FULWOOD

 FULWOOD FYLDE FORAY  17.5 Miles

FOUR FORAY FOLK :-   Mike, Jim C, John W, Danny.

Seventeen and a half miles !   😲  What's going on ?

This is what's going on.  Pedal Power !

We were on our bikes .

No boring Car Park to open the blog as we set off directly From Mike's house.

We pedalled steadily through the estate before arriving at the busy A6.

Here we are waiting for the lights to allow us to cross.

All clear. C'mon !

Once across the road we turned down Lightfoot Lane. Towards the end of the lane we diverted down Belton Hill to briefly call on Hilary Smith a good friend and blog reader. 

Goodbye to Mrs Smith and back on Lightfoot Lane. Not for long though as we crossed over, cycled past the "Hoppers" rugby club and a left turn took us down  Sandyforth Lane.

From this point onwards JW .... and I suspect others hadn't a clue where we were.

The country lanes where he had cycled as a lad where gone !! 😟

They had been entirely subsumed and overwhelmed by large modern dual carriageways. 🚗🚛🚜

The building in the distance was once "The Saddle" a landmark pub familiar to thousand of Prestonians over the decades.

Trees and bushes have been replaced by traffic lights and great signposts.

Fields have been built over and quaint cottages and farmhouses replaced by large estates of houses.

Strangely enough, although I feel strongly about the countryside ( Many years ago I worked on a farm in this area) I felt no nostalgia or anger at these changes. Time moves on and the world changes. Houses are needed and there does at least  seem to be an effort made to build attractive houses.

But.... back to the "Olde World" as our mystery tour continues (JW still geographically clueless)

Here we are passing  rather nice old farmhouses.

Although you will of course have noticed that the barn has been converted and modernised. Progress, as they say, moves on apace.

The neighbouring farmhouse tells us we are in "Clifton" (JW remains clueless)

Aha !  The cafe. and a very nice cafe it was. 

Four cyclist = THREE  bacon Buns and ONE delicate Croissant. 

Guess who had that ............................. 

This is apparently a "Cyclist" cafe . There are more of them behind us in this photo and more still coming in.

Going to the "Gents" caused no little amusement as the sign seemed to suggest that there were Milk Shakes on offer...Mmmmm...What flavour ?

No self respecting teenager would ever foray forth without checking his or her mobile .................. neither, it seems,  would elderly gentlemen.

Whatever is Mike puzzling out ?  Answers on the back of a Woodbines Fag packet... if you know what one of those is.

We followed the same route back....

........... until we arrived at a section of the "Guild Wheel" . from there we followed it back through Broughton before arriving at a final Cafe.......

........ OH NO....  Definitely not a cafe but Mike's back garden where we were treated to excellent coffees and teas as well as CHOCOLATE BISCUITS by Mike's wife. Great end to a great ride . Thanks Kath !  .... and of course Mike the days leader and organiser.

 THE END

JW