4 of our group "Missing in Action", or "Out of Action" today! Martina working, Andrea still in Cornwall, and Louise heading north by train at day break to start her cycling trip to Inverness via Arran. Poor Gill was free, but is not comfortable cycle atm, following an injury. So, just Lynne, Jeanette and me again this week. A hot, hot day, so we headed to the riverside cafe in Wargrave, with an invitation to Gill's pool on our way home. 😎
Our usual route to Shurlock Row, and as we cycled on Darvils Lane, I spotted a horse and rider through the hedge. Looked like a polo pony. So at the gate, I stopped for a peak inside, and sure enough a Polo match underway, with some spare ponies at the ready, to swap between the Chukka.
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| Beautiful Polo ponies as we approached Shurlock Row |
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| The players all at the far end of the field. |
In White Waltham, down Bottle Lane,and then we cut through to Littlewick Green, where I spotted a man with a pot of white paint in the cricket pitch.
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| Sprucing up the white line of the cricket pitch in Littlewick Green. |
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| Littlewick Green. A brief stop in some shade. |
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| Outside Little Stubbings House. The Day Lillies just getting going. There are hundreds! |
We began our climb on Honey Lane, towards The Dew Drop Inn. Lynne suggested we cut through the woodland path to Warren Row. I've only come the other direction on the bridal path once with Gill, and remember it being all
uphill, so this should be easy. 😉
They weren't going very fast, so just for fun, we shot past them.😊 I knew he was also heading to the riverside Velolife Cafe, so we arrived a few minutes ahead of them.
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| John with Max and Eric. First time they had all met. |
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| Sunhats the order of the day. |
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| There were no parasols, so it did get rather warm! |
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| All the tables were taken, so John +2 joined us 3. |
We parted company, and we decided to ride back on Loddon Drive, something I've not done for a while, since its is a "Private" road. But we did pass a couple of other cyclists and cars today, with no issues.
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| Crossing the first bridge on Loddon Drive, these canoes heading to Wargrave. |
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| And paddle boarders approaching from the other direction, going with the flow. |
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| At another bridge, several Canada Geese with young. |
At the point where there is fishing allowed along Loddon Drive, we spotted some orange signs with MMC lettering. A filming location I suspected. Sure enough, we learned from a man at the gate that a crew are filming "The Marlow Murder Club", an ITV series for next year. They are in the area for a few weeks, including filming in Marlow.... what a surprise!
Through Charvil, and we arrived at Gill's at around 12.30. Lynne had taken her costume, but Jeanette and I hadnt bothered, but enjoyed sitting on the edge with out legs in. Lovely.
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| Lynne was first in. |
Gill joined Lynne in the pool and offered more than once for me to borrow a costume. Oh, go on then!
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| Ah. Bliss. (photo by Jeanette) |
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| Trying synchronized right leg lift. Failed!😂 |
Then a quick look around the garden. to see what else has come into flower since our last visit a couple of weeks ago.
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| Pretty pink Spirea Anthony Waterer. |
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| Dusky pink poppies. |
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| And some frilly ones too. (Gill gave me some seeds last year, bu no signs of life) |
By now it was almost 30 degrees on my Garmin. Enough sun for one day, and time to get home and have some time indoors. Thank you Gill. that was a treat.
I will miss the next 3 weeks of Friday cycling. Croatia next 2 Fridays, then our girls tour in Suffolk. See you all mid July.
