The Brompton and I caught the train to Preston and headed northwards through the Fylde peninsula. A bit unlovely at first: I took a direct route from the station, through old terraces interspersed with garages and workshops, to the start/end of the Lancaster canal to take me out into the countryside. Not scenic countryside: it’s agricultural and flat (although if there is an incline, the Brompton always lets you know about it), but it felt good to be doing this.

I feared I had suffered a total map-reading breakdown until I realised that my OS map was too old to show the bypass that had come as a surprise. Then to Elswick, which was going for gold in the floral stakes, and Great Eccleston for a café.

Over the toll bridge (20p; I’m sure it was only 10p the last time I passed that way 20 years ago) and then beside the Wyre until I headed north to Knott End, where there was a bus leaving in 5 minutes. A little discourteous to blank Knott End like that, but there’s always another day.