ok so we try it out

The most important thing for a young baby is sleep, as any responsible mother will tell you. I don't mean sleep for the baby, I mean sleep for the parents! Saturday morning is no different. After a little too much sauce the night before, trying to drag my self out of bed on a saturday morning at the crack of dawn, (8 am is early by anyone's standards on a Saturday!), well it was no joke I can tell you.

Trying to persuade Kai that he needed to be dressed wasn't really a problem, I am not convinced he actually undressed before going to bed last night, and his younger brother Luke seems to have an unfailing ability to avoid getting dressed until the last possible moment.

The worst of the lot though, on this occasion, was Rose. (And she's gonna slap me when she reads this, but it is true!) Trying to pursuade Rose and Jasmine out of bed was an ordeal in its own right.

Anyhow... to cut an epic story to the length of a short novel...

We had arrfanged to meet a fella at the car park of Jansell House in Stopsley. Every one knows this place, its one of those buildings that seems to have survived since time immemorial. And it used to house the VATMAN!!!!

A quick look at the map, being careful to make it look as though I know what I'm doing, and we're all off.

Now, the first of these little lanes was just that, a simple little track that gently wound its way past a farmhouse and down past Putteridgebury College. Ending up at Lilley Bottom, where it crossed the road and continued toward Offley. This second section was a little more laney than the first, narrow in places and bouncing the car just enough to have the boys shouting in glee and Saffron, our 14 year old resident expert on everything in the world living or dead, (don't worry I'm told they know nothing by the time they reach 20), straining to avoid weeing on the back seat and contaminating the packed lunch... At least I am assuming she succeeded, maybe that's why we felt a little ill today... anyway best not go there!

The second of our lanes was in Lilley. Now you gotta admit its a strange thing whena cyclist, who does not wish to encounter a motor vehicle, goes out of his way to use one of the very few lanes in the area that welcomes motor vehicles. In fact when he had to get off his bicycle I politely wound down the window and thanked the chap.

He was most abusive, hurling accusations that we had ruined the path (did no one tell him this isn't a path its a byway?) but as usual, he felt he was above such distinctions. Preumably couldn't tell the difference between a 4 x 4 and a tractor either. Ah well... perhaps he was riding his bicycle because he couldn't get a driving license.

By and large people were courteous, though disapproving or non responsive to our cries of "Good Morning" through the open windows. Can't imagine why...

Anyhow, tripped off down to Whitwell. Some really nice first timer lanes there, even found a lane that called itself a highway, (Don't tell the ramblers! they'll keel over nad have a little pissy fit party all of their own!).

All in all we had four hours of great fun, a terrific guide who is planning to explore Ashridge with us next weekend, a few points where I thought we would get stuck but no... the Shogun got through, and finished off with a trip through a ford wonderful.

An so we continue... I'll try to get some photos or something up in here and maybe a few maps of the lanes we visit.

C