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@Ludd
I was undecided about whether to join the sharkpits or the darby & joan crew at the pub on the park, but the new railings made the decision for me. A pint of Wandle, plenty of chat between 7 and 9, and then a gentle roll out with a couple of other folk of my sort of vintage. It was all very agreeable up the A104, possibly due to it being a bit later.
Rolled on past the crowds at the usual pausing points, but stopped at Finchingfield and was treated to a delicious pint of Hop & Soul by Stedlocks, who told me about his foxscapade. Nattered with him and Wobbly John, watched the splendid sight of the front lights rolling onto the village green, hitting the pothole before the bridge (despite the locals standing by it with torches and shouting warnings) and then the red lights winding up he little ramp and out of sight.
With my 48/19 gear I was able to haul my excessive bodyweight and carradice up all the slopes but some of the really fun bits, as ever, were where I could attack the climb at a silly cadence, knowing they are all short enough. As the night wore on, that got harder to do, and by Sibton I was grimping slowly on every other incline, and I rolled into Dunwich at about 6.
Good to meet Soul at the pub, and to chat with chainbreaker and Hannah and to witness their comedy routine of sending wallet, coach tickets, house keys etc off to Huntingdon in Soul’s drug dealer car, and realising a few minutes later what they’d done. Conversation was a bit dominated by how bloody freezing it was, but of course we did discuss the Foffa sale thread and other such modern legends.
Mrs Ludd and two Luddlets joined me at about 10 and we lolled on the beach before walking up the coast to Walberswick, eating a fantastic burger and chips in the garden at the Bell Inn, where the sun came out, and walking back through the marshes (where I think we passed tricitybendix and companion with camping gear) and through the woods back to Dunwich for another spell on the beach. We piled into the car just after 6, got back to Forest Hill just before 10pm. Shower, gin, tortilla, bed.