Crew: El Pres, Slim, Butty, Dunc, Stunt
Pub: El Pres, Wangki, TJ
Route: Riverside CP, Bollin valley to Prestbury, Chelford Road, Finlow Hill Lane, Bradford Lane, Hocker Lane, Alderley Park – Churchill Tree.
Notes:
A Spunch, on a Thursday, in the Champagne Triangle? clearly an event not to be missed, and with early leadership from Dunc/Pete a decent chunk of the TNR regulars (and irregulars) are signed up for a countryside score with geofenced controls.
With the ride element being mainly a commute to and from Alderley Park there was a majority curly handlebar turnout, although TBF Butty’s was singlespeed. Fearing for the worst on the Tarmac the MTB duo were pleasantly suprised to find that the superior gearing meant that they were 1&2 topping out on Chelford road (although valiant effort from Butty).
Of course we could also do the fun of Bradford lane – which we did, and still beat the two gravel bikes to the pub/start point (as they got a little lost).
We chat with Ginny who has finished, and other McDermotts have been seen on the way in. Jane had been and gone on the 60 min version. Plenty of folk across many demographics already out and about (140 folk on the night!)
So on a fine evening we are checked in, marked for Maps, and sent off to the start and begin the cunning running fun. Soon we are five solo “runners” on our own adventures, and 90 minutes later we are back sipping pints and comparing notes.
Butty pulls a muscle early doors (was it the singlespeed earlier?) but does get a good picture of the dirty back end of a tractor – will it make the Spunch photo competition shortlist? (probably not)
Funky gets a creditable 27 controls as our resident regular runner, Stunt (making the best of local knowledge got 25), none of us the the league of Mark McD who was sixth, with winner had 44!
Heading inside for food, El Pud joins us, and introduces us to Wang Ki! A nice lad who has ended up in Bolton from Hong Kong, fair to say it was not the time to explain english pronunciation 🙂 but we had a nice chat before he had to head off early to catch a train.
El Pud is also quizzed about the 3 Words start point and overflow car park references….took.chum.bonnet and congested.rivals.reapply both felt rather less than random – he claims total innocence!
Tonights fare – Small Fish n Chips is the new black, Dunc’s Buddah bowl looked a great choice, Cruzcampo and Timmy Taylors Boltmaker the pick of the beers. The Churchill tree (formerly the Sir James Black conference centre as AZ, and originally the Tenants Barn of the Stanley Estate) has been nicely converted and probably does well with Ladies who lunch, as well as the runners who spunch.
TJ makes a late appearance, brings tales of tick tock farting gorilla videos, and a welcome van assist home for Butty.
The rest of us muster stiff legs and extra layers into a cool but not cold evening for a reverse commute home.
Great event and nice variety.