30km from home on the 3rd day of the ride home from seeing my mum, I popped into a cafe in Twyford with my fully-loaded bike (front + rear panniers, tent, barbag) in full view locked to a penny-farthing type bike stand at the crossroads.
Suitably refreshed, I unlocked my bike and made as if to leave, but the front wheel wouldn't turn. Eventually after much poking I find that the spring on the right-hand cantilever has broken, meaning that the left hand arm was pulling the right-hand brake block against the rim. I conclude that the only way to get home is to unhook the straddle-wire and ride home with only a rear bike. So that's what I did.
About 2 hours later I arrived home, and was unloading my bike when I realised that I only had one front pannier. Eventually I concluded that I must have the missing one off to get access to the brake, and completely forgotten about re-attaching it when setting off again. [How I didn't notice its absence while riding is still a mystery] So without further ado I jumped onto a different bike from my stable to retrace the 30km to Twyford in the hope that no-one had moved, stolen or taken the bag n for safe keeping. On the way I wondered if any of the public-spirited citizens of Twyford had reported a suspicious bag on the pavement at the traffic lights, and what conclusion anyone would come to if they examined the contents, the item at the top being a gas canister. I pictured the centre of Twyford condoned off and the bomb squad doing their thing just as I turned up.
Anyway, the faded Carradice was still there next to the bike stand when I arrived, so relieved I sat for a while on a bench, before repairing to the local Waitrose - in my haste I had forgotten food and water bottles (but had remembered lights and inner tubes but not a pump or a lock). On leaving the store I saw that the pannier was not on my bike - I hadn't bothered to attach it to the bike and must have left it on the bench at the crossroads (and it was still there - phew).
I got home without needing a pump and in full possession of my property if not my faculties (apparently). So it all turned out OK and I got to ride a bonus 60km.
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