I booked a day’s annual leave for today to take advantage of a dry day. I didn’t have a clear plan, but I did have a rough idea to do a route I’d worked out last night that would take me along the upper westbound route, but go further west than usual through a village called Marchington, to Uttoxeter – then south-west to Stone, to join my usual route to Wales. I’d turn back after about 50 miles along the Lower Westbound Route and end up having done about 100, or a bit more.
Well – I did that, except that I took a bit of a weird detour in the first six miles by going up through Griffydam on autopilot.
But after Uttoxeter, I decided I wasn’t really enjoying the road that I was on. Too busy and a bit climby. So I had a change of plan and plotted a route down to Abbots Bromley, to connect up with the Lower Westbound Route earlier than planned.
I had lunch consisting of stuff I’d bought at a petrol station, at a bench in Abbots. Then, instead of turning homeward the usual way I took a road south down to Hill Ridware. Then west to Rugeley, then I took a road back north to Abbots Bromley, to loop back. I hadn’t been along that particular road before – it took me over Blithfield Reservoir (pictured).
This time I came home a traditional way, through Yoxall, Barton-under-Needwood, Walton, Coton, Lullington. One of my occasional Lower Westbound routes, though not the usual one. And just to add a mile or two I came through Packington and along Alton Hill on the way back.
It was mostly a cloudy, but dry day with low winds. I only started to feel too warm when the sun came out for the last 20 minutes or so. Beautiful warm sunshine for the last four miles! So in that respect it might have been nice to stay out longer. I didn’t do the 100 miles I intended, only 89.12. But really I didn’t feel I had anywhere else to go by that time. Nonetheless, I feel I made decent use of a day off. I’m especially pleased to have visited some new cycling territory – especially through Marchington, which was quite pleasant. I’ll do that again.
Ideally, I’d like to do Wales and back soon. But today wasn’t the day for that. Too cool early in the morning.
Listened to more of Pete Townshend’s autobiography – up to 1995 now. And the Who album Quadrophenia, and a bit of 5 Live.