The Whole Christmas Pie - 27th August 2011

Basingstoke Canal from Fleet to Ash, then road to Tongham, then picking up the Christmas Pie Trail. Same Route back.
Dist 38.98 miles 

Up early. A large bowl of muesli, a mug of coffee and three custard creams and I'm ready to trundle the 'Tank' along track and trail. 

Kingfisher country - Basingstoke Canal near Aldershot

At the second attempt to stick the so called 'signposted' trail I still managed to take a couple of wrong turns but was thankfully put right by a very helpful lady on a horse.

Unfortunately the ride was marred by the discovery of a load of fly-tipped rubbish literally dumped in the middle of the trail route. This is also a lane used by local motorists and there was a young lady in a car right behind me. We had to clear the smaller of the two piles of stuff (which included a kitchen sink) to enable her to drive on!

Fly tipping on the Trail!

Reached the end of the trail which ends up in a housing estate on the edge of Guildford and took the same route on the return. 

Weather much better today but the canal path was a mud bath!

Muddy Mech!

The Route

Commute Ride into Ealing - The morning after the riot. 9th August 2011

Not the usual end to my journey across Ealing Green and round to the Mall!

The pictures say it all really. I'm amazed I didn't get a puncture, there was so much glass on the roads. A tense and surreal day at work work. I'm glad they left Ealing Cycles alone.