The weather forecast on Saturday looked OK. At 7:30, it all changed - rain from 09:00 and getting windier. Anyhow, 3 showed up, and Mike who came to the Market Place to offer moral support...

On the dot, it started raining at 09:00, and didn't stop all day, so my decision to start the ride in full waterproofs was appreciated all day long.

There wasn't much in the way of scenery, so we had to make do with the gratuitous loops of hills, until Dave's tyre blowout near Ramsbury gave a little respite under the trees.

Lunch stop at the Three Trees worked well - we got the last unreserved table and stared out of the window at the gathering breeze.

A flatter start to the afternoon, along some new lanes, and the weather became no more than a talking point, rather than an annoyance. Blowingstone Hill in the driving rain was a new experience, and the roll down towards Lambourn was rather slow into a block headwind.

Applause all around for the good spirits and company in what were really rather atrocious conditions.