It was Tom's first ride of this type and he did well on his old Giant Terrago. Steve was riding his new On One 456 Summer Season frame freshly built up and was enjoying it.

Due to the amazing dry weather there is hardly a puddle in the county. However at the bottom of the bridleway heading up Burrough Hill from the west there is a big muddy one for some reason? There must be a spring or burst pipe or something as it never used to be there in previous years? Choc took the driest line in and didn't see a hedgerow stump sticking up about a foot at the side of the gateway until it went through his front wheel and stopped him dead. He fell into the muddy water with the rest of us obviously p*ssing ourselves laughing! That was his new Lapierre jersey well and truly christened! Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to get anything captured on camera.

At the top of the hill Choc took advantage of the toilet block to get cleaned up a bit. Ricky handed round the jelly beans while the rest of us waited.

The rest of the loop was pleasant and without incident. On the way home we stopped in town for a quick pint in The Anne of Cleves beer garden. Another good spring evening.