to be honest, the memory of being snogged by a chap with the most abrasive stubble this side of a bogbrush has wiped all other recollections from my mind.
There are rides, not a few, that make me think 'well, Simon, you kind of got away with that'. Our recce of the 14th had been a fantastic success - warm, a tailwind, and a full moon, and, the moon aside, I'd hoped for a repeat.
Well....the driving rain came earlier than forecast, fell heavier than forecast, but it did fall on our backs, which is no bad thing. And it was over by the time we reached Rainham (tish-boom) leaving us cold, but within sight of a very early 'half way' stop. The horrible lighting at the service station did none of us any favours, and you, all of you, including some of the toughies, looked down at heart. And then.......dry sky, drying roads and punctures mended with incredible swiftness (I'm told Olaf was in there....) gave us a different ride entirely. The wait at Horndon-on-the-Hill was almost pleasant. Basildon looked half good. People volunteered joyously for wayfinding in parts of Essex they'd normally take big steps to avoid. Wickford simply melted away, and, having pressed on for an almost unprecedented 14 miles between stops, the wait at Woodham Lane was no more than fifteen minutes for the front riders. Plan Z, with User10571 leading a select group of 12 from South Woodham Ferrers to an early breakfast worked like a dream - I took the last junction and the second, larger group came in smoothly and and in sufficiently rapid succession that I doubt there was a time when I couldn't see someone rolling down Tinker's Hole toward me.
What else is there to say, other than thankyou to all those who stood by the side of the road, kept the back end of the ride moving and fixed and tweaked punctures and the occasional mechanical.