Leaving Uxbridge in the bright sunshine (“10 minutes late” expostulated Cliff & Don) we swung west on the well known cycle track/pavement to circle under the M40 – through Bucks golf course and on under Denham station – first hill up to the airfield then a swooping run down Tilehouse Lane – second hill back up over the M25 and the normal route to Little Chalfont and Ozzies for coffee. Margaret declared UDI here choosing her own route to the Full Moon, we nine dropped like stones down to the Latimer Road and on to Chesham passing several old water mills. Through the middle of town (Stuart hadn’t recced the green route!) and north on the Bellingdon Road up one mother of a hill – great countryside now, open farming land, old cottages, clumps of daffodils dancing “O to be in England now that April’s here” well nearly here. One more steep descent & climb before the pub and Hawridge windmill – a famous picture of which by Gertier is on show in the Ashmolean at Oxford. Sam, the landlady, had arranged a table for ten and drinks were served to it – from a good selection of ales. Our lunch orders had been selected and phoned in ahead to save time; Eddy and Stuart’s choice of meal was served first: the four miniscule dabs of smoked trout, beetroot & horseradish looked lost on the plate and created some mirth – fortunately the other meals were of normal portion size averting a mass riot. We cycled west from the Full Moon to St Leonards to link up in reverse with John Macmillan’s excellent route of 2 weeks ago. Beautiful rolling country lanes. A quick stop to pose by the huge figurehead of Lord Howe (the ship was purchased in 1921 and her timbers used to build the famous Liberty store in London) We were all attempting to look as haughty as Howe for the photo when a young scion of the Liberty family drove her Chelsea tractor through us and smilingly asked if someone could “push her buttons” Ian & John responded with alacrity and the gate swung open. On heading south back towards Amersham when Eddy suffered a puncture – some dastard had tampered with the vital hand wiping rag and the miscreant will be found and punished! A democratic vote was taken to avoid the planned route through Coleshill so we zoomed home by well cycled routes with members peeling off at convenient points – only Michael & Stuart made it to the Falcon at Denham for a late afternoon “tea” stop and were sitting outside putting the world to rights over a Timothy Taylors when Bernie suddenly appeared having had to fix a puncture alone – we never leave anyone behind except at the end of a great day.