Author: Martin Woodhead

This Autumn afternoon/evening wasn’t what it was supposed to be but the four intrepid souls embarking from The Bull, Lower Langley, were determined to ride their bicycles into the night. As the dry weather had dispersed, so the battle with low, blinding sun would not be the case this afternoon.

Maurice, Andrew, Simon and Sandra, set forth into the damp air. Most took to layers of waterproof gear, while Simon chose to brave the most natural, probably quicker and easier to dry layer of “skin” (I must add, not the full birthday suit!!). This would prove at the end of the ride to be a wise decision, as even though it was damp throughout the ride, it certainly was a pleasant temperature but that may have also been down to the layers we were wearing!!

We set forth to Meesden Bury, Brent Pelham and then on to Berden, with the roads quite damp, muddy and littered with leaf debris care needed to be taken, thankfully Maurice had chosen an unpowered steed, so there was no need for us to be chasing after this Speedster!!

On to Wicken Bonhunt, Arkesden, Duddenhoe End and Langley Upper Green, along the way a cheeky hen pheasant took flight alongside Andrew and cut across in front of him, possibly an attempt to take him out prior to the beating/shooting season and saving all her friends/family! The conversation quickly turned to game recipes and making space in the freezer for ‘the bag’!!

At Langley Upper Green, the group split, with Maurice and Simon heading the short route back and Andrew and Sandra going via Butts Green and Roast Green to add approx 4 miles to the route. A warm welcome awaited us at The Bull. ‘Flanders Field’ the beer of choice, Green King – British Legion special, very refreshing too.

Thanks to Maurice for organising the ride, Andrew for organising us and to Simon for the delicious Quince jelly (still warm).

Sandra

For the third week running a baker’s dozen of Windmillers assembled for a ride around our beautiful local lanes. Starting this time from The Fox & Duck in Therfield, Maurice chose a clockwise route via Baldock, Ashwell, Guilden Morden and Royston before the climb back to Therfield.

Accompanied by Andrew, Vernon, Birthday Boy Keith, Sandra, Ric, Brian B, Brian Y, Chris, Lawrence, Simon, Graham and Martin, the group set off a bit earlier than usual so that Maurice could fit in a flu jab in Royston on the way back.  Here is the route taken:

There was indeed a breeze in our favour on the outward leg which meant we swept along, clocking up an average speed close to that achieved the previous Monday. The route through to Baldock is very pretty, particularly the village of Wallington which was once the home of George Orwell, author of Animal Farm.

And here are the animals and humans (minus Napoleon and Vernon the horse) outside George Orwell’s cottage:

For more information about George Orwell and Animal Farm, here’s a link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Farm .

The animals and humans then left in single file, speeding down the long descent to Baldock before heading north east towards Ashwell for coffee at Rhubarb & Mustard. The breeze seemed to be still in our favour.

 

After coffee we sailed downwind towards Wrestlingworth before finally turning for home, when the breeze became a full on near gale on the nose, reminiscent of some past rides organised by Storm (Pinkeye) Sandra. The imposing Litlington church was passed on the way:

The peloton thinned out and by the time we reached the A505 there was some distance between the front and back. A slow climb up the hill to Therfield, hoping that a golf ball would not impede progress, was finally rewarded by the welcome sight of The Fox and Duck and a welcome birthday pint courtesy of Keith (thanks Keith!) sitting outside in the hot sunshine before having a splendid lunch inside.

Thanks to Maurice for planning the route and to Andrew for getting us to the starting line on time. And congratulations to Sandra, Ric and Graham for clocking up many additional miles by riding to and from The Fox & Duck.

Martin

 

 

 

Six Windmillers comprising Maurice, Andrew, Keith, Sandra, Simon and Martin set forth from The Bull at Lower Langley at 4.30pm on this cloudy but dry autumnal evening, not knowing that they would be achieving a higher than usual average speed of 12.4 mph for the ride. Was this the wind, increased fitness levels or the thought of a pint of Benny’s Best at the end? Perhaps all three.

Maurice led the way on his highly charged steed firstly towards Shaftenhoe End and then due South to Little Hormead before turning left towards Furneux Pelham and back via the outskirts of Clavering. Here is the route in detail:

There were some significant hills at times, as shown in the graphs above, resulting in a loss of 839 calories, according to Mapometer. A pint of Benny’s Best only amounts to 210 calories and so we can comfort ourselves with a net loss of 629 calories……………

There were few stops, not even outside the church in Furneux Pelham where ‘Time Flies’, but a brief pause was made to take on and expel water, rather like a steam engine.

The moving average had slowed to 12.0 mph by Roast Green but thanks to a high speed descent to Lower Langley this increased to 12.4 mph just as the welcome sight of The Bull came into view.

Thanks once again to maestro Maurice for leading us around the Autumnal lanes and to deputy dawg Andrew for organising us all. It’s a good feeling not to have anything to do except just turn up and pay our dues. Over £1500 has already been raised for charity this year and so by Christmas this should be a tidy sum to distribute.

Martin

An earlier start of 4.30pm was necessary today due to the shorter days creeping in slowly but surely. As long as The Bull was open at the end of the ride, that’s all that really mattered, which indeed it was.

It was good to have another new member join us, Jenny, a friend of also new member Deborah. Welcome Jenny! Accompanied by electric Maurice, Andrew, Sandra, Keith, Simon and Martin, we set off at a brisk pace to get some warmth flowing into those brave enough to display knobbly knees. Here is the route taken:

The route took us down Andrew’s favourite off road / track past Rockell’s Farm in Duddenhoe End and on to Rickling and Rickling Green. The lanes were quite busy for a while, this being rush hour, but it soon settled down to the usual peace and quiet we have become accustomed to. Then on to Manuden where it was tempting to stop at Martin’s daughter’s house but baby Willow was busy watching Cbeebies with her dad before tea and might just have wondered what Grandpa’s hi-viz friends were up to on what would have been a lightning visit.

Maurice had a devious off-road / track section planned in Furneux Pelham but before that we just had to pay homage to the gleaners of yesteryear who are said to be responsible for the inscription on the village church of Times Flies – Mind Your Business . Gleaners were apparently allowed onto harvest fields after work had finished, strictly at 6 pm.

Time was indeed flying – 6 o’clock meant it was opening time at The Bull – and so on we sped up the track and down a bumpy concrete bit towards another Pelham, Brent this time, before finally zooming downhill to Lower Langley. Saying farewell to Deborah and Jenny, the remaining Windmillers received a warm welcome inside The Bull.

Thanks, Maurice, for another entertaining ride and to Andrew for getting us there and supplying the photo.

Martin

It was a magnificent Suffolk morning as a baker’s dozen of Windmillers gathered at The Packhorse in Moulton on a Newmarket race day. Driving past the gallops from Newmarket to Moulton watching the horses in training is always a special sight and on this crisp sunny autumnal day it was extra special.

We nearly filled the car park as Maurice, Andrew, Vernon, Sandra, Keith (still recovering from a bug), Ken, Lawrence, Chris, Roger, Victor, Simon, Deborah and Martin got ready for the off, knowing also that Ric would be cycling over from Harston and joining us for lunch. Simon had to firstly mend a puncture – possibly caused by the same thorn / flint on Keith’s driveway that caused Martin’s puncture on Monday? Maurice distributed a map and off we went, not knowing that the actual route might be somewhat different.

This is where we were meant to go:

…and this is where we actually went:

The main variation was a scenic detour into the suburbs of Bury St Edmunds followed by a U-turn and a  stretch along a busy A road but other than this the lanes were fairly quiet. Not long after starting, however, an overtaking car, just before a bend, forced a fast oncoming car to take quick evasive action on to the verge which avoided an accident. Which all goes to show how careful Windmillers need to be at all times, particularly when cycling in a large group.

Our coffee destination was Ickworth, but not the café in the grounds. Every now and then Windmillers like to splash out and so it was the hotel that Maurice had booked us into, where we enjoyed our coffees sitting outside in a magnificent garden in warm sunshine:

The Suffolk countryside was in fine fettle, post-harvest. As always, there were some fascinating churches, cottages and fine country houses to admire as we pedalled along.

And this one too:

Knowing that lunch was to be served promptly at 1.00pm some of the group charged on ahead whilst others were content with admiring the views. But on reaching Moulton there was a large group on the fine bridge desperate to be caught on camera:

A treat was in store back at The Packhorse, our second upmarket eating establishment of the day. An earlier photo shoot had left cocktails all over the bar that needed drinking up, and who better to oblige than a gang of thirsty Windmillers?

Then we sat down in a large private room and enjoyed a Wherry good lunch, joined by Ric who once again gets the prize for the longest ride of the day – approx. 45 miles from Harston and back. Well done, Ric.

Thanks, Maurice, for organising the Lost Tribe and getting us back for a splendid lunch bang on time. And Andrew too for getting us to the starting line. Let’s try a greasy spoon next week.

Martin

 

 

 

 

What a glorious evening to go cycling, meeting at The Bull, Lower Langley in the sunshine were newest New-by Deborah, shortest time as New-by Simon (1 week), Maurice, Andrew, John T, Keith and Sandra.

Introductions over and we headed up towards Meesden Bury, Brent Pelham, Furneux Pelham, thankfully not opting for the off-road route or what is also known as the longest ford!! We would have been more than happy to meet ‘Off Road King Andrew’ at the other end, had he chosen to partake but was persuaded otherwise, even though it had been a very dry period of late.

On to Manuden and up to Rickling Green, Maurice having thrown down the gauntlet to anyone wishing to have a bit of a burn up the hills on route. Well it seems that I was the only one feeling the need to stretch my legs a bit more (even though I’d ridden to the start, John T having ridden to the start too). So, I sat over looking the green and the Cricketers Arms, longing for some refreshment until the crew arrived (probably could have managed a swift half after all!!).

Once regrouped we headed to Rickling and the hopes of a photo opportunity with the Black Swan but sadly no swan and a dry pond was found (Not sure what has happened to the Black Swan)!

The sun was dropping and the shadows lengthening, so we returned via Wicken Bonhunt, Arkesden, avoiding the gravely off-road section to Duddenhoe End and then into the now blinding sun to Langley, Lower Langley and welcome refreshments at The Bull.

Thanks to Maurice for the route and Andrew for organising us.

Sandra

It was good to have two newish members, Simon and Deborah, join Andrew and Martin on this Monday evening ride around the lanes. But given their interest in stopping to examine a nuclear fall out shelter near Brent Pelham, were they in fact Russian spies we wondered, or is this just fake news?

Starting from The Bull in Lower Langley, where a large beer festival had been held over the weekend and luckily for us there was a lot left over, our ride took us through stunning lanes just as the sun was getting low in the sky. Here is the route taken:

Avoiding all off-road alternatives, we sped along thinking of the beer to be sampled back at the Bull until we pulled up near the aforesaid nuclear bunker, built during the height of the cold war when it was feared the Russians could have been overhead at any time.

Then it was on to Anstey where one bright spark who shall be nameless suggested we might call on Keith, but not knowing exactly which house he lived in we just rode up his driveway, hung around making a few noises and then departed without seeing him – just as well as he had a rotten cold. But the security system of thorns / flints on his driveway succeeded in giving Martin a puncture at a time when the light was beginning to fade but it was repaired in a reasonable time thanks to a team effort.

When we finally reached The Bull it was great to see John B who had been out riding in the same area and maestro Maurice was propped up on a bar stool too with an indecent suntan having just got back from sailing around Majorca. The huge range of beers left over from the festival were priced at just £2.00 a pint and so we just had to take advantage of that, and take some home too for good measure.

Thanks to Andrew for organising a great ride and to the staff of The Bull who always give us such a warm welcome.

Martin

 

It was a murky Essex day as 6 Windmillers gathered at the Fleur de Lys for a ride to Finchingfield and back, not even bearing to think about Maurice soaking up the sunshine and drinking gin and tonics on his friend’s large yacht in the Mediterranean. So Andrew led the way, followed dutifully by Sandra, Chris, Lawrence, Roger and Martin via Henham, Thaxted, Great Bardfield, Sydney (only joking) and Waltham’s Cross (no joking).  Here is the route taken:

The first stop on what was quite a brisk ride was Henham where large fish were seen swimming in the village pond, which never seems to dry up. Sadly they were not seen on camera:

Thaxted came and went in a blur and on we sped towards Great Bardfield with thoughts of coffee beginning to become uppermost in one’s mind.  But then came the hypothetical Sydney, a field full of mini wallabies munching happily away but almost as invisible as the fish in Henham:

Coffee was had at the delightful café in Finchingfield where we have stopped many times before, Bosworth’s Tearooms. Several scones were consumed, some with clotted cream (on top of the jam of course) and there were thoughts of why Keith was not with us. That soon became clear when the murk turned to heavy rain and we had to sit it out until it cleared, so Keith had clearly read an accurate forecast.

But the rain soon stopped and other than a spot or two on the way back (badly judged by Martin who stopped unnecessarily to don a waterproof only to remove it again shortly afterwards) we returned in the murk via Thaxted and were soon taking the off road route behind Debden to reach Widdington in time for a splendid lunch at the Fleur de Lys.  Chris was celebrating the arrival of his second grandchild, Ethan, and so we had great pleasure wetting the babe’s head courtesy of Chris. Thanks Chris!

Thanks to Andrew for organising a great ride.

Martin

 

Sandra’s report of trusty steeds on 17 September reminded me that speedy steeds had an interesting circuit from The Bull in Lower Langley on 3 September, which had not been blogged.

Here is the route taken:

It was Andrew, Keith and Martin who set off on yet another glorious evening circuit only to find at the end that John B had been doing much the same in the opposite direction, having started a bit later, but never the twain did meet until back at The Bull. Instead of going directly from Heydon to Elmdon, Martin introduced a new off road but relatively smooth path from Chrishall to Elmdon which runs through the woods (wonderful smells at bluebell time).  Interesting to see that the trusty steeds did it again in reverse.

Whilst climbing up to Catmere End, Martin noticed a sprayer busy spraying and in the interests of photography and sprayer identification by Tom at some future stage, he stopped to take pics, whilst the others went ahead and waited. It wasn’t long before the driver stopped his sprayer and sauntered over to ask if there was anything wrong. ‘Nothing at all’, wimpered Martin, thankful that he was not about to crush his bike and as soon as Tom’s name was mentioned he melted into a long discussion about nozzles and weeds, demonstrating what he was trying to eradicate. Meanwhile, Andrew and Keith were worrying about Martin’s safety but showing no signs of intervening.

Sprayer at Catmere End in need of identification by Tom

Then the speedsters got going, Andrew and Martin recording their best ever top speed of 33.4 mph descending the long hill from Littlebury Green.

Not long afterwards, we came across a recently torched / burnt out Land Rover Discovery on the side of a field leading up to Duddenhoe End. The heat had been so intense that all the glass had melted into pools and nothing was left except the shell. Quite a sight:

Finally, we wended our way through the lanes taking a left at Langley Upper Green which meant delaying a pint by another 10 minutes but adding a couple of miles to the ride and enjoying the countryside.

And then we were soon back at The Bull sampling a pint of Benny’s Best, still not knowing where it is brewed and all the staff refusing to tell us. But it’s a fine pint.

Thanks, Andrew, for organising a great circuit. Apologies for the delay in reporting.

Martin

 

 

 

 

The Bull, Langley Lower Green would be the meeting place for this evening ride, 17.00 would be the start time. Assembling in the car park were Maurice choosing non electric cycling to push those muscles, Andrew, Sandra and a newby Simon, whom we welcomed to the group and hope to see again on many a ride.

Setting off across the ford towards Meesden Bury before cutting down towards Roast Green and then along back up to Langley Upper Green passing ‘The Olivers’ residence, on to Duddenhoe End, where we circled to incorporate a little off road section through Rockells Farm, a little stoney for some of us!! Back on tarmac we headed to Littlebury Green, passing Simon’s residence on to Catmore End and Strethall (Thankfully no angry looking farmers spraying tonight but we know how to calm them now, “Just mention Tom Robinson and all will be well!!’)

Onwards towards Elmdon on the lovely smooth tarmac, this wouldn’t last long as Andrew had plans for another off road section from Elmdon to Chrishall, through a lovely wooded area, much smoother than the previous off road section. Weaving our way through the lanes and passing The Red Cow, sadly not open on a Monday, we headed back through Heydon, Gt Chishill, Shaftenhoe End and Little Chishill to a warm welcome at the Bull and welcome refreshments. We were soon joined by John B with a rye grin on is face – “That was close” he said, assuming he meant the fading light but no, dusting off his knees, he told us of an off road section close by, a bit like being on a roller coaster ride. While relaxing and enjoying himself, his ‘Trusty Steed’ decided otherwise and catapulted him into the verge, thankfully no major damage, dusty knees and dented pride and he was on his way to the pub for a well deserved beer.

Thanks Andrew for organising us and the ride.

Sandra

Maurice was busy at the Aldeburgh Carnival and so it was just four Windmillers who set forth from The Tally Ho! In Barkway to explore local lanes on yet another fine summer’s evening – Andrew, John T, Sandra and Martin.

Our route took us firstly to Buckland, a road we rarely take because of the need to negotiate a short stretch of the busy A10 but well worth doing with a small group as the views left and right are stunning. As it happens, the A10 wasn’t too busy and so we were soon turning right towards Sandon and then left past Lyn and John B’s house (got it right this time!).

Buntingford was reached in no time, where we stretched our necks to try to see the damage done recently by an aggrieved contractor who put his digger through a recently completed house, and a brief stop was made to check if the creaking coming from Martin’s bike was coming from the bike or himself. The mystery was not solved but the creaking continued and it was Sandra who came up with the answer – the front disc brake was slightly out of alignment. And guess who caused that through a bit of tweaking of the cable before setting out? Yours truly, of course, or Bodgermart as he is also known.

The haste in riding was because we were going past the exact same spot as a few weeks back when John T was the first to spot two bikini clad girls wandering down a track near Wyddial playing loud music, having left their Mini Convertible near the road with their two burly minders in the back seat……… Alas, there was no repeat but we had to stop anyway to see what they may have been up to and discovered some burnt out material, lots of drinks cans and a teaspoon that looked as if it may have had a substance in it whilst being heated over the fire…… Or is that just our wicked imagination? There may well have been other items in the bushes but we decided not to venture there.

Returning via Nuthampstead, we had time and distance to spare and so Martin suggested a tour of the old airfield, which was led by Vice Marshal  Rusack. John T, being a local resident, had seen it all before and indeed takes part regularly in a flag ceremony in commemoration of those who died, left us to it and retired to go back to his and Bridget’s house.

After admiring the memorials and reading the wonderful poem of the 55th Fighter Group we took a path down to the airfield where many of the concrete taxiways are still in existence. The main runway is still used in part as a private airstrip and there were in addition two other runways. The whole site is huge – no wonder it was considered as a site for London’s third major airport in the 1970s.

Then it was back to The Tally Ho! after first admiring an ancient war-time (probably)   Leyland bulldozer in need of a little tlc but with an engine which looked as if it might still work.

Sitting outside on the deck of The Tally Ho! on a warm sultry evening was a perfect way to end a good ride.

Thanks to Vice Marshal Rusack for organising the ride and for the tour of Nuthampstead airfield.

Martin

 

 

With The Tally Ho, Barkway being the starting point, 5 Windmillers were to turn out for this ride – Maurice, Andrew, John T, Sandra and Keith. Looks like it’s going to be a dry evening then!! Well I must admit, I had turned out anticipating an odd shower but my fears were put aside when Keith pulled into the car park.

With Maurice back on his electric stead, we set off towards Barkway Golf course, at the first hill, were there issues with this bike, as we all bunched up close to Maurice, expecting him to take off up the hill but NO, determined as he is to be back to full strength ASAP, it turned out he was using minimal power and the heavier bike slowed, crash averted and those of us keen to get to the potential watering hole carried on.

Trough Anstey to Brent Pelham and a brief stop for everyone to get back together or so we thought. No Maurice!! He did appear and the suggestion that he may have a technical fault were dismissed, NO, a slow puncture but also with minimal equipment to repair. It was decided that Maurice with chief assistant Andrew head back, pumping the tyre as needed, change to vehicles and meet us at the watering hole.

On through Brent Pelham, John T took the reigns thankfully and guided us through some muddy at times roads to Stocking Pelham, Berden and Little London with its delightful cottages on to Clavering, where both Keith and my phones had been ringing and the decision to stop and check out who it would be (I’m certainly not adept at riding while on the phone, so the best to stop first, don’t need another invalid in our household!!). It was Andrew checking on our progress, having collected Maurice now on ‘run flat tyre’ on the back of his bike. A slight change of plan and instead of The Cricketers at Clavering for timely refreshment, let’s meet at The Bull, Lower Langley, which we did. Mid pint and John T decided to depart and leave Keith and myself to finish the route via Meesden and Anstey, back to The Tally Ho and a warm welcome from Sally.

So it would be two out of five to finish the ride!!!

Thanks to Maurice for organising the route, Andrew for organising us and John T for taking over when needed to keep us in check.

Sandra

It was dry at first, but not for long as the first rain for nine weeks descended on the six hardy Windmillers who had gathered at 9.00am at The Red Lion in Great Wratting near Haverhill for coffee before placing their lunch orders. Maurice had gone electric again, Vernon was riding his son’s featherweight hi-tech bike (hoping there was no off-road in store) whilst Sandra, Roger, Victor and Martin were on their usual steeds.

It was not exactly tipping it down, just a few spits and spots to start with, but wet enough for Maurice not to get a very good grip on his pedals with his clippity clop cycle shoes and so after half a mile he returned to slip on some deck shoes which were more appropriate for the prevailing conditions, leaving the rest of the group sheltering behind a hedge whilst admiring the entrance to the local pig processing factory:

With Maurice having got a grip on his pedals we soon re-started and started a clockwise route through wet but still delightful Suffolk lanes. Here is the route taken:

The churches, houses and cottages in the villages we passed through all looked splendid and there was a general absence of potholes thanks to some recent repairs and re-gravelling, necessitating some careful riding at times. There were hills too, steep enough in the fields near Boxted for a blue ski run, according to Roger.

Thoughts of more coffee began at about the 15 mile mark but the destination was the old Station at Clare after 20 miles, by which time we needed to dry out a bit too. This is a favourite stop with coffee and cakes being served in the Waiting Room amongst all kinds of railway paraphernalia.  The Eccles cakes were still warm, and very good too, likewise the coffee.

According to Wikipedia, Clare Castle was built shortly after the Norman conquest of England by Richard Fitz Gilbert. In the 14th century the castle was the home of Elizabeth de Clare, one of the richest women in England, who maintained a substantial household there. The castle passed into the hands of the Crown, and by the 16th century was in ruins. It was damaged by the construction of the Great Eastern Railway in 1867 which went through the middle of castle, which could perhaps be the origin of that old song about The railroad runs through the middle of the house, the middle of the house, the middle of the house etc.. Perhaps not.

Then it was 10 miles back to The Red Lion, with Maurice having just two of five blobs left on his battery gauge, in heavier rain but not torrential, and it was good to see John B’s car in the car park. We sat down to a good lunch and were later joined by John who had started his ride a bit later than the rest of us.

Thanks, Maurice, for organising the ride. We had the best part of a wet day judging by what came later.

Martin

PS. What came later was one of the wettest days ever recorded in Cavendish.

 

 

 

 

Once again it was nothing but sun on this glorious evening ride, made more glorious by fields of sunflowers and a stunning sunset. But there were just three Windmillers out to enjoy it, this being the peak of the holiday season, and so Maurice, Sandra and Martin set off shortly after 5.00pm from the Tally Ho! in Barkway to take it slowly through the lanes to Clavering and back, clocking up 20 miles.

Maurice decided to go non-electric for the first time since his hip op which had the advantage of a long refreshment stop being needed at The Cricketers in Clavering, where a large crowd were outside drinking, grazing and generally enjoying the lovely weather.

Here is the route taken:

Setting off back to Barkway, Maurice soon regretted trying to get his leg over (his bike) in his pre-hip op style, resulting in a bit of a tweak of the new joint. But all was well and we trundled steadily through the lanes enjoying some spectacular views on the way.

Shortly afterwards it was a pleasant surprise to come across a large field of sunflowers. reminiscent of the Charente region of France – is this a further sign of global warming?

And then, one of the most stunning sunsets ever seen on a Monday ride, radiating through the clouds in spectacular style:

By the time we were back at The Tally Ho! the light was beginning to fade, a reminder that late afternoon starts will start to become earlier from now on as the days shorten. A warm welcome was received from Sally which was a pleasant end to a very pleasant ride.

Thanks, Maurice for organising the ride but obey doctor’s orders in future!

Martin

 

 

 

Yet another hot Thursday ride was in store as eleven Windmillers gathered at 9.30am in the shade of the Fleur de Lys car park in Widdington. A tanker of water / beer towed by someone with an electric bike would have come in useful but, alas, Maurice was unable to make the ride. Andrew therefore organised it, assisted ably by John B who introduced a couple of off-road elements , and so with the others comprising Ken, Ric, Brummy Brian, Keith, Tom, Lawrence, Roger, Victor and Martin, the peloton set off in search of The Blue Egg near Great Bardfield. It was great to have Ric with us again on his first major ride since his accident earlier in the year and fully recovered, so much so that he rode also to Widdington and back to Harston clocking up over 60 miles in all. Furthermore, it had been Ric’s birthday a couple of weeks before and so there was the prospect on beers on him. Well done, Ric!

Here is the route taken:

John B’s first off road section was a splendid piece of smoothish farm track not far from Widdington which took us directly to the Thaxted road south east of Debden avoiding several annoying hills and busy roads in the process. Whether that was the cause of Victor’s puncture was not known but with help of Roger and Brian it was mended in record time and the group all met up again in Thaxted in the shade of the church spire.

Lawrence and Andrew speeding towards Thaxted with both church spire and windmill visible in the distance

The Blue Egg Café in Great Bardfield was the coffee destination, a place visited only once before and attempted on other occasions without success due to inclement weather. So it was good to be back at what is apparently one of Mark Cavendish’s favourite bike cafés, and understandably so as the coffee, cakes and all important scones were excellent and likewise the service. Someone even thought the bearded fellow biker near us was indeed Mark Cavendish but on closer inspection he was only a look-a-like.

Refreshed , but getting hotter, the peloton headed back via Bardfield Saling, Lindsell and Great Easton but were soon turning off the main road to explore John B’s second off-road section. We had to stop outside a wonderful wood carver’s cottage to admire, in particular, his carving of a bearded man with a pointed hat which we all agreed bore a great resemblance to Ric, except perhaps for the hat. Here he is taking pride of place in the photograph:

The off-road section was short, narrow and fine on a dry summer’s day, but probably left well alone on a wet Essex-mud kind of day. We exited onto a quiet lane and then continued on a mix of hot and shady lanes with only the occasional difficult Essex van driver to contend with. Thoughts of beer began in earnest around Henham, which John took advantage of, but the others had lunch in mind and continued towards Widdington with a final steep climb to the Fleur de Lys, which was a welcome sight after 34 hot miles in the saddle (and even more for Ric). An excellent lunch was had, washed down with some fine beers, courtesy of Ric. Thanks Ric! And it was good to have Vernon join us too, having ridden over from Melbourn. Let’s have birthdays every week.

Thanks also to Andrew and John for planning the route, and to Brian for the Strava map and some of the pics.. It was a great ride.

Martin

 

 

 

 

‘Time flies, mind your business’ was the reminder once again as five Windmillers stopped outside St Mary the Virgin in Furneux Pelham to admire the church clock.

The starting point once again was The Tally Ho! in Barkway where we are always made to feel very welcome by Sally and the locals. Maurice, Andrew, John T, Keith and Martin were the five who set forth, hoping that Sally might one day be able to join us too as she has done in the past. Here is the route taken:

The lanes were empty as usual and the temperature bearable, having set forth at 6.00pm. Wouldn’t it be nice if time just stood still instead of flying by, then we could always set off at 6.00pm on a Monday evening? The route took us almost past Keith’s house in Anstey and almost past Roger’s house in Furneux Pelham and so Keith could easily have been blindfolded without losing the way.

Opposite the church in Furneux Pelham is a house with, for some unknown reason, a slightly different version of the inscription on the church tower, which says simply  ‘Mind Your Own Business’:

Local lore states that the Church version of the inscription apparently reminded farmers and landowners to get on with the harvest, as the church bell was rung at 6pm, during the harvest, to allow gleaners into the fields to scavenge spilled corn. So gleaning would have been in full swing many years ago at the time when we stopped at 6.47pm. If you believe that you’ll believe anything! More local lore also states, probably accurately, that all the Pelhams were once known just as Pelham and recorded as such in the Domesday Book of 1086. Here endeth today’s Hertfordshire history lesson.

On we went to Brent Pelham via the notorious Violet’s Lane (the longest ford in England [Correction: Europe. Ed.] according to Roger) except that we turned right before hitting any water or mud. Maurice recalled how his Range Rover had once been up to its bonnet in water (as a dare from some his pals).  A lane to perhaps avoid in the middle of winter on a bike.

Finally we met up with our outgoing route in Anstey and returned to The Tally Ho! ready to do justice to the Hophead on offer.

Thanks go to Maurice for planning the ride and to Andrew for getting us to the start line on time. Congratulations are also due to Maurice for raising the handsome sum of over £600 for the East Anglian Children’s Hospice through holding his annual classic / interesting car show on 29 July.

Martin

 

 

 

This was to prove an enchanting evening in so many ways. Firstly, it was Sandra’s birthday and she was buying the beers; secondly, we had visions of loveliness never seen before on a ride; thirdly we were once again entertained to Rogers and Hammerstein and various East End songs by the dazzling duo of John T and Julian in The Tally Ho! after the ride.

So five Windmillers comprising electric Maurice, Andrew, John T, Sandra and Martin set forth from The Tally Ho! in Barkway not knowing what lay in store, other than the promise of a beer at the end. Maurice’s recent purchase of an electric bike from a chap in Aldeburgh meant he was soon zooming on ahead at high speed leaving some of us less fit ones gasping for breath to keep up. The route took us through familiar lanes on a delightful circuit via Therfield, Kelshall, Sandon (where we rang our bells as we passed Lyn and John B’s house [corrected with apologies, ed.]) and on to Buntingford.

It was just after Wyddial that, on first sight, the vision we had could have been a dream or some kind of stroke brought on by heat exhaustion but, no, on second sight, there really were two very scantily clad beautiful young ladies walking down a track playing loud music, having parked their Mini Convertible near the road. Were they clothed at all, some wondered? Yes, but only in itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikinis, or perhaps underwear of a similar design. Needless to say, being responsible Windmillers and also having a lady amongst us, there was no sudden braking or U-turns or photographs taken to see if this really was a dream or reality. Such a manoeuvre might in any case have been unwise, according to John T, who claimed to have seen two chaps sitting in the back of the Mini……..

And so on we sped, averaging 12.5mph, until The Tally Ho! finally came into view soon after passing the very brown Barkway golf course. Sandra very kindly bought the beers and we celebrated her birthday by singing a rousing Happy Birthday. It was of course the singing that got John T and Julian going with another splendid rendition of some Rogers and Hammerstein favourites, including of course Some Enchanted Evening, sung to an equally high standard:

We were in stitches listening to Julian’s version of Who Killed Cock Robin?, the words of which will not be repeated here. This is a decent blog.

Thanks to Maurice for planning the route, Andrew for organising us, Sandra for owning up to her birthday and buying the beers and to John T and Julian for the cabaret.

Finally, commiserations to Sandra’s Steve who broke his collar bone at the weekend by colliding with a roadside bank at only 10mph on his electric bike whilst watching combine harvesters at work. Just as well that a similar fate didn’t happen this evening when watching those girls; it could have been an almighty pile up.

Martin

 

 

 

 

 

Another glorious day was in store as 9 Windmillers descended on to The Henny Swan in Henny Street, situated deep in the Suffolk countryside  alongside the River Stour near Sudbury. Unfortunately, Ken didn’t quite make it in time and so it was Maurice, Andrew, Sandra, Keith, Brummie Brian, Chris, Tom and Martin who set forth on one of Maurice’s dazzling  5-star rides.

Here is the route taken:

Going in a clockwise direction we soon entered a familiar stretch of disused railway line, skirting Sudbury, which was very pleasant to ride on in dry, shaded conditions. Then it was along quiet roads and lanes, passing many beautiful churches such as this one, St. Lawrence, in Great Waldingfield:

Thoughts of coffee began to occur shortly after this stop, Boxford being the original destination, but it proved difficult to pass through Kersey without stopping at the delightful Bell Inn, where the coffee was superb (and the beers probably not bad either). On the way we had to stop to take in this amazing view of the Suffolk countryside at its best:

There were a surprising number of hills from Kersey onwards but none too challenging, particularly for Maurice who was breezing along once again on Ann Worthing’s electric bike, albeit in eco mode in order to gain more muscle strength for when he rides battery free once again, continuing his amazingly quick recovery from his hip op. Well done, Maurice!

Other than a pause for Andrew to pick up a road-kill onion on the side of the road, the return leg to Henny Street was uneventful, but passing a pub rated as having 5 stars seemed to sum up the ride perfectly. The Swan was heaving with customers, some of whom had travelled down from Sudbury on the pub’s own electric boat, the John Constable, but once the drinks had been served we could relax and have a pleasant lunch outside in the shade. Ken joined us having done his own tour of Suffolk but Brian had to whizz away.

The pub’s table tennis table beckoned after lunch with Andrew, Sandra, Keith and Martin taking part, but the clear winner was Keith thanks to some demon spins.

Thanks go to Maurice for organising a great ride and to Andrew for getting the majority of us to the starting line on time.

Martin

 

It was a lovely summer’s evening as four Windmillers set off from the Tally Ho! in Barkway, not knowing what a sing-song might occur later. Maurice was once again on Ann Worthing’s electric bike, with which he became so enamoured that he bought one for himself in Aldeburgh over the weekend, which needs a bit of tlc before being allowed out on the road.

Accompanied by Andrew, John T and Martin, the quartet set off on a delightful trip around the lanes taking in Anstey, Meesden, Clavering, Arkesden, Duddenhoe End, Langley Lower Green and back via Anstey, with John T taking a longer route via Nuthampstead. Here is the tadpole route taken (apologies for the first attempt at creating a Strava image):

It was of course thirsty work and so a stop had to be made at The Bull at Lower Langley, which was somewhat less busy than the Friday evening before when Ken Worthing organised a ride, which also happened to pass by The Bull. Then it was heaving with families and kids all having a great pizza evening and enjoying the sunshine.

Then it was back to The Tally Ho! to receive a warm welcome from Sally behind the bar and the locals, most of whom we had met before on previous visits. Somehow or other, the conversation got around to Rogers and Hammerstein whereupon John T professed to be a great fan and indeed knew all the words of pretty well every R&H musical ever written, and began to serenade us in a fine tenor voice that Lawrence would have loved to hear too. South Pacific, Carousel, Oklahoma, you name it and John knows it. Sadly, however, this site does not support videos but if a way can be found to create a link to Andrew’s filming of John and the chorus, it will be added at a later date. Thoughts of a follow up at the annual Christmas lunch also spring to mind………..

Thanks to Maurice and Andrew for organising the ride.

Martin

 

 

Just 5 weeks after his hip operation, Maurice was back on a bike, albeit an electric one courtesy of Ann Worthing. This must surely rank as one of the fastest recoveries known in the history of hip transplants?

And so it was that 10 Windmillers gathered at a new starting point, the Eight Bells at Abbotsley near St Neots. Accompanying Maurice were Andrew, Sandra, Keith, Rod, Chris, Brummie Brian, Yorkie Brian, Roger and Martin, freshly back from his trip down the west coast of France. Having adjusted Ann’s bike to ensure the all important 90° angle between torso and legs (on doctor’s orders) Maurice roared away from the pub leaving the others struggling to keep up.

This is the route taken by all except Maurice:

Maurice thought he was setting an easy pace but it wasn’t until some traffic lights in St Neots that the gasping peloton finally caught him up when a U-turn was required before  negotiating a tricky river crossing and then going the wrong way around the Market Square, much to the notice of local townsfolk. So it was a question of getting out of town fast and that is indeed what Maurice continued to do.

Once under the A1, the roads got a little quieter and it wasn’t long before we reached Perry on the shores of Graffham Water after about 16 miles. At this point Maurice decided wisely that a 6 mile section of off-road riding around Graffham Water might not be what his consultant had in mind and so he pedalled on anti-clockwise to a café further round the shore whilst the rest of us continued at a blistering pace on the narrow and bumpy track in a clockwise direction. Funny how Maurice’s influence continued, or was it the thought of coffee and cakes that kept us whizzing along?

As it happens, the peloton got to the café not long after Maurice and so we suspected he had switched the controls of Ann’s bike from ‘sport’ to ‘normal’ to conserve battery power for the homeward leg.

The return leg took us again under the A1 at Buckden, passing a delightful church on the way:

Buckden was clearly a major stopping off point for travellers on the Great North Road – Buckden Towers was the 5 star place used frequently by bishops and royalty.

Maurice’s speed back wasn’t quite as fast, which enabled Roger, Sandra, Brian and other speedsters to overtake him at times but towards the end when he realised that the impressive battery still had 28% of its charge left he appeared to revert to sport mode and charged off again. However, despite the assistance of a battery, there is still a considerable amount of effort needed to pedal an electric bike and so it is truly remarkable what Maurice achieved on his first day back in the saddle for 5 weeks. Well done! And well done, too, to Rod who continues to make a great recovery and who is fighting fit again. But hauling Rod back from disappearing up the wrong road continues to exercise our vocal chords at times.

There was a warm welcome back at the Eight Bells and a good lunch was had in the garden.

Thanks, Maurice, for leading the way. It’s good to have you back. And thanks to Andrew for organising us and to B Brian for the Strava map and a pic.

Martin

P.S. If anyone would like to read of our exploits and the food and wine consumed by me and my chum Dick on our recent French ride, it’s all here: https://martinwoodheadsblog.wordpress.com