The forecast said a light shower at 9 followed by a dry overcast morning. The forecast was wrong. Graham's Haysom's 'steady' group set off in a few specks of rain. Shortly that was followed by a series of heavy showers.
Afer following Graham's contorted route around the back lanes to the east of the Drome, we reached Tanhuse Farm, rain dripping from us. Mulled wine and warm mince pies never seemed so welcoming, as were the riders from other groups, equally wet, crowded into the conservatory and under a specially erected canopy.
A few eeks ago, when I spoke to Julie at Tanhouse, I told her there would be about 25 cyclists. Last week, when the registered numbers approached 50, I began to worry about how she would cope. My concern was misplaced. The mulled wine flowed as did trays of mince pies from the kitchen. Definitely a venue for future years.
Mike Ormerod