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Returning by popular demand - Ferry across the Mersey - Wednesday 22nd July.
We will depart from Sutton Weaver swing bridge 09.00 prompt taking the usual route to the Pier Head Liverpool for the 11.00 ferry.
One big difference this year - ferry fares have considerably increased, Adult = £10.00, Concession £8.50 However there are day tickets available at £5.10 but need to be purchased in advance from newsagents and exchanged for tickets at the ferry. Thanks to Martin for some sterling research in finding these cheaper tickets and extra special thanks as he has volunteered to go ahead on the day to buy the tickets for the group (buying these credit card type tickets is a long winded process). Bring the correct cash to pay Martin.
I'LL BE THERE. Thanks for all your efforts Terry & Martin
Al Silver
Just booked the day off. Looked like fun last year - hopefully I'm fit!
Booked the day off! 🙂
I've booked the day off as well 😆
@AdyJapp wrote:
@JimW wrote:
I've booked the day off as well 😆
For the record. I hate you. >:-/
Now for an all inclusive and very friendy club That may be a bit strong when you really only mean JEALOUS ! 😆 I would hate for people to get the wrong impression, just coz your bitter 😆
Ah well. Just booked Friday off as well, just to make the working week more bearable!
Booked the day off, may come on my MTB 😮 😕
Cant make it now, Doh!!! 🙁
The weather looked okay for today, with some variable reports of rain and the like at varying times of the day!
A good sized group met at the swing bridge and two more joined us in Runcorn to make 17 as we took the usual route through Runcorn, over the bridge to Widnes, and then picked up the Trans-Pennine Trail through to Hale.
Onwards through to Aigburth where we met Martin who had very kindly cycled ahead to get plastic ‘passes’ for our ferry tickets (it’s a long story, see the forum post!).
We meandered down to Otterspool Prom, and along the quiet paths to the Albert Dock and the ferry terminal, where we got our boarding passes and without any delay, were onto the ferry. This year this was to be one of the newly painted ‘Dazzle Ferries’, decorated in honour of the original WW2 boats, used to confuse the enemy.
Fortunately, our journey was not interrupted by enemy aircraft or U-boats, and we were left to gaze out and have a brew.
We were soon at the terminal (barely enough time for Emily to finish her coffee), so a dash to the toilets was in order. Alan dashed a bit too fast and slid on his a**e, only denting his pride slightly. He was still in one piece, so we dis-embarked.
We were soon on our way and onto the coastal path. Up near Hoylake, we met some sand blown across the path. ‘I can ride through that’, I thought. Not considering a) the depth of the sand, b) my nice 23mm tyres and c) the fact that I was still on my big chainring, not condusive to momentum and fast pedalling through such a texture.
The inevitable happened, and two pedal strokes into the deep fesh-fesh (Google it), I come to an abrupt stop and keeled slowly over to my right, and lay on my side, soaking up the concern of the group (which oddly came in the form of the joyous abandon of rapturous laughter from one and all. Strange). Back up on my feet, I was a little more careful from then on. It had been a nice soft landing though.
Around the coast and we wended down the Wirral way where we soon found ourselves taking an interesting route, expertly navigated I might add, through Parkgate, to meet the rain. We stopped for ice-cream, then put our capes on instead and cracked on.
Off again, we exited Parkgate, and made another detour to pick up paths and roads down towards Burton Marshes. Our destination was to be the Mills, but we stopped at Net’s, then changed our minds, and went to the Mills (as a large group had just arrived and we were getting hungry).
Not long after, we had our first and only puncture of the day, and we decided to split up, with an advanced party whizzing through the lanes to get to the cafe. Soon there, we queued and ordered, and no sooner had we ordered, the rest of the party arrived, and we dined, in fine-style as usual on Anne’s best beans-on-toast (other lunch-time food is available).
From there, we took a more usual route in the warming afternoon sun (‘left at the Llamas’ as Emily directed), through Capenhurst, down the gated track, round the back of Chester Zoo, Wervin, Mickle Trafford, and back via the even more usual roads.
A great day out on the bike. Most did well over 80 miles, some more than 90 probably. Thanks to Terry for organising, and Martin for his advanced planning to save us quite a few quid on our ferry tickets. 🙂
Pictures along with the above text, on the web site at:
https://www.weavervalleycc.org.uk/ferry-across-the-mersey-ride-2015/
