A great ride, indeed.
However, for me the night did not begin well.
I awoke at 23:55 having slumbered the slumber of a thousand Rip Van Winkles through the carillon of not one but two alarms.
WTF is this? The fourth time?
FFS. This recurs with such alarming regularity, that there is now in place, a formal procedure for dealing with it....
23:55 = wake up.
23:56 = realise I've stuffed it. Again.
23:57 = ring Simon, reassure him that I'm alive (just), ascertain the route he's going to take (you lot do realise that by doing so I am privy to information none of you will have.
Evah)
23:58 = ascertain if I have enough time to have a cup of tea.
23:59 = put the kettle on regardless....
00:00 = start sliding myself into the previously prepared lycra (generally arranged in ascending order of blackness, or possibly alphabetically by country of manufacture - depending on how the mood takes me). The bike has already been prepped, and so is good to go.
00:00.30" = Finish tea, go outside (that bit is quite important), clip in and pedal like I'm...... well? go on then, I'm
too tired -
you think of an analogy.
Figge's Marsh is where I intercepted the ride with clockwork-like precision, and from that point on the night passed mostly like a dream.
Conditions / my apparel were the happiest of marriages. (Some of you may debate this, on the premise of aesthetics. Ask me if I care - I thought I looked good)
Events of a mechanical nature were almost conspicuous by their near absence.
Mark delivered a trucking half way stop, at trucking (as in a bigger yacht moored in Marbella, than my dentist - and his has an on-board Maserati) prices. But we love him.
Dawn can have this knack of making things look acceptable or, in some cases even better - even if it is Horsham.
The lanes, oh the rolling lanes, made me want to sing, cry and wee. But not all at once.
And then, we were there \0/
No one died.
No one punctured.
I don't remember hearing much swearing, and I didn't witness any punches being thrown, and my breakfast from the Lobster Pot came with two teas and four sachets of Heinz English Mustard.
What's not to like?
Thank you all for a very fine night out, and some of you for your delightful company on a train ride home.
Here's a piccy of Horsham, from Tower Hill.
Probably Horsham at its best
I'll post pictures of some right dodgy descending when I've had some ZZZZZZZZZs and a chance to upload them.
FOOTNOTE: It really was the best of rides. Thank you, all.