Severine's shoes are dry at last. The day before yesterday we had heavy hail and wind for about ten minutes, with a hail-drift in our porch, which is a first for us. So much for any plans to get any exercise that day.
Then yesterday, it was fine and sunny, so we decided to cycle to friends at Manningtree. Come hell or high water, we were going to get our exercise, after days of poor weather. Well the fires of hell were unlikely in November, but we had plenty of high water. Although Big Swifty had allowed for all the puddles on the route, he forgot about the journey coinciding with a high tide. So his "avoiding the traffic" off-road route across the Colne valley involved crossing Haven Road and using Clingoe Hill subway, both prone to flooding after heavy rain, when combined with a high tide. Sure enough the tide-flap valves were closed, and we had four inches of water. Not a problem at Haven Road as we could freewheel across, but at the subway we had to pedal, as our momentum wouldn't take us the 30 yards under the road. Severine's shoes and trouser bottoms got soaked, mine only on one side as I adopted a one-legged pedalling technique.
Nevertheless, we enjoyed our ride out into the autumn sun across the becalmed plains of Tendring to Lawford. And shoes can always be dried.
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