Richy
Ian M
Ian A
Ian B
Mick
Stewart
Paul
Justin
Alex
Matt
Keith
Tony
Jay
Stian
Johan
Gollum

That's the easy bit. Trying to remember where we went and who suffered on Thursday 1st October 2009 is another matter altogether as I sit here on the following Tuesday night with guest writer Speedian unable to find time. He's my memory cell and if that doesn't work we're stuffed! At least he sent me the list of riders present, thanks Ian.

Out for their maiden voyages tonight were Johan and Justin (but I'm not too sure it WAS Justin's first ride!) so a hearty welcome to them both. It began to get dark very nicely for us as soon as we left the Cave around 19:10, so the lights were already on by the time we got along the road to Holystone Farm.

Familiar ground was covered along the old railway embankment over Killingworth Moor up to the Cramlington Waggonway and on through those tricky bushes to Hillheads, followed by the blast down past the tower at Burradon House. Ian B led the party through the long, bumpy grass as we took the quick but dodgy way to Seghill where a relatively new "secret" trail of ours saw us emerge at Seghill Bridge.

More singletrack took us on to Mummy Hill with its brilliant, closed-in skinny allowing us to barrel it in the dry conditions on this beautiful autumn night. Yet again Ma Nature retains her honorary membership of MidAirCrisis as we near the completion of another (almost) totally dry year on the bikes. Miraculous. Or brilliant planning. You decide.

Now I'm in trouble trying to remember any further than this so I'll probably leave it at that. If any of you kind souls would care to fill in the blanks just e-mail me, terry@midaircrisis.org.uk and I'll add your spiel onto the end of this.

Very confused recollections of the Newsham Tree Line coming through, or was that another ride?

Oh - Jay returned to the fold, using Jason's old candles which flickered their death knell after about half an hour.

It wasn't a particularly leisurely ride.

We got separated at East Crammy. Golly searched the woods while the "lost" souls turned up behind him!

We got slightly "lost" around Laverock!

The horses bolted!!!

We had our food stop in the park in the dark at Delaval.

We kept losing people along the way (as they turned off for home).

I got to ride over that crazy roundabout at Holystone/A19 for the first time.

We all survived. Home about 22:10 (another guesstimation).