Ever had one of those "Oh b****r! moments! Well that was me last Wednesday when I checked the Blog. It appeared that my carefully researched and rekkied thunder had been stolen by Frank. My route was going to the same pub for lunch and the same cafe for 3's! Not only that I was heading up to the lakes on the Thursday so had no chance to sort out a different route.
Fortunately, further checking revealed that while the stops might be the same my Rural Ramble used very little of the road followed by Frank last week. Panic over and I was able to enjoy cloudless weekend walking the Lakeland fells.
So to this weeks outing: 20 of us from Shepperton to Chertsey, along the Thames to Staines, A30 to Egham and up Tite Hill - the only hill on an otherwise pancake flat ride. From the top a magnificent swooping descent down Crimp Hill, skirting Old Windsor and over the river to Datchet then east through the reservoirs before diving off road where we discovered that the mud and soft sand found on my rekkie had set like concrete so we had a bone shaking mile from the Bath Road before picking up Accommodation lane and on to the 5 Bells at Harmondsworth.
A pleasant lunch in the pub garden enjoying the sun and lack of aircraft noise - amazing to be so close to Heathrow and yet feel way out in the countryside.
Then North to pick up the Grand Union - again a bit of a bumpy ride in parts! - to Brentford and along the river to Orleans House for Tea (thanks to Pete B for that suggestion) then all splitting for home.
55 miles door to door for me.
Paul Kelly
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