I had every intention of doing a fondo today. However I didn’t get up until 0950, and when I glanced out of the window to assess the conditions, I decided that they weren’t really conducive to doing more than 50 km or so. Looked a bit gloomy and damp out there, and I knew that there was an immoderate wind coming from the north-east. Additionally, it was cold.
I didn’t have a definite route in mind. I headed up through Coleorton, up Top Brand, up to Isley Walton then hung a left toward Swarkestone Bridge. I didn’t want to go west along the Beloved A Road though, so I came back down toward Ticknall. Tried to think where to go from there that would give me a reasonable distance without also giving me a prolonged headwind.
So from Ticknall I went down through Hartshorne, Woodville and Boundary, as I have quite a few times before, but at Boundary I took a right signposted to Blackfordby. Didn’t really know what I was doing, just thought I’d explore and hopefully rack up a few additional kilometres. I would have sworn I’d never taken that turn before in my life, but Strava tells me that I now have a PR for a segment along there – which I believe means I’d done it at least once before.
I stopped at a convenience store at Blackfordby for a pasty and some Munchies. Didn’t really want to leave my bike outside it, as Blackfordby – or at least its main drag – is one of those places characterised by vape shops, Turkish barbers and run-down terraced housing. But the bike was still there when I came back out.
Quite an interesting stretch of road though, it led me to Ashby Road where I took a right to Moira. Then I came upon a village called Shortheath, which, as you can see from the delapidated and DIY-looking sign in the photo, purports to be the centre of England. This surprised me, because received wisdom has it that Fenny Drayton, some 18km to the north is England’s centre.
I’ve obscured the licence plate in the image. Is that proper etiquette?
Anyway I found my way to Measham, pootled up to Packington from there, flirted with Ashby and came home. Back about 10 mins after sunset so I didn’t stop to put lights on.
Glad to have clocked up another 59.67km. 231 done this month, I want to do 645 if I can, so I’m a little bit ahead of the game – although of course commitments over Christmas might prove a bit compromising.