I turned 30 on Friday, and celebrated with a BBQ yesterday.  This involved large amounts of cake - I'd made some cupcakes (plain sponge with swirled blackcurrant jam and chocolate ganache), then various friends brought chocolate cupcakes and a big choc/strawberry cake.  Good stuff!

Note watermelon in the background, being used as a fruit bowl.  Slightly more grown up than soaking it in vodka...

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Might as well admit it - I've turned into a proper cyclist.  Road bike, lycra, jerseys with pockets on the back.. the full whack (well, nearly - still haven't braved clipless pedals).  I've also developed an even greater hatred of potholes, and occasional strange desires to try and ride up steep hills.

Not that this is a bad thing, of course.  It's doing wonders for my general fitness, and unlike all my other hobbies I don't need to rely on other people, or drive for hours to get to a starting point.  Out the front door and on the bike   It's a different way to appreciate the local area too.

On Saturday I did my longest ride so far - just under 73km!   I'd vaguely plotted a 60km ish route, including options to cut it short in case I found it too hot (lovely weather!!!).  Previous longest ride was about 45km, so quite an increase.

This is the Severn at Arlingham, with Newnham on the far bank.  Stop #1 - for a drink, cereal bar and obligatory 'bike leaning on something' photo.

Stop #2 was the canal bridge at Frampton, because some boats were going though. Stop #3 was in Stonehouse somewhere, to eat my sandwich and buy more water from a conveniently placed Co-op.  Did I mention it was a hot day!

Then back home via Haresfield and Upton St Leonards.  If I'd had more time/been feeling in need of more hills I might have come back through Edge or Painswick, but that will have to wait for another time.

Special thanks go to the passenger in a car that overtook me far too closely, for "politely" suggesting that I ride on the pavement instead of the road.  Yes, what a great idea - and whilst the bit in question was actually cycle lane, it was also a horrible surface and had several cars parked on it.  So he can stick with my equally "polite" response of sticking two fingers up.  One cyclist going about 30kmph on a wide empty road is hardly a huge problem!

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Somewhere on a hill near Church Stretton

One of several stops on my way home from yet another #cakefest on Sunday. Going for lunch in Shrewsbury proved to be a silly idea (random army march/parade = traffic + road closures, argh), but I drove past 2 of my previous houses so that's quite cool.

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