SUNDAY morning followed a similar pattern to the last month, a cold and frosty start with a northerly wind which we rode into hoping for a tailwind on the way home.

The usual route was followed through Accrington to Whalley where members took to quiet lanes and observed that daffodils were in bloom with lambs in the fields and buds just starting to grow on the trees.

The route took us to Copy Nook, Flass and Wigglesworth and we stopped at Rathmell and the Millgate Tea Rooms where a notice on the door told us that they were now permanently closed.

We have been stopping there for at least 16 years but now we had to carry on to Settle where the Settle Down Cafe is for sale.

It was noticeable that Ingleborough and Pen-y-Ghent still had some snow around their summits.

Suitably refreshed, the group returned to Wigglesworth and followed the busy A682 for a mile before returning to quiet lanes at Halton West.

From Bolton-by-Bowland steps were retraced to Whalley where we met up with more ambitious members who had been to Horton-in-Ribblesdale and returned via the strenuous climb of Bowland Knotts.

By now the wind had turned around to the south west so there was a headwind on the way home too!

Re-grouped and with the sun dipping, a direct return through Accrington to Bury was chosen.

Sunday runs: A group to Great Eccleston, meet Bury 9am. B group to Longton, meet Bury 9.03am.