OD is now taking his navigational freestyling to new levels. While he was exercising his right to roam like some sort of demented rambler, I was faithfully tracking back along his published route hoping to see the lights of the Witham peloton. When I was nearly at Goldhanger I realised that something was up and made a beeline for the Bell. Perhaps I should show OD how to use a sextant, celestial navigation couldn't be any more unreliable for him than GPS.
The Bell turned out to be a really good pub, albeit with a limited (but good) range of beers. We sampled Skinners Betty Stogs and Wibblers IPA. Both were excellent and the jury was split on the Quaffers' Choice Award. The landlord and landlady seemed genuinely pleased to see 5 sweaty blokes in cycling gear turn up and the locals seemed friendly too. I did note that no children are allowed in the bar after 9pm so we may have to sneak DL in if we return. There are precious few pubs left like the Bell and we ought to make an effort to keep revisiting them.
Jiber and I spent part of the evening looking bemused as the older generation reminisced about Muffin the Mule, Pinky and Perky and Andy Pandy. Apparently these were all programmes they watched when tv arrived on the scene although Jiber thought they were things that people get up to in car parks in Essex.
I set off home into the wind with Des O'Connor who was on his carbon bike. He proved extremely hard to keep up with. The fact that I was also on my carbon bike made this all the more worrying (although he is substantially quicker than I am). What was most annoying is that I am quicker on fixed at the moment, is that even a thing ? There is clearly something amiss with my legs or the bike (or both).