100% Chance of Rain

Not a good sign on the weather forecast - but hey! Not icy like last year!

Out of 300 Chester women cyclists recently polled, only five owned a full set of waterproofs!  (and one of them was making her Christmas list as we set off along the greenway!)

Five stalwart and tough ladies met in Kingsway.  The Fabulous Five!

We rode to Walk Mill.  It rained.  We got wet.  Actually, not too wet, as full waterproofs top to toe keeps out a lot of damp!

Christmas
essentials

This months guard dog
(still very friendly - and wet!)

To pass the time I picked up a quiz from the counter, from Tarvin Community Centre (only £1)- but the first page we just looked at it!  The first 'round' was The Knight before Christmas: Think and hear Sir?

Not a clue!

We managed one round, with an anagram from the first letter of each clue...then set off back to the Dee Miller for reinforcements!

Jo unsuccessfully warming her butt

...after retrieving gloves etc from near the fire.  Not warm and not dry!

Back to Chester we headed.  Grand total of 14 miles!

At the pub, Kate was waiting for us.  As was two large mulled wine slow cookers (there's a good idea!) tea and coffee, and shortly followed by two plates of mince pies/apple pies.

Diane and Carol joined us - and we put our heads together to finish the quiz.  A lot of laughs later, crackers, several mulled wines and 100 questions later we had finished it!  (my best round was the cracker jokes - What disease do you get from putting up too many Christmas decorations?)

Final selfie stick pose (just before Diane joined us!)

Merry Christmas to you all, and a happy new year.  See you in 2016!

Afternoon tea and Farewell ride to Hildegard at Holt

Hildegards tea rooms at the cross in Holt has become a favourite of cyclists over the last four years.  Prior to that she ran the cafe at Waterways (near Wrexham industrial estate) and before that she was at Bellis's, when it was a small friendly cafe.  

A couple of years ago she was diagnosed with leukemia but recovered and had the all clear following treatment.  However, she is unwell again,and so is returning to her family in Munster (Germany).  I really wanted to pop down and see her again,and with her well, so an afternoon tea ride was shared on facebook for anyone to come and join me.

5 ladies met at the Piper in Hoole, and (after I popped back home for the card I had got out) we set off to Caldy Valley and Saighton, where we met Kath (from Farndon).  It was a lovely sunny afternoon as we dropped past Saighton Grange and along the lanes and back lanes to Churton.

I spied a big black and ominous cloud over Wales (you have quite a good outlook from these lanes,across the lower Dee valley), and pondered if we would make it in time before it struck - if it was indeed coming our way.  A few light spots worried me, but we carried on regardless past the Lions and into Farndon.

We met Welna and Stephen already parked outside in the sun (although they were experiencing different weather every five minutes ( jacket on, sunglasses off; sunglasses on, jacket off!).

Coffee Tea and Cake (CTC!) shared around and hugs and best wishes - and a photo with the selfie stick (I don't know why people keep laughing at me with my selfie stick!)


We parted company, and I set off with Caroline and Kath to Borras Head, and along the fab
 
contour underneath Gresford, with extravagant views across Cheshire to Frodsham, Beeston and more.  Caroline continued up and Kath and I diddled around the Hoseley lanes before also parting company.  

Spring lanes around Hoseley

Wild garlic along Duke's Drive in Chester