Some of you may be wandering if any riders turned up last Thursday, in the light of the dire and stormy forecast. Well,…… I turned up on time after an early morning bike change due to a slow puncture. It had been tempting not to bother, because Steve Tan was otherwise engaged, and it was possible that nobody would turn up at Tattenhall. Anyway, I sat inside at Alison’s with my maps, and started to think that a short circular ride to Malpas may be more prudent than my original plan for lunch at Whitchurch. My bike was in the back of the Berlingo, and it would stay there if my only choice was a lone ride in dodgy conditions. It then came to my attention that Dave Matthews was sitting in the outside covered area, and he had cycled over from Oscroft on his exotic red vintage steed. His bicycle is truly desirable, with frame tubes made in Settala, near Milan from Columbus Super-Duper steel and icing sugar from M&S Food. Dave came inside and we talked old git stuff about car maintenance, bike chain compatibility and the spacing of my freewheel. Dave, understandably, was intending to ride back home. I was envious that he had made the effort to ride, and a bit miffed with myself in deciding that a solo ride was just not worth it in the circumstances. There was one bright outcome, I was driving home through Christleton, and decided to call in on one of the best characters I had ever worked with (Clive knows who I’m talking about). I hadn’t seen him for six years, and it was a pleasure to find him in great spirits at the age of ninety!
DH
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