I’d noticed while scrutinising a route that I’d done a week ago along the stretch south of Derby that it would take me to Stafford Bingley Hall in only another 17 miles, and could even be used as the basis for a trip to Wales. Which seemed odd, as I’d never really thought of Stafford as being that close to Derby, despite living in Derby for years. But I’m from Hartlepool. What do I know?
I had the idea of doing a long one on Saturday although the weather wasn’t entirely favourable, with a moderate wind blowing from the west. I did think I might just penetrate Wales briefly. Woke up on Saturday morning before 4AM and thought about getting up and setting off before 5 to invade Cymru, but decided against it. Better to wait for a less windy day, when proximity to other human beings is a bit less problematic and I can refuel in a shop.
Woke up again at 8, got up and set off on the direction of Bingley on the Cannondale. Hilariously I went wrong in the first couple of miles, pedalling up through Coleorton and onto Top Brand on auto-pilot. But I wasn’t too bothered as I wanted to do a bit more than the 80 or so that a simple there-and-back trip would entail. I took a left along Stocking Lane, a road I normally avoid because of the excess of dust on the road from the quarry there, then found my way to Lount to rejoin the route up through Melbourne and up over Swarkestone Bridge.
I got the headwind in my face as soon as I turned west, north of the bridge. But it wasn’t too troublesome.
After 45 miles I stopped for lunch at a place called Weston, at a bench there. I’d just removed my plastic lunch box from my backpack, when the chap who was mowing the grass a few metres behind me stopped his mower and insisted, from about four metres away, that I should move to the bench on the other side of the road. I must admit that I argued the toss initially as he was clearly performing his activities at a safe distance, and it looked as though he’d already done the grass around the bench. But he explained that he hadn’t, so I happily gave him his Sieg im Weston (I’ll be impressed if you get that reference without Googling it) and migrated to the seating opposite.
Back on the bike ten minutes later and a few minutes after that, I arrived at Bingley Hall (now “Staffordshire County Showground”) where forty years ago in my late teens I attended concerts by the likes of Motorhead, Rainbow and of course Rush. I loitered outside for a couple of minutes. A security guard on the other side of the railings not unreasonably wanted to know what I was doing there, but he was happy to allow me to take a couple of pics.
I took a few unplanned detours on the way back, just to bump the distance up a bit. I was determined to do at least 100. I went up the A51 in the direction of Wales for a mile or so. And I briefly visited Uttoxeter, where I stopped at a bench again. It was here that I discovered that one of the nylon straps on my backpack had started to unravel, and was hanging by a thread. I’d bought it at Tesco because it was extremely light. It only cost £3. Oh well. I effected a temporary repair with a safety pin that had been used to effect another temporary repair to a broken zip on my jersey. I’ve binned the backpack now.
Listened to the daily press briefing on the way back. Gavin Williamson, this time. I like Gavin, even though he reminds me of a CTO I used to work for which in this case is not a good thing. But there’s a certain emotional over-earnestness in his delivery that I don’t think does him any favours. A bit of media training might not go amiss there.
I got 108 miles out of the AAs in my DAB personal. The eTrex gave a low battery warning with two metres to go, as I pulled onto my drive. Its AAs had already done about 150 miles before this ride.
After Swarkestone I took a different route home, again to bump up the distance. Came back through (not the same) Weston, Aston, Shardlow and Castle Donington. The sun had come out again, something that definitely lifts your spirits a bit when you’ve cranked out more than 100 miles. It had been cloudy most of the day.
Back on 113.10 miles which takes me to 432 this month. That was the fourth 100+ miler this year. Happy to have those back.