‘Morning all!’ 8 hours earlier he’d been in Germany, but was that going to stop Stephen Dee? Of course not, as he rolled into the campsite at Langport just in time to join the Saturday ride. After all he’d never missed one in a zillion years.
I’d assured everyone that yes it was flat but camping at the top of an escarpment did make everyone a little sceptical. Swooping down to the levels, 8 families headed west through Muchelney and Curry Rivel to the first stop at the Burton Pynsent monument. Covered in 18th century graffiti, it overlooked the levels and as we dodged the cow manure the children munched chocolate rolls. Another descent back to the levels, a tea stop at the Wetlands Centre and a walk up Barrow Mump, the alternative Glastonbury Tor where the ruined church atop the hill is more intact than its more famous cousin.
Sunday took us South. Having done the routes for Ripon and missed all the hills, I was pining for the mountains, so we visited Ham Hill Country Park (there’s a clue there) more ice creams, views and snoozing in the sun.
Two new member families attended and had a great time, and Henry was the fastest 5 year old on the back of a tandem, I’ve ever seen. Four were from the West Country group and the Molyneaux family came all the way from Suffolk.