I aborted on Saturday due to a broken night of sorts, or rather a late night caused by various disturbances - or rather one in particular, but I won't bore you with the details. Suffice it to say that I was keen to ride on Sunday, although Andy had other ideas: a late night for him on Saturday prompted an abort text that I picked up the following morning. When an abort text is received, there are often mixed feelings. First, there's that thought of 'good, I'll chill out and not go out'. This is highly tempting, especially if I've made myself cosy, sitting at the table, blogging while listening to music. Then there's the complete opposite feeling, that of getting out there regardless, although this is often tempered by a sense of bewilderment in terms of wondering where to go: Botley, the Bus Stop, a longer ride to Westerham and so on. Often, bewilderment leads to no ride at all and a kind of resignation that it's best to simply take it easy and leave any form of cycling until the following week. But I knew what I was going to do, I was riding to mum's, or possibly Woodmansterne Green to see Bon. I emailed Bon to say let's meet on the green, but got no reply and decided to ride to mum's. It wasn't until I reached Wallington that he called me. Bon was also riding to mum's and I was only 10 minutes away so I said I'd see him there. I rode down to the mini roundabout on Boundary Road, up the hill, past Stanley Park school and into Carshalton Beeches, hanging a right on Crichton Road and riding down towards the Village Bakery where I turned right and sailed down the hill to the lights at the Windsor Castle, bumping on to the pavement as the lights turned red and continuing along the Carshalton Road until I reached the Alma Road turn-off. There are speed bumps on Alma, but they're more fun than irritating if you're riding a bike. I swung left on to Shorts and into Westmead Corner and then up the hill to mum's.
 |
| Blossom trees in bloom on Purley Playing Fields early Sunday morning |
As always the house was in good order and mum was too, her recent hip replacement operation a complete success. I made myself a cup of tea and cut myself a slice of fruit cake and then headed to the living room and sat down. Mum and I chatted about this and that and then Bon arrived. The light conversation continued and was followed by a stroll in the garden where Bon had uprooted the last of the two conker trees at the top (and showed me a video of mum helping out, demonstrating her amazing recovery). I had another piece of cake and eventually Bon and I headed off together and rode all the way to the Croydon Road together along the off-road path that flanks the Oaks Park. I then continued off-road until I reached Foxley Lane in Purley, making my way through the backstreets and then tackling the South Face of West Hill, a short but strenuous climb that rounds off any ride to mum's or Woodmansterne. I was home by 10 o'clock and 12 miles better off than I would have been had I decided not to take a ride. Until next week...
 |
| A misty start - another view of Purley Playing Fields early Sunday morning |
No comments:
Post a Comment