...the bluebells were on the hill back up to Meopham.
A nice ride but bloody tough;
I arrived at the hall just before Barry and foolishly tried to grab some sleep as the hall was got ready; evevtually got up about 02.30, quite a big showing from Y/ACF among the 20 starters;
(Liz, Charlotte,Phixie, Life of Brian, Scott and myself) also Garry King Tim Ford and Mel Kirkland, Ed from Greenwich on his first 300 and Dave Sachs. The rain (which we mostly escaped even though big puddles everywhere) put paid to most of the night owls through the Medway Towns. I had a bizarre moment after leaving the A2990 looking across the estuary; thought I could see lightning forks out to see but it was a hi-tech green light trace which went across the water (something to do with the London Array windfarm?)
The sea wall along Reculver was lovely. Met most of the others in the M/S at the petrol station in Margate. Thereafter the scenic but very windy 140km section to Ringmer. Scott and I made a cock-up in Sandwich and ended up completely off route (passing under the route on the bypass); using his GPS we eventually go back on route near Barham where the others passed me while waiting for Scott. I hid under a canopy during a brief shower at the cafe in Hythe. The 37km section to Rye was the hardest despite being the shortest, much worse than on the Flattest Possible 300 even without the Biblical Rain.
More Beans on Toast at Rye. I knew the next section to Ringmer from El Supremo's rides and undertsand why Dave usually takes it in the reverse direction, very tough into the headwind. I hid behind a hedge for the only major shower of the day near Upper Dicker.
A major intake of squash rolls cake and industrial strength coffee (thanks Rob, Mrs Rob and a healthy looking Richard Thomas) at Ringmer preceded the last section for which we had a very welcome but increasingly cold tailwind. I applied some local knowledge by not even reading the route sheet for the next section and mistakenly went through Barcombe to get to the A272, catching up Tim Ford (who I had passed in the opposite direction at Piltdown) on the nice wind assisted climb up to a glorious summit of Ashdown Forest. A fantastic sporting descent back to Hartfield before the hardest (hillwise at least) section through Edenbridge (where I passed Scott ) Ide Hill and Igtham. After the enormous relief of reaching the top of the last hill in Vigo it was a very long and cold blast down to the finish where Brian and Garry where still there and we had a chat with Barry about his decision not to go for PBP; he wasn't envious given the weather we had. I passed the couple on the way back down from Vigo but didn't see anyone on the way back through Ide Hill and Edenbridge (they must all have been on the rollercoaster section through Ightham)
Thanks very much Barry Rob et al
