Evesham for the Evening.

It was time to head north. We had hoped to get away by 08.00 but as usual there was a delay as R got himself and his possessions together.   We said our goodbyes to Matt and Andrea at the farm at 08.45.  What an oasis this place had been. Thank you to everybody there for such a great welcome.  Thanks too to Chris also staying at the farm  who is going to be making a donation to the Big C.   A great piece of news as we set off on our fifty mile trip.  It was going to be a long day as there would be a concert at the Fleece Inn. I planned to the route to stay off all the major roads  as much as possible.   Our progress to Cricklade was swift and we rode  through Driffield and on to Ampney St. Peter where we called in for a coffee with our regular long distance cycling friends, John and Debbie.   Picked  up some mail that I had forwarded there. Mr. D could not resist the temptation and raised the small matter of the bearded lady singer from Eurovision.   I think it was so he could hear my views just once more.   I was pleased that John concurred with me. Many thanks to Debbie for leaving us some cake which we enjoyed later down the route. We could not stop too long as there was a small matter of peddling to do.   Lunch at Northleach.  The maestro made the mistake of saying how easy the afternoon ride was going to be.    Famous last words. No sooner had we remounted the bikes and pulled out of the village when one of Richard's trailer stands got caught in vegetation on the side of the uphill path and it jackknifed the bike and threw Richard into the verge of nettles and brambles.  I heard the cry for help from behind and ran back.  It did not look good with Richard lying in the hedge with the bike on top of him.  There was no funny side to this. I always worry when Richard falls off, about his hands.   The show must go on. Unfortunately I am in no position to take over on the playing front.  I got him up and there was, as usual, a good few sentences which were made up of a series of swear words!  We got the bike up to the top of the hill and checked for damage. Certainly the balance of the bike had gone. There was also a small rupture in the rear tyre.     Richard also noticed his helmet was missing.    Not at the crash site so it could only be at the pub we had stopped for lunch in.     Trailer off Richard retraced his path.  A policemen  stopped to speak to me whilst I waited and enquired if I was ok.  He also wanted to know if I was the owner of the helmet in the road at the bottom of the hill.    After a short delay we set off again a little worse for wear.  At another stop I just had to get off the bike for a lie down. Is my age catching up on me. The Cotswold villages were delightful.  Broadway was a real honeypot site. A short afternoon pit stop. The legs were going.    With 52 miles on the clock we pulled into the Fleece Inn just after 16.30 but not before I was nearly taken out by a white van.    Straight to work in the barn alongside this beautiful 17th century pub.    An intimate space.   We set up in time to rehearse and then take dinner.  The show started at 20.00   It goes without saying that the audience loved the range of music and there were many cyclists there too. There was even another Richard Durrant. The world is not ready for two of them!     A good number came up to chat at the end of the show. Spoke with Hannah Genders who is doing the end to end this summer with a friend.  Good luck and safe riding.   Packed up and adjourned to the bar with a group of concert goers. Great chats and fun.  A then to bed. The artiste bowed but not broken.