Wednesday 18th April 2018
Post date: 10-Apr-2018 14:01:16
A beautiful spring day brought to mind the poem "Home-Thoughts, From Abroad" by Robert Browning and its often misquoted lines "Oh, to be in EnglandNow that April's there" when Clyde, Anne (a new rider), Ian, David, Rosalind, Patrick, Phil, Marcus, Derek, Lyn, Pat, Jeff, John and Howard gathered at Outwoods Drive. In order to limit our presence on the road and so as not to overwhelm the providers of our refreshments it was decided to split into two groups.
Howard led a group to the Garden Centre at Cossington. The route to Cossington took us down the path by Woodthorpe, then onto Farley road to the footbridge in Quorn. Then over the A6 and across the slabs to Barrow upon Soar. From there it was direct to the Garden centre for coffee and cake. The return route took us under the A6 to Rothley and then back through Swithland and Woodhouse Eaves before dropping down to Loughborough.
John took the second group south through Quorn, Mount Sorrel and Sileby then alongside the canal and through Watermead Park to take refreshment at the Methodist Church Hall in Birstall (after a circuitous route out of Watermead Park involving lifting some bikes over barriers).
The riders returned along the same route aside from some variations in Watermead Park, although there was a delay as Clyde and Ian assisted a lady who had experienced a puncture alongside the canal.
Consequently the riders were a little later than normal in returning to Loughborough at 12-30pm.
