# White rose classic...... general cheering up needed.



## andyfromotley (20 Apr 2008)

Hi Guys,

am doing the WRC (short option) to get fit, lose weight.... yada yada yada.

Despite being a million miles away from where i was when i started training, am still a million miles away from where i want to be. Did 38 miles to Burnsall this morning but the hills are KILLING me, and theyre nowhere near as big as the ones on the course.
apart from first 10lbs, weight remains steadfastly around middle!!!

Cheer me up and tell me i'll do it, coz for the first time i am beggining to doubt myself. 

andy


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## ColinJ (20 Apr 2008)

Okay - _Andy, you'll do it!_

My climbing hasn't been great since I put weight on, but I can still get over virtually anything in the North of England without walking because I've got adequately low gears on my Basso. I've down-geared to a 52/39/30 triple chainset and use a 14-28 cassette. If you don't have gears approaching that low, I'd strongly recommend that you get your setup changed. It will make your cycling much more pleasurable so you'll hit the hills more often, which will get you fitter, which will help you lose weight, which will mean... that you could switch back to your original gearing! If you already have ultra low-gears... er, you just need to keep on riding until it gets easier.


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## andyfromotley (20 Apr 2008)

Hi Col.................. errrrrrrmmm....... granny ring fitted and abused i'm afraid!

Plus as you live in *Hebden Bridge* .............please tell me that there is at least one hill in that town that you cant get up or i really will kill myself. My car weeps when we arrive there!

thanks for the encouragement though

andy


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## ColinJ (20 Apr 2008)

Okay then... I have managed to get up _Mytholm Steeps_ a few times, but have also been forced to dismount on other occasions - last year's _Pain in the Pennines_ being one. I think I could just have cleared the 25% section but it was very wet and I was afraid to stand for fear of my rear wheel sliding out. That's where picture 24 in this collection was taken. I uploaded the pictures in the wrong sequence, so if you want to view as a slideshow, go to the last picture and play the slideshow backwards. Even very fit guys found that hill tough!


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## Disgruntled Goat (20 Apr 2008)

Andy, I would like to say it's ok but I won't. The WRC is a beast and will hurt you if you are not prepared.

Why not opt for one of the shorter routes - they are still challenging and they will set you up nicely for next year.


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## andyfromotley (20 Apr 2008)

ohhhhhhhhhhhhh bugger


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## ASC1951 (20 Apr 2008)

ColinJ said:


> Okay then... I have managed to get up _Mytholm Steeps_ a few times,


Where's that, then, Colin? The only candidate I can see on Tracklogs is the climb from Luddenden up Tower Hill, so I assume it's on a backroad the OS doesn't put gradient arrows on.

Just so that I can pedal over there, look at the bottom 100 yards, and slink back home to Leeds.


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## ColinJ (20 Apr 2008)

ASC1951 said:


> Where's that, then, Colin? The only candidate I can see on Tracklogs is the climb from Luddenden up Tower Hill, so I assume it's on a backroad the OS doesn't put gradient arrows on.
> 
> Just so that I can pedal over there, look at the bottom 100 yards, and slink back home to Leeds.


There are some nice steep climbs round Luddenden. The National Hill Climb championships have been held there.

_Mytholm Steeps_ is the local name for the climb up to Blackshaw Head from the A646 just on the Todmorden side of Hebden Bridge. You can see the start of it in picture 1, Church Lane is the name of the road. It's tough at the bottom, probably about 15%, but if you have a go, be sure to pace yourself - there is a 25% stretch halfway up! Beyond that it feels relatively easy compared to what you have just done, though there is still a fair climb up to the village above.

Here it is on Multimap.


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## andyfromotley (21 Apr 2008)

errmmmmmmm .. hello ....... the title was 'cheer me up' !!!!


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## Tim Bennet. (21 Apr 2008)

> but if you have a go, be sure to pace yourself


Well that rules it out for ASC1951 - he's genetically wired to be incapable of pacing. Something to do with "we never got an empire through pacing...." etc.

But Andy: perhaps you need to take a more long term approach to this? Keep riding, keep eating less (the key to weight loss) and you will eventually get better at hills. If this improvement doesn't coincide with your set targets, perhaps it's the targets that were unrealistic?

But don't beat yourself up over it. Break it down into smaller, more easily measurable improvements. Tackle each bit in turn. One thing to check if your weight is remaining constant is that you haven't upped your calorie intake because all the exercise is giving you an appetite! It's easily done.


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## ColinJ (21 Apr 2008)

andyfromotley said:


> errmmmmmmm .. hello ....... the title was 'cheer me up' !!!!


Okay Andy, I'll have one last go. You've asked for it, but please forgive the length of this post. I've told the story before online, but I hope it helps to motivate you!

I cycled as a child but got my bike nicked from the school bike sheds and that was that until...

[Fast forward to 1989] I had an office job, spent all day sat in front of a computer, got a lift to and from work. The only exercise I got was walking up and down stairs at home, and the stroll to and from my mate's car in the company car park. I piled the weight on until I reached 16 st 5 lbs. One day we pulled up at the car park and our usual spot was occupied. We ended up at the wrong end of the car park and I started whingeing about the 'long walk' to the office block. Suddenly, a thunderstorm broke out, and we were getting blasted by torrential rain. My mate was a skinny guy 25 years older than me and he took off like a scalded cat. I tried running after him but my legs were turning to jelly and I was gasping for breath. I had to slow to a walking pace. 

Eventually, I squelched my way into the office block. I was so out of breath that it took me minutes to climb a few flights of stairs to my floor. By the time I got to my desk I was red-faced and completely knackered. My nearing-retirement-age mate was looking relaxed sitting at his desk working. He'd had time to make himself a cup of coffee and boot his PC by the time I got there. I had to face facts - I was 33 years old and terribly unfit; my lifestyle was slowly killing me...

I decided that something had to be done. I'd heard about a new craze imported from the USA, called _Mountain Biking_. It sounded fun. Well, here in West Yorkshire there aren't many mountains but there are hundreds of big hills! Bridleways all over the place. Perhaps I'd get an MTB? I decided to try one out first so I went to see a guy who had MTBs for hire. I looked forward to the day of my first MTB ride, but when it came to it there were several problems:

(1) The bike I hired was awful. It weighed about 40 lbs and nothing worked properly. The gears kept slipping and the brakes hardly slowed me down.

(2) It was a really hot summer day. I got sunburnt and really dehydrated.

(3) As I said above - I was 33 years old and terribly unfit!

The ride almost killed me and put me right off mountain biking. 

I watched the Tour de France on TV that July and decided that a skinny-tyred racer was what I really needed. I got on the train and went to Harry Hall's famous bike shop in Manchester. A few hours later I came back with a nice new red racing bike. I jumped on it at Hebden Bridge station, wondering whether all the stuff I'd read about modern bikes was true. 10 seconds later I knew the answer! I hadn't ridden a road bike since I was a teenager and this machine was vastly better than the bikes I'd had then, and compared to the MTB tractor I'd suffered recently - it was like it had a motor - fantastic!

Still, in reality, I was the motor and once I got off the flat valley roads, I had your problem Andy - the hills were killing me! You think you suffer uphill - read my story of The Trauma of Trawden! I had a long way to go...

I stuck at it and things got better. At times, it was hard work, but here I am in my 50s, fitter than I was aged 33. I did the ride of my life last summer, if you want to know more, read Hebden Bridge to Coventry by bicycle.

I've been complaining recently about being 'unfit' after a long winter layoff, but I'm going to jump on my bike this evening and go out on the hills for a couple of hours with some mates and I know that I'll be okay. It takes time to build up fitness, but it also takes time to lose it.

I've even grown to love mountain biking too, but it took riding a decent MTB to get me interested again.

Andy, if I can do it, you can too! It takes time and hard work, but it is worth it - keep on pedaling! _ What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger_.

*PS* The first time I went up _Mytholm Steeps_, I fell off my bike on the steep section. I lay in the road still attached to my bike as cars full of giggling children drove past me. I decided that I'd got a bit ahead of myself and avoided the climb for a while but when I was ready I went back and bagged the beast.


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## andyfromotley (21 Apr 2008)

wow.cool story. Thats much more the inspirational type of stuff i had in mind.
thanks
andy


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## ASC1951 (21 Apr 2008)

ColinJ said:


> _Mytholm Steeps_ is the local name for the climb up to Blackshaw Head from the A646 just on the Todmorden side of Hebden Bridge.


Ah, got it. God, it looks hideous. Even worse than Park Rash and that stinker from Lofthouse over to Masham, both of which made my eyes water last year.

I think I may have done it years ago on an MTB - descending. I might have to train up.


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## ColinJ (22 Apr 2008)

ASC1951 said:


> Ah, got it. God, it looks hideous. Even worse than Park Rash and that stinker from Lofthouse over to Masham, both of which made my eyes water last year.
> 
> I think I may have done it years ago on an MTB - descending. I might have to train up.


I climbed Park Rash in autumn 2006 and I think that was harder. When I get to the steep section of the Steeps, I think that I can just about do it but I _might_ have to stand. When I looked up Park Rash, I gulped and got straight out of the saddle without even thinking about it and I normally climb sitting down. There were a lot of sightseers about and they looked gobsmacked to see someone riding up the climb on a bike. I even got spontaneous applause from one family. I just smiled at them, shook my head and said "I think I'm getting too old for this!"

Here's a picture, _not_ of me, taken on an 'easier' section of Park Rash, higher up. The bottom bit is the real killer!







I did Park Rash on a 200 km route of my own choosing. It was spectacularly hard but rewarding - Hebden Bridge, Oxenhope, Haworth, Oakworth, Lane Ends, Broughton, Gargrave, Grassington, Kettlewell, *Park Rash!*, Coverdale, East Witton, Abbey Hill, Leighton, descent to Lofthouse (I remember thinking that it looked tough on the way down!), Pateley Bridge, Craven Moor, Grassington, Burnsall, Bolton Abbey, Addingham, Silsden, Steeton, Keighley, Haworth, Oxenhope, Pecket Well (was going to descend to HB there but realised I'd be short of my 200 km target so I diverted...) Old Town, Midgley, Luddenden Foot, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge. Phew!!!


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## andyfromotley (23 Apr 2008)

colin... wil you marry me?


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## Crackle (23 Apr 2008)

Don't take any notice of ColinJ, he's actually a fallen devil trying to get you to kill yourself 

No but seriously, that is inspirational stuff ColinJ.

I can't add anything Andy, except to say I find hills pretty hard. Even as I get fitter I still find them hard all that happens though is that I can do more of them in succession. Just make sure you've got some gears in reserve for the end of your ride.


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## Crackle (23 Apr 2008)

I read a good thread on hillclimbing on yacf, see reply 24 in particular.


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## ColinJ (23 Apr 2008)

I'm fitter now than I ever thought I'd be when I first started, but the funny thing is - the fitter I get, the fitter the people I seem to meet! 

Speed - I couldn't cope with the pace of even a 4th cat race.

As for distance - when I started doing 200 km audax rides, that was a big thing for me, but I met people who saw them as merely training for 300s, 400s, 600s, or even the 1200 km Paris-Brest-Paris. One guy told me that he didn't bother doing many 200s any more because he no longer found them challenging...

I came to the conclusion that ultra-distance** wasn't for me. I get too many aches and pains and I don't enjoy riding in the dark. Also - I want to have a life outside cycling. I have decided to do more sportives and try to improve my speed, and especially my climbing.

It is important to not be discouraged by those fitter than yourself. I did _The Pendle Pedal _last year and came 191st out of 196 finishers but I'm not ashamed of that and just look at it as a target to beat. I'd like to be in the top half of the field this year, and maybe go for a decent time next year.

Andy - set yourself challenging but achievable targets. Work hard to get to that level, and then raise your sights for the next target. I'm organising a 50 mile forum ride in the Forest of Bowland for one of the last two weekends in June. It will be hilly, but the scenery is great. We will ride at the pace of the slowest rider, which is often mine! If you fancy coming along, how about making that your target for early summer?

** My definition of ultra-distance is anything much beyond about 200 miles or maybe 300 km. I know that I could cope with 300 km and it is doable in daylight hours in the summer.


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## ColinJ (24 Apr 2008)

Tim Bennet. said:


> Well that rules it out for ASC1951 - he's genetically wired to be incapable of pacing. Something to do with "we never got an empire through pacing...." etc.


Hey ASC1951 - I've replied to your PM about my Bowland ride... You'd be quite welcome to attack every hill we come to as long as you wait for me at the top !


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## Disgruntled Goat (7 May 2008)

How are things going Andy?


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## Disgruntled Goat (7 May 2008)

I was signed up to do the 185km but as I have only been on my bike for half a dozen times this year, I will be doing the short route.


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## ColinJ (7 May 2008)

ColinJ said:


> I'm fitter now than I ever thought I'd be when I first started...


Oh dear - that remark has come home to haunt me! I had a long time off the bike over the winter and piled the weight on but I didn't realise how much fitness I'd lost. I cycled over to Huddersfield on April 27th to do the Kirklees Sportive, then cycled back again afterwards and it was 105 miles of hilly Yorkshire torture ! As for not getting off on hills - my back went into spasms on the steep climb to Wessenden Head from Meltham and from Holme Moss on I had to get off every 10 minutes or so to stretch it.

Looks like I'm back in the same boat as you now Andy! I've done it before so I know that I can do it again, I'm just annoyed with myself for letting myself go. 

Right, the sun is shining - I'm off out for a couple of hours - byeee .


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## andyfromotley (16 May 2008)

right hjave now got back from 3 week training course, no cycling but lots of running....... interested to to see if that helps or hinders my cycling.

Anyway will now get down to serious last minute work......if i move its on that chuffing bike. People are gonna think that spesh is welded to my arse!

Bring it on!!

Phew... i think i need to lie down

Andy.

Col glad to see i have brought you down to my level....sooner than i thought too!


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## ASC1951 (17 May 2008)

ColinJ said:


> Hey ASC1951 - I've replied to your PM about my Bowland ride... You'd be quite welcome to attack every hill we come to as long as you wait for me at the top !


Tim's absolutely right - I am genetically incapable of pacing. Ditto chainganging. I go as fast as I can for as far as I can and always have done.

I should point out that "as fast as I can" is not very fast, so I am not going to be waiting for anyone at the top of any hills. Anyway, all you need to do is ease past me 2-3mph faster uphill and I will blow up after 100 yards trying to keep up; I just can't help myself. Think Jack Russell in Sumo suit.

I can do the Forest of Bowland ride if it's on the 28-29th weekend, but probably not the weekend before because 21 June is now the likely date for a caving club dinner in Barbondale.


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## ColinJ (17 May 2008)

ASC1951 said:


> I should point out that "as fast as I can" is not very fast, so I am not going to be waiting for anyone at the top of any hills. Anyway, all you need to do is ease past me 2-3mph faster uphill and I will blow up after 100 yards trying to keep up; I just can't help myself. Think Jack Russell in Sumo suit.


In my current state, if I was riding 3 mph faster than you uphill, you'd have to be standing next to your bike !



ASC1951 said:


> I can do the Forest of Bowland ride if it's on the 28-29th weekend, but probably not the weekend before because 21 June is now the likely date for a caving club dinner in Barbondale.


I think I need all the time I can get to prepare myself so the 28th or 29th sounds good. 

Having suffered so badly on that Kirklees ride, I might choose to be sensible and miss out the hills on the first part of my extended FoB ride. The less interesting, but more sensible option would be to use the valley roads to get to the start in Whalley. Mind you - I have nearly 6 weeks to get fitter and I'd like to do my original route if I feel up to it.


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## andy_wrx (19 May 2008)

'Pain in the Pennines' going to live up to its name then Col ?


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## ColinJ (20 May 2008)

andy_wrx said:


> 'Pain in the Pennines' going to live up to its name then Col ?


I'm actually considering being sensible and not doing it ! It turns out that I injured my right leg on the Kirklees Sportive. When I was grovelling round I felt a twinge in the top of my right thigh. It didn't hurt much for a couple of days but then it got really sore and it has been giving me grief on and off ever since. I went for a single-speed ride on Sunday from Coventry to Towcester and the damn leg went again on a small hill; I'm only talking about 400 metres of 5% but I was forced to dismount and walk - the shame! How on earth am I going to cope with the likes of Mytholm Steeps ... I might have a go at the shorter event instead but even that might be too much unless the leg has improved by then .


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## andyfromotley (5 Jun 2008)

hi guys........... lift off minus 3 days, am still pretty nervous, having done some of the course i have only one aim, to finish! 

I know i am not yet fit enough for this but hey ho, i think that if i pace myself, take the hills easy and remain positive i could do it. So if you see me i will be the one huffing puffing and never taking my turn at the front cheer me on.

Good luck to the rest of you. Those doing the long route, chapeau.

andy


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## ianfromleeds (6 Jun 2008)

hey andy dont worry ,you proberbly wont be the
last to finishme and my mate are doing the 50
and we are slow,iam starting to wish id done more training
ive been up east chevin road a few times so hoped thats 
helped,iam also down for the rydale rumble short ride,is it hillier?
see you all sunday 8am.
ian


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## Disgruntled Goat (6 Jun 2008)

andyfromotley said:


> hi guys........... lift off minus 3 days, am still pretty nervous, having done some of the course i have only one aim, to finish!
> 
> I know i am not yet fit enough for this but hey ho, i think that if i pace myself, take the hills easy and remain positive i could do it. So if you see me i will be the one huffing puffing and never taking my turn at the front cheer me on.
> 
> ...




If you are doing the short route you'll be fine. Good luck and enjoy.


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## andyfromotley (8 Jun 2008)

I did it i did it i really really did it.

Got round ok made it up all the hills (even langbar!), One of the most physically testing things i've ever done. Metally tough too. Am knackered and off for a kip!

How did the rest off you get on?

Andy


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## Hugo15 (8 Jun 2008)

Really good day out. I did the middle 133kms route. Made it up Langbar at a crawl but was determined to get up after walking last year. Legs feel a little heavy now!


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## andy_wrx (8 Jun 2008)

Bloody good event ! 

Really well organised, friendly and helpful marshals and volunteers 
- even the guy printing-out the certificate at the end thought to glance at it, note my name and hand it to me with a comment of 'Well done, Andy, good time' : a little thoughtful touch and the whole event had quite a few similar ones. 

A good route, great weather - although I'm a bit on the pink side now... 

I went to Italy last week, did 330miles over 5 100K+ days including Friday and then a plane back in the evening, didn't get home until the early hours yesterday (Saturday). 
Perhaps this wasn't the classic preparation





The riding imght have been good conditioning, but the late night made me feel terrible yesterday and 'tapering' consisted of rebuilding the bike and attempting to laze about yesterday. 
So this morning I felt stiff and tired before I got out of bed. 

Those climbs early on past the reservoirs were a bit alarming, coming so early and I was feeling tired and weak, too many miles in my legs from Italy, for most of the first 50 miles. 
Then things improved, but it was a bloody long way and some seriously sapping hills, like Langbar near the end. 

Was pushing at the finish, trying to get under the 8 hours and managed 7:58, so happy with that. My computer had ride time of 7:47, so seems I'm getting better at not lurking in the feedstations ! 



The only thing that was disappointing was watching some ape, riding with a big group from Hambledon RC, but in black&red 'The House Designer' kit, take a bottle of water out of his back pocket, ride no-hands and empty it into his bike bottle, then fling the empty plastic bottle over the hedge. 
I was too far behind to say anything at the time, but saw him later at a feedstop and he's number 750 
Whoever you are - you're a complete pillock !


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## ash68 (9 Jun 2008)

agree with the above posts. Had a great day out in yorkshire, lovely weather, great scenery and the event was organized brilliantly. It must be a really long hard day for all the organisers, marshalls,time keepers and helpers. But everyone I met was helpfull ,chatty and very friendly. A big thank you to all involved and a huge pat on the back for them. i did the long route, got round ok but it was a tough ride and I can feel the old muscles complaining this morning!!I did the Etape du Dales a few weeks ago which went over many of the same climbs, I think this helped as I new what to expect and just took it really steady. I got round in 7hrs 47 mins which will do me fine. I'm no racing whippet, can't keep up with the fast lads, but enjoy the ride at my own pace.


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## ash68 (9 Jun 2008)

forgot to say ,had my cyclechat top on., a black and orange one with my long sleeves rolled up for a cooling effect. Didn't see any others out there yesterday, unless you all past me in a whirlwind of speed...


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## Monty (9 Jun 2008)

*White Rose Litter Bugs......*

I totally agree with wot you said, i had the hammer down most of the way round but still managed to find somewhere stuff my rubbish without making a mess of the countryside upon which i came to ride. I saw someone throw a gel sachet away just ahead of me, i caught him and bollocked him, i should of took his number, otherwise a great day.


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## thewrinklyninja (9 Jun 2008)

I did the 133km route and came in at 7:37. I lingered in the feed stops a tad too long I think, and that last half just dragged for me. But at leat I completed it


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## haggard rider (9 Jun 2008)

ash68 said:


> forgot to say ,had my cyclechat top on., a black and orange one with my long sleeves rolled up for a cooling effect. Didn't see any others out there yesterday, unless you all past me in a whirlwind of speed...



Spotted you at some point but was having a bad day so too busy managing the mind/body conflict to do anything other than mutter something about forums.


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## Disgruntled Goat (9 Jun 2008)

Well done everyone, sorry I couldn't join you.Hopefully be there next year. 

Hot wasn't it?


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## andyfromotley (9 Jun 2008)

yes,
particularly warm in the langbar area i noticed!
andy


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