River and Rainbow

Our final ride of 2024, and final meet up at Total Fitness.  It has been interesting meeting different places this year, enforced due to circumstances beyond our control.  But 2025 will see us return to Kingsway Cafe.  Staff at Total Fitness have been friendly and helpful, and i think they quite liked seeing us (although different faces each month)

Start up photo...

...late arrival!...

...that's everyone now!

So we met, and gathered for a photo.  Change of plan to usual December rides (Walk Mill) as there is a new(ish) cafe at Saltney Ferry; generally too close for a normal coffee stop or ride, but certainly worth a short December tootle to it! Plus our very own Moira (who used to ride with Fab Ladies when we started) works there, so a perfect excuse and opportunity to see her.

With the route being off road most of the way, we were able to ride as one group of ten vehicles (eleven riders as we had Team Tandem with us)

Rainbow - faded a little by the time we got to the river

And Moira, one of our original Fabulous Ladies:

Coats of many colours

After the line up photo, I note we are (almost) in a nice colour gradient, just one  blue jacket out of place!  Winter months do bring out the most colourful and bright jackets, and as they are rain/ winter coats they are not patterned so it does lend to an ordered photo like this!

The route to Rackery Farm, our fourth new cafe this year, will include a hill, as it is just outside Llay.  But first, another photo stop for my group (why not?!)

 After this I didn't take many photos, which is remiss of me!  But we headed out past 'Nowhere', and Eccleston.

(I think we went along the Old Dukes Drive, trying to remember as - again - writing blog late!)

I don't remember why I have a photo of cyclamen which looks like it was taken at a garden centre!

I do remember it was the day before we flew to India for a holiday. Somewhere bikes have a whole other existence, but not somewhere I think I would like to cycle 

Panorama

Those of you who know me or have followed my posts for a few years will be aware that I like to take a few photos - and in recent years I am sure you know I completed the 52 Frames challenge in 2022, and I am repeating that this year.  No?  No worries - all you need to know is that this week's challenge is 'Panorama'.  So that should explain the format of some of my photos from today's ride.

Still meeting at Total Fitness we were disappointed for a second month that there were no hot drinks available.  Yana, the young lady who served us, was most apologetic and still managed to look after us with a variety of smoothies and juices, but it does not bode well to continue meeting here.

Nine ladies were out, and after a quick photo as the weather has turned decidedly colder now, we set off.  I plotted a slightly unusual route to get to the Boat Museum in Ellesmere Port, which involved Greenway, some canal, lanes to Ellesmere Port, residential streets but dropping back to the tranquility of the canal for the final run to the cafe.

Although cold, we did have the most beautiful sunny morning, and were met by Michelle in the cafe, with a central table laid out and reserved for us.

Extreme panorama - I found a new setting on my phone!!!

The Port and Anchor cafe sits alongside the (Manchester) Ship canal, and sometimes you can be treated to a very large ship passing a few feet from the cafe windows.  No such luck today but an opportunity for some panoramic photos at least.

A Panorama made of 5 photos stitched together when I got home
- I'm very pleased with this!!!

Options for heading back were shared (either through the industrial estate to Thornton Le Moors, Wimbolds Trafford, Dunham on the Hill and beyond; or canal then lanes near Chester Zoo, or just canal all the way back) - the ladies opted for the middle option and we set off, back along the canal.

The surface is unfortunately quite broken up at times at this end of the towpath, and combined with quite overgrown hedges it did make for a slightly exciting journey, until it smoothed out at Stoak.  We left the canal here and followed through Croughton and then up the back of the Zoo and through the Zoo bridleway.

After this people started to drift off home as usual, until it was just me!

See the route on Komoot

A Beautiful View

Disappointing start this morning when we were told the coffee machine / hot drinks were not working, so we could not start off with a brew.  So I asked the guys to pose for me, for the blog of course!

Still, it was a nice day and after our photo we wet off along the Greenway.  As I have mentioned over the years, September I try to run as a 'back to school' gentle introductory ride, a nice easy scoot up the Greenway and either to Yvonne's in Connah's Quay, Nets or Burton Manor across the Marshes. This year it was the turn of Burton Manor again.

We regrouped for another photo at the Blue Dragon or Welsh bridge, before continuing to turn off and
head through the industrial estate to cross the marshes on the boardwalk.

On arriving at the cafe, we met the Breeze ladies led by Sam.  I am friends with her on Facebook, and follow her exploits, and she told me about her upcoming trip to Cuba.  We waved the Breeze ladies off and sat ourselves at an outside table, enjoying late summer sun and warmth.

On our way back we detoured to follow the river back in, overhearing the racecourse announcements as we neared Chester.

Blog post title - refers to this week's photography challenge (I am doing '52 Frames')

Precipitation, Police Box and Puncture

Starting at Total Fitness, after a quick coffee and chat, we assembled for the photo and the off

Meeting at a new venue means different routes out - so, for example - I do not think the ladies group has ever set off along Ermine Road, with the view of the Lead Shot tower in front.

Followed by the humpedy bump along Lightfoot Street, with the awful speed bumps.

New routes or not, this is a diversion we would have had anyway - Severn Trent have had road closures along Boughton and Huntington all year.  It is now closed at the Sandy Lane end, but we were able to get through (with a pleasant detour alongside the river)

And another topical sight - the demolition of Et Alia, formerly The Red House, overlooking the river and the meadows for many years.  Time will show what they replace it with - probably a very large nice house - or several equally expensive flats.

ON arrival at the cafe we set up on the benches outside in the garden; but it was not many minutes before the rain started; we braved it for a few minutes, but when the spots got bigger we decided to relocate back inside.  And not before time, as the heavens did indeed open!

So, this was a bit of fun.  For no reason (that we could discern) they have a life-size Tardis (well, antique Police Box).  So we had to take photos, squeeze inside, take more photos!

Now that the rain had stopped we caught a few sunshine rays before heading back out to the lanes.

Unfortunately, within a few hundred yards just as we crossed the main road, Linda discovered a puncture.  No matter, we got this!

We ain't got this.  No end or pulling, tugging, poking, advising, or tyre levers could shift Linda's tyre.  It was so tight - in the end (with time a-marching on) she called for assistance and we reluctantly left her to wait for her pick up.

After Borras Head we stopped to take photos and take in the view, turning out a lovely day (now the rain has gone...)

We perambulated back around the back lanes of Trevallyn, and made our way into Chester across the 'new' blue bridge over the A55, and even newer cycle paths at new housing estate on Wrexham Road.