Tarmac Divas

Back in April, in a post entitled "Hell's Teeth", I wrote about the new kit that we were getting, which - thanks to the generosity of Tarmac PLC - would ensure that we would always be appropriately attired, whatever the weather, and smart with it, too. But time sped by and there were quite a few anxious moments when I feared the stuff wouldn't be ready in time. I was very relieved, therefore, when I heard from David Greaves yesterday morning that a sizeable box had been delivered to his door containing an impressive array of jerseys, shorts and wind tops all in the Parkinson's UK livery of light blue and white and that it all looked terrific. Phew!

It wasn't long before Dave was joined by fellow "Challenge Team" members, Nigel and Chris, who live near him just outside Ripon, and soon all three of them had donned the kit and were sashaying up and down Dave's lounge, resplendent in their posh new outfits; you'd have thought they were auditioning for "Ripon's Next Top Model."

Why so much flamboyant exuberance from my fellow riders ? My hunch is that it was the exposure to so much Lycra all at once, at what is generally regarded a dangerous age for men, that brought it on... yes, that would have to be it!

How come I can describe all this from the other end of the country? Thanks to advances in technology generally and Messrs Skype in particular, I was watching the Yorkshire sitting room catwalk show through the eye of the camera on Dave's computer stationed in the corner of the room. Simples.