Wednesday 27th December 2017

In stark contrast, to the merry bands of 16 riders all out on a jolly pre -Christmas excursion, there were 2 souls of unsound mind that met at Outwoods Drive today. Howard and Eric looked grimly at each other and the unforecast cold rain driven in by a strong north - westerly wind, making the 2 degree temperature feel a lot colder. In a choice, that could only have been made by Hobson himself, Howard became defacto leader and decided upon Rowena Garden centre in Mountsorrel as a suitable destination. The excesses of the festive period weighed heavy upon at least one of the pair but the name will not be mentioned in order to protect the guilty. What was lacking in athletic ability on the day was made up for in the generosity of the season as the pair returned a wallet found outside The Beacon pub, to its owner on Bramcote Drive. They then took a route out of Loughborough via Mucklin Wood to Old Woodhouse. Left at the church past Pestilence cottage and onward to Swithland via Brand lane. Through Swithland and crossing Swithland road they travelled down the Ridings to Rothley Court. Turning left through to Rothley and past the new school onto the A6. It is said that explorers in polar or in himilayan regions become so befuddled by the cold that they take the wrong turnings and may be found years later frozen into the ice. So it nearly was with these two unfortunates, as they turned right and headed for the wrong roundabout! Clarity finally clicked into the hypothermic addled brains just time to turn round and head to Rowena. Warm coffee and comfy seats brought some circulation back to the extremities and the homeward route was planned. Leaving Rowena, a sharp left was taken through a commercial premises, and skirting round some new building works a public right of way was found under the A 6 and back onto it for 100 yards prior to heading left onto the new road, Bier Way. This leads through to Rothley. At the end they turned right and rode back into the centre of Mounsorrel. Turning right down Sileby Road past The Waterside Inn, they rode to Sileby but first navigated some floods by Slash lane. At Sileby church the duo parted company as Howard turned left for a bleak ride into the wind back to Loughborough and Eric rode home to find if frost bitten hands and feet could be restored.