John’s Run 11th October 2023
The last run of the 2023 season started on a dull and rainy morning but with the forecast being for improving weather and a bright afternoon 7 riders turned up at the football club fully waterproofed to enjoy the ride. Just after 10:30 we set off down towards Preston and just past the Bowlng Green pub a figure in Hi Vis waterproofs on an AMC machine was spotted heading for the club. We slowed down and stopped at Back Lane for the rider to catch us up. It was Phil H. So now we were eight and we continued on up Back Lane into Eccleston where we turned right and took the left fork after the river Yarrow bridge up to Ulnes Walton. Here we turned right to head for Moss Side. At Moss Side we turned left towards Bretherton and a mile or so on we turned right up to Much Hoole and got stuck behind a 40 ton articulated lorry for a while until we reached Much Hoole where the lorry turned off. We turned left and reached the A59 at the San Marco restaurant where we turned left and carried on down to the roundabout and turned left to Bretherton. From Bretherton we drove past the Twin Lakes Velo Cafe and into Croston where our route was disrupted by a road closed sign so John made a detour back through Eccleston and took Tinklers Lane to Tannersmith Lane and Halfpenny Lane which led us up to the Delph Diver Training Centre where we stopped for a brew. As planned, Tony met up with us here and we all went inside to order refreshments and then sat outside under the eaves out of the rain. At this point it was found that the weather forecast had changed and severe rain was now in the offing so we decided to call it a day after an hour of chat. A shame for us as 9 riders was a good turn out for a ride and it was a great shame to curtail a run that should have taken us over to Rivington for lunch and onto the Belmont area, but in such wet weather with a poor forecast it was the right decision.
And so ends the 2023 riding season. Thanks to John for leading and all those who turned out for the very wet run.