Leg 8 Tewksbury to Gloucester

So we set out yesterday from a place called Lower Lode (not sure if I've spelled that right) , near Forthampton and south west of Tewksbury and west of the river Severn en route to Gloucester.
  We arrived there by car at 11am.  Now I have told sally that we really must try and set out earlier in future as our start times, for some reason, are getting later and with the autumn and winter getting ever closer we need to make use of the daylight if we are to get this mission completed.
Unfortunately when arriving at Lower Lode there was not a 'route 45' sign post in sight and equipped with only an A3 copy of the navigator map, which was far too big to cycle with, I began making a note of all local villages between Lower Lode and Gloucester and with that we set off and took our chance! 
After about a mile and a half we realised we should not have panicked as we spotted our first route 45 sign post at chaceley.  
The route took us through Tirley, Hasfield, Ashleworth and Maisemore before picking up a designated cycle path and old railway on into gloucester docks. 
The terrain was fairly easy, but although seemed flat there was an amount of resistance for the first 6 miles. There was one steep incline somewhere between Ashleworth and Maisemore and as ever when it comes to these steep inclines we end up with traffic behind us
How come we can cycle for miles without seeing a vehicle, but then its bloody sods law whenever we start going up something that resembles mount everest, out the blue traffic appears.
Mr and Mrs Pensioner in their little polo give us a bit of space and overtake us, but white van man or more recently the refuse collectors insist on sitting behind us.  Now I ask myself, is that because they are considering our health and safety or is it because they are nothing but outright perverts as they want to gloat at our struggles and in paticular our arses, as, at this point, we are out of the saddle  wriggling from side to side puffing and panting!
Anyway 13 and a half miles later we made Gloucester docks.
We decided to head straight for the information center in the town to seek out information for our next leg.
They were very useful at Gloucester Information Center and provided us with OS Tour 8 The Cotswolds and Gloucestershire, which we really should have had before we set out, ah well never mind.
We then decided to cycle back down to the docks for a bite to eat and drink and somewhere to peruse over our new map, but was extremely disappointed when we were asked to leave the dock area, which has been developed into a retail outlet shopping area with restaurants and bars, because our bikes were not welcome!   The medium sized man, in both height and width, was most unpleasant and unsavoury and as I walked away, most upset, couldnt help but mumble the word 'tosser' underneath my breathe!
We eventually had toasted sandwiches and latte coffee back in town and the man there was very kind to us indeed, even giving us, free of charge, a sachet of tomato ketchup each!
Before saying goodbye to Gloucester and heading back we did check out the start of next weeks ride which will take us down the Gloucester and Sharpness canal to Saul junction following route 41 to Brisol before heading east toward Stroud.

Important notes on todays ride were

1  We missed a sign just north of Maismore as it was hidden by an overgrown tree, so must remember to take pruners with us in future

Highlighs of todys ride

Sally going through yet another red light and then in true kamikaze style she cycled right in fromt of a moving bus!!!!!!! 
Hey, what the heck. its all good fun.