Grey and drizzly - not a very promising morning for a ride, particularly for a ride leader's first outdoor ride for over 5 weeks - still, good to see Richard, Libby and Pete. Unsure of my fitness and how the weather would progress, we agreed to play the ride "by ear" amending the route as we went along.

In Bampton we held a conflab - I didn't think my fitness was up to the full 70 km distance - and we decided to cut out the loop from Faringdon through Highworth and back to Longcot. After possibly the slowest ascent in history of Faringdon Hill (thanks for waiting guys) we entered a Faringdon preparing for its Remembrance Ceremony. After a surprisingly good coffee & cake experience chez Costa we listened to the Last Post (bugle or trumpet?) in the market square and joined in the two minute silence at 11 o'clock.

Resuming the ride the sky seemed to brighten but 5 minutes later the rain became a little heavier, which seemed to back up our route shortening decision. We were back in Wantage by noon. I don't know about the others but I headed straight home for a wallow in a hot bath tub.

My thanks to the riders for a very pleasant, sociable ride at a pace I could manage, and particularly Pete for volunteering to act as standby ride leader in the event of my non-appearance.