Forty five very slow, very enjoyable, reasonably painful but pleasantly productive miles. The pair set off at 0900 and returned home just on 1800.

Route took us through Backworth and the Tip again before heading over to Hartley. On the way out of there after unearthing more hidden delights for future rides we called in at Terry H's place of work at Seaton Delaval and caught up with him for a chat. He's OK and looking great but still not back to full fitness, though he's getting some bike miles in with his mate Dave.

Ian chose that spot to have a puncture break. Then we hit the chippy at Seaton Sluice and sat below the dunes burning our faces in the hot midday sunshine. Sure there's a song in there somewhere.

We took the dune run up to Blyth, did the riverside on both banks, cut north and did the same around Sleek Burn before moving west and getting lost aside the A189. Then we crossed it and headed over to Bedlington before plunging down to the riverside for a long, leisurely break in the even hotter afternoon sun at Furnace Bridge where we found ourselves quite unwilling to do anything but lounge around. When we realised we'd come out without sunscreen we continued upstream, following it more-or-less all the way to Plessey Woods.

With the Visitor Centre shut and Terry out of water we shuffled along to Cramlington and got fresh supplies at the garage next to the Garden Centre, then used the bike paths through Crammy to get down to the Bay Horse, into the fields, down to Seghill again and home via Backworth. Brilliant ride, loved every minute of it. If I never did another ride at all, this would be a great one to bow out on.