Ride to Roots Café, Catforth via Garstang Arts, Thursday 10th May 2018

Eight riders waited patiently at Boot & Shoe for Patience and Len to turn up to lead a largely level-ish  50 or 60 mile ride (depending on where you live) onto the Fylde. A chilly prologue lasted well into the morning, and a lively westerly at times impeded progress but pushed us home later on.

The familiar route through Galgate and Hollins Lane brought us into Garstang from the west.  Matt and Mary and John L. awaited us at Garstang Arts, and we chatted at length around a long table in the back room.  Matt joined the group in regaining the saddles and continuing south past the Kenlis Arms, Sandholme, and across the A6 at The Roebuck.  A more or less direct approach was taken to the lunch stop at Roots Café, where we again sat contentedly around a long table and consumed cyclist’s fare.

The return began with a headwind, and took in the sights of Wharles and Roseacre and we applauded the gardens festooned with anti- fracking sentiments.  A local amateur photographer captured us as we cruised past, no doubt collecting evidence that cyclists of a certain age are regular users of the roads on weekdays.

Heading north, Elswick and Great Eccleston were visited, and the ever-grateful peloton accepted the largesse of the leader with alacrity, as he paid the Toll at Cartford Bridge.  A side wind kept us alert over Pilling Moss, and from Scronky became more helpful as it pushed us north- eastwards across Cockerham Moss. Despite detouring around Crimbles Lane and Jeremy Lane, we still had time in hand for another stop, at Café de Lune, before rolling along the Lune Cycleway to Lancaster Quay and home, the leaders clocking just over 60 miles.

Len Howard