What’s not to like? With this being the most optimistic weather forecast for the week I was surprised that only seven OGIL were out today. WhatsApp had been eerily quiet. Ok, Kath had just returned from a weekend away with the Truro Hash House Harriers, so was probably knickerless, Ian doesn’t come out when it is likely to rain and Adrian is still “doing the kitchen”, but where were the others? Had they caught the night train to London to take part in the climate change protests? Just Colin, Paul and myself at Union Corner, and Fred and Andrew at the other place when we arrived. Phil3 turned up a wee later and Simon appeared half way up Halvasso hill. There was a thought that Mike had been up early acting as interpreter between Boris and Merkel. Ian had got quite grumpy when no one wanted to go to the Bluebell Nursery Café the other week, so as Ian wasn’t there it was an excellent choice. No Jan at Crane garage, ah, that’s another one with a fairly reasonable excuse, she’s on the way to, or in, the US to show Mo Farah a clean pair of heals in the Chicago Marathon, so on we went, getting all the way to just after Chez Jim’s before Colin was forced to stop to change an inner tube. Just 12 ½ minutes, not bad, and pleasant to stand in the sun whilst he did so. We were at the Star Inn when the call came, that he was suffering from a de ja vu moment. Andrew was with him, giving him the benefit of his vast bicycle maintenance experience, so we were not too surprised, 25 minutes later, to see Andrew coming along, alone. The second replacement inner tube had gone pop and Colin had phoned a friend, for a lift home. I carefully put the box of drawing pins back in my pocket and started to think what might be a good title for the ride report I might be persuaded to write.
On we went, across to This Dog Bites Cottage, up the hill and then right and through Crowan to Praze. A left turn, followed by a right turn took us to Carnhell Green, on to Barripper and eventually to the Camborne/Helston road and the Bluebell Nursery. Only 8 minutes past our normal 11 o’clock check in time.
We still needed to rearrange the tables to enable us to sit together but what a difference to Sunday’s cafe experience. The drinks arrived swiftly, and correctly, and was quickly followed by the food. The ghost of the Vegan breakfast was finally put to rest. Fred took a fancy to one of a collection of nice caps on sale, a surprise Christmas present for Carol, so don’t tell her, and insisted on modelling it. Conversations mainly centred on the traditional tales of cycling tours, past and future.
The usual way back is via Praze, again, and up, and up, eventually coming out near Nine Maidens. Simon turned off for home whilst we turned back towards Carmenellis and through to Carnkie. After saying “Goodbye Fred” and seeing the two Mawganites safely on their way, just Paul and I returned to Union Corner. The winds hadn’t gusted as forecast and we had skirted the showers. 36 miles for me and a ride to remember; not by me, of course, I have Mr Garmin to do that. Dean