Coming back from the Tuesday ride, excellent run to Hathersage, great food on the Wicker and a few pints in the new Real Ale house, the Harlequin, formerly the Manchester Arms, got onto Shoreham St when something went at the back of the bike. Bit of wobbling and I'm off to meet the tarmac with a horrifyingly familiar crunch. Pick myself up, get the bike off the road, sitting on the wall and start to assess the damage. Police Car tuns up really quickly (maybe I was seen on CCTV?) two policewomen but they don't get out straight away, just look at me. I'm sitting on the wall going "Hello? I'm hurt?"So they get out and take a look. One of them says have you had a drink?" I say yes (well there's no point lying to a policewoman is there.) "You know it's an offence to be drunk in charge of a bicycle don't you?" Thanks for letting me know.

Meanwhile two cycling police turn up and are a bit more sympathetic, dig out out their first aid kits and clean me up a bit (but run out of wipes so I have to lend them mine) and an ambulance is called. Got a cut on my eyebrow line (the usual place) and although they have people who can come out and sort you out on the spot they don't like to do faces apparently. So bike & I are loaded into the ambulance and off to the NGH. Quick exam, no apparent more serious damage and I'm soon glued up and packed away. Patrice is called and I'm home by about 1:30.

So what went wrong this time? Two falls in two years is a bit too often, on the same bike, isn't it? The rear mudguard is damaged so could be something to do with panniers and mudguards. Less serious than the last one, and I was wearing a helmet which looks as though it didn't actually come into contact with the ground. Last time I couldn't remember the incident and therefore had to spend the night under observation in the NGH - I figured I might have got away without the eyebrow line cut that time, but it seems I might have been mistaken. Going to be off bikes and off the bike scene for a while anyway - please respect my privacy.

Simon