (or mince pie) was our seasonal drink and nibble. Look forward to seeing you all Monday night for our Christmas social meal, with our glad rags on. We will be unreconisable.😉
