Taunton Group - October Ride Report

Three tandem crews and one solo met at our favourite watering hole: the Community Cafe in North Curry on Oct 19th. Perhaps it had been brought on by the incredibly mild weather. We set off heading due west. Up and down we went over the branches of the Blackdown Hills. The lanes were narrow and quiet. Some were covered with hedge clippings but mercifully free of too much mud following an infinitely drier maize harvest compared to last year. At West Buckland we turned North. With the wind and the sun both now on our backs, the ride over the Tone Vale was an easy delight. The only hazard was crossing that horrible main road by The Worlds End Pub. Seated around a long table in the New Inn at Halse, we caught our breathe and catched up with all the news. We left Richard and Michelle with a puncture and their own journey home. As they left, so Peter and Rowena joined us for the last leg eastward along the foot of the hills on this side of the Vale: the Quantocks. Now the rain poured down for the first time but only for a short while. By 3.30pm. we were back in North Curry drinking tea and eating cake after our 38 mile circuit of Taunton. We were tired and happy... Several of our friends were missing due to poor health.