APRIL FOOL RUN

Clearwell Caves

8.00am and my alarm goes off, but to be honest I’ve been awake for hours! It’s here! At long last it’s here! This years April Fools run, the start of the season, had been a flaming long time coming and as I leave the house, my fingers are crossed that the rain will ease off and that the turn out will be good….I needn’t have worried on either score!

Our destination was Clearwell Caves but there was obviously a lot of hand shaking, hugging and the drinking of coffee to be done, before we got there. Some of us hadn’t seen each other since 2011 Fat Ladies and some even before that…but within seconds it was like we’d never been apart. Somerset met at Gordano, complete with Cheryl in her white bunny outfit (sorry no picky available) but there’s definitely something worrying about a grown woman feeling comfortable in a white baby grow with ears and a tail…..well it was Easter I suppose. Her trike had broken down but cadging a lift with Tonker, I swear I saw a hint of relief in his eyes, when she offered to take it off.

Moving onto Severn View services, it was lovely to see some bikes already there, more hand shaking, more hugging and more coffee to be drunk before stands went up at around 11.00am.

31 bikes carrying 37 people from numerous walks of life, with different values, political stances and personalities, brought together because of their passion to be a part of something that only those that are a part of it would understand.   I found myself grinning under my helmet, as the sun shone and we did our best to wake up the sleepy villagers of the Forest of Dean with revving engines, clunking gears and popping exhausts. There really isn’t anything else like it is there?

Arriving at Clearwell, Mark J duly shot down the hill to the box office, to announce our arrival and we all were treated to a guided tour of the caves, by a keen volunteer complete with miners hat and lamp.

I felt quite sorry for her at one point it, you know what we’re like…it must have been like trying to control a bunch of adolescent school kids going through puberty.

We learnt that things were very hard for the miners in years gone by, crawling around on their hands and knees, not being able to see more than a few inches in front of their noses….sounded familiar to me?…I’m sure I’ve seen more than a few of us in that state over the years.

At one stage we thought we caught a glimpse of a Troll that lived in the caves.

But we were told that was impossible, because they were all dead.

No day would be complete without tea, cakes and sarnies,

before taking the long way back to Severn View Services and our respective routes home (Some much longer routes than others).

Another fab April Fools under our belts…another season of being part of the scrumpy family ahead and I for one…just can’t wait!!

If you couldn’t be with us, you were definitely missed. Try to join us next time the family go out to play.

Ride safe everyone

Linda x