Ten riders set off in search of daffodils and went via Maisemore to avoid the busy Newent road. The sun was out but there was a cold NE wind to battle against. At Newent we took the Kempley road and began to see the wild daffodils until we reached Gwen and Vera’s Wood where one member said ‘is this it?’, not realising that over the hedge was a host of golden daffodils.
We continued through Oxenhall Wood where the wild daffodils hide amongst the trees. On to Kempley where we missed Marie and Dymock via a surprising number of hills – the legendary Dymock Mountains well known to Three Cities riders.
Coffee was taken at Rose’s who provided hot food even though it had gone 11.00. Flattery will get you anything.
Some riders returned direct to Gloucester while seven continued to lunch via idyllic lanes, twisting and turning ,ducking and climbing, to Ryton and Bromsberrow Heath and the tangle of lanes at Redmarley, which always confuse me. We seemed to climb a lot but had few decent descents, but eventually we found some flat and a helpful cold NE wind to push us to the Royal Exchange at Hartpury via Ashchurch for lunch.
Departing Hartpury we were warmed by Woolridge Hill and so returned to Gloucester.
51 miles and 2682 feet of climbing; not the 4000 that the ride leader said but it felt like that.
AG