Saturday, August 26 – Llangollen

During work this morning, a sudden idea assailed me. Why not have a weekend run? My uncle and his friend were staying at Llangollen so I decided to visit them. At 2pm I was telling my scheme to my pal, who took it none too kindly, and it was only after long persuasion that he agreed to come, so at 2.40 we started. What a day! The wind howled against us, rain threatened, dust almost suffocated us, and everything was generally uncomfortable. We struggled on to Warrington and then the weary Chester road. At this rate we could not reach our destination tonight. Near Frodsham we caught hold of a charabanc and it whirled us on to Chester, giving us a long respite, and making time up somewhat. We went to the GWR station and had a wash and brush up, and thus refreshed proceeded on.

Over the Dee bridge we struggled and soon gained the Wrexham road. Just beyond the entrance to Eaton Hall we had lunch. Now the wind howled fiercer but what did we care? The bulk of Ruabon mountain came into view, and we pedalled harder through Pulford and Rossett, being slowed in one place by a long hill. Through Wrexham and on the bumpy, tramlined road to Ruabon. Now joy, the wind completely dropped, and leaving Ruabon behind we entered on a beautiful road to Acrefair. Up and down continually, in the deepening dusk, and soon we ran through Trevor and were dropping swiftly into the Vale of Llangollen, and in a short time were across the old bridge and hunting for ‘digs’. My uncle had gone to London, but we found his friend and made arrangements for the morrow.

61 miles, 6.5 hours