Sloe bike ride

What a great day!  After investigating a dead end set of roads from Denton on Google, and having cycled past on numerous occasions wondering what was up there, I decided today to take a look.

I came across a quaint little church that I know will appear here before too long but the moment of the day was cycling up the other way and coming across a couple picking something from the hedgerows - too late for blackberries, I thought.  As I passed by at my usual pace, there was, of course, plenty of time to take a closer look and find out what they were.  Great big blue berries!  The chap said there were millions of them.  I wasn’t sure what they were and he told me sloes, for sloe gin.  Great for Christmas, I said, although I have since found out if you’re patient enough, it will actually be great for spring!

Well, that took me back to probably about ten years ago and meeting up with Joe & Liz one Christmas to sample his delicious but exceptionally strong sloe gin.  I think I disgraced myself that night and have drunk little since!

I headed up the hill to the end of the road and turned round, deciding I’d stop for a photo on the way back.  They were just leaving in the car. But, I stopped anyway and took another look.  Well, I reckon they must have had millions in the car because there weren’t that many left! 

I changed my mind a few times about picking a few that were left and decided, what the heck.  I took my camera out of my new bike pocket, filled my glove with berries and transferred them into my little pouch in batches.

On the way home, I was coming back from Ilkley and I said hello to a chap just starting off on his cycle ride.  Naturally, he overtook me but I did manage to keep fairly close to his tail with just a little draughting - I didn’t want to get too close as I’m not sure it’s very good etiquette but I was definitely in his slipstream still.  And what a nice fellow he was, giving me all the hand signals for the lumps and bumps in the roads - I nearly felt like a good cyclist!  We separated at the roundabout and went our different ways in Burley. He was just too far ahead by then to say thank you so, to the lovely Ilkley CC chap - many thanks - I made it home far quicker than I would otherwise have done!

Since getting home, I’ve looked up sloe gin recipes, coming across this rather cool Christmas present which set off a few more memories about my nan.  I’ve recorded these on Facebook with the link but I’d rather have it here more permanently.  It went like this…

Dear Nan

Christmas shopping for you was truly a nightmare and living on gin, smoking and chocolate probably contributed to your decline. I doubt these samples would have lasted out the festive season but I'm fairly certain these would have made your eyes light up!

At last, the perfect present for you, my dear old nan. A few years late, alas. But it gave me a good smile and made me think of childhood summers in the sun.

Much love
rxx

And then on to starting the recipe.  I’ve collected enough berries for quarter of a litre of gin.  And I’m on the case with my slow sloe swirling of the kilner jar until March.

If I can wait that long!