Arrived in Yarmouth early afternoon on Friday with Locky so we checking in to the B&B (excellent and very nice couple running it) and then checked in to one of the local Inns to sample a local brew or three. Hampshire's Witchcraft sampled we then made our way to The Bugle to be hailed by a bronzed Ian and Jo both looking sickeningly tanned and healthy.
Everyone gradually arrived, greetings swapped and then to dinner. I know Adrian will be disappointed to hear that pie portions are down on last year but still more than enough to sate a Munnery appetite
. Finest Ringwood 49er and inane chit-chat completed a cultured evening 
.Carb loading the night before the ride.
[img]http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/andrewgreen23/1431Buglenight1.jpg[/img]
The following morning and the potentially horrendous weather was keeping itself at a respectful distance and we all lined up for the off.
[img]http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/andrewgreen23/1435Teamphoto.jpg[/img]
The majority of us left as one body to spread a long yellow streak down the coastal road. In the main we were riding away from the rain with it trying to catch us up. It did for a brief shower but just as it started to get a bit too damp Mike nipped ahead to stop and put on his rain cape, this instantly stopping the rain
.It was mighty windy but a lot of it was behind us so we were bowling along quite nicely. When we turned from time to time and it was a side wind there was the odd moment when it grabbed the front wheel and tried to chuck you in the field but even the lighter members of our party managed to avoid being thrown in to any sheep. Sadly the strong wind on the descents wasn't Snoop's cup of tea so he retreated for shelter
.It is worth noting that Apples decided after lunch that he wasn't going to need the pork pies he'd brought with him so jettisoned them in a bin. It was therefore with much mirth when we met up in the evening to hear that he'd bonked to emergency petrol station stop proportions when the pace wound up on the final run in
.The East Cowes Chain Ferry break - Did it happen? Or sorts. PVT put in a dig at the start of a hill, yes you read that right, which was all the invitation Huw needed
. He jumped off the front and was hotly pursued by Paul Dewis, two now down the road and I was slipping on the climb. Mike eased by and latched on to form a threesome up the road. Jon then came by and started to gradually reel them in, with the rise now over it was head down arse up and after Jon. Didn't quite manage to latch on but Jon was only 100 metres off them and I was 100 behind him as we arrived to find the timing was wrong and the ferry wasn't there so we had to wait.The final run back along the long road in to Yarmouth and the stupidity kicked in. Dig after dig after dig from just about everyone, with someone else diving after them and two and threes clawing them back. Just as you got there another one kicked, you swore, your legs screamed, and repeat, and repeat, and repeat. When Keith joined in and gave his first dig everyone looked at each other and universally said an unspoken, "not my turn to chase, you can do it"
. Final knocking had Keith, Huw, Paul D (super strong all day), and Mike up the road having gone on a nasty drag, Jon chasing them down, and me chasing Jon. Bloody hard work in to the head wind (and the only real rain we had but only on the last few miles) but great fun and rather happy to be putting in a more spirited performance this year with some legs that were actually working.Change of venue for evening 2 as The Bugle had a party in there. No bad thing as we went to the bar Mark and I had first gone to on Friday. Great food and the lovely Witchcraft which we drank them dry of during the course of the evening, fortunately they had a fine reserve
.More inane chit-chat and much merriment. A jazz band set up and started playing so we switched to bellowing at each other and having great fun trying to initiate the inappropriately placed and random clapping that chin stroking music seems to come with.
Chucking out time and we moved on....
A quality night from start to finish and a superb weekend. Nipped in to the deli before leaving to get another "hand reared pork pie", which they'd manged to round up from the field presumably where they roam free, which is now top of the pork pie tree.
Roll on IoW 2009
.Locky joins in with the jazz appreciation
[img]http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/andrewgreen23/1445night2Markchinscratch.jpg[/img]
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I rather like the roads the official route takes - and I think it might have been flatter and more sheltered but never mind, Guru Paul had decided... 
