I'm just back from a week in Scotland, and good to be back on my bike in teeshirt weather! Almost a full team today, with only Gill missing. (heading up north to see family). She was due to cycle with Emma this weekend, but sadly Emma has fallen off her bike and is injured. Such a shame.
Route (apart from the last mile, since my Garmin lost the signal at Dinton for some reason.)
A beautiful day, so I suggested peddling for tea by Caversham Lakes, to the new cafe which opened just last month, and no one has yet been. We set off passing Emmbrook Junior School, where Martina suggested we might want to stop for a moment..... here is why.
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| photo by Martina. Looks great. It's the Queen's 70th Jubilee celebrations next week, so the kids have decorated the school entrance. |
What more evidence of the Jubilee will we see on our travels today?
Along the straight mile, and left into Darvills Lane, near Shurlock Row, I announced a left turn at the end... oooh, we always go right here! A right turn soon into Brook Lane, and then passed WSL school. No flags or anything up at this school. But not far passed the school, we stopped for a team photo next to some bunting and a flag, incase this might be the last we would see.
With my camera balanced on Lynne's saddle, and with the timer set for 10 seconds, I ran across the road to join the others, and just in time spotted a car coming. Would he take 10 seconds to reach us?
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| YES! the car arrived at exactly 10 seconds after I pressed the button. |
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| Take 2! |
Now straight over the dogleg junction to Waltham St. Lawrence, and Louise wasn't sure she had been this way before. Really? I was hoping to see bunting in this pretty village and they came up trumps.
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| Village hall in Waltham St Lawrence. I didn't even know that the purple sign is the official jubilee logo. Where have I been! |
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| Crowns and bunting at WSL green |
Dropping into Wargrave, we turned left into Braybrooke Road, part way down the hill, and then used the cycle path out of Wargrave along to the A4 roundabout. We stopped for a few minutes at The Egg Box at Riverways Farm, to see the Reindeer. But they weren't there today. Louise was tempted to buy some eggs, but was worried they might be scrambled by the time we got home. (They also had quails eggs)
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| Geese at Riverways Farm on the A4, Twyford. |
We split into a couple of groups for the main road into Sonning, and once through Sonning, a left turn (towards Reading) for about half a mile, where Caversham Lakes are down the quiet road.
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| Another group photo. 😊 |
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| A large group of teenage girls all swam out to the obstacle course on the lake. They had wet suits on. |
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| Jumping off the top. |
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| Wild water swimming too. |
Retracing our route as far as Sonning, we then walked through the church yard......
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| Light and shadows at Sonning Church |
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| We came out of the churchyard next to this impressive building then straight up Sonning Lane, passing the Blue Coat School. |
Across the A4, and we rode on Warren Road, crossing the railway line, into Woodley. No one, apart form Jeanette, had been this way before, so it made a change rather than returning via Charvil. We then wiggled our way through to Woodford Park, and across Woodley to Colemansmoor Road, to one of the back entrances to Dinton Pastures.
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| Lynne suggested the lakeside today incase we saw ducklings... but there were none here. |
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| As we arrived at the gates to leave Dinton, John and Dave appeared having been through the second car park route, and not the lakeside. |
We rode with "the boys" as far as Woodward Close, then they came home via Saddlers End, whilst we used the new cycle path back to Emmbrook.
Half term next week, so Lynne and Martina busy with family, and Jeanette will off on her BIG bike ride to the Way of the Roses. She is definitely ready for it now. Have fun everyone!