‘So how d’you get on?’

‘It was rubbish, a long 1.’

‘Oh tough. What was the course?’

‘The G17/29.’

‘What? With all the roundabouts?’

‘That’s the one.’

‘So who won?’

‘I’m not sure. I think it was old Charlie Starkweather with a short 53. But I didn’t hang around, it was cold.’

‘Who was organising? Was it Hanratty?’

‘No, it was his wife, you know – Klondike Mary.’

‘No, not Klondike! I remember one time, a few years back, I did the B52 course out by the airfield, I had my new Dolan…’

‘With the Zipps?’

‘No, this was before Zipps. I was using the Hed cases with Contis…’

‘Great tyre.’

‘Yeah, although I had a load of punctures in ’83, you know when we had that miserable winter…’

‘Yeah, I remember. I was on the XL5/42 out by Shagrabbit Ridge and I was all set for a short 55, would have been a PB and this absolute twat…’

‘Yeah, what?’

‘This absolute twat right, came out of nowhere, he was on a Roberts…’

‘One of the new ones?’

‘Yeah, Campag…’

‘Chorus?’

‘Nah, Athena and those Greg Lemond bars and he…’

‘What?’

‘He…’

‘What?’

‘Let me finish. He came out of nowhere and whoosh, he went right past me and could I catch him…’

‘Could you?’

‘Nah, not a chance. Mind you…’

‘What?’

‘He missed the turning, got lost, came last ha ha.’

‘Twat.’

‘Yeah, twat.’

‘Any way. What you doing now. Fancy a coffee?’

‘Nah, I’m going home. See ya.’

‘Oh, you doing the 2 up week after next?’

‘What, the WD40 out by, you know, Shipman’s Folly?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Dunno, you?’

‘Nah.’