Saturday, September 23 – Wilmslow and Knutsford

This afternoon was all hurry and scramble to get off, for I had to fit a new inner tube and make various adjustments. Anyway, we were on the road at 1.45pm, heading for Wilmslow where my pal would leave me. Feeling a trifle lazy we stopped awhile at Barton Bridge and again beside the river Mersey at Northenden. Then my pal realised he was late and we had to put an energetic sprint into it. Leaving him, I watched a toy yacht race on Wilmslow common, afterwards turning into one of the many bylanes for lunch.

An hour later I rambled to the nearest signpost, and taking a pretty bylane, wandered through Mobberley to Knutsford. Now I took the road which runs by Tatton Park to Mere. Surveying the time, I decided it was early yet, so I took the Chester road to the turning for Warrington. Reaching Grappenhall, a bylane led me to Thelwall and then Lymm. At Warburton I lit up, and crossing the fine toll bridge came to Irlam. Bumping and jogging along I rattled through Patricroft, from where I took the good – by comparison – road to Worsley, Walkden and Bolton at 9.45pm.

61 miles, 8 hours