Splendid night out. The very, very slight chance that I could finish in time to make the last fast train up to Waterloo (ten to nine) didn't come off, not that I was expecting it to, but helpfully I had enough time to pop home for once and change (nice not to be lugging my uniform around all night) before getting the usual FNRttC service. Helpfully early into Waterloo- train due 2319, I was rolling a minute after that- but dreadful traffic and roadworks disruption en route to Hackney. Took eleven minutes to get onto London Bridge (!), fifteen to get to Liverpool Street. Stopped there when I spotted some familiar faces- Ian et al were waiting for Team Alex- who had, unknown to us, been waiting somewhere else (two branches of Wasabi there, apparently) before heading off on their own. Never mind, we were in time to join everyone else in time for the midnight start. In the absence of our favourite oncologist, EPO supplies were not available, they might have come in a bit handy later on...
Olaf's GPS troubles had been resolved, but even if they hadn't, judging by the amount of beeping going on at junctions, we'd have managed to find our way OK (I had the track loaded on my Garmin, and the phone..). Exit from the smoke was fairly rapid and traffic light. The Shell station on the Epping road- a useful unofficial feed station on the Dun Run- was helpfully closed off for works, but we paused anyway for a breather and various denominations of Soreen. Epping saw a mixed bag of Essex street entertainment, from the friendly yet bemused to a few twits who felt obliged to tell us they were ****s. Or something. Remembered before the exceedingly bendy climb at Finchingfield to drop to the 34t ring, it's so much easier than being stuck on the big ring (been there done that). And on to Sudbury, a place forever entwined in my mind with the phrase 'rubbing linseed oil into the school cormorant', on time to be at McDonalds when they opened at 5. Or rather, they didn't, more like ten minutes later. Never mind, speedy service and decent grub (false porridge surprisingly passable) more than made up for it.
@Mice fretted about whether or not she should bail. She was persuaded otherwise, and happily proved right to do so. Unexpected shopping emergency meant the majority set off without Team Alex, and the decision was later made to split the ride in two, allowing Team Oh **** We Might Miss Our Train At This Rate to progress more rapidly and Team Alex to get a decent rest and progress more pootly.
Excellent to have a cameo appearance from
@Colin_B. The pace picked up enough so that we had enough time for a cheese shop stop and still made Dunwich at 10.30 or so.The Ship Inn did us proud. Quite possibly the best night ride breakfast I've had. Generous supplies of tea, coffee, juice and toast (the latter with Wilkins of Tiptree preserves, yay!). Some went for the fruit salad, I had the porridge, which was fantastic (as good as that served in Kinross). Excellent fry-up, as Olaf's pic testified.
And so Team Diss Town Ain't Big Enough For All Of Us headed off. Not the hardest ride I've had by any means, but hard enough, the wind having picked up and the weather beginning to turn. The first rain luckily held off until we were five or six miles out, and it only really started once we were in town. Despite the weather and fatigue, our pace, even mine, stayed high and we made it in two hours or so. A drink or two (plus a steak sandwich for me) and plenty of time to make the train...which was late.
Got into Liverpool Street 25 minutes or so late, which blew my chances of making the desired 1647 train out of Victoria (services theoretically faster than SWT on account of engineering work on the Pompey main line). Got to Victoria in time for the 1717...had it not been cancelled. After checking times and spotting further delays on Southern, I decided to go to Waterloo and get the next train to Pompey via Winchester and Eastleigh. Thankfully, that ran on time, back at eight. Phew....
Thanks all, and cracking job
@redfalo!