LEFT! RIGHT! LEFT! …..The OGILs rode on

Where did we ride today? How did we get to the Godrevy café? Ask any OGIL who was there and I doubt you would get much more than an “..Err….ask me another?”. It was a beautiful day that dawned crisp and sunny. 6 had “booked” their COVIDcompliant slots at TOP and so….9 set off. But Phil 3 soon assured us that he had it on good authority (from CyclingUK) that a group of 15 on the road is now allowed. Werhay! There does seem to be a lot of traffic around these days despite the restrictions and a lot of it seems to want to use the really small lanes we were riding. Today’s prize went to a slurry tanker that pulled out in front of us splashing dollops of his load from his illadjusted sphincter onto the tarmac for us to spray on those unlucky enough not to be at the front. Ian has definitely been spending his furlough time well on searching the map for some of the lesser known roads the OGILs seldom if ever use. For the second Wednesday running he led us almost metronomically first RIGHT, then LEFT, then RIGHT, then LEFT and so on through the morning. Not that a single one of us was at all aware of this symmetry even when he would say now and again, “I think it’s about time for a quick Right and a Left”. It’s only when I look at a detailed map tonight that I see this poetic pattern to our ride. You’ll be relieved that I don’t set out the full unexpurgated detail of the exact route (which I might still get wrong anyway) but let me just mention a few of the seldom heard names of places we passed: Carvolth Downs, Carwynnen, Hallegan, Botetoe, Kavana, Butney Corner, Treweege, Seaureaugh Moor….. and so on.
Briefly instead we got to Godrevy via Nine Maidens, Troon, Barripper, Penponds, Kehelland, and Coombe. My reward for trying the short cut from Butney Corner and causing Mr Chairman to go looking for me all the way back to the Coombe bridge is that I have to inflict this report on you. The OGILs are masters of communication obviously! The service at the NT café was efficient and quite speedy and we found sufficient tables for the 8 of us (Paul having to about-turn for grandparental duties). The view over St Ives Bay was glorious. Chat on our table ranged from the present traffic volume, escaping Cornwall this summer before retreating to our bunkers for August, national pride, a certain variety of undelicious French apple, veg out of season and buying local. No one suggested a second coffee. We returned rather more directly via Gwithian and Praze until Ian felt it was time for another left, right, left via Four Lanes, Penhalvean, and Trewithen Moor, which is where I sloped off and he and the others (Amanda, Mike, Damien, Adrian and Phil 3 and Fred) headed for Kennall Vale. Thanks to Ian for showing us some delightful, tucked away parts of deepest Cornwall on a beautiful day. 45 miles for me. Simon