Well, what a fantastic day for a bike-ride. A cool start but the promise of reaching 21deg made it tricky to know how many layers to wear, but shorts were definitely out for the first time this year.
9 of us set off from the RLE and we reached Hatton Village Hall for 11's about 10 minutes early! Not sure whether it was the cracking pace or the general rise in temperature that caused a general de-layering at this welcome break!
Kelvin left us at this point (will that house extension ever get finished ? ;-) as we continued to Leek & Hill Wootton and onto Cubbington. Looked out for the oldest pear tree in England that the HS2 is going to take out, but didn't spot it! Had to enjoy the celandine and wood anemones along the verges instead.
Arrived at the Shoulder of Mutton at 12:20 - the first customers - and having phoned our food orders through at 11, we were eating no long after, just before we were joined by Nigel who had missed the meet and made his own way to the pub (geeting to be a bit of a habit!) A good selection of beers as well - Bombadier being my favourite!
We retraced our route to Weston under Wetherley where Stratford headed south for home while the rest of the group headed to Stoneleigh and up Gibbet Hill (where 'unfit' Judith left us all in her wake) before getting onto the Kenilworth Greenway and heading home via Berkswell & Barston.
55 very pleasant miles miles for me!
