Sunday, April 15 – Rudheath

Started out this morning at 8.45 for the meeting place, but I had not gone 20 yards before I discovered a chain breakage, the fruits of one evening when the bike was left to the tender mercies of my younger brother. It was 9.45 when I started again, and knowing the club would have gone, I decided to follow them up to the lunch place. I had to meet the chap who I spent the last two days at Easter with, at Lower Peover 12 noon, so I hadn’t much time. A strong wind constantly troubled me, but I kept a good pace up, arriving just on time. He was there, and together we made tracks through the bylanes for Hawthorn Abbey, Rudheath.

Arriving at the latter place we could not find them, and wandered between Allostock and Cranage for some time.  Only one person knew of Hawthorn Abbey, and after one or two adventures through farm yards we gave it up and retired to the Three Greyhounds for lunch. At 2.45 we started back for the tea place this time. Via Lower Peover again, then Mobberley, we developed a potter which brought us to a full stop at a private road.  Pedalling lazily back we came upon the outskirts of Wilmslow, and dropped on a party of two bound for the tea place. We had almost finished when the main party trooped in. After a walk we returned together via Cheadle. At Didsbury, my friend [Tom Idle – you will hear a lot about him in the years to come! Ed.] left us, and after sheltering from a shower we made a good pace towards home, arriving back at 9pm.  A speedy ‘potter’ today.

85 miles, 11 hours

St Oswald's Church in Lower Peover, Cheshire