Saturday 9 March 2019 - International Women's Day

A rather grey morning, nine of us mustered, my selfie skills need a bit of polishing as only eight of us are in the picture.  And the IWD posters are actually last year's, the theme this year is Balance for Better.  It was really good to get most of the gang together again and kick off our 2019 rides programme.
We decided we were going to Sandridge via Verulamium.  Off we went along the Alban Way, and along a relatively peaceful Prospect Road and into Verulamium Park.  We had hoped the park run would have dispersed by then, but it hadn't entirely and we crept along the rather congested path.  And it began to rain.
Once through St Michaels we were able to get going a bit, using the Green Ring to get to NCN6, then we headed along Sandridgebury Lane.  Having made good time, and with the weather improving, we decided on an extra loop.  Off we went along Coleman Green Lane, then Tower Hill Lane, with daffodils to enjoy and floods to ford.

We descended Hammonds Lane and headed into the headwind and back into Sandridge.  The Heartwood Tearooms did not have room for all of us, and it was just a little too blustery to sit outside, and clouds still threatened, so we split the ride.  Four squeezed into the tearoom and five carried on to Marshalswick for hot drinks and buns at Simmons.

All in all, a bit of an epic first outing of the year, looking forward to the next.