We started this afternoon against a hard wind.  My father on his motor-bike accompanied us, urging us on, but our dinner had knocked all the stuffing out of us.  From Horwich, we took the lane route through Heath Charnock to Limbrick, Cowling and Chorley, where the petrol left us.  Taking the Wigan road, we found it terribly cut up, and were not sorry to reach Bamber Bridge, then the good surface to Walton-le-Dale, and the setts to Preston.  The North road was rather motorised, and the wind made the going hard, but the surface was all that can be desired, and after passing through Broughton, we reached Barton, and White Horse Cottage for tea.  Two members were already in, and during tea, two more came from Ambleside, then the club, about 20 members arrived.  After tea, four of us took a walk along a quiet bylane, chatting on current topics.  The return journey with the wind behind proved easy, and from Preston we took the Chorley road.  At Yarrow Bridge, (where Tom and I were alone), Tom punctured, and we could not find it.  We mended several on the road to Horwich, where we discovered the old patches were lifting.  In town it went again, but we got home.  There goes our early start tomorrow!                                                                                                                                                                     55 miles