Easter Tour 2008
Posted on Saturday 5 April 2008 by John Aizlewood
Tuesday 18th March
DK rode out to Jordans YH from London to join the four (PL,JA,BoR,PK) who had stayed there overnight. We made it as far as Beaconsfield before the first coffee stop, then up and down the Chilterns for lunch at Bledlow at the foot of the escarpment. An afternoon ride along the old railway track to Thame, and cycle route 57 into Oxford. The hostel was filled with foreign school parties, so we retreated to one of Inspector Morse’s favourite pubs. 67km
Wednesday 19th
The Cotswolds became increasingly lumpy. RP joined at Chipping Norton over lunch, having chased us from Oxford, bringing our total of GPS receivers to three. All these electronic widgets, plus mobile phones, meant a scramble for power sockets to recharge batteries overnight. Tea at Chipping Campden, then over the edge of the hills to a comfortable B&B at Broadway. 69km
Thursday 20th
One of the longer days, so BoR took the train from Evesham. RP’s “new” bike was christened by a flooded road at Upton on/in Severn. A flat morning but the climb into Great Malvern set the standard for the afternoon, with plenty of hills. PK frightened a herd of cows on their way to be milked, leaving us to placate a very angry farmer. We made it to Leominster just before sunset to meet up with AB who joined us for the Easter weekend, giving DK her panniers to carry. 93km
Friday 21st
Surprisingly everyone opted for the hilly but scenic route to Ludlow, and lunch there avoided a heavy rain shower. Quiet back roads to Craven Arms and a strange museum/cafe stop. One group took the hilly route, whilst another preferred a flatter A-road alternative. The ride along the edge of the Long Mynd in the glow of the setting sun was most memorable. At Bridges hostel PL organised a mountainous meal, which he left the rest of us to cook. 64km
Saturday 22nd
A cold night, but we warmed up on the climb of Long Mynd by the ‘easy’ route. The 1-in-5 descent to Church Stretton proved a challenging ride with gusting cross winds, and ice patches across the road, and some opted to walk down. PL had a hat blown off, which was last seen disappearing towards Wales. Fortunately the shop at the foot of the hill had a sale of half price winter hats. Lunch at Much Wenlock found PK with a broken rear wheel spoke necessitating repairs, and we set off in snow flurries to Wilderhope Manor; a historic Elizabethan mansion but without a matching Elizabethan bike shed: we had to store them in the entrance porch. 45km
Sunday 23rd
Along and over Wenlock Edge to a bikers cafe in Craven Arms, and a good sausage sandwich. A valley route was less successful in finding lunch on Easter Sunday, and we struggled to get tea in Presteigne, invading Wales for the first time. The evening meal in the Oxford Hotel in Kington rescued the day. 62km
Monday 24th
Just one hill over to Hay on Wye, but it seemed to go on for ever. Book shop browsers had mixed success, and AB left us for the train back to London and work. The afternoon toured the half timbered villages of Herefordshire back to Leominster. 72km
Tuesday 25th
A long day as planned, so BoR and PK opted for the train to London, the latter’s rear wheel having shed more spokes. Crossing six rivers, meant climbing six hills in between, but most of the work was done by lunchtime at the Severn, and we rolled into Stratford on Avon on schedule at 18.00. The hostel was filled with a French school party who were appreciating English culture with a play about Jack the Ripper, and English cuisine with a full English Breakfast. The French President had to organise a state visit the next day to repair the damage. 107km
Wednesday 26th
RP left for Oxford to complete his loop, leaving three. Having reprogrammed DK’s widget to avoid Edge Hill as much as possible, lunch at the Star in Sulgrave was the best meal of the tour, and we also enjoyed the worst rain storm from the inside. Milton Keynes hostel proved less than welcoming, and no food in the two local pubs, but heavy rain precluded further exploration. The emergency catering committee created oeufs brouille avec fromage au pain grille, with a drizzle of baked haricots, followed by banane au naturelle. 85km
Thursday 27th
A brief visit to the concrete cows, now a 20th century icon for Milton Keynes, then DK’s widget proved invaluable in extricating us from the redways and along cycle route 51. We made lunch at Ivinghoe before DK’ s business commitments led him back to London, and the two organisers headed back to Jordans to complete the loop. 72km
Friday 28th
Return to London, with a total distance of just over 800km and a load of dirty washing.