A dry day, low winds and I wasn’t on call. Cold, though. I wrapped up warm but actually it wasn’t as cold as I expected. I set off on the X (again – that’s 5 in a row) at about 10:15. I would have taken the Boardman probably but I still haven’t replaced the rear mech and chain.
I wanted to tick off one of the neighbouring counties boxes, either Rutland or Northamptonshire. I decided on Northamptonshire shortly after setting off. Shortly after Newbold Verdon, on a whim, I decided to keep straight on for Desford and do the “old route” down to Welford, through Blaby and Foston then down Welford Road. It fell out of favour about three years ago when I devised the “new route” and I soon remembered why. Apart from being partly based on main roads and a bit urban round the bottom of Leicester, it’s annoyingly hilly.
Some time in 2020, I cycled through Hinckley on a Saturday afternoon during the first lockdown, and I was creeped out by how dead it was. It was like a Sunday in Hartlepool when I was a kid, before the Sunday Trading Act. But as I passed through Blaby this morning, it was pretty much like a normal Saturday in Blaby. Plenty of traffic, pavements milling with people, lots of shops open. As I queued at the lights I noticed that even the corner coffee shop was open, albeit people had to take their drinks away with them. If anything it seemed busier than last time I was there in 2018.
I wasn’t going to stop at a shop on this ride but by the time I’d reached Husbands Bosworth I realised that I was going to be short on hydration, so I went in the little supermarket there, leaving the bike leaned up unlocked outside but within view of the counter, and I emerged with a packet of Hula Hoops, a Malteser bar and a bottle of Lucozade Sport. I had a pleasant lunch at a bus stop bench there. I had a cornish pasty and a couple of mini pork pies with me already.
Rocked up at Welford about 15 minutes later, took the pic, pedalled into the village briefly then turned for home. I came back via the “new route”. I actually took a wrong turn not far from Dunton Bassett, but I came to a village called Ashby Magna with a signpost to Broughton Astley about half a mile later, so I was back on track in no time. The road to Broughton was closed to traffic a bit further ahead due to roadworks, but I managed to bypass that on the pavement without dismounting.
Back on 65.57 miles. Good run out.
Listened to 6 Music and 5 Live, then switched to my MP3 player for a collection of absurdist short humorous essays by Woody Allen entitled Mere Anarchy, narrated by the man himself. Absolutely brilliant, what a writer.