A RIDE - HIGH LEIGH,CHESHIRE - THE RETURN OF PAUL & IAN

 

SUNDAY 25TH JULY 2011

Instead of the Sunday clubrun to Blackpool, having had word of the imminent return of Ian and Paul from Barcelona, it was decided to go and meet the boys as they reached Cheshire.

Paul rang to say they would be at the school tea room at High Legh for around 1pm. With that, a short ride around Cheshire would be ideal, after of course a good café stop.

Dave Bisset promised a celebratory bottle of champagne on meeting the boys, a real sense of occasion was indeed only right.

Half past eight start from the town hall meant we would have to pad out the miles as High Legh itself was only twenty five miles or so, a nice café stop would also help to pass the time.

It was decided to visit the once popular 'Pop 2000', cyclists once thronged the place when it first opened and the management were always welcoming. Cheap good breakfasts, cyclists loved it, it made an excellent afternoon tea stop as well, apple and rhubarb crumble being another favourite.

All that changed when coaches were encouraged to use the truck stop as a start point for coach trips, pensioners were the new customers and prices rocketed. We all know what cyclists are like when it comes to finding 'good' cafes and the place went out of favour.

We decided to pay the place a return visit and were welcomed in silence by the wooden cowboys outside the café, they hadn't changed a bit, though one of the original six had been stolen!!

After a long drawn out meal with good chinwagging we eventually motivated ourselves to move, but not before taking a couple of 'shots' at the cowboys with the camera of course.

As we were leaving, three more of our gang arrived, also intent on passing a little time before meeting Paul and Ian, Clive Ray and Brian left Bolton later than us, Ray having to come from Littleborough found the 8.30 start too early.

After exchanging our intentions we then left to saunter through the narrow back lanes which Cheshire is famous for, they run like a maze catching out the unwary as any sense of direction is soon lost, a lack of signposts helps to disorientate also.

Fortunately the group have an excellent guide, me, but even I get confused a bit sometimes, today was one of those times, a mere minor hiccup though. A wrong turn into some sort of farmyard industrial compound was quickly rectified and we were back on track, but only I knew that, the others had to trust I was right.

I was of course and also my timing was near perfect, arrangements had been mad for 1 pm. We arrived at the schoolroom at 12.50. not bad really as those on my back wheel thought they would never see civilisation again.

Shortly after the other trio arrived and we settled down to await the heroic duo's arrival, they were running a bit late but hey, after one thousand miles they were allowed a bit of leeway.

Clive was the only one amongst us with a mobile with Paul's number in, a quick check and they would be with us in ten minutes, and so they were.

Sitting waiting in the schoolyard was very pleasant, the sun was by now well up, clouds dispersing, lovely and warm. The morning had been quite cold, very different to what was forecast but now we were making up for it, break out the champagne.

To make a bit more of an occasion we asked two of the young lady volunteers from the tearoom to join our welcome party on the group photo, they were only too pleased when they knew what we were about, 'Barcelona to Bolton', they were charity workers but they could not get their heads round the epic ride the lads were on.

After the greetings and congratulations, champagne toasting were over we then went into the tearoom and enjoyed more goodies, the trifle was delicious, Brian Timms was enjoying a large meringue topped with cream and strawberries with slices of kiwi and lemon, I had difficulty remembering I was on some sort of diet.

With Ian and Paul and everybody else suitably refreshed we began our ride back to Bolton in glorious sunshine, apart from being accompanied by clarion members, Ian's brother and niece, on a motor bike also came along stopping frequently to record the procession on camera.

Once back in Bolton a cloudless sky allowed the town hall square to be bathed in very hot sunshine and the place was crowded with people enjoying the town centre. Among them were of course family and relatives of Ian and Paul, highly relieved at their safe return. All that remained now was a photo in front of the monument of other fallen heroes, Ian and Paul together with laden down bikes as proof of the immense ride they had undertaken in the name of Afghan hero, Darren Deady, well done lads, you've done everyone proud.