Was it wise to allow Paul Rooke to lead the ride? Well, we all seemed in a mood to follow someone else - and Paul was on the front at the time. His on-board guidance system directed him (and us) southwards towards his home for a while, until his clubrun wetware loaded and we swung eastish, nearly ending up in Stowmarket. May be the three times round the Roundabout in Bury's picturesque and bustling (first seasonal Sunday market) Cornhill could have upset his guidance system briefly.
( I am reminded of a holiday in Morocco in the 70s - fifteen strangers in a Transit Van driven by a Welsh rally driver, camping each night - when we were told that it was traditional to drive three times round a roundabout at the edge of a town (Taroudant?) before taking the "Timbuktu" exit for a night in the Sahara.
But back in Suffolk, in the rain, I took the helm for a while, but with little imagination. We looked as if we were heading for a rather short jaunt by the time we reached Bildeston, and Julian and I thought that we should do a bit of a loop before refuelling at Semer (Hollowtrees). At this point Deane (of all people) muttered to me sotto voce that he wouldn't be averse to an early tea and home before One. So we swung right, up the hill towards Monk's Eleigh, then briskly down to Chelsworth to take a left turn over the picturesque old bridge with its picturesque traffic calming measures and up the picturesquely sharp hill that is the start of the rural cut-off route to Semer. Partly because of giving it too much wellie down the hill, I was dropped by everyone; I only caught them as we reached the main road at the top. We had experienced several short power-showers during the ride, and were glad to reach an early tea.
While indoors, the rain got heavier, and the cloud, darker. There was reluctance to set off - hence indoor photo of a reluctant group. Graham Smith is the blue elbow behind Jonathan Howe (auditioning for a hi-viz clothes modelling contract - it's yours Jonathan) a beaming Ron Fisher is partially obscured by a grandstanding Jeff Agricole, Paul Callow has his camera-friendly smile, Deane looks worryingly light hearted, Julian is trying to conceal the fact that he's experiencing balance issues and Paul Rooke is looking inscrutable. I am behind the camera, which gives me the right to make shallow and hurtful comments about my fellow Espressi.
But back in Suffolk, in the rain, I took the helm for a while, but with little imagination. We looked as if we were heading for a rather short jaunt by the time we reached Bildeston, and Julian and I thought that we should do a bit of a loop before refuelling at Semer (Hollowtrees). At this point Deane (of all people) muttered to me sotto voce that he wouldn't be averse to an early tea and home before One. So we swung right, up the hill towards Monk's Eleigh, then briskly down to Chelsworth to take a left turn over the picturesque old bridge with its picturesque traffic calming measures and up the picturesquely sharp hill that is the start of the rural cut-off route to Semer. Partly because of giving it too much wellie down the hill, I was dropped by everyone; I only caught them as we reached the main road at the top. We had experienced several short power-showers during the ride, and were glad to reach an early tea.
While indoors, the rain got heavier, and the cloud, darker. There was reluctance to set off - hence indoor photo of a reluctant group. Graham Smith is the blue elbow behind Jonathan Howe (auditioning for a hi-viz clothes modelling contract - it's yours Jonathan) a beaming Ron Fisher is partially obscured by a grandstanding Jeff Agricole, Paul Callow has his camera-friendly smile, Deane looks worryingly light hearted, Julian is trying to conceal the fact that he's experiencing balance issues and Paul Rooke is looking inscrutable. I am behind the camera, which gives me the right to make shallow and hurtful comments about my fellow Espressi.Weather improved steadily as we rode Bury-wards, brownie points were scored by everyone who needed them and I covered 48 miles. SJH.
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