(Is Egglesciffe really within the environs of Northallerton? And how is Egglescliffe different from Eaglescliffe, apart from the spelling? And why is it spelt differently?)
Good turn-out in the end, so thanks everyone. The skies were amazing on the way over, I cursed myself for not having a camera, then just enjoyed the view. The Tees Valley can be like the Midwest for real big skies at times.
I was about an hour and a half early so I called in at the Costa on Yarm High Street, where the staff are so bonkers-enthusiastic that they must be angling for an award, or a slot on the local news. I heard a couple of lads on their way out mutter "they just get minimum wage, don't they?". My cappuccino had chocolate stormtroopers in the froth.
I eventually found the pub after a full tour of Egglescliffe, and Chris S was already there. Boab and lanterne rouge turned up, and we decided against a bike ride as we all had bike rides home, which was just as well, as Ruthie, mcshroom and Graeme then turned up. Some other cyclists turned up later, and we gave each other long looks. In our case, it was the possibility that they were other random cyclists off the internet who'd caught the word, and in their case, they were probably wondering where the fuck all the bikes had come from. They pegged us for cyclists straightaway, and I reckon it was Graeme's Cambridge Student Chic that really signposted it.
I nearly forgot to pay for my meal, too, Actually, I did forget, but my shamefaced honesty when the landlord shouted up that there was one meal unpaid must've been genuine enough not to cause any friction. It was the cheapest meal anyone bought, too
Flying the flag for cheapskate cyclists everywhere! It was a good pub, and a good night.
