This week the autumn colours are at their peak, and having posted this ride a week ago, I was praying for the right weather.... unlike yesterday's downpour on a ride! And tomorrow's awful forecast too. We got lucky. 😊
It's a long ride to the Blue Tin from Wokingham, and one which a couple of years ago thought I would never manage. It's around 38 miles from my home if planned as a long skinny route, but with the chance of a few lanes being impassible due to flooding, I was a little concerned that we might need to add a few extra miles as detours. I would be popular if that happened! 😖
I set out down Chestnut Avenue, to meet with Kim, Amy, Linda and Rose at Cantley. I had to stop for a photo enroute as the light on the Chestnut trees was stunning this morning. This old car is a permanent feature, and a perfect foreground subject.
 |
| Chestnut Avenue Wokingham I put my Go Pro camera on my bike this morning and will make a short film of our trip today. I knew I would be so tempted to stop for too many photos otherwise, so some of these shots are video screen grabs. I joined the Sandford Lane FBook Page last night, useful for flood postings. So before we set off, I checked that the lane was open to get us up to Woodley. That would have been our first detour! Thankfully it was open, with a lot of standing water, but enough room to get through. The ditches are full and bursting over. I expect with tomorrow's rain it will closed again. We took our regular route through to the A4 and into Sonning. On Dunsden Hill, Rose and Kim overtook the ebikes... did they peak too soon? 😂 Our next potential detour due to flooding was at the Loddon Brewery. Again, lots of water covering the road, but ok to get through. We continued to the Bird in Hand Pub, Sonning Common, and made our way to Kidmore End. 
 and the hedges were gorgeous today.     Amy and me wearing our autumnal jackets today.  The roads got very messy at times! We climbed Deer Lane into Checkendon emerging near the Church, before our turn to pass the Equestian Centre... another known flooding spot. It was flooded, but we got through. (Again after tomorrow's forecasted rain, to be avoided!) We arrived at the Blue Tin, successful navigating the appalling road conditions which will never get any better. But worth it. I proposed that since we all couldn't decide whether to have one of their excellent sausage rolls, or one of the equally excellent cakes, that we would do both.  10 degrees and lovely in the sunshine at the Blue Tin.  Chocolate and Guinness cake into 5 portions. 😂 We also shared 3 sausage rolls and a raspberry crumble slice. YUM. As we were tucking into our snack, hubby arrived. He was doing a completely different ride, starting at Crazies Hill and up to Christmas Common. He joined us, but then we didn't see him again after that. (I got home first! ) I didn't do any more filming on the way back, but as we passed through Stoke Row, and turned into Busgrove Lane, I told the ladies just to go ahead and wait for me at the same X Roads we stopped at earlier from the oppisite direction. I did stop a few times for photos, since it was just gorgeous. |
 |
| Busgrove Lane, Stoke Row. |
 |
| Busgrove Lane, Stoke Row. |
 |
| Busgrove Lane, Stoke Row. |
 |
| Busgrove Lane, Stoke Row. |
 |
| Busgrove Lane, Stoke Row. |
