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				Ian Wright's Halloween Nightmare.
				Calm and Quiet Bill Houlder led a 15 strong sunday ride group from the Buttercross, heading west and was averaging 11 mph through Purston, Featherstone, Streethouse and on to New Sharlston, but as we left the village, the speed dropped and we were never to get near Bill's early average speed again. The music starts For passers by in Sharlston, it must have sounded like a mobile Jamaican steel band, albeit a quiet one, passing through. The group had split into two and at the front of the second group, Ian Wright was accompanying the mystery band with vocals. The lyrics , in keeping with the raucous nature of the sound, were peppered with *!!$&!! derailleur and b***** chain. Behind Ian, Bill Ross thought the sound was coming from Ian's back wheel and might be because
				he'd 'pulled it over' onto the frame, but it was difficult to tell; Ian's wheels were obscured by the bulging pannier bags, presumably being carried in preparation for a future tour to the Himalayas. More Sound Sunday morning traffic heading into Wakefield was stationary and tailed back as we turned left onto the main Doncaster to Wakefield road before the right turn for Walton. From the morose faces, it looked as if the motorists were suffering a long wait as we cruised smugly past. But then .....a bang and a loud whistle of rapidly escaping air. A b***** puncture. That cheered the motorists up no end, but whose puncture was it?
		Everyone made the right turn onto Oakenshaw Lane, but at the lay-by, 50 yards ahead, it was Ian jumping off his bike and cursing his ill luck again. This time it was Tony Carter, who came to the rescue. He obviously felt, as a musician, that he was the best equipped to sort out all the offending sounds. Donning disposable surgical gloves (a good tip this, keeps the oil and grime off hands and handlebar tape, and the gloves can be bought very cheaply), he investigated. The prognosis was not good. The rear tyre was split badly and couldn't be used. No spare tyre was to be found in Ian or anyone else's bag. Tony and daughter Ruth offered to ride their tandem to Halford's in Wakefield, purchase a tyre, and return to Ian in the lay-by. The rest of the group headed for Newmillerdam to wait. And so it was that a decimated group arrived at the Beuley Cafe in warm sunshine almost two hours after covering 11 miles from Pontefract. The 'survivors' were Bill Houlder who had with him the other father/ daughter tandem combinationof Chris and Serena Westerman (the previous week's ride saw 4 tandems out), Kay on her neat black hybrid, Pat on his second ride of his winter visit to the UK from his home in Italy (under the Chianti Mountains, lucky man), Bill Ross on his last ride before a visit to Holland, Clive Willis, just back from Cyprus and new 'lad' Paul on his Giant racing bike with clip on guards. 'Fergie' was there on his Saxon, leaving his retro Ellis Briggs at home and Hubert Shaw and Harold Britten were bagging the best seats in the cafe garden to soak up the sunshine. Richard trailed in, his excuse being that he stopped to chat to a pal. Ian came in, freshly shod and safe, thanks to Tony and Ruth who followed in on the Carter tandem.
		The Beuley was heaving with cyclists, Doncaster CTC section arrived at the same time as we did and a number of solo riders and small groups, both road and mountain bikers, were already tucking into beans on toast and bacon butties. Doncaster Wheelers racing lads, covered in sweat, arrived while some of us where on our 2nd cups of tea. Waterton Discovery Centre After a brief climb up onto Almshouse Lane and out of Newmillerdam, Bill H, the local secretary of the 'Rough Stuff Fellowship, took us 'off road', onto a track running parallel with ancient Seckar Woods, then skirting Newmillerdam Country park we joined a former branch line of the Hull and Barnsley railway which took us to Chevet. A smooth section of newly surfaced B road led to a the TPT which ran along the Walton Canal to Cold Hiendley Reservoir. This sparkled in the late autumn sun and reflected the trees of Haw Park Wood, through which we passed on surprisingly firm bridleways, considering the recent wet weather. The trail brought us to Squires Cafe at the Waterton Discovery Centre where we had tea and cakes before the ride home through the lanes around Wintersett, Nostel and Ackworth.
					Newmillerdam stop. Beuley Cafe. Left to Right. Bill Houlder (obscured), Serena Westerman, Pat McAvoy, Hubert Shaw, Clive Morris (black hat), Kay, Harold Britton, Richard Hancock, Bill Ross, Chris Westerman, Ruth Carter, Fergie. Ian Wright out of shot inspecting new tyres.                                                             Photo Tony Carter.
		It wasn't until we got close to Nostel Priory that someone said "where's Ian'. Nobody had noticed he wasn't with us when we left the Discovery Centre. Bill H stopped the group and a discussion ensued about retracing to look for Ian. But that's another story........