Fin de Cycle
Whatever your views on Lockdown v2.0 at least HMG took EER's Wednesday outings into account when they set the date.
The end of yet another chapter in the MEMWNS saga.
Whatever your views on Lockdown v2.0 at least HMG took EER's Wednesday outings into account when they set the date, and the posse heading for The Spiritual Home were just fine too thank you very much, but the Rule of Six left me and Oaky out in the cold, literally
The Cross Keys at Nounsley seemed like an obviously choice, I arrived a few minutes after 2000 hours having amused myself with the slopes of The Mighty North Hill. Oaky had arrived from home a little before me, had been advised to pick any free table in the marquee and availed of the fact to pub was running out of beer, which was annoying but understandable given pubs won't want to be sitting on stock over the coming month. There was no
proper beer, they did have cider and Guinness so that's what we started on.
After one round panic began to set in, the pub seemed busy so what would happened if they really did run out of beer
We solved the problem by ordering a double round, I got the last of the Guinness - phew! This was followed by round #4, more cider for Oaky and G&T for me. The cold Guinness and ice cold G&T was taking its toll, I was freezing, I was now wearing all my clothing, Oaky was too...
Thus far we'd had a lovely evening, chatting about this and that, watching other customers try and fail to social distance, there were clearly groups of six intermingling
And there was a table of girls celebrating an 18th birthday with much enthusiasm.
Our evening then took a more sinister turn. Oaky announced he needed a wee, I suggested we have a whisky chaser to ward off the cold, Oaky said he stop by the bar on his way back from the loo. He arrived back at our table looking smug under his mask. "I couldn't decide between whisky and brandy so I've ordered both!" After 3 pints of Guinness and a G&T I was already on the pissed side of merry. After two further measures of spirits I was proper pissed...
I remember little of our short ride home. I remember it being cold, I remember wending my way onto the A12 cycle path from Hatty P and not riding the wrong way up the A12. I remember trying not to fall off the bridge over the A12 just past the cattery, I remember wobbling off the pavement as I left the bridge causing an oncoming car to slow to avoid me, I remember walking to the junction opposite the garage where Oaky was waiting for me. When I got home, amazingly in one piece, my face mask was attached to my helmet light, it must have been fluttering like flag all the way home.
Perhaps its just as well we're going into lockdown, I might stand a chance of saving myself from myself. And Oaky might have less opportunity of leading me astray as he has done so many times in the years we have known each other. But it was great fun, thank you Oaky
