After attracting only 3 riders last Sunday there was an air of expectation as Gollum was beaten out of his slumbers by Mrs Gollum very late this Sunday morning, 9th December 2007. The big hand was at 15 and the little one at 8 when he prised open his wrinkled viewports and squealed "why didn't you wake me earlier?!!" to She Who Must Be Obeyed.

Diving out of bed and straight into his riding clobber, he jammed a bowl of cereal down his scrawny neck and scrambled around looking for Camelbak, helmet and SPD shoes. He managed to get outside for 8.50 and set about uncovering the trailer from beneath a huge pile of leaves from every tree in the street as Autumn finally does arrive like we know it.

Looking up at the sky, the weather forecast seemed a little off this morning, as it was clear, calm and just a beautiful day. Glancing at the time again he even searched out a metre long chunk of pipe lagging to cover the new, as yet untried centre support on the trailer, so all was ready for the expected arrivals. He'd already moved the car to get the trailer hooked up and had left the engine running as he unshackled the gleaming CoilAir from it's resting place, so nothing to do now but wait in the cosy warmth of the GollyMobile®.

9:05 - no signs yet. 9:10 - rush back in the house for the latest MBR and MBUK magazines for the lads to read on the way up to Druridge Bay. 9:15 - still no activity along the street. 9:20 - the stark realisation that

a) people like their beds in cold weather

b) the Hatton-Mayweather fight was on last night

c) no-one's coming out today

The GollyMobe® text thingie beeped at about this time - it was Keith, sleepy head apologising for sleeping in, obviously thinking the rest of us were half way up the A19 by now. Well, if Keith ain't coming out, nobody is, so that was the signal to wrap it all up.

Golly had a superb hour-and-a-half's tour around the local trails, heading back to Holystone as the sky began to darken. Mrs Gollum was at the door to welcome him back, with his saw in one hand and stack of skirting boards in the other (Gollums have big hands) so he spent the rest of the day obeying orders, for once. Cheers, men!

picture coming tonight!!!

Keep watching and if you fancy a ride out with us, drop us a line here: bailout@midaircrisis.org.uk