Blowier than I’d have liked today, but conditions were warm, dry and intermittently sunny – so it would be churlish to complain. My intention was to slide out of work early and do a Fondo, perhaps to the Northamptonshire border and back – but I didn’t manage to creep away from my PC quite as soon as I hoped, and after I noticed that I hadn’t brought a pump with me, about 10 miles in – I decided to keep it to 40 or so. Shame because I love dusk this time of year, but there’ll be other opportunities.
I continued down the southbound route as far as Earl Shilton, then decided to take a left along the A47 instead of crossing it to go through the town. I had no clear idea where this would take me, but that was the general idea really. A bit of adventure. I assumed I’d arrive at a left turn that would take me back to familiar territory before long, and I did. I took a road that went through Peckleton, to Desford.
Bizarrely, I couldn’t find my way out of Desford. This was disconcerting because I’ve been along that same road a few times and never got lost before. I recognised the cast-iron aircraft model placed there in honour of the RAF airfield at the same site during the Second World War; I’ve passed it more than once on my travels.
I took a small road that degenerated into a very rough, gritty track. I wasn’t taking a nice road bike along that so I U-turned. Back through Peckleton where I consulted Google Maps, and took a route that would lead me to Kirkby Mallory. Back home through Sutton Cheney, Bosworth, Odstone et al.
Really lovely out there, really should have squeezed more miles out of a very nice evening.
I saw a woodpecker near Bosworth – it landed on a fence post in the usual posture and looked like it was about to give it a good seeing to, but it flew off as I passed. Colourful creature.
40.59 miles, 71.31 this month and that takes me just over half-way to the 2021 target. 2008 miles done this year.