Richards September Run.
Originally posted as a long run I decided to do a short run as many members are finding long runs too tiring. Therefore I chose to do a much shorter run to the seaside! The weather forecast for the week was very variable and at one point looked like the run should be cancelled but with reports improving we stuck with the plan. I after a showery start I arrived at Auction Eats to find Bob finishing his breakfast and after a few minutes John arrived. An unusual line up of bikes was noticed by John, three 600cc bikes, a 1966 AJS M30 a 1967 AJS M30 and a 1969 Matchless G11, not often we get that combination!
During the week several members had indicated that the couldn’t attend due to injury or family matters so it was just us three that set off under cloudy skies round the back of Garstang to join the A6 at the Scorton junction. Just up the road we turned into the cafe layby and took the lane to Winmarleigh. From her we crossed the Cabus/Cockerham road and entered Church lane which turns into the infamous Island Lane. Now this lane has been a bit bumpy, to say the least, for about 10 years but after the hot dry summer the dips have got deeper and the road surface shows scrapes where vehicles have not had the ground clearance to get over the bumps without grounding. I think 15-20mph is the fastest you can traverse this road now. At last we joined the relatively smooth Garstang /Pilling road and rode up to Stake pool. It was on this stretch the clouds cleared and the sun came out but the wind, funneling through gaps in the hedges and round buildings played tricks with the steering. At Stake pool we took the Lancaster road down to Cartford riding relatively slowly as this moss road has also suffered during the dry weather with undulations getting more pronounced. At Cartford we turned right to follow the river to Hambleton and crossed Shard Bridge into Singleton and rode down to the River Wyre Pub at Skipool where we turned into the road to Little Thornton and the narrow lane to Wyre Country Park where we parked up for a toilet break and a refreshments.
It was bracing here! The gusty wind blowing from the North West at a fair rate but we sat and watched the seabirds and pigeons circling over the grassland along the river bank.
We mounted up and headed off through Trunnah to get to the Fleetwood Road. A lot of development seems to be going on at the old fishing dock land where there are now acres of flattened land ready for development. At last we entered the heart of Fleetwood at the ferry terminal and the North Euston Hotel. We passed these and rode a little way along the seafront to the Marine Hall car park where we took up residence behind a wall in the play area as the wind was blowing sand off the beach at such a rate it was difficult keep your hat on or keep it out of your eyes.
After eating our lunch we walked back along the seafront where the sea was just white horses and the sand was forming dunes on the promenade. So back at the bikes, a couple of Photos taken and we started up and set off for the ride round Rossall to the Cleveleys Road and turned off onto the newly improved sea defence road to Cleveleys and then on to Little Bispham. Along the prom we stopped for a few minutes to see what was happening on the beach as a crown had gathered. There were two large diggers shifting sand from below the promenade and we have no idea what for. Perhaps the sea wall was being repaired. At little Bispham we joined the promenade, passed the Norbeck Castle Hotel before turning left at Red Bank Road down to Devonshire Road which we followed to Layton and then headed for Poulton. As we entered Poulton I turned right to Hardhorn. Just after the junction to Singleton the traffic stopped and was turning round as the road was closed. I went up to the Singleton road and could see that the there was room to pass the work area so I ignored the sign and road down to the work area. It looked like the work repairing the road at that point was complete and the worker waved us through so we didn’t have to do a lengthy detour to get to Singleton. From here we rode to Weeton and turned onto the Wesham road down to The Kingfisher Pub where we finished the ride with a pint and a rest under clear blue skies before heading home.
My Rever App showed 51 miles from Auction Eats so it was a reasonable run.