Allowed out ... day 2

Miles today: 219

Miles so far: 417

u-turns: none today!

ancient ruins: 2 but I blobbed out on one of them

Another glorious day of riding up the spine of the country, trying to avoid the major conurbations - with only partial success. Took forever to get round Leicester and Burton and when we got to Huddersfield it seems like the whole Pennines are built up.

But in-between and before and after we had some spectacular rides, and a catch up with an old friend.

In the morning we had headed off in the opposite direction to see the church rescued from the flooding of Rutland Water at Normanton. And still get back to the hotel in time for breakfast!

Then after negotiating the industrial heartlands of the east midlands and enjoying the relatively traffic free back roads of the Peak District we had a brief stop at the “Stonehenge of the North”. Takes a little imagination but it was atmospheric.

We then dashed to lunch with my oldest friend in Castleton in the Peaks. John and I have known each other since we were at primary school together in Barrow, shared a condemned house for a year at Liverpool University (which unbelievably is still standing 40 years later, while all around it disappears), and crossed paths many times since. Somehow we still haven’t managed to ski together, but there is still time! His daughters, Heather and Hannah joined us with their children and a damn fine afternoon was had by all while Rob and Eric explored Peverill Castle. Eventually they returned and reminded us that we still had half the mileage to gonad it wa s early 4pm. No change there then.

After that we had to negotiated our way around Huddersfield, Halifax and various other historical mill towns before we captured our second national park of the day, the Yorkshire Dales. A magnificent ride across the high moors from Skipton, via Grassington and Pateley Bridge to Masham found us eventually at our second hotel of the trip just after 8pm. We really do need to get in a bit earlier! Maybe tomorrow! But just look at these moors! I do have more pictures but I seem to be blessed wits rather crap WiFi at the moment so i will try to catch up later. And we really need to get to a hotel before 8 pm if i am to write much more of this dross!