Very decent weather today apart from a stiff wind coming from the west. I’m on call at the moment but it’s been very quiet, and I thought I’d risk a fondo.
I decided to go up onto the Beloved A Road south of Derby and go west. But I did make a concession to being on call by going NE through Donington to Cavendish Bridge rather than over Swarkestone Bridge, to minimise my distance from base at the point I’d need to turn back.
Got as far as Sudbury after about 35 miles, then turned back. When I got to my ’20 miles to go’ point in Hilton (a hairdresser’s called The Salon) I realised I’d have to stretch the ride a bit if I came home the usual way over Swarkestone Bridge. So I detoured via Ticknall, rather than coming down through Melbourne and Coleorton.
I did think I should probably give Bastard Hill a try, to see how I got on since I haven’t done it for a long time – but I decided to leave that to a day when I had a lighter bike with me and took a further detour through Hartshorne to give it a miss.
Nice out there, especially with a tailwind on the way back. I did get spotted with rain for 15 minutes, but it was very light. And the sun came out later on.
I listened to 6 Music early on. Radcliffe and Maconie had an interview with Lenny Kaye about psychedelic music that was really good, what an interesting guy. They played an Electric Prunes tune that was a ringer for the old Nancy Sinatra / Lee Hazelwood tune Summer Wine. Later Huey played a Megadeth tune that was clearly a ripoff of the old TPOH song I’m An Adult Now.
Later I listened to the footy on 5 Live, Liverpool vs Brighton. The south coast side got my hopes up by bagging two goals in the first eighteen minutes, but I wasn’t surprised when, just as I was arriving home, Salah had made it 3-2 to Liverpool. I must admit I was surprised to find out, later, that Brighton had equalised and nabbed a point.
Along Manchester Lane near Hartshorne, I witnessed an altercation between a hawk of some sort and a pigeon on the road in front of me. The hawk was definitely on top, figuratively and literally. Feathers were flying. It had its victim in its claws. As I drew close though the hawk retreated and the slightly distressed-looking pigeon flew off. Unless the hawk caught up with it later, I saved its life there.
Back on 64.04 miles. After a disappointing September, nice to have got the October fondo in at the first time of asking.