Author: Martin Woodhead

Four Windmillers, Maurice, Andrew, Sandra and Martin, set off from The Bull, Lower Langley, at 3.00pm, exactly a week after John Tarrington’s funeral in Stevenage. His funeral was attended by a large gathering of his family, friends and colleagues – standing room only for many – followed by a wake at The Woodman in Nuthampstead. It was a fitting end for someone who enjoyed life to the full and who never gave up. There were some wonderful memories and reflections on John at the service and Bridget has supplied some additional eulogies from his rugby playing chums which can be accessed here: John Tarrington Eulogies .  Amongst many fine stories and memories, it is good to read of his novel method of ordering a meal in a Chinese restaurant in the ’60’s!

There was a very good turnout of Windmillers at John’s funeral and so it was good that some of those who attended could also pay their last respects by cycling via Nuthampstead on today’s ride. And who should we meet outside The Woodman but Bridget, who explained that the flowers in front of the World War II Memorial for American servicemen, shown above, were those that had bedecked John’s coffin. John was closely associated with the work of the Nuthampstead Airfield Museum which is behind The Woodman.

Having invited Bridget to join us for a drink at The Bull at opening time, the Windmillers continued their circuit via Anstey, the Pelhams and Meesden before arriving back at The Bull bang on 5.00pm. How does Maurice manage this kind of precision? It is indeed masterful. En route, Sandra indicated that she does not intend to let Graham ride away with the 2019 longest distance award. Not only is she regularly cycling to and from a ride’s start / finish point but she had clocked up a mere 80+ ‘leisurely’ miles the day before. What a role model!

Here is the route taken:

Maurice was proudly displaying the modifications to the e-bike which he first purchased from a chap in Aldeburgh shortly after his hip operation last year. It was a bit troublesome from the start what with difficulty in removing the rear wheel to mend punctures, to a limited range and then, finally, the complete collapse of the hub of the rear wheel. The difference now is amazing thanks to some clever Chinese technology – a new wheel with an efficient, powerful motor and better range with the same battery. And should there be a puncture the rear wheel can be easily removed too. All this and new controls, brake levers too for less than £200. The only downside is weight as it needs a fork lift truck to get it into Maurice’s car.

Although it had been a mild weather ride it was still very pleasant to sit down at the bar of The Bull to enjoy a pint of Benny’s Best in front of the fire, and even better when Bridget joined us and relayed more stories about John. We shall miss him but hope to see Bridget on future rides.

Thanks of course to Maurice for leading the way and to Andrew for getting us to the starting line on time.

Martin

PS. Don’t forget to bid high for John’s bikes! All proceeds to Headline – the brain injury charity

 

 

The origins of Valentine’s Day are murky and so it was very appropriate that Suffolk was shrouded in thick fog as 10 Windmillers gathered at The Red Lion in Great Wratting, feeling cold and not the least bit romantic. The forecast had been for mild weather, and the sun had been shining en route to Great Wratting and so there was the prospect of it breaking through, and indeed it did.

Coffee was served and lunch orders were placed before departing but due to snarled up traffic on the A505 and other places it took a while for all to assemble. Eventually, Maurice signalled the start and he shot off, lights blazing, hotly pursued by Andrew, Ken, Chris, Roger, Lawrence, Victor, Simon T, Graham and Martin. Graham had already clocked up 18 miles by setting off early from Ickleton, and would pedal back home at the end of the ride, thus laying an early claim to the 2019 longest distance award. Sandra – you have competition this year!

It was not only foggy but very cold and so we welcomed the first hill and yearned for more in order to warm up. ‘The views here are fantastic’, said Maurice at one point even though he could only see the end of his nose. But we believed him and just as we reached Glemsford for a coffee stop the fog lifted and we were treated to a glorious sunny Suffolk day.

There was some speculation that Glemsford had a café but after making enquiries anongst the very pleasant local population the ‘café’ turned out to be the village store which possessed a jammed up coffee vending machine incapable of producing a standard white coffee let alone a cappucino with chocolate stripes. However, after several bangs and opening up the interior to inspect the innards, Baristas Maurice and Simon unjammed it and succeeded in persuading it to produce some brown coloured liquid. Meanwhile, other Windmillers stood around talking to the locals, who had never witnessed such a gathering before of so many cyclists in their shop, and enjoyed some hot and spicy vegetable soup ladelled out by a member of staff.

Having warmed up and said goodbye to Mr Gnome and his friends, we then enjoyed a Suffolk Spring day in all its splendour – wonderful views, pretty cottages and impressive mansions as we cruised through the lanes whilst also ascending and descending some significant hills.. Other than Simon’s chain coming off at one point it was an incident free ride despite the early fog, quite a lot of difficult-to-see potholes and recent hedgecutting.

By this time the temperature had probably reached an unseasonable 13C but we weren’t complaining and it continued like this all the way back to The Red Lion where it was good to be joined for lunch by Simon O and his dog, followed shortly afterwards by John B who had also been riding around the lanes. Valentine’s Day was in full swing, with the Landlord sporting a particularly interesting tie but in the interests of decency it is best left to the imagination.

And here is the route taken, a real half and half ride anti-clockwise. Half in fog and half in sun:

Thanks go once again to Maurice for planning the ride and doing a great job of not getting lost in the fog. Well done Maurice! And, of course, thanks to Andrew too for getting us to the starting line, and for the Strava map above.

Martin

 

 

 

With the evenings drawing out, a later start of 15.00 at The Bull, Lower Langley would see 5 participants for this ride – Maurice, Nigel, Sandra, Andrew and Don Kent (AKA – Malbec Don) – Andrews school friend from Newcastle and a participant of some  ‘memorable’ Windmiller rides!! Great to have you back with us Don, if only for a few days.

Having cycled up with a gloomy sky, I was pleased to see this clearing as the guys arrived and we prepared to set off, for what would be perfect weather, if a bit breezier than expected for the journey of 18 miles, clockwise.

Setting out towards Little Chishill, taking care through the well rutted downhill section before turning up ‘The Three Hills’ section to Great Chishill, stopping for a breather and also a quick repair to Dons rattling mudguard using a trusty cable tie. Then on through Heydon to Elmdon, briefly stopping outside the Elmdon Dial, Don quick to spot a photo opportunity.

With a chill forming in the air and before Don could even get his phone back in his pocket, let alone the many layers of gloves and mittens that needed to be removed to take the picture, Maurice, Nigel and Andrew had set off and were nowhere in sight. Having had the same difficulty on a previous ride, I stayed with Don to make sure we didn’t lose him. Catching up with the gang again at the Duddenhoe End turn and a notorious hill, on to Arkesden, Clavering, Stickling Green, passing the two windmills before veering off to Roast Green and Meesden Bury before dropping back to Lower Langley and a very warm welcome back at The Bull.

Thanks Maurice for another great ride and Andrew for organising us.

Sandra

This first Monday ride of 2019 would be a bit windy, so the decision was made to reverse a regular route to take advantage of a tailwind on the return leg. Maurice, Andrew, Simon and Sandra (4) met outside The Tally Ho and set forth on the route below clockwise. Thankfully it was relatively well sheltered most of the way, just a few exposed sections, which make you appreciate the cover of hedges etc.,

Setting out from Barkway, we went around Barkway Golf course before turning to Wyddial and on to Buntingford, then through all the ‘Ends’ of Sandon (Lye, Mill and Green) to the centre, pond and Church, to veer off towards Kelshall but taking the hairpin bend before reaching the village, to head to Stumps Cross and its outstanding views on a clear day, from there it was Therfield, Reed and this was where the full force of the wind was apparent, as we coasted along ‘Reed Joint’ (never done that before)!!

Back to The Tally Ho for some Trelawny and nibbles with Saleesha as our host again.

Thanks Maurice for the route and Andrew for organising us.

Sandra

 

The last ride for 2018 would see Graham out for his first Windmillers Monday outing (still in the recovery period from recent surgery), riding up from Ickleton to join Sandra, Simon, Maurice (back on the repaired E-Bike) and Andrew (5) for yet another great ride. Arriving early and sampling the beer prior to the ride proved to be a good choice, as you’ll see later!

We set off towards Nuthampstead before veering off to Anstey, Meesden, Langley (Lower and Upper), Duddenhoe End, up to Elmdon and then heading back via Heydon, Gt Chishill, Shaftenhoe End back up to Nuthampstead. On route discussions of one of Graham’s favourite routes being from The Woodman to Anstey known locally as ’21 bends’, never counted them but I’m not sure that’s the correct number! With time and daylight in hand, we set forth along this delightful route. Andrew stopping abruptly, having seen an unusual dog being walked along with another dog and a couple of handlers, he knows the way back from here, so we carried on regardless. Graham and Sandra carried on to Anstey and then back to The Tally Ho, leaving Simon and Maurice cycling together (or so we thought!) and Andrew somewhere behind. By the time we got back to The Tally Ho we were ready for some more refreshments but total darkness, NO! Sign on the door, clearly crossed out 6pm closing and replaced with 3.30pm!!! A quick Google to see if anywhere else would be open proved disappointing, nothing obvious. We were soon joined by Andrew, in a rush to swap bike for Range Rover to go back and collect Maurice, the E-Bike had failed again, AH! At this point we realised Simon was missing and it was getting quite dark too, dilemma, do we go in search or wait and hope he finds his way back. Waiting was the chosen option and with Andrew heading back to fetch Maurice, thankfully they found him on his way back, having gone into The Blind Fiddler, Anstey to get directions, all’s well that ends well but still no beer, this is where Maurice would be our saviour and invited us back to his for some delightful Abbott before he was due to go out partying the night away and welcoming in the New Year. Much appreciated Maurice. While at Maurice’s, Simon told us of exploits and then realised, that with The Tally Ho being closed, that would be why he recognised so many people in The Blind Fiddler and they recognised him too!! If the locals go there too, maybe it’s worth a visit too soon.

Thanks Maurice for organising the ride and Andrew for organising us.

Sandra

With most windmillers on their travels to family or to find more festive weather and maybe a bit of Apres ski or last-minute buying and wrapping presents, this afternoon/evening would only yield three riders, Maurice, Simon and Sandra.

And what a lovely ride it would be, almost clear skies and very little wind. Having arrived early at the The Tally Ho, the festive party atmosphere was in full swing, after a swift half and some words of caution from the locals regarding cycling in this area, into the evening sporting faux antlers (rutting season is in full swing)!!

We set off for the 19 mile circuit before heading back to a warm welcome from Saleesha and some delightful refreshments, there also seemed to be a bit of a competition involving Xmas jumpers, the winner was a rather dazzling one with flashing lights, sadly no pictures, as we could only cope with a few seconds at a time!!

Thanks to Simon and Maurice for joining me, Maurice for opting for and guiding us around the gentler route with less hills. (Sadly no E-Bike).

Sandra

E-bikes are great but, boy, when they go wrong they are difficult to fix, as Maurice found to his cost again today. And without a bike AA to call out who do we rely on in times of a breakdown?  An off-duty Windmiller of course, which was indeed the case  in the middle of Elmdon when Maurice’s rear hub disintegrated resulting in an extremely wobbly wheel that stood no chance of getting back to Barkway.

And so it was that having set off from the Tally Ho! at 2.30 pm on what could prove to be the darkest ride of the year, Maurice, Andrew, Sandra, Keith and Martin had time to take in some fine views before Maurice’s hub began to complain.

On we went without a hitch until Elmdon where Sandra, Keith and Martin waited for  some time before Andrew appeared announcing that Maurice had suffered a hub failure. But then Maurice arrived, gingerly, saying that his steed would go no further.   Initial thoughts were that a volunteer might head back to Barkway and rescue Maurice and his bike but that would have meant leaving him in a bus shelter for 45 minutes in the cold December gloom. But then thoughts of local Windmillers Ken and Elmdon Simon were had and after a couple of phone calls Ken was found delivering Christmas cards in Ickleton which he promptly finished and rushed back home and sped up to Elmdon to offer his services, having not removed his golf clubs from the back of his car. Before  he arrived who should drive past but Simon who also offered to help but as Ken was already speeding towards Elmdon, Simon decided to take advantage of Ken’s taxi to the Tally Ho! and climbed in with Maurice leaving Maurice’s sick steed to be collected at a later time.

Whilst all this was going on the remaining Windmillers carried on towards Duddenhoe End , spotting a fine herd of deer en route including an Albino, and then through the usual lanes to the Langleys, Meesden and Anstey.

Here is the route taken:

It was almost dark when after 19 miles we entered the Tally Ho! to find Maurice and Simon (who we were of course surprised to see) already propping up the bar but no sign of rescuer Ken who had to get back, presumably to deliver more Christmas cards. A convivial evening it  turned out to be, with possibly two new recruits from behind the bar, Pete and his wife Maggie, who were helping out whilst Saleesha and her husband were away.

Thanks to Maurice for planning the route even though he was unable to complete it, Andrew for his organisation and Ken for his sterling rescue service.

Martin

This year we decided to make a change and go to a new venue, The Red Cow at Chrishall, where 29  Windmillers and their guests met to celebrate Christmas and to review a year of cycling in 2018. As it was such a lovely day, albeit a bit chilly, Andrew rode up from Wendens Ambo, Sandra rode up from near Royston, Simon came from Littlebury Green and Ken, Graham and Martin climbed up from Ickleton. All needed brandy after getting back home.

Meeting at 12.00 for 1.00pm gave everyone a good chance for a chinwag before sitting down to an excellent lunch with dishes including starters of parsnip soup, chicken and ham terrine, and smoked salmon; mains of turkey with all the trimmings, pheasant and pork casserole, sea bream and a chestnut and onion tart for the veggies; followed by a selection of puds including the Christmas variety, and cheese for those without a sweet tooth. And a very good lunch it was considered to be too, with good service, all washed down with some fine wines and beers.

Here are some pics of the happy occasion (with apologies from the photographers whose cameras could not cope very well with the lighting conditions):

 

After lunch, Andrew rose to his (remarkably steady) feet and commenced the formal part of the proceedings by firstly thanking Maurice for all the planning he had done during the year which enabled many enjoyable rides to be had. Maurice then rose to his (fairly steady) feet and thanked all the members for taking part and contributing £3.00 per ride for the charities we support. This resulted in the distribution of a total of £2,000 to four charities:

£250 to Cystic Fibrosis, £750 to the Eve Appeal for research into womb cancer, £500 to EACH, (East Anglian Children’s Hospice), and £500 to Macmillan Cancer Research. This was greeted with much applause from the assembled gathering.

Andrew then asked Martin to rise to his (not so steady) feet to announce the results of his analysis of the year’s blog. He started by stating that the blog was in its 4th year and had been viewed over 5,000 times to date. In 2018 it had been viewed 883 times so far by 421 visitors from countries including the US, France, the Netherlands, India and the United Arab Emirates. He thanked his fellow bloggers Brian and Sandra, plus Andrew who helps out if necessary. Here is a link to all the blogs since it started: https://thewindmillclubdotnet.wordpress.com .

No. of rides since 4 January 2018: 77 (approx. 80 for the year as a whole to 31 December)

Total distance to date: 1,994 miles

Av. distance per ride: 25.9 miles

Longest ride: 51 miles (never again)

Shortest ride: several of 17 miles on Monday evenings

Largest mileage by members: Sandra (3,000 miles+), Andrew (2,500 miles), Ric (unknown but often rides to and from starting point) and new member Graham expected to be in fierce contention in 2019

No. of pubs visited: 22

Most frequented pubs: The Tally Ho! – 17 times, The Bull – 13 (+ a few visits whilst en route to The Tally Ho!), The Fleur de Lys – 9, The Fox and Duck – 5, and 3 times each to The Pig and Abbot. The Black Bull, The Fox and Hounds, The Bell and The Sword Inn Hand.

Largest no. of riders on a ride: 15 on Vernon’s birthday on 8 November, when he bought a round of drinks (was there a connection?)

Other birthdays celebrated: Brian, John T, Maurice, John B, Andrew, Sandra, Ric, Keith, Lawrence, Ken and Martin (apologies for any omissions)

Smallest no. of riders on a ride: 1 – just Sandra on a cold day on 8 Jan, when The Tally Ho! was shut too at the end of her ride. What lengths will some people go to in the interests of the club?

Deaths: None

Accidents, illnesses and ailments: No falling off ladders this year (Nigel, last year) but there was Ric’s nasty accident on 24 May when he hit a pile of loose gravel and fell off breaking his collar bone. But a quick recovery had Ric back on his bike, which needed straightening out by Maurice, by 12 July. Well done, Ric! Very few illnesses or ailments except for Maurice’s hip operation on or around 17 May followed by lunch a week later at The Fleur and back on an electric bike on 28 June. A remarkable recovery – well done Maurice!

Then came a few prizes ahead of the official awards ceremony which would come later:

Involuntary dismount prize 2018: Several candidates including Martin, Brian, John B and Bruce but the winner was Roger who fell off twice the same day and also subsequently fell backwards off a bench on 6 September whilst clutching his pint of beer without spilling a drop. He promised to repeat his party trick at the Christmas lunch but failed to do so (sensibly).

Top speed prize 2018: Andrew and Martin both claimed 33.4 mph on 3 September and will be awarded the prize jointly unless anyone else has a better claim.

Entertainment prize 2018: Entertainment is forever present in The Windmill Club but there is only one true enter’tenor’ amongst us and that is John ‘the Tenor’ Tarrington who twice entertained us in The Tally Ho! with his butcher friend Julian to wonderful renderings from South Pacific, Oklahoma and other Rogers and Hammerstein musicals. John gets the Entertainment prize.

Punctures: 16. Martin had 4 of these and Deborah had 2 the same day and has only been a member since September. The Puncture Prize 2018 went to Martin and Deborah jointly.

Dodgy Bike Prize 2018: Several candidates – Tom had a problem with his nuts on 29 March, Keith with his spokes on 21 June but, for the second year running, Andrew had problems with his gears / chain and so won the prize once again.

Getting lost prize 2018: only one candidate – Maurice who gave us a tour of Bury St Edmunds’ suburbs when we were meant to be heading for Ickworth. Perhap’s that’s why the first lines in Maurice’s version of Rudyard Kipling’s ‘If’ read: If you can keep your head when all about you are lost And blaming it on you ……’  But could anyone do any better?

Stuck in the mud prize 2018: again only one candidate – Andrew, who led us off road down a mile of thick Essex mud on 31 May. Vernon’s language even frightened some ducks looking on.

Photographer of the year 2018: Brian, once again, for often lying down on the ground determined to get a good shot, David Bailey style.

Keeping cool in road rage incident prize 2018: Lawrence won this coveted prize for remaining remarkably cool whilst being screeched at by a large lady in Nayland on 25 October, whose husband had scraped Lawrence with his Ford Focus. But Lawrence got his own back having flipped their left hand wing mirror whilst being scraped and removing the car’s fuel filler cap in the process.

Martin went on to say how careful Windmillers need to be at all times when out on the road.

To wind up (not before time) Martin drew attention to the huge amount of admin that Maurice and Andrew undertake for the benefit of all members, assisted by Sandra and Brian who also plan rides at times, and thanked them all. Andrew sends out 100’s of emails each year and also organises events such as the Christmas lunch. This led up to the prize of:

The Unsung Hero of the Year 2018,  which was awarded jointly to Andrew for all his hard work and to Ric for recovering so quickly from his accident and hardly mentioning it, plus clocking up so many miles on his bike. Well done, lads!

Andrew then introduced Simon, ex-landlord of The Pheasant in Great Chishill, who was our special guest together with his wife Ollie. Simon recounted the early days of The Windmill Club when, out jogging, he happened to meet Maurice on his bike and that’s how it all started. He also regaled us with some great jokes in true Simon-style and threatened to join us once again on his new bike which has been waiting patiently in his garage for some time to hit the road. He would be more than welcome.

Finally, Andrew took to the floor again and thanked Simon for his and Ollie’s unfettered support for the club, presenting them with a bunch of red roses. He then announced the most important awards of the year:

The Golden Pedal Award : to Brian for his unstinting support as photographer, blogger, bike transporter and being willing to help out at any time.

The Clubman of the Year: to Sandra for hardly missing a ride, clocking up 3,000+ miles, making a massive contribution to the club in so many ways, from planning rides to mending punctures, and putting up with so many eccentric blokes.

The Super Clubman of the Year: to Maurice for his grit and determination in keeping going as his hip deteriorated and his equal determination to get fit and back on a bike as soon as possible after his operation, whilst all the time planning rides and helping us all to raise the handsome amount of £2,000 for charity.

Well done to all our special award winners!

Happy Christmas one and all.

Martin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So who popped a Viagra pill into Maurice’s battery this evening? Or was it just that he was in a hurry for a pint of Trelawney in the Tally Ho! and pressed the full pelt button on his e-bike? Or was it just the fading light at this time of year? Whatever it was, the four other Windmillers who thought they were out for a gentle ride had trouble keeping up.

The light was reasonable as Maurice set off burning rubber from the Tally Ho! in Barkway at 2.30pm, hotly pursued by Andrew, Sandra, Simon and Martin. The route was a figure of 8 via Anstey, Brent Pelham, Meesden, Roast Green, Stickling Green, Clavering, Arkesden, Duddenhoe End, the Langleys and back via Meesden:

There was hardly time to admire the landscape let alone ponder over whether it was a pair of buzzards or red kites flying overhead. By the time we reached Clavering we had a moving average of 13.2mph, about 3.0 higher than usual. A few hills then ensued but by the end of the ride the average was still 12.7mph.

Following on from last week’s encounter with dogs, word must have got around the local dog population that the Windmillers were worth racing. Just after Langley Upper Green a young Labrador raced across a field ready to chase Simon but gave up when he realised Simon was doing about 25mph trying to keep up with Maurice. Sandra saw none of this happen as she was up front trying to dodge large deer leaping out of the hedgerow in front of her.

Skidding left by The Bull at Lower Langley and then sliding round the next right like a track bike, Maurice tore up the hill towards Meesden on full power leaving the others gasping for breath. Whizzing by the junction we had passed earlier and with the light fading we were then treated to a wonderful sunset, but there was no time to stop and capture it! But, finally, Maurice just had to ease up for a call of nature and so the remaining four were able to cruise past and get back to the Tally Ho! first.

Saleesha pulled some very good pints of Trelawney and it was good to see Sally turning up for duty smartly dressed in a Santa woolly outfit. Rumour has it that Sally might be thinking of joining us for a ride sometime.

Thanks, of sorts, go to Maurice for planning the route and leading the way. Only joking, Maurice! It was a great ride which allowed us to shed a few extra calories in time to put them all back on again with a vengeance at the Christmas lunch on Wednesday. And thanks of course to Deputy Dawg Andrew too for his organisation, not only for today but throughout a very enjoyable and successful 2018, with a few more rides still to go.

Martin

PS A printed version of this year’s blog will once again be produced early in 2019. The cost is unknown yet but, depending on numbers, should be in the region of £25 – £30 all being well. Place your orders now! Please contact: martin.woodhead1@btinternet.com

The Windmill Club territory borders on the counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, South Cambs, Bedfordshire and Suffolk, with occasional forays to Norfolk, London and elsewhere. This means we frequently criss-cross county boundaries and can compare road surfaces, potholes, white lining, the behaviour of motorists and other fascinating variables. This ride, however, was a 100% Essex ride which meant that potholes should be generally mended but we should keep a watch out for mad drivers. It was also an opportunity to assess the myth that Essex roads were built by Irishmen who always worked with the wind on their backs, which frequently changed direction.

And so it was that the Fleur de Lys in Widdington was once again the start and end point of a delightful clockwise tour of quiet lanes for no less than 14 Windmillers, a record for a December day. After a safety briefing to ensure that our large group left several gaps to assist overtaking Essex drivers, Maurice led the charge followed by Andrew, Rod, Sandra, Keith, Ken, Brummie Brian, Yorkie Brian, Ric, Chris, Victor, Graham, Geoff and Martin. Ric rode to and from Widdington from Harston and Graham arrived just in time having consumed a large bacon butty in Saffron Walden whilst cycling from Ickleton – well done, lads!

Here is the route taken:

For a December day, the weather was pleasantly mild and not too windy which resulted in steady, puncture-free progress around quiet lanes through villages preparing for the festivities to come. Wimbish, Radwinter and Hempstead looked particularly festive.as did Henham later in the ride.

A large group needs a large coffee stop. Maurice must have known there would be a good turnout as he wisely chose Parrishes in Thaxted for refreshments – a coffee shop cum wine bar cum pub with ample space at the rear for 14 Windmillers.

Then it was back through more quiet lanes taking in Broxted and Henham, including a detour through Little Henham, before the final climb up the steep hill to Widdington and a Fleur de Lys brimming with customers enjoying lunch and some fine beers.

Grateful thanks are due to Maurice for leading us effortlessly around twisty Essex lanes, which only goes to prove that Irish workmen and the changing Essex winds were indeed to blame. Thanks also to Andrew for whipping us in.

Martin

 

 

 

 

The first ride of the meteorological winter brought five intrepid wind-millers out to test the roads. Maurice, Rod, Geoff, Simon and Sandra met at The Tally Ho, Barkway. The time is drawing closer to clean and put away the Summer bikes and bring out the winter steeds, sporting mudguards!! Having encountered a heavy shower on the ride up to Barkway, with Rod gleefully tooting his car horn passing by at this moment in time, I knew then that I had chosen the wrong bike for this ride but I sure wasn’t going back to change it now.

A little bit of confusion at the start, thinking Martin would be joining us but no sign, a few phone calls ensued and still no sign, with light fading we looked around to see that Maurice and Rod on their electric steeds, had set off, thankfully for the followers the wind was on our tails as we turned to head towards Nuthampstead and we quickly caught them up, passing Barkway golf course heading to Anstey, Geoff and Maurice drew the attention of an Alsatian being walked off leash in the field nearby, as it rushed over to say hello, apparently friendly but didn’t sound that way to those dashing off in front!! On to Gt Hormead, Furneux Pelham where we took the track from Whitebarns through to Hartham Common, this was where Rod had flashbacks to a previous ride on this route and the first outing with us on the EBike, thankfully the thorns had been washed away or squashed enough not to cause any punctures on this ride. On through various Greens (Walsall, Starling’s, Deers and Roast) to Meesden, again along this stretch Geoff would draw the attention of another dog being walked, this time on a leash but with enough rope to lurch at him as he cycled past, a warning to us all, if there are dogs around make sure you’re not cycling with Geoff!!

Back via Anstey to a warm welcome from Saleesha and a roaring fire at The Tally Ho. A mixture of refreshments this evening, selection of beers and even a warming pot of TEA.

Another great ride, if a bit damp and mucky. Thanks Maurice.

Sandra

 

It was gloomy only due to the time of year, not for any other reason, as four Windmillers in good spirits assembled in the Tally Ho! car park in Barkway at 2.30pm for what proved also to be quite a chilly 17 mile ride around the lanes. Maurice led the way followed by faithful Dawg Andrew, Deborah and Martin. Here is the anti-clockwise route taken:

Deborah came well layered, Martin donned ski gloves and both Maurice and Andrew looked as though they had a few layers on but were not admitting it, nor removing them. But Deborah was also minus lights and as it was already gloomy when we set off we agreed to keep her well sandwiched to avoid any possible danger.

It wasn’t long before we all began to feel the heat seeping through and, luckily for Deborah, Martin’s capacious rear bag swallowed two of her layers with space to spare for one of his own.

On we whizzed through Kelshall and on to Sandon, where a brief stop was made to admire the pond, before cycling past Lyn and John Bagrie’s lovely house on the outskirts of Sandon. Then it was down to Buntingford and left to Wyddial where we recalled that memorable vision of loveliness that some of us experienced on a hot summer’s evening earlier in the year – see Blog of 23 July for all the details! Or was it just the heat getting to us?

Less exertion was required on the homeward leg which meant some re-layering on Deborah’s part to keep warm but it wasn’t long before the Tally Ho! came into view. We bid farewell to Deborah, and the remainers (no Brexit pun intended) were then welcomed warmly by Saleesha who opened early specially for us, the log fire already roaring. And what a pleasure it was when Keith joined us along with John and Lyn Bagrie, who we hadn’t seen for a while. Much mirth and merriment was to be had.

Thanks go as usual to Maurice for planning the ride and to his Deputy Dawg Andrew for getting us to the starting line on time.

Martin

 

 

 

 

Evenings are drawing ever closer and the shower clouds were looming, so 2.30 would be the start time from The Tally Ho, Barkway. Simon at the bar playing ball with the barman’s dog, in the hopes to tire this young dog out before the trip home, not much chance of that with a spaniel. Sandra and Maurice joining him before setting off in the glorious sunshine but sadly this wouldn’t last for the whole ride.

Setting off north through Barkway to Reed, Therfield and Sandon before heading to Buntingford and this would be the start of the changing skies, darkening with rainbows in front, as sure sign of rain, thankfully we passed through Wyddial and on to Anstey quarry before turning to pass Barkway Golf course and into some rain, enough to annoy but not soak us, arriving at the Tally Ho before the official opening time but Saleesha would take pity on us and let us in for a warm by the fire and refreshments. Plenty of lagers to choose and Guinness but Hophead was the only choice for beer, hoping for more choice soon. The heavens opened and a huge downpour happened while inside, clearing just before I set off home. Saleesha is prepared to open earlier for us in future, there’s only so much I can drink to make it worth her while, thankfully it’s downhill most of the way home and fairly straight.

Thanks Maurice for yet another great ride.

Sandra

As it happens, today’s ride included 2 of the 14 most rude and funny place names in Essex, namely Steeple Bumpstead and Rotten End. That means we still have to visit Fiddlers Hamlet, Turkey Cock Lane (where houses are apparently difficult to sell) and another 10 besides.

And so it was that 11 Windmillers gathered at the Fox and Hounds in Steeple Bumpstead and placed their lunch orders before setting off on a delightful tour of quiet lanes. Maurice led the way on his e-bike with his faithful followers behind – Ken, Vernon, Sandra, Lawrence, Brummie Brian, Chris, Graham, new boys Jeff (Geoff?) and Bruce (friends of Deborah) and Martin. Lawrence caught up at coffee time having been stuck in a jam on the A505.

Here is the route taken:

Maurice claimed to have brought his bolt croppers with him just in case Martin decided once again to padlock his bike to Vernon’s at the coffee stop in Castle Hedingham having forgotten to bring the key, as happened once before on his first ever outing with the club. But with a club policy of 3 strikes and you’re out, Martin’s membership was luckily allowed to continue.

The weather was cloudy but dry and except for a slight error of route we proceeded steadily towards an earlier than usual coffee stop in Castle Hedingham after just 9 miles, where there was a noticeable absence of hunger. Clearly, 15+ miles are needed before the yearning for scones and cakes sets in.

There was also a noticeable absence of hills initially, as can be seen in the gradient chart above, but that changed after coffee when a few gentle hills reminded us not to get too complacent. Eventually we arrived at Rotten End but there was nothing particularly rotten about it as far as we could see – it was in fact an idyllic spot with a bridge / ford over the fast flowing River Pant (surely another candidate for a funny Essex name?) which commences just east of Saffron Walden and feeds into the River Blackwater.

The Autumn colours were at their best in places, particularly the avenues of beech trees, and being a mild day this meant for comfortable riding with little traffic to contend with.

At Waltham’s Cross, not to be confused with Waltham Cross, we said hello once again to a field of wallabies who were lolloping around and seemed quite happy even though they were 10,000 miles from home:

Then came the pretty village of Great Bardfield and its Gibralter Mill:

We were by now on the last leg and passed a stunning litttle church in Little Sampford with an interesting tower. This turned out to be the Grade 1 listed early 14th century St Mary the Virgin, but looked from the outside as if in need of some tlc. More information here: http://www.english-church-architecture.net/essex%20l/little%20sampford/little_sampford.htm .

Continuing through quiet lanes, the peloton began to spread out a bit towards the end of the ride, in the usual fashion, or is this just a race to the bar? Having started a bit earlier than usual we were back at the Fox and Hounds by 12.45 and received a warm welcome before tucking into an excellent lunch washed down with Ridley’s Bishop’s Nick and other fine beers.

Thanks to Maurice for organising a great ride and to Statesman Andrew who was in New York up to mischief in Central Park………..

And congratulations to Graham for cycling from Ickleton and back again and to Sandra who accompanied Graham back, via Whittlesford railway station bridge (of all places!), and then through the lanes to near Royston, both clocking up an impressive mileage for the day.

Martin

 

 

 

 

 

 

This ride seems to have slipped through the net and with no known photos of the day I’m working with vague recollections of the day of who may or may not have been included. Starting out from The Sword in Hand, Westmill, who at the time were in full preparation for the impending August Bank Holiday beer festival and around 30 different barrels of ale settling neatly on the racking ready, maybe for thirsty Windmill Club cyclists to sample on our return, alas they needed to have some left for the weekend revellers, so we stuck with the very refreshing in-house beers.

From memory – (10) riders – Maurice, Andrew, John B, Lawrence, Brummy Brian, Yorkie Brian, Ken, Victor, Keith and Sandra rode out this day. If you rode and I’ve missed you off or if I’ve included you and you don’t recall riding, please let me know and I’ll edit accordingly, we all know how important statistics are!!

From Westmill we headed to Nasty, Great Munden, Dane End, Sacombe, Stonyhills to Bengeo (I recall a brief wait here as I think Yorkie Brian had a puncture, happy to be corrected if incorrect). Once regrouped we headed along the towpath cycle track to Ware and sadly our usual coffee stop was closed, no idea why but we just went around the corner to Jacoby’s for our caffeine fix while John B carried on and would meet back up with us at Westmill, might have been a wise decision, as this establishment seemed to only be able to make one drink at a time and took an age to serve us all. Suitably refreshed we set off, at this point the two Brians left us and headed straight back to Westmill, a prior arrangement and the need to get back after the elongated coffee stop. While the peloton headed on to Babbs End, Barwick, skirted Standon, before crossing over the A10 to Colliers End and back to Great Munden and Nasty. This was where I may have led a few followers astray and headed back along what I now know to be a more hilly route to Westmill, while Maurice took the chasing pack via the downhill route and were back all loaded up and heading for the bar on our arrival, sorry to those who followed me but we did end up at the same place.

Thanks Maurice for a great route and Andrew for organising us.

Sandra

With the start time 14.45, gradually creeping forward in the hopes of getting back to the pub before dark but not having to wait too long for opening at 17.00. Maurice and Rod (E-bikers), Andrew and Sandra (Purist peddlers) met at The Bull, Lower Langley. Rod having invested in some new Schwalbe Marathon shoes for his steed, hopeful this would prevent a repeat of last weeks thorn gathering experience. A promise had been made that the route would be swept personally by hand by Andrew, so that thorns wouldn’t be an issue this week. Meanwhile, Andrew’s shares in Schwalbe must have increased greatly thanks mainly to The Windmill Club, as he too arrived with an, as good as new off-road steed to try out, very nice looking too. Be prepared for some more off-roading in the summer!!

We set off to Little Chishill, Great Chishill, Heydon and Elmdon, stopping for a brief break to check the time and daylight situation, before setting off again to Strethall along a route where some hedge cutting was taking place, thankfully no-one succumbed to thorns this time. On through Littlebury Green and up to Duddenhoe End, picking our way through closed road signs and on to Arkesden, Clavering and Sheepcote Green. The daylight was really closing in on us now and a large herd of deer chasing across the road just before us, some choosing to pause in the field, always a worry, as you never know which way they are going to go but they stood fast and let us pass.

Back to The Bull with only a few minutes wait, as Sarah took pity on us and let us in out of the now chilling air. Great beer and Pistachios (the new healthier goujons!!).

Another great ride, thanks Maurice and Andrew for organising us.

Sandra

A lovely afternoon/evening was in store. A bright glow in the air as I approached The Bull, Lower Langley, was it the Sun or the newly acquired High-Vis garments in preparation of cycling into the evening Sun, NO, it was the beaming grin on Rocket Rod’s face, showing off his shiny new E-Bike to Maurice!!

Having only acquired this sparkly steed on Saturday, minimal road work had taken place, so this would be a good test amongst friends, none of us competitive at all!! Lets just say that Rod no longer requires a jetpack, as the battery pack has more than enough power for the local hills. On leaving The Bull, Rod took off into the distance, I managed to catch up with him, heading up to Little Chishill before dropping to Shaftenhoe End, where we stopped to regroup with Maurice and Andrew before heading up to Barkway, Rod’s orange glow took off up the hills into the distance briefly stopping at the top of one of the hills to take in the sun, suggestion of adding a solar panel on such occasions to add longevity to the battery. Passing through Barkway and pausing in The Tally Ho car park, checking the opening times for future rides, further investigation required here.

On to Nuthampstead, Anstey and Little Hormead before heading to Furneux Pelham and a little off road stretch down towards Hartham Common. Whether it was the off road section, the narrow road with recently flailed hedges both sides and well basically a mat of hedge cutting all the way along or the curse of new bike tyres (thinest material they can find), the wind was most certainly taken from Rods sails, well his rear tyre anyway!! With the light failing, it was decided to divert back to Lower Langley via Meesden and Maurice went back in his car to collect Rod.

In spite of the puncture (which I now know was a thorn), another great ride. Great to have you back on board again Rod after some time away.

 

Thanks Maurice for organising the ride, Andrew for organising us and Rod for the refreshments, much appreciated, very kind.

Sandra

What a glorious Autumn evening, sitting in the sunshine waiting for Andrew and Martin to join me outside The Bull, Lower Langley, watching Red Kites circling, some even dipping in and out of The Bull’s garden.

This being the first ride after the clocks went back, meaning an earlier start of 15.00. Autumn certainly in the air, temperature dropping rapidly but Martin hopeful maybe that the sun would keep some warmth in the air, choosing to bare knobby knees, while Andrew freshly back from warmer climes and noticing the dramatic change to the weather after just ten days in the Mediterranean.

We set off to Duddenhoe End then on to Arkesden, it wasn’t long before we came across a small herd of deer grazing the fresh crops, on through to Rickling taking in the vibrant Autumn colours. On leaving Rickling a young stag was spotted, hopeful of getting a picture against the setting sun and horizon, we slowed down but the stag was proving more difficult to capture and took off, running along side us for a while before cutting across the road in front of us, to a point where the photo would not have the same impact, I think this stag could have been John B in disguise, the way he managed to avoid the camera!!!

While watching this stag, we were fortunate enough to see a Buzzard drop out of a tree at the side of the road to catch a small mammal and devour in one go and then take off. All in a evenings Windmill Club Autumn Watch ride.

On to Berden and Stocking Pelham, where a comfort break would make an amazing discovery in a garden, a 5″ scale model railway line!!

 

On from here via Brent Pelham to Meesden Bury and Roast Green to Lower Langley, with a couple of stops to check Martin’s bike which had developed a strange noise, it turns out he’s been tinkering again.

The Bull looking fabulous, lit up to welcome us in. What better way to finish a ride than with Benny’s Best.

19.5 miles clockwise

Thanks Andrew for organising and Martin for the photographs.

Sandra

With Andrew cruising the ‘Med’ and Maurice otherwise engaged, I was asked to organise this ride. Well the email went out for any willing/brave cyclists to join me!! Word clearly had not got around to Simon about my past exploits (storm Sandra!!), as he was the only intrepid cyclist willing to join me. The weather looked fine for this evening ride, not too windy and the sun looked set to join us, if maybe a bit chilly. Having a route in mind and knowing that Simon had yet to experience the notorious ‘Three Hills’, we set out from Lower Langley down through Little Chishill to then turn up to Great Chishill taking in the said hills, getting them out-of-the-way at the start of the route, we’d certainly warmed up by the time we passed The Pheasant, on through Heydon and dropping to Chrishall Grange before turning towards Ickleton before turning back to head up to Elmdon, yes UP again, yet another hill with a ‘nice’ (if that’s the correct term!) kick at the end, on through Elmdon dropping down and then heading UP again to Duddenhoe End, this time a hill I’ve only ever gone down before with the Windmillers (I now know why we’ve only ever gone down this one!), at this point it’s pretty much down hill all the way to the welcome of The Bull at Lower Langley, having done all those hills, the thoughts of adding the extra 4 miles passing ‘Chez Oliver’ at Butt’s Green went out of our thoughts, so straight back to The Bull it was, where Maurice joined us later on.

Thank you Simon for being brave enough to join me.

Sandra

The plan was to have an early start and finish to allow Deputy Dawg Andrew to scoot off on his hols but it didn’t quite work out like that. Lawrence was running late and so it was 11 Windmillers who set off from the Fleur de Lys in Widdington on a clockwise circuit to Puckeridge and back – Maurice, Andrew, Vernon, Sandra, Keith, Chris, Tom, Roger, Deborah, Simon and Martin. Here is the route taken:

Was it the rain the day before washing mini axe head flints onto the road, choice of tyres or just bad luck that caused four punctures en route, with Deborah suffering one in both front and back wheels? Most probably it was the rain, as has happened before, but there is always talk of Schwalbe Marathons at such time, in which company we are convinced that Andrew holds shares.

Tom was the first to get a puncture but he was so far ahead of the peloton that he already had his front wheel off by the time the others arrived. Although not breaking his personal record of 5 minutes he was soon on the go again:

Then it was Deborah’s turn in Much Hadham but some willing helpers soon had her front wheel off and a new tube inserted whilst the others pedalled on towards Puckeridge to place their orders for coffee and cakes.

At this stage of the ride we were around 30 mins behind schedule but there was more in store on the return leg when Deborah got her second puncture, this time in her back wheel, when Tom, Sandra and Vernon once again came to her rescue and fished out a mini flint before fitting a new tube.

Finally, it was Vernon’s turn, not long after leaving Rickling, his tough Continental Four Seasons tyres also showing that they are susceptible to our local flints. Meanwhile the others were already on their first pint back at the Fleur as the familar puncture repair team again swung into action:

Tom, Sandra and Vernon will definitely be up for the Puncture Repair Team of the Year Award at the Christmas lunch.

And so it was 1.00pm, an hour behind schedule, that we finally all assembled at the Fleur de Lys for yet another wonderful lunch. Sadly, having arrived late, Lawrence set off to find us without success and so was unable to join us for lunch, having returned to the Fleur by 11.30am.

Thanks to Maurice for planning the ride, not knowing of course that all those nasty flints were out there to get us, and to Andrew for organising us. Hopefully Andrew didn’t miss his boat.

Martin

PS. This must be a record for puncture pics on a blog. Ed.