We had the first frost of the year overnight, with ice on car windscreens this morning, and -1 at 9am.😨
But with the promise of sunshine and 5 degrees by 11am, we started late. We were 5 today. Gill, Jeanette, Marina, Lynne and me.
 |
| Beautiful bright morning as I headed down Chestnut Avenue at 11am |
Gill had suggested we ride to Hurley shop today, since she had never been. But they don't offer hot lunches as far as I remember, so we headed to Sip and Spoke instead, for hot soup, using part of her route as far as Burchett's Green.
 |
| House opposite the end of Broadcommon Lane, Hurst as we waited at the junction. A huge group of cyclists caught us up, and I waved them on with no traffic coming. They turned right anyway, and we turned left. (turned out to be leader Rosie on a friends ride. 10 - 12 of them!) |
To Shurlock Row, and not far past the pond, I noticed that Lynne and Martina had stopped. Hoping it's not a techical! Nice in the sun, but a cold day to stop. I took a picture of the sheep whilst I waited for them to hopefully move again.... which they did.
 |
 |
| Catching us up. Lynne had spotted a mobile phone on the grass verge and decided to bring it with her. |
A few minutes later, the found phone rang! The caller was trying to reach the owner obviously. He said he could reach them another way (burner phone?) Long story short, Lynne suggested the owner meet us at Sip and Spoke. She gave the caller an ETA. We had a a few laughs suggesting it was a drug dealers burner phone .... what else could it be?😂
A few photos as we cut through Shottesbrooke park. The main gate was open so we followed a car in along the driveway, arriving with the lake on our right. I went onto the grass, whilst the others continued to the church.
 |
 |
| I wanted to capture the reflections of the trees, but noticed the cyclists jackets just in time before they went ahead too far. |
 |
| Even the church spire was fully reflected today. |
 |
| Lovely orange colours in the trees. |
Down Bottle Lane, and onto the Knowl Hill circuit through Littlewick Green.
 |
| I think we pulled over for a car to pass. A young couple came out of the thatch cottage with a tiny baby in a carrier. Its hat made it look like a bear. 😂 |
A climb on Honey Hill towards the Dew Drop in, and this is where we cut short the route, which was going to drop into Hurley, and back up Rose Lane. Instead we cut through Pudding Hill woods.
 |
| Pudding Hill bridal path |
 |
| The sunlight was beautiful. |
 |
| The owner of the phone arrived at Sip and Spoke a few minutes after us, and Lynne went out to meet him. |
 |
| She asked him for a photo.... for the blog.😅 He gave her £20 for her trouble. |
We ALL had a delicious chicken soup, with a choice of bread or Cheese on Toast. Loved the colourful bowls, and which kept the soup really hot.
 |
| Martina, Gill, Lynne, Jeanette and Anne |
A slight up hill to Crazies Hill, where I stopped part way for this next photo, just before the sharp bend.. The sun getting low now at around 1.30ish and Jeanette was struggling to see the road surface with changing light and shadows.
Over the tracks of the Strawberry farm next to Twyford.
 |
| Long shadows at around 2ish. |
We left Gill after The Castle Inn, and returned slowly around the lanes, with Jeanette having to almost stop at time to make out the road surface.
 |
| Jeanette and Anne on our final leg across to Simon's Lane. |
 |
| Back home, she thinks she has found the solution! And seemed amazed that she is not the first person to think of wearing a cap under her helmet.😎😂 |
A beautiful day to out, and possibly almost the last of autumns colours. Louise also had blue sky today. But just a little warmer in Jordan. See you all next time.
