There’s a place for us ……

“A time and place for us”. In keeping with OGIL rule 3, it should be no earlier than 11 o’clock, and today the place was the Crafty Slice, at Mullion. Ian, Kath and Phil1 were already at Union Corner when I arrived and Simon, Phil3, Keith, Mike2, Paul and Sheila were waiting at Halvasso turn. I don’t know who suggested the Crafty Slice but there wasn’t too much dissent and after texting Jan we were on our way. After the unseasonal weather of the last few weeks it was a typical Cornish summers day, warm mizzle; not enough to stop to put a coat on but enough to give a good soaking before you realised. To add a bit more variety to the ride, Ian indicated a right turn at Brill, taking us to the top of 3.2 mile hill, so we could sweep down into Gweek. No Jan yet but we pressed on, up Gweek Drive and down to Trelowarren gate. I was talking to Phil1 one moment and the next I wasn’t. He had stopped with a puncture. At least it gave Jan a chance to catch up and for the mizzle to dry up. However, it remained warm and clothing and roads soon dried out. The only problem of getting to Mullion at 11 o’clock on a Wednesday morning is that the bus is at a stop and blocking the whole road. We spread out, some passing on the right, some on the left, a few mounting the pavement and the better behaved waiting patiently.

Unusually the café was fairly empty and we were made very welcome. Mike2 had phoned on ahead to warn them of his arrival but we were still surprised that they had placed several tables together with a reserved sign in place. We ignored it and sat down. Whilst Kath had not been a front rider during the morning she was at the head of the queue for service and bagged the last toasted teacake. “Crumbs”, said Phil1, having to make do with bread pudding and custard. There were eight pages in the menu and we seemed to have chosen something from each of them; toast and honey, cake(s), eggs, and full breakfast being the others I can remember. With tea pots refilled it was a full hours stop too; before we sped off down to Poldhu and the slightly slower climb up to the golf club. The rest of the way you are all familiar with, Culdrose, muddy lanes, etc, coming out on to the main Helston Road. Dividing 11 into smaller, reasonably equal, numbers for the transition to Retanna Holiday Park, was difficult enough, but keeping to it impossible. Four, four, three became two, seven, two, well before we turned off, at which point Paul headed on, up the hill, homewards. Simon, Jan and Keith were next, then Ian, at Crane Garage, and the Mawnan boys at Argal Crossroads. 45 miles for me. Dean

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