Author: Martin Woodhead

October Thursdays have kept us guessing this year. It has been a very wet month overall and this was the third Thursday in a row that Windmillers have stayed close to their smartphones waiting for a go / no go from their leader. But, being an intrepid lot, each ride has taken place and only one, on 12 October, was almost washed out.

The above photo says it all – Graham must have been wondering whilst having his coffee at 8.00am on this rain sodden morning that Jeremy’s ride from The Plough in Den Fitton / Fen Dutton / Dun Futton or various other names Windmillers use to refer to Fen Ditton, might be abandoned or cut short. But it was not to be – the rain which teemed down en route to The Plough eased off before 9.30am and we enjoyed a pleasant dry ride to Ficken Wen and back, except for the puddles of course which spluttered mud on many a jacket.

Thirteen Windmillers comprising Jeremy, Alan, Simon, Brian, Sandra, Rod, Charles, Graham, Ken, Andrew, Martin W, Roger and Howard set off in two groups, firstly circling around the back streets of Cambridge via the Cambridge United football ground and Cherry Hinton before heading towards Stow cum Quy, the second group stopping to discuss the new ‘village’ being built on the eastern side of Marshall’s Airport. Then on to Bottisham, after which we could hear each other talk, and finally Swaffham Prior before entering the silent beauty of the Fens.

The name of The Dyke’s End pub caused some amusement as we passed through Reach on the way to busy Burwell before we again ventured deep into Fenland along rutted and potholed roads (Rishi, please note) requiring the utmost concentration when we might have been spotting wildlife instead.

All went smoothly until there was an almighty crash in the café at Wicken Fen when a tray of, luckily, tin cups being deposited thoughtfully by Alan missed its slot in the tray holder thingie and dumped the whole lot on the floor. ‘Crumbs’, said Alan, or words to that effect, and he didn’t mean the remains of cakes or croissants, but a member of staff soon rushed to his aid whilst Windmillers did nothing except act like the Paparazzi with their cameras.

There was more fun and games after coffee when Simon decided to show off his nautical (naughtical?) skills by pretending, we thought, to be an invading Viking and jumping into a longboat parked on the grass.

The return leg took us back via the familiar bridge over Burwell Lode which required assistance for those with heavy e-bikes, then Burwell Fen, Hallard’s Fen, Reach Lode, Prior Fen, Swaffham Bulbeck Lode, Bottisham Fen and Bottisham Lode before passing through the village of Lode itself next to Anglesey Abbey. Sadly, there was very little wildlife to see or hear, except for a couple of swans spotted by Graham, not even those lovely Polish ponies which are helping to restore a large area of Fenland.

The Cambridgeshire Lodes are man made and thought to be of Roman origin – perhaps that’s why they are always straight? Full details can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridgeshire_Lodes

Alan once again became the centre of attention when a flint caused a puncture in his front wheel but those with bad backs, namely Sandra and Graham, nobly stopped and assisted him and he was soon on the go again.

Back at The Plough it was good to be joined by Maurice and Chris and we all sat down to a good lunch, all except Charles who unfortunately received a Covid-scare from a friend at coffee time and thought he should not run the risk of infecting the rest of us. Thanks, Charles, and sorry you had to miss lunch. Fortunately, however, it turned out to be a false alarm.

Many thanks to Jeremy for planning and organising the ride, and to photographers Charles, Simon and Graham.

This is where we went:

Martin

Rod very kindly offered to organise this ride at short notice following a decision to postpone a proposed ride from Mersea Island due to only seven members being able to make it. There might have been a riot and those concerned being thrown out of the club if the magnificent seven were later to be seen stuffing themselves silly with delicious local seafood and local wine at The Company Shed. So, another time for Mersea when the time and tides are right.

But what better than to celebrate the reopening of The Axe and Compasses in Arkesden following the disastrous fire on Mothers’ Day in 2022 when most of it was razed to the ground. And the bonus was that two additional members could take part, making nine in total – Rod, Andrew, Victor, Roger, Gareth, Howard, Ken, Brian and Martin, plus the pleasure of having Maurice join us for lunch.

After some debate as to whether Violet’s Lane near Furneux Pelham was doable, necessitating a visit and assessment by Monday’s riders, the route was revised by Rod to ensure no one got stuck in mud or, worse still, punctured. Violet’s Lane is the longest ford in the UK, all three quarters of a mile of it. Just imagine cycling through this lot – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOE4ah1tLXc

This would of course not pose any problem for Simon and his snorkel who is renowned for his love of getting into deep water.

There was a fair amount of traffic to contend with at times (was a major road closed somewhere we wondered?) but after 15 miles we entered Braughing, bypassing The Golden Fleece for a change, and heading to Pearce’s Farm Shop on the A10 where we were treated to excellent cakes and coffee served with great efficiency – definitely one for a return visit.

There was evidence of long trousers on this ride, a sign of things to come perhaps, but once the sun got through it still felt really warm. Indeed, September has been recorded as one of the warmest on record.

Returning via Westmill, Buntingford, Hare Street and Nuthamsted the two groups met up at a traffic jam before Duddenhoe End due to two skip lorries being unable to pass each other. But Lorking’s Lane, a bridleway leading to Beard’s Lane and Cooper’s End came in handy as an escape route for Rod and Martin who whizzed along both and got to the bar of The Axe and Compasses before the others.

After a £1.6m restoration, in an astonishingly short space of time for a Grade 2 listed building, The Axe and Compasses looks just as it did before and the menu hasn’t changed much either – still a strong Greek influence. There is a passage from the Public Bar to the Saloon Bar but, otherwise, the layout is the same. The choice of new materials such as beams and windows is superb and, luckliy, much of the furniture was saved by the locals before the fire took hold.

And this is where we went, clockwise:

Thanks again to Rod for organising the ride at short notice and the excellent refreshment stops, and to Brian for the photos. We’re all a bit worried, actually, about Brian heading off to Hebden Bridge on holiday, known as the Transitioning Town of the North of England. Watch this space……

On a more serious note we wish Maurice well with his medical tests. Likewise, after Iain’s recent hospitalisation in Brittany, we wish him a good recovery and we look forward to having both of them join as again as soon as possible.

Martin

Deborah suggested a trip to see the church in Castle Hedingham might be of interest to those Windmillers who hadn’t paid a visit the last time and so this ride was planned with that in mind. Unfortunately, Deborah was unable to make it as she was busy cycling a mega route from Morecambe Bay to Bridlington but she had already seen it.

Setting off for the first time from The Three Horseshoes in Helions Bumpstead, on the recommendation of a local lady who we had bumped into on a previous ride, the 14 taking part were Maurice, Andrew, Iain, Geoff, Howard, Martin B, Victor, Alan, Rod, Ric, Brian, Roger, Tom and Martin W.

The weather forecast was a fine morning and a wet afternoon but in practice it was the reverse, which meant the not-so-hardy types donning wet weather gear soon after setting off. But it turned out to be only a few spots and by coffee time in Castle Hedingham the sun was shining brightly and we had all dried off.

On the way we passed Jamie Oliver’s fine residence in Finchingfield and then traversed a series of very narrow twisty lanes with gravel and grass to contend with in places, but blissfully quiet. The only other road user spotted by the first group of riders was a fat badger which waddled up the lane before taking cover near its large set – so large that a mound of sand and gravel spewed out into the lane.

The Old Moot House in Castle Hedingham did us proud again with good coffee and cakes, even though coffee was spilled liberally by both the staff and a Windmiller but which was soon mopped up.

Leaving the bikes jammed in the back yard of The Old Moot House, a group of Windmillers then nipped across the road to take a peek at St Nicholas Church and were not disappointed. It is one of only four churches in the UK, including Peterborough Cathedral, with a Wheel window, as depicted above. Built by the wealthy Norman Robert de Vere family in 1180, the church is listed Grade 1 – Nikolas Pevsner, the esteemed architectural historian, called it ‘the finest church in Essex’. Robert de Vere was the 3rd Earl of Oxford and one of the barons who acted as a guarantor in the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215. The US Constitution is still based largely on the wording of the Magna Carta – say no more.

A 10 minute visit doesn’t do justice to such a fine church. For more detail of what we missed see here: https://greatenglishchurches.co.uk/html/castle_hedingham.html

After extracting our bikes from the the back yard of The Old Moot House, the two groups set off on the return leg taking in some familiar lanes before ending up with a splendid lunch outside at The Three Horseshoes, definitely a place to revisit:

So this is where we went:

Thanks to everyone who attended and Brian for some of the photos.

Martin

“Salad days” is a Shakespearean idiom referring to a period of carefree innocence, idealism, and pleasure associated with youth. It might also apply to middle aged and elderly members of The Windmill Club but after this ride it took on an additional meaning when salads and bread rolls were traded quite liberally around the table whilst sitting outside having lunch at The Crown in Hartest. More anon.

What a glorious day Maurice had managed to arrange for this cruise around Suffolk lanes. Thirteen Windmillers managed to find their way via various routes to what must be one of the prettiest villages in Suffolk, the houses facing the green sporting colours representing the dyes used in days gone by in the local production of textiles.

Smart houses in Hartest and smart cars to dye for

So Maurice led two groups comprising Rod, Brian, Andrew, Graham, Alan, Paul, Howard, Roger, Iain, Deborah, Keith and Martin W on an anti- clockwise circuit which avoided, in theory, having to climb Hartest hill but that wouldn’t have been possible in any event as the road was closed, necessitating a detour on the return leg.

This is where we planned to go. In the event a diversion was made via Audley End, (yes, a different Audley End) which added around 4 miles:

Coffee was taken at the splendid isolated Maglia Rosso café cum bike shop.

Advertisement over.

The return leg took us once again past this lovely cottage whose garden is always a harmonious picture of mixed flowers and vegetables:

Back at The Crown, lunch was served outside in the garden but a mix up by the pub over the orders for whitebait resulted in a combination of salads of various types, courgettes, peas and bread rolls being thrown around with gay abandon, causing much mirth of a Shakespearean quality.

Thanks, as always, go to Maurice for planning the route and to Andrew for organising us.

Martin W

With a record turnout for The Chestnut Tree in West Wratting for both the ride (18 Windmillers) and lunch (19) it was just as well that the bar bill was to be shared between Deborah and Geoff who had both been celebrating their birthdays recently. Deborah claimed to be 59 (going on 39 really) but Geoff wasn’t heard to admit how many years he had clocked up; certainly a lot less than some Windmillers!

It was 3 groups led by Maurice who set out on a tour of the South Cambs, Essex and Suffolk lanes via Bartlow, the Bumpsteads, Baythorne End for coffee, Kedington and Withersfield.

A brief pause was made outside this gate when group 3 comprising mainly the e-brigade caught up group 2 who had caught up group 1 and so there wasn’t much to do except admire the gate and wonder what kind of palatial residence was up the driveway.

A brief stop was made by group 2 in Helions Bumpstead to ask a local lady what she thought of the local pub, The Three Horseshoes, which Ken McDonald of the 100 Parishes Society had recommended during his talk to the Windmill Club recently. She said that it was wonderful, owned by the village community and the chef was formerly at The Fox and Hounds in Steeple Bumpstead, so well worth a visit sometime. Rod commented that Andrew would have made a much better job of attempting to recruit said lady into the Windmill Club.

Baythorne End was the coffee / cake stop which was as good as usual:

Serious consumption of cakes at Baythorne End

….but Martin B wins the prize for the cake of the day

…whilst Deborah shows off her happy doggie birthday card

The way back via Kedington and Withersfield took us through more delightful lanes with big views over rolling countryside.

Back at The Chestnut Tree, the 18 Windmillers comprising Maurice, Jeremy, Victor, Rod, Deborah, Martin B, Paul, Ken, Brian, Geoff, Gareth, Roger, Nigel, Iain, Alan, Ric, Howard and Martin W were joined by Tom who had come cross- country on his mountain bike. All enjoyed an excellent lunch and sang a hearty Happy Birthday to Deborah and Geoff who between them bought a huge round of drinks. Thanks Deb and Geoff! Thanks also to Maurice for planning and leading the ride and well done to all those including Ric, Brian and Jeremy who clocked up additional miles by riding to and from The Chestnut Tree.

This is where we went: https://www.outdooractive.com/en/r/271845370?share=%7Ezwjuydse%244ossdpje&utm_source=unknown&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=user-shared-social-content

Finally, on a sad note, The Chestnut Tree is up for sale but we hope the new owners continue the same high standard of food and drinks that we have had the pleasure of enjoying in recent years, ever since Graham first recommended it.

Martin

Graham stepped forward to organise this lovely ride despite his diary for the past week being jammed with blog writing, climbing in Cornwall, serious bike riding in the Peak District on 31 May (a day trip) and then setting off early for this ride from Ickleton to the Cock Inn at Henham. You know what they say: ‘If you want a job done ask a busy person to do it.’ Nothing could be more true when it comes to Graham – even 2nd June was going to be busy with washing and changing the sheets……….. What a man!

So 17 Windmillers set off from The Cock Inn after coffee and ordering lunch in three groups on a delightful circuit devised by Graham of quiet Essex lanes, some unfamiliar and some familiar, passing endless cottages and grand houses looking good in their Spring finery, or is it Summer? It’s both – 1 June is the meteorological start of summer whilst, this year, the astronomical start of summer is 21 June. So now you know if you didn’t know already.

One of the first stops had to be P&A Wood in Great Easton to glance enviously through the showroom windows to admire the array of fine Rolls Royces and Bentleys on display. We were all wondering if Howard and Maurice might be interested in adding to their already fine collections but no salesman came rushing out to secure an order.

Windmillers admiring an ex-footballer’s (?) Bentley (or are they just preening themselves in the polished windows?)

Onwards we went through Lindsell and close to that wonderful Priors Hall Farm which make tasty Dunmow sausages and bacon products, passing yet more wonderful properties and enjoying glorious views. Stebbing, in particular, was very pretty with a nice looking pub which needs checking out some time.

Stebbing has strong Scottish connections and so who knows, our kilt wearing lads Andrew and Iain may well be able to trace their ancestors to here. For more info about Stebbing see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stebbing

Just outside Stebbing Andrew had to stop, of course, at his very own airstrip, Andrewsfield, to watch what was going on. An ex RAF / USAF station it ‘s still in active use as a flying school and gliding centre as well as an emergency relief strip for Stansted.

Then came The Blue Egg at Great Bardfield, a popular coffee stop as always, but Paul and Simon arrived somewhat after the others having missed a turning. (Simon miss a turning? No way!)

Heading back along familiar lanes to Little Sampford it wasn’t long before we cruised into Thaxted and stopped to admire the Grade 1 listed houses situated behind the Guildhall, recommended recently by Ken McDonald of the 100 Parishes Society which organises walks around our same area and who will be giving a talk to The Windmill Club soon. One of the houses has a Dick Turpin connection, allegedly, but this is what a local society has to say about it:

The birthplace of Dick Turpin is actually this lovely chocolate box of a house in Hempstead, Essex. However, this Grade I Listed, 15th century cottage which also bears his name is in Thaxted, Essex. It sits at the bottom of Stoney Lane, an ancient and steep cobbled street that rises up to the churchyard.

If you’re unfamiliar with Dick Turpin, he was a horse thief, highwayman and member of the infamous “Essex Gang” during the 1700s. While Turpin was a real person and many facts about his life, misdeeds and eventual death in York are known, his story has become somewhat of a legend.

Many romanticized and not necessarily true stories about Turpin are still being told today. He is featured in numerous songs, plays and historical fiction novels. His name also adorns many pubs and a few homes, like this one!

Hunger was making itself known and so it was full pelt back to Henham for lunch and drinks in The Cock Inn after a very enjoyable ride in good weather.

It was also Graham’s birthday who generously bought a large round of drinks and received a hearty rendering of Happy Birthday in return. Thanks Graham, and also for a great ride.

Finally, mention must be made of all those who regularly cycle many additional miles to the start of a ride and back – Graham, of course, but also Ric who regularly clocks up big distances from Harston, Brian and Jeremy. Well done all.

And this is where we went:

Thanks also to Brian, Simon and Graham for some of the photos.

Martin W ;

This was a day many had been looking forward to – Andrew was celebrating his big 70th birthday which meant that he would be buying a large round of drinks.

Jeremy organised the ride which met at the popular Café 19 in Duxford at 9.00 for coffee and placing lunch orders before setting off at 9.30. Those accompanying him and Andrew were Roger, Deborah, Simon, Graham, Geoff, Howard, Alan, Iain, Paul, Martin B and Martin W, which meant a big bill was in store for Andrew!

Setting off in two groups, this was the route taken:

Riding clockwise from Duxford the route was pretty well flat as a pancake but Jeremy had craftily incorporated a spike of a climb and descent between Bassingbourn and Haslingfield as can be seen from the elevation chart above. En route the first group came across a lady cyclist in distress with a puncture and nobly gave assistance, Howard being chief mechanic. Martin W’s feeble attempt to photograph the scene only resulted in a stressed looking selfie and a race to catch up with his group, but that’s what e-bikes are for.

Whizzing through to Harston, Ric’s home turf, Simon and Martin W stuck on the tail of Geoff as he cycled at speed on the bike path alongside the busy A10 thinking he knew where he was going. But, alas, a turning to Shelford was missed and it wasn’t long before the M11 junction hoved into view. Meanwhile, Ric, Graham and Iain took the right route and so a U-turn by the three lost sheep resulted in them getting to the coffee stop at Stapleford Granary last of all. The first group, who were behind having helped the lady in distress, also took the right turning.

Coffee and cakes at the Stapleford Granary were great – it’s a lovely place – but 13 Windmillers descending all at once plus regular customers makes for a test of any coffee machine.

The next part of the route took us alongside the fast flowing River Granta towards Babraham along a delightful off road route. Andrew is seen leading his group in the featured photo above.

It was at Babraham that Martin W decided to take a different route from the others in his group, to avoid lugging his heavy e-bike over the bridge spanning the A11. The diversion via the A 1307 was longer but the time was the same.

Cycling through Little and Great Abington, past Suzanne’s house (Where are you Suzanne? We miss you), the route took us into the large site of the former Land Settlement Association, one of many scattered around the country which were formed in the late 1930s to provide work for unemployed people in industrial areas. Each five acre plot came with a cottage and soon a thriving market garden industry was established which helped considerably to provide fresh food during wartime. In 1983 the LSA in Great Abington was disbanded and the cottages came up for sale. There are some left but most have been extended into large properties, many of which have equestrian facilities, but there still lots of greenhouses and vegetable growing enterprises.

Next stop was Sawston and then the bike path from the Spicers site through to Whittlesford and finally a network of alleys and twittens in Duxford before arriving back, a bit on the late side, for lunch at Café 19.

But before lunch could start for Deputy Dawg Andrew, he was treated to a Dawgfight between a Spitfire and a Spanish built Messerschmitt which was seen spewing white smoke from its tail to indicate it had been shot down.

Eventually, lunch got underway and it was good to have Maurice join us. A hearty rendering of Happy Birthday to Andrew was had, who we thanked heartily for buying the drinks.

Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear Dawggie, Happy birthday to you.

Thanks go also to Jeremy for planning and organising the ride, and for some of the photographs. Additional photographs kindly taken by others including Graham and Andrew.

Martin W

It’s not often an 80th birthday is celebrated but to do so for an active Windmill Club member made this a very special day. It was difficult to believe that our very own Rod, also known as Hot Rod on account of his powerful e-bike, had reached this grand old age and who has every intention of continuing to ride for another 10 years at least. Well done Rod, you’re an inspiration to us all!

And so it was that 10 Windmillers comprising Rod, Maurice, Andrew, Ken, Jeremy, Ric, Simon, Deborah, Charles and Martin gathered at The Pig & Abbott at Abington Pigotts to have coffee and place lunch orders for Pat’s pies and other delicious dishes before setting off on a figure of 8 route devised by Rod which took us to Biggleswade and back.

Andrew had bad memories of one of his first ever Windmill Club rides from The Pig & Abbott when he suffered a major puncture, only to discover that within 100 metres of the start the same thing happened again. Off came his rear wheel in remarkable speed, aiming to beat the 4 minute puncture repair target, but the valve appeared to be loose so it was tightened up and the wheel went back on in probably less than 4 minutes and the tyre pumped up. All seemed well until an inspection of the tyre revealed a mini flint which when removed resulted in a loud hiss of air. Off came the wheel again, 8 minutes having come and gone by then, and a new tube inserted which resulted in a total of around 12 minutes before the second group could really get going.

Ken was also seen heading back to the Pig and Abbott as he had forgotten something saying he would catch us up in Ashwell by taking a short cut. We were also worried about Simon possibly taking the northbound slip road to the A1 at Edworth, a road he has been known to cycle along previously, but we all arrived eventually at Jordan’s Mill near Biggleswade for coffee, with warnings to padlock bikes securely as this was a favourite place for thieves to nick bikes whilst their owners were having coffee.

Bedfordshire is a funny place. Parts of it are very beautiful but other parts are a bit drab, particularly the busy bits near the A1 such as Biggleswade. But after turning off the busy B1040 towards Potton we were soon cruising through some lovely villages en route to Guilden Morden and Steeple Morden and then to Litlington and Abington Pigotts.

Back at The Pig & Abbott it was good to sit in ‘our’ dining room and be served wonderful food by Pat and her staff, washed down with fine ales and assorted drinks. A hearty rendering of ‘Happy Birthday’ was sung for Rod who was also served with a large chocolate cake sporting a large firework.

Apologies for not being able to include as many photographs as hoped for, or the map of the route; WordPress seems to be playing up or is it me?

Martin

PS. Now upgraded to Premium so with luck more photos / maps can be uploaded. Here goes:

And this is where we went:

Yippee, it works.

As we cycle about our local area we quite often stop to admire lovely churches, and occasionally take a look inside, but how often do we take notice of their clocks? Well, a recent notification to The Ickleton Society from The Hundred Parishes Society, which covers much the same area that we cycle around of North West Essex, North East Hertfordshire and South Cambridgeshire, sheds an interesting light on the church clocks that we pass by so frequently.

This is what they have to say:

‘Within each of our hundred or so administrative parishes, the parish church is nearly always the most significant heritage feature. The majority of our Grade I-listed buildings are churches and each of them has fascinating architecture, memorials and memories. Today, I would like to focus on one particular aspect, the church clock.

Before the middle of the twentieth century most people did not have watches; they relied on public clocks which could be seen at railway stations, post offices and other public buildings – and on church towers. This reminds me of the lines written in 1912 by the homesick poet, Rupert Brooke:

“Stands the church clock at ten to three

And is there honey still for tea?”

I have to report that only half of the parish churches in The Hundred Parishes have a clock. All listed buildings have a formal description, but the details for a listed church rarely mention the clock, albeit that it is often a distinctive element of the church’s appearance.

Most clocks are mounted on the church tower. Many churches have just one clock, some two or three. I have found only three churches with four clocks, one on each side of the tower: Newport, Radwinter and Steeple Bumpstead.

The majority of clocks are round, but a few are lozenge or rhombus shaped, like Felsted and Great Waltham. Most clocks have a solid face although a few, like those at Steeple Bumpstead, consist of metal framework and numerals through which the brick or flint wall can be seen.

Solid faces are usually either blue or black. Numerals and the hour and minute hands are almost always golden. The hands generally point to Roman numerals: I, II, III, IV, etc – although a good number have IIII instead of the usual IV. Widford breaks the mould with Arabic numerals: 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. Great Canfield has just a single hand, pointing to the hour.

Some clocks are inscribed with a date and occasionally a royal cipher, for example Great Waltham celebrates Queen Victoria.

Hatfield Broad Oak appears to display the oldest date locally, 1797, although the clock looks in pristine condition following recent conservation. Hinxton possibly has our oldest clock, believed to date from 1700 AD, albeit extensively renovated in 1809 when a new face was fitted.

In Furneux Pelham, St Mary’s clock is topped by Old Father Time and the words “Time Flies, Mind Your Business”. One wonders what prompted those words to be included.

The bell tower at Sheering has two clock faces which were installed in the 1940s to remember those who served in the War. The north-facing one tells us to “Work and Pray” whilst the west-facing proclaims “Today Is Yours”.

The church at High Wych was built in 1861 to the design of local architect George Edward Pritchett. Its clock is almost as wide as the thin flintstone tower on which it is mounted.

Artist Eric Ravilious lived in Great Bardfield and his wood engraving of the church of St Mary the Virgin clearly shows the enormous clock that was added to commemorate the coronation of King George V in 1912. One assumes the residents of Great Bardfield are never late for work or church. The engraving has been adopted as the logo of The Hundred Parishes.

I hope this brief insight will encourage you to take more notice of our humble church clocks. As with all things in the Hundred Parishes, we can rejoice in the variety. I attach a page of images of the clocks mentioned above. You may see some reproduced in your parish magazine over the next two month or two.’

We are probably most familiar with the clock on St. Mary’s Church in Furneux Pelham with its inscription of ‘Time Flies: Mind Your Business’ but have we ever noticed Old Father Time above it? And next time we’re passing through Steeple Bumpstead why don’t we stop to take a look at all four clocks on the church tower, or the single hand on the clock of the church in Great Canfield? It’s good to learn also that the clock on Hinxton church is getting on for 325 years old.

The Hundred Parishes Society has a lot of additional interesting information about our lovely local area here: http://www.hundredparishes.org.uk/introduction

Tick tock!

Martin

Alan was called all sorts of names for having planned this Halloween ride but not taken part on account of having a cold. But there was no pity for him as seven spooky Windmillers tackled the Bastardos he made us climb, cursing and swearing like evil monsters as we rode along.

Starting from The Red Cow in Chrishall at 2.30pm, Rod set off like a rocket, Maurice-style, followed at a distance by Simon, Sandra, Iain, Andrew, Nick and Martin. But we soon ground to a halt, not once, not twice but three times before exiting Chrishall in the direction of Chrishall Grange, to sort out Simon’s scraping rear mudguard and Rod’s computer (at least, that’s what it might have been). This is Alan’s route:

Eventually we got it together and whizzed downhill towards Chrishall Grange before turning right and heading towards the first Bastardo – the nasty, bumpy, steep hill from Ickleton Old Grange up to the better financed Essex border where the smooth tarmac starts. On the way there were cars and vans trying to overtake us and others waiting patiently at the top of the hill for the puffers amongst us to reach the summit. What was going on with the A505 we wondered?

Thereafter, another stop was made to adjust Simon’s scraping mudguard; this time Andrew’s brute force and ignorance seemed to do the trick and it was all peace and quiet from then on. Well done, Dawg!

Stopping for tea and crumpets at Simon’s house was hinted at as we passed through Littlebury Green but none were available and, anyway, the light was already fading. So it was down the long hill, reaching over 30mph, and then up the second Bastardo of the ride towards Duddenhoe End.

In Arkesden a stop was made to admire the Halloween decorated house (shown above) opposite The Axe and Compasses, where rebuilding work is making progress. The owner showed us his evil talking spider and then rushed back to his house on seeing Rod coming towards him with a menacing look on his face.

It was quite a relief to turn right in Clavering and sail back with the wind behind, Nick peeling off back to Meesden at one stage. Then Andrew peeled off in Langley Upper Green to talk to his garage man, leaving Rod, Sandra, Iain and Martin to have a chat around the table in The Red Cow and to toast absent friends, this being the first ride since we had learnt of the passing of our great friend Lawrence Wragg. RIP Lawrence; we’ll miss you,

And on that sad note, this draws to an end a summer of wonderful hot Monday rides. But the good news is that future rides will start at the earlier time of 11.00am and, who knows, could involve a light lunch somewhere each week. More anon from our Monday organiser, Alan, who we should thank for organising this ride. It wasn’t that bad, really!

Martin

Red sky in the morning? Shepherd’s warning! This is how the saying goes and how right it turned out to be on this mild autumnal but mixed weather day. Graham had set out early from Ickleton, as usual, to cycle to the start of this ride in Brick End near Stansted Airport which he had very kindly organised, capturing the magnificent red sky en route.

The Prince of Wales was to be our base for the day and what a fine pub it turned out to be – a huge car park and the prospect of some fine beer and grub at lunchtime, pre-tested by Graham he assured us. But having placed our lunch orders, the red sky delivered its warning and it was soon pelting it down with rain. Undeterred, some donned wet weather gear and some decided to take a shower whilst Ken, who arrived later than most, decided sensibly to sit in the comfort of his car and catch us up at coffee time. Contrast no.1.

GPX files are created by many apps these days and, in theory, should work anywhere. The file for this route, however, in contrast to most files loaded on to the Windmill WhatsApp group, refused to behave itself and seemed to defeat even the most IT-literate Windmillers. However, eventually after much experimentation and tweaking a sufficient number made it on to the devices of our 3 leaders for the day, Graham, Brian and Tom. Contrast no. 2.

So this was the devious route Graham had planned for us. Was it the figure of 8 and the mix of clockwise and anti-clockwise circuits that confused the GPX gremlins? Perhaps we’ll never know. ‘You can’t beat paper’, Maurice would say, and he might have a point.

Graham led the way in the rain accompanied in Group A by Rod, Jenni, Sandra, Deborah and Roger. They were soon overtaken by Group B, due to a minor technical issue of some sort, comprising Tom, Charles, Iain, Andrew, Keith and Martin who were in turn overtaken by both Group A and Group C’s trio of Brian, Simon and Victor, partly because Group B took a wrong turning (blame the rain and screens being difficult to see) and partly because poor Charles got a puncture in his front tyre – the first he has had for ages, possibly ever?

Having a puncture in a narrow muddy lane whilst it’s raining with lots of cars squeezing past is not exactly fun but the source of the puncture was soon discovered – a whopping great thorn, so easily picked up from the hedge cuttings currently in our lanes. Everything went well with the installation of a new tube until it failed to inflate, so it was back to square one. A dodgy valve it seemed was the cause. Finally, after much squirting of ice cold gas into a second tube, Group 2 set off again in pursuit of the others.

After a succession of tiny lanes we then found ourselves cruising through Great Dunmow from North – South before crossing the A120 and once again taking to quiet lanes.

By the time Group B entered glorious Hatfield Forest, the sun was out big time but Group A had already left. Cycling through this National Trust property was a dream, with a café positioned perfectly in the middle by a large lake, which served excellent coffee and a good choice of cakes. Ken arrived at this point and tagged along with Group B.

Having gone clockwise so far most of the time it was now an anti-clockwise circuit, exiting Hatfield Forest after a long grassy trail, a bit soggy and uphill in places which was easy for those with e-bikes but quite tough going for those without. The scenery was fabulous.

The route back once we hit the road again was a mix of quiet lanes and quite busy stretches as we crossed the M11 a couple of times. This led to Group B experiencing some significant road rage, mainly from angry lady drivers, three of whom hurled abuse at us whilst cycling in single file on wide roads. Perhaps they thought it was just a bit of fun on their part. In contrast, there were no other reports of such rage from either Group A or C. Contrast no. 4.

And the mix of quiet lanes, forest trails and some busy stretches? That makes Contrast no. 5.

Despite Group B’s late arrival back at The Prince of Wales, the timing was perfect as lunch had been ordered for 1.15pm and it was soon on the table, washed down with a nice pint of Ridley’s and other ales.

Many thanks to Graham for inventing and organising a terrific ride and for giving us such an interesting day of contrasts. And thanks also to Graham, Charles and Brian for some of the photos.

Martin

Victor conjured up an ingenious ride from The Chestnut Tree in West Wratting which took in some lovely new lanes around Suffolk to Highpoint Prison near Stradishall where our closest contact with the inmates was having a coffee in Café 33 outside the high security fencing.

A good turnout of 15 Windmillers meant that three groups set off after first enjoying a fine cup of coffee and having placed their lunch time orders for food and drinks.

Victor led the way with his Goup A comprising Sandra, Alan, Charles, Jeremy and Deborah, followed a few minutes later by Andrew, Brian, Howard, Rod and Ric in Group B. Bringing up the rear in Group C were Geoff, Graham, Simon and Martin.

Although a bit chilly to start with, those without shorts soon regretted not wearing them as the temperature warmed up, so much so that most were sweating by the time they got back. It’s just that time of year but what a splendid autumnal day it turned out to be.

Not long after starting Group C came across Group B mending a puncture in Brian’s front wheel, expressed their sympathies and then swiftly moved on as everthing seemed to be under control. Brian must surely be in the running for the 2022 puncture prize? Has he converted to Schwalbe Marathons yet we wondered?

HM Highpoint Prison, the former home of Lester Piggott for a while then came into view, surrounded by very high fencing as you might expect. Just before reaching it we did wonder if the mad driver of a powerful old V8 Jag might be breaking out, or helping others to do so.

Padlocking our bikes securely outside Café 33, just in case, we all sat down outside to admire the view. Unless breakfast or a hearty meal was required it was best to stick to coffee as the selection of cakes was not quite up to the usual standard, but friendly and quick service all the same.

The return leg produced a fine splash of Suffolk colour which will probably only improve further in the weeks to come:

Then it was time for Simon’s chain to misbehave again, having been on its best behaviour so far on the ride:

The lanes became more familiar as we passed through Hundon, Great Wratting and Withersfield, eventually arriving back at The Chestnut Tree for yet another excellent lunch and fine ales.

Thanks go to Victor for organising a wonderful ride, and to Charles for some of the photos.

Martin

We gave a warm welcome to new member Iain Taylor on his first ride with the Windmill Club, astride the largest e-bike we have ever set eyes upon. Weighing in at 26kg and brimming with gadgets and carriers for serious camping expeditions in Scotland and elsewhere, this was a bike which would make mincemeat of our local lanes.

Welcoming him at The Red Cow was Maurice, organiser Alan, Rod, Simon, Nick, Charles and Martin. Possibly for the first time in Windmill Club history e-bikes out-numbered normal bikes. No doubt we’ll soon see Maurice back on his e-bike once his hip operation is over, although he talks of a new knee too………. What a brilliant invention the e-bike is, facilitating the continued enjoyment of our lovely countryside and the company of good friends.

This is where we went, anticlockwise:

The first test for Iain’s bike was the gravel byway between Building End and Langley Lower Green but he stormed up that, passing the Thames / Wash water course junction on the way, except there was no water to be seen. Roll on some more wet weather, but not on Mondays or Thursday please God. (He normally obliges unless members have been sinning.)

In Clavering we stopped briefly to allow Simon to put his chain back on again – a frequent occurence it seems since his prang at Cardington which probably distorted his gear mechanism, but he’s getting this down to a fine art with a little bit of help from his friends……..

Soon we were on our way again, this time direct to Manuden which made a change and luckily without too much traffic. Then it was back via Rickling Green, Arkesden and Duddenhoe End to complete a very enjoyable evening ride, with Nick peeling off in Rickling to cycle back home to Meesden.

Back at The Red Cow, a warm welcome was received and some fine ale sampled before going our separate ways. Just as Alan had advised, the sun would be setting earlier and so this would be the last time for a while that we would be starting at 4.30 on a Monday. There was talk of bringing forward into November the popular pre-Christmas lunch time rides followed by a light lunch at a suitable hostelry.

Martin

It’s been nearly five years since the last crash landing at Cardington airfield near Bedford, but Simon achieved another whilst taking a good look at the huge hangars as we cycled past and veering into the grass verge at the same time, dismounting in style but, thankfully, none the worse for wear other than his chain coming off. To be fair it was all the fault of Martin and Brian who were ahead and who slowed down to also admire the view, and one wheel just happened to clip another……….

The previous crash was far more serious. After earlier failures and a crash landing in August 2016, Airlander 10, an airship as long as a football pitch, got loose on its moorings in November 2017 and deflated spectacularly. Sadly, that was the the end of the £100m project.

This was the only ‘event’ on an otherwise fabulous ride organised by Brian, a 30 mile circuit of Bedfordshire from The Cock in Broom, just off the A1 near Biggleswade. It was good to be back there knowing that there were some good beers to sample at lunchtime.

With 13 participants in all, Brian led the way with Rod, Howard, Charles, Simon and Martin in Group 1 followed a few minutes later by Jeremy, Keith, Ken, Chris, Alan, Roger and Deborah in Group 2. After four miles the plan was to cycle through Old Warden Aerodrome, home of the Shuttleworth Collection, but it seems an air show was planned over the weekend and we were not allowed through unless we paid £15 each. So a U-turn was necessary, back through the delightful grounds of Shuttleworth Estate which enabled both groups to meet up for a photo in front of Shuttleworth House.

So now we were off in earnest to explore Bedfordshire’s varied mix of pretty villages, not-so pretty villages, fine architecture and churches, disused railway lines and gravel pits, quiet bike paths alongside the Great Ouse, large fields of potatoes and even a hill up to a greensand ridge. This is where we went, anticlockwise from Broom:

The paths around the Great Ouse were well surfaced, nicely laid out and popular with walkers as well as cyclists, ending up in the pretty village of Willington with its National Trust Dovecote and splendid church of St Lawrence.

It was soon time for coffee at The Barn in Cardington, a good find which served excellent coffee and cakes.

It was soon after leaving The Barn that Simon had his prang but he was soon back in action again once his chain was back on and no blood could be seen:

Then we saw a side of Bedfordshire, or any county for that matter, which was simply shocking – a huge pile of refrigerators and freezers just dumped on the side of the road complete with rotting bags of food. What a contrast with other countries such as France when after a huge mountain bike event recently not a single piece of litter could be seen. We need a Government that can tackle this issue (and others of course) urgently.

Brian, being Irish, threatened to take us to Ireland once again on this ride and indeed he did but only to a tiny Bedfordshire village which bears its name, without a Blarney Stone or Shamrock in sight yet alone any Guiness on offer. They really should cash in on this opportunity for those whose satnavs take them there by mistake:

Back at The Cock we received a warm welcome and were seated in our own room which hadn’t changed for centuries by the look of it. The excellent beer was kept at cellar temperature down some steps and the food was good too. What more could Windmillers wish for?

Thanks to Brian for organising the ride and to the many photographs provided by him, Simon, Charles and Deborah. Our thoughts are also with Maurice as he prepares for another hip operation.

Martin

After an inaugural ride from The Red Lion in Great Sampford a few weeks back, Windmillers demanded a repeat ride in order to once again enjoy the wonderful Italian food on offer at this otherwise traditional English pub. A perfect combination!

Eighteen Windmillers were due to take part but in the event we had sixteen comprising Andrew, Geoff, Sandra, Brian, Charles, Howard, Chris, Jenni, Graham, Rod, Hazel, Jeremy, Deborah, Ken, Ric and Martin, all dead set on working up an appetite for dishes ranging from Tagliatelle with Fresh Lobster to Pollo Con Funghi. The Spaghetti with Mixed Seafood proved to be the most popular choice.

So, with lunch all sorted, the first group of eight led by Geoff set off at 9.30 towards Castle Hedingham using the reverse of the route used previously but it wasn’t long before the second group overtook them whilst Deborah’s saddle was being adjusted by Graham. And it more or less stayed that way until a stop was made by everyone in Great Yeldham to admire the remains of an ancient oak tree (as above) held together with metal straps and concrete – dead as a dodo it seems but a nice reminder all the same of what was clearly a massive tree, assisted perhaps by being next to a ford on the Cambridge – Colchester road. Here is the plaque which gives the full history:

Instead of using the same farm shop café as last time (but well worth another visit there) the route took us via another new coffee venue, this time the Old Moot Tearoom and Bistro in Castle Hedingham who looked after us very well, even though cramming sixteen into the garden didn’t leave much room for other guests. A large interior suggested it could be an ideal place to warm up on a cold winter’s day…. It was great to hear of Sandra’s early experiences of driving HGVs around London and the Midlands, and being told not to worry about warning lights on the dashboard.

After coffee, the lovely church of St. Nicholas was seen hiding in the corner of a quiet lane:

Setting off on the return leg took us on a different, longer route than used before which took us though some lovely quiet lanes with steep hills in places, winding bends and what could easily be a deep ford in winter months. Emerging once again in Great Bardfield but then taking another different route to the road leading back to Great Sampford, we eventually arrived back at The Red Lion bang on time for lunch at 1.10pm to find Maurice waiting for us.

This is where we went:

Can’t wait for the next visit!

Martin

Maurice was due to take part in this ride but, sadly, his right hip and left knee were both playing up again and so he came to collect our fivers and wave us on our way around the lanes. We wish him well as he discusses his future options with his specialist but, judging by past experience, it won’t be long before he’s out on his bike again should replacements be necessary.

Andrew led the way from The Red Cow accompanied by Charles, Rod, Sandra, Alan and Martin. Nick was due to take part but had also been suffering from knee issues and so opted for a shorter ride, seen riding in the opposite direction near Meesden.

This is where we went, anticlockwise:

England in August is a great place to be, inland, and this ride proved the point – blissfully quiet lanes, golden colours (amplified by the drought) and strong smells of fresh harvesting. What could be better?

Riding at a leisurely pace provided time to stop and admire sights often passed at speed:

Having planned a longer than usual ride for a Monday, thirsts were beginning to make themselves known just before passing The Bull at Langley Lower Green (funny, that) and so there was nothing for it but to do some quenching at this lovely pub, with a round of drinks generously bought by Andrew. Cheers Dawg! Good to have you out with us again after a period of absence for various reasons including the ladder incident.

Alan and Charles peeled off at Chrishall which left Andrew, Sandra, Rod and Martin to continue soaking up the evening sun at The Red Cow. True to form, Andrew got chatting to another couple who lived in Thriplow, one of whom was a cyclist, and discovered they knew many people in common. What a schmoozer he is!

Thanks to Maurice and Andrew for organing the ride and Charles for some of the photos.

Martin

The Duddenhoe Delta was bound to catch us out sometime and this proved to be the day when it happened. The multitude of lanes leading out of the village, Mississippi-style, creates endless combinations of returning to The Red Cow in Chrishall, and we probably tried them all thanks to the rare event of rain after leaving Arkesden.

Maurice led the way followed by Simon, Alan, Ken and Martin on an AC circuit taking in Great Chishill, Nuthamstead, Meesden, Clavering, Arkesden and Duddenhoe End. This is where we went:

The first black cloud was seen whilst stopping at the junction shown above but it wasn’t until after we had passed through Arkesden that the first drops of rain were felt.

Stopping for a combination of donning wet weather gear, or having a pee, resulted in Simon doing neither and pedalling on ahead on his Howard-created speed machine. That was the last we saw of him until The Red Cow but he claimed not to have got wet at all. Which route through the Duddenhoe Delta he took we never discovered. Ken, Alan and Martin then followed, suitably protected from the rain which, as usual, stopped within a couple of minutes, leaving Maurice to catch up in sport mode on his e-bike. But which way through the delta? Up the High Street and down to Lower Pond Street was the decision made, not realising that Maurice had a different plan which was to head for Elmdon and down the byway through the woods to Chrishall, clocking up exactly 20 miles compared to the others who shaved off a mile.

So, eventually all met up once again for a very welcome pint back at The Red Cow.

Thanks, Maurice, for organising the ride, and Alan for the drinks.

Martin