After a long day at Beeston Castle the day before, it seems our chums were finding it hard going, not helped by Charlie’s father on his little motorbike urging them on ! It so happens that today is Easter Sunday so they have had two consecutive days in the saddle before today. And yet more punctures.
Nothing to complain about today on a perfect run and a perfect day out. What he omits to mention is that Beeston Castle is Charlie’s bestest place to visit in the whole world ! He knows the history of Beeston backwards. So I have just one question. The Moat is near the top of the hill upon which the Castle stands – how did they get the water to create the Moat ? I have been there myself and it is a mystery !
Given current traffic levels we have to contend with today, it is hard to imagine bygone traffic jams, but they certainly existed, and we have motorists heading to cyclists’ cafes no less. Charlie doesn’t say, but he must be thinking it is rough justice – all these past cyclists packing out the cyclists cafes, because how do car drivers find the cycling tea places in the first place ?
Perhaps it should read ‘Tyreless’ because in truth they are both correct. It makes me feel tired today just reading through their route. What a lot of hills. But it seems to have been worth it, no complaints about the view either.
Well there is a price to pay for a nice day, and that is when you get tyreless, but at least it was the end of a pretty long and successful day.
This was just an evening run to meet up with Tom Idle and spend the night at his parents house so they could get away early next day.
More bike trouble before the day ends. I think his whole bike is falling apart with metal fatigue, for hardly a run goes by without some sort of catastrophe. Only the other week his crank bent and almost broke.
And peeking into the future I can tell you all that he has another 12 months to wait before his choice of transport is successfully reviewed !
Cuerden Hall is not so grand as Eaton Hall, which is perhaps why it never gets a mention. But we do get to hear about the views around it, and the pretty lanes to get there. Cuerden Hall ceased to be a family home in 1906, and after years of Army occupation it became a Sue Ryder charity home.
Liverpool City Fathers and the Liverpool Waterworks Committee did much to prettify the area en route, specifically around the Anglezarke lakes and many reservoirs, they certainly improved the area from a leisure point of view.
Never having been near the place I wouldn’t know what to expect, but Charlie’s description of the approach along Belgrave Avenue, tends to suggest it is a bit out of the ordinary ! Apparently it does have many turrets and towers and today they were bathed in sunshine. The Duke of Devonshire has much to be happy about.
But Charlie cannot visit this area without being aware that just a short distance away is Beeston Castle, his all time favourite, so it isn’t long before they go chasing over to Beeston.
Shortlisted at the last minute as a leader for next Sunday’s run, our hero needs to venture out and scout out the area. Not that he hasn’t covered all this ground before, but as we know he ‘keeps getting it wrong’ when it comes to finding the way.
The bones of this run are meal based, they spend 2.5 hours before the fire yarning to the proprietor at the lunch stop in order to get the day really started. After zipping round the lanes in the afternoon, managing in the course of their travels to find a really heavy shower of hailstones for their pains, they then seek another warm fire at the teastop – and yes, you have guessed correctly, another 2.5 hours before their fire ! Arriving home at 9pm tired out after a strenuous day keeping the home fires burning.