Ian R's Solo Ride 19 March

I left home for Millenium Bridge, merely to greet any other members who  might be there, but as expected no-one about. I pedalled along the Quay and onto the estuary track with many large puddles once over the flood defence wall. Very soon the water was halfway up to the bottom bracket and I opted for the granny gear and the steep climb on to the railway embankment, before the water became really deep. Riding along the embankment required full concentration as the wheels squirmed their way through long sections of churned up mud. Once across the bottom of Railway Crossing Lane there was a marked improvement of the track's surface and good progress

was made to Conder Green, Glasson Dock, Tithe Barn Hill and Jeremy Lane to Thurnham.

            A short section of the A588 to Cockerham had me turning on to the B5272 then L into Cockerham Road, over the River Cocker and the canal and second R, at Stanley Lodge, into School Lane to Forton village then R into Winder Lane. Radcliffe Wharf Lane and Middle Holly brought me to the A6 and a L turn towards Scorton where there were but 5 cars on the car park at Daisy Clough and only 2 bikes on the rack. I took coffee in the outdoor area which I had all to myself.

            From Scorton I followed Jim Gardner's route of 6 weeks previously; Gubberford Lane, the by-way to Green Lane East then West, Garstang traffic lights, Nateby, Eagland Hill, Scronkey, Union Lane, Mosside Lane, A588, Smithy Lane – Grange Lane, Back Lane to join the B5377 into Preesall then the B5270 to Knott End where I sat on one of the benchs at the top of the slipway, blissfully eating my homemade cheese sandwichs and sipping from my water bottle all in glorious spring sunshine, my buff pulled up behind my head as a snood to keep off the teasing north breeze blowing in from the bay.

            A couple of Liverpudlian guys rocked up on hybrids, both well equipped for touring duties. They had driven to Garstang and were both gob-smacked by the quiet roads they had ridden along to gain Pilling then the sea wall from Fluke Hall to Knott End. Their intention was to follow the estuary and the N side of the Wyre back to Garstang. They were looking for a chippie; I pointed out the cafe but it HAD to be a chippie; their quest had them retracing their route into the centre of the village.

            I then went to the rear of the cafe where the south facing verandah with its three or four unoccupied tables was a veritable sun trap and I partook of a cappucino – there were only maybe 3 or 4 people inside the cafe.

            My return home was quite direct, along the sea wall to Pilling to join the A588 through Cockerham to Thurnham for a L turn into Moss Lane then Jeremy Lane to join the track to the Cafe de Lune for an afternoon cup of tea. Branching off the track at the sewage works, I had my pedals just and so dipping into clear, running water for a couple of hundred metres with, at one point, three ducks swimming alongside. The exit from this unmade section of track was far from easy; the farmers were engaged in slurry spreading on a grand scale – one outfit in the field and two large tractors with attendant tankers parked rather awkwardly in the lane with large clumps of  mud strewn around – I managed to wiggle through without a 'portage', only to be met by a fourth tractor and tanker as I pedalled up to Ashton Road.

Ian.