Sadly today is the day of John Pool’s funeral. The short ride going to Chalfont St Peter to attend the church service the long ride to attend the interment at Amersham Crematorium in the afternoon.
Alan led Sandra, John W, John Mac, Paul, Steve C, Dave B, and myself out of Uxbridge around New Denham to Holybush Lane en route to Chalfont St Peter for elevenses at the Church Hall. After coffee,tea and cake we ascended Gold Hill and around the common before heading through Layters Green and descending down Mumford Lane to the A40 Oxford Road which was followed until Potkiln Lane. We followed the aforementioned lane turning onto Longbottom Lane en route to Beaconsfield. Alan led us through some quiet residential roads to Forty Green Lane and so to our lunch stop at The Royal Standard of England. This freehouse claims to be one of the oldest alehouses in the country and it being a fine day we lunched al fresco in the garden.
After a longish lunch we headed off to Penn then down to Penn Bottom, along Gravelly Lane, and on to Penn Street. There followed a pleasant ride through Winchmore Hill to Coleshill where being ahead of schedule we popped into The Red Lion, where John had led us in the past, for more refreshment before dropping down to the Crematorium arriving just after 15:00. Shortly after we were joined we were joined by John’s family and friends including more Loiterers for a short service of interment.
Having paid our respects we headed of on a fast ride (it was for me) to Chalfont St Peter Community Hall to attend the wake after which we made our way back to Uxbridge via Gerrards Cross with the group dispersing on the way.