Mid-Essex Mid-Week Nocturnal Series

[rr]

Who was that in the blue YACF jersey I saw outside Howbridge School on Monday?

The only person I can think of locally with a blue one is huggy. Not sure what he'd be doing around that area, mind you.  Further afield, there's TimC, but I guess he's even less likely to have been in the vicinity.  Hmmmm

Wasn't me!

Looks from Strava like it could well have been huggy:  http://app.strava.com/activities/79503323

It was indeed me!   
However, as a certain OD has just messaged me to accuse me of loitering outside Primary Schools I can prove by my linked Strava track that it would have been about 6:30pm and I did not stop, only looking up to say hello to a cyclist plus son travelling in the opposite direction.  Was that you rr?

It was me and Micro - a 10 year old gurl - for once riding her own bike rather than stoking the tandem.

[huggy]

Who was that in the blue YACF jersey I saw outside Howbridge School on Monday?

The only person I can think of locally with a blue one is huggy. Not sure what he'd be doing around that area, mind you.  Further afield, there's TimC, but I guess he's even less likely to have been in the vicinity.  Hmmmm

Wasn't me!

Looks from Strava like it could well have been huggy:  http://app.strava.com/activities/79503323

It was indeed me!   
However, as a certain OD has just messaged me to accuse me of loitering outside Primary Schools I can prove by my linked Strava track that it would have been about 6:30pm and I did not stop, only looking up to say hello to a cyclist plus son daughter travelling in the opposite direction.  Was that you rr?

It was me and Micro - a 10 year old gurl - for once riding her own bike rather than stoking the tandem.

Opps  , apologies to Micro, my shades were a bit fogged at the time 
It was a nice evening for a ride!

[Christophe]

I may join you in Maldon tonight. What's your ETA in Maldon and is it chippy first stop or pub?

[Oaky]

Maldon ETA 8:45 for the Witham crew, I think.  Tomsk was talking about 8:30ish fro himself (and Soupy?)

I didn't detect a great deal of enthusiasm for the chippy (and I'm going to be having pasta before coming out to play anyway) so I'm guessing straight to the pub.

[slipgate]

I'm not sure I'll make the start, I'll likely have to meet up at the pub.

[Christophe]

Maldon ETA 8:45 for the Witham crew, I think.  Tomsk was talking about 8:30ish fro himself (and Soupy?)

I didn't detect a great deal of enthusiasm for the chippy (and I'm going to be having pasta before coming out to play anyway) so I'm guessing straight to the pub.

Nice one. See you later.

[Oscar's dad]

Alas Lugaretsia, our Portuguese au pair, has fallen behind with the laundry - AGAIN!  So my being suitably avant garde will require me to fish my jersey of choice from the washing basket.  Apologies to the assembled company for the more manly than usual aroma but I have standards of sartorial elegance to maintain.

[Oaky]

A good turn-out last night: OD, huggy and I rode over together from Witham, via the three local hills.  slippy joined us very shortly afterwards.  Tomsk and Christophe also arrived a little later.  It was mild enough to sit outside the whole evening (although arm-warmers made an appearance towards the end).

Otter brewery's Otter bitter; Farmer's Ales Puck's Folly and Bishop Nick Ridley's Rite all went down very well.  The latter two somewhat cancelled beer miles against the Devonian Otter (Farmer's brewery being situated less than a mile from the Queen's Head, and the Bishop Nick about 15 miles away).

[Oaky]

Oh and OD was modeling his rather good King of the Pies jersey.

[Tomsk]

Oh and OD was modeling his rather good King of the Pies jersey.

Awarded for gravity assisted speed DOWN the mountains 

[Oscar's dad]

Oh and OD was modeling his rather good King of the Pies jersey.

You're too kind 

Oh and OD was modeling his rather good King of the Pies jersey.

Awarded for gravity assisted speed DOWN the mountains 

 

It was a very nice evening, my first MEMWNS series ride in a long time. 

My slow climb of TMNH was noteworthy for a couple of reasons.  Firstly a badger ran across the road just after The Rodney.  Then from the gathering gloom I heard a cheery "Hello!"  After swivelling my head through 360^o I worked out the greeting came from a young girl who was hanging out of her bedroom window overlooking the road.  She told me she was in her new bedroom and these were her new curtains.  I'm not sure the girl's parents would have been pleased their daughter was engaging random heavy breathing blokes in conversation.

[huggy]

.....Then from the gathering gloom I heard a cheery "Hello!"  After swivelling my head through 360^o I worked out the greeting came from a young girl who was hanging out of her bedroom window overlooking the road.  She told me she was in her new bedroom and these were her new curtains.  I'm not sure the girl's parents would have been pleased their daughter was engaging random heavy breathing blokes in conversation.

Especially as your circle of friends includes blokes you met on the Internet and in parks 

Talking of young girls happened across that evening it was good to see Honor lurking at the top of TMNH whose wheel we hung on to until our ways parted at Danbury.

[Oscar's dad]

Does anyone have ambitions for this Wednesday?  Despite being awheel tonight I'm hopeful about getting out on Wednesday as well.

If a route was required might I suggest this bit of loopy fun?  It proved a big hit back in April and worked out as 33.5 miles with 470 metres of climbing.  The pub stop is The Green Man at Little Braxted from which it's downhill nearly all the way to Witham - which of course is fook all use if you don't live in Witham 

[Tomsk]

That would work for me  Maybe meet you in Boreham - 'Six Bells' opposite the Plantation Rd turn?

[Oscar's dad]

That would work for me  Maybe meet you in Boreham - 'Six Bells' opposite the Plantation Rd turn?

No problem.  I will work on my pass and then we can decide on an ETA.

[Oaky]

That sounds interesting.

I see all of the main hills feature.  Do I take it we are heading up all of them (Blue Mills/beacon Hill; North hill and Market Hill)?

[Oscar's dad]

That sounds interesting.

I see all of the main hills feature.  Do I take it we are heading up all of them (Blue Mills/beacon Hill; North hill and Market Hill)?

Yes, you go up all of them (of course  ).  You do Wicky Bishops Hill twice.

This link is made from the track of the ride we did in April so should show the direction of travel a bit better.  But then again perhaps not.

[Christophe]

After my appearance last week, I guess I'll be due another outing at Christmas so it's a 'no' from me. That and the fact that Mrs C. is staying in London for work this week so I'm in charge of the little chickens at home for the best part of the week.

[Oscar's dad]

Pass secured for Wednesday 

I shall be available to leave Witham at any point after 7pm.  How's everyone else fixed?

[huggy]

Providing I have my holiday suitcase packed to the satisfaction of Mrs H I should be up for it 

[Oaky]

How's everyone else fixed?

69.5"

[Oscar's dad]

Show off. One wonders how you find the room in your bib shorts.

[huggy]

That's why he wears leg warmers, unless it gets really cold when it's not so much of an exposure issue 

[Tomsk]

Looks like a damp evening ahead....I/we will be waiting in the Six Bells at Boreham, probably [Soupy is a bit dubious....] - reckon about 8pm there.

[Oscar's dad]

Looks like a damp evening ahead....I/we will be waiting in the Six Bells at Boreham, probably [Soupy is a bit dubious....] - reckon about 8pm there.

OK chap, if it looks like we'll (*) be any later I will text you.

(*) Is there a "we" or is it just me?