Roving Ringers

August started with a week in Buckinghamshire - Mike on Roving Ringers tour based at the Redfield Centre in Winslow, while I had accommodation booked in Great Horwood two miles away. I was lending my bike to Louise so we put it on the back of the car using the bike rack.  We picked up the keys from my cottage and then went over to the Redfield Centre where we discovered my back wheel had buckled on the journey!  So I unpacked Mike's stuff and then we drove to a bike shop in Aylesbury (10 miles away).  Luckily they had a wheel in stock so we left it there and I drove back to the pub where we unpacked the bike and we had lunch.  Then Mike went off on his bike and Louise and I went to Great Horford to drop off my luggage.  Then I took her to the second tower and waited for her - and then we both went back to the bike shop to pick up the bike.  I got back to the cottage about 6 pm - not quite the first day of my holiday I had had planned. I took Suki for a short walk and then went back for some supper.  My room was on the ground floor and very light and airy although somewhat full of beds!  It had a small shower, and a toilet next door.  I was pleased to find that the TV had a usb slot so I was able to watch many episodes of John Deed which Sam had downloaded for me when I was in Majorca. Although the lady was quite pleasant I felt her husband did not like Suki very much - and they were forever popping in which of course made Suki bark.  On Sunday I did a lot of cross stitching in the afternoon and then went for a 6-mile circular walk in the evening as it was a very hot day.  I got back and had a shower and put my pyjamas on - and then bingo in walks the husband!  The same happened the next day - he came in about 8 pm to greet a new resident and told suki off for barking.   I was cooking myself some pasta at the time so brought her in to the kitchen to keep her quiet - and the next day I was asked to keep her out of the kitchen!  I wasn't very happy there and I was really quite relieved when I had to cut the week short to take Suki to the vets - see separate blog on Suki.

On Monday I set off early - because I had been asked to move my car by 8.30! - and spent most of the day at Salcey Forest which was lovely.  We did a 6 mile circuit and hardly saw anyone.  Then I ate my sandwiches and had a flask of coffee before going back to the room to do more cross stitching.  On Tuesday I went for a walk in Rushmere Park which was near to the final tower of the day, as I was picking up the chair, plus Louise and my bike.  I also ended up taking Becky back, who was not feeling well, and Ann's bike - so that she could go on the tandem with Hal.  It was difficult to plot exactly where I was in the park, so at one point I used my OS Locate App to good effect - it worked really well.  Suki was by then sitting down constantly to lick and the walk was somewhat fraught for us both.  I went home on Tuesday night to go to the vets on Wednesday morning, then I went to Wendover Woods on Wednesday afternoon for a walk before meeting up with Mike at Stoke Mandeville church to take the chair back to the centre.  This time I took Penny and her bike back as she was tired and going down with a cold.  I had a nice long chat to Jayne on the phone and she was very supportive about suki and helped console me and cheer me up.  I went and packed up all my things and went home that evening.  Mike was fine the rest of the week - he cycled over 200 miles and when I picked him up on Saturday afternoon he looked fit and well.

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