Sun drenched Cotswolds July 15th

Nine very fortunate riders left Long Itchington on Wednesday evening for a jaunt towards the blue skies that bathed the Cotswolds. Through, Kineton, the Pillertons, Ettington, Clifford Chambers and down to Broadway, the journey was, at times somewhat reminiscent of a mission over The Ruhr with a glaring sun intermittently dazzling searchlight-like and a poorly maintained road surface bouncing you around like exploding flak beneath your front tyre. Possibly a slight exaggeration!

There were those amongst us who were surprised that the car park at the top of Fish Hill emptied so quickly on our arrival thinking that single men in cars might be tempted to come over and admire the hardware on display but I guess they weren’t into leather-clad guys with large bore exhausts and polished helmets. Although there were nine of us, eight were comparatively shabby parked beside the gleaming chrome of Cliff’s monster Harley Road King but then there were eight of us who weren’t that concerned if we had a shower on the way home.

With crystal clear views of flat-topped Meon Hill we slid down into Chipping Campden, golden as dripping honey in the dying sun and wound our way across the Fosse to Shipston. Straw-hatted morrismen were dancing outside The George in Lower Brailles and the bells rang out as we passed St Mary’s in Banbury from where it was a rapid run to the Bell & Buck. An excursion through a rural idyll when you had chance to look around; another splendid ride out.