Author: Martin Woodhead

It was the last ride before Christmas and we half expected to see a fat, white-bearded, jolly old man in a red suit, who normally lives at the North Pole, screeching round a bend towards us on a sleigh, full of presents and pulled by galloping reindeer, for delivery to children in Uttlesford and South Cambridgeshire. It wasn’t to be but we did have our very own Father Christmas look-a-like with us, Graham.

Maurice had a special purpose in mind for this ride – to call in at Simon and Ollie’s house in Elmdon and to present a cheque for £1,000 to Simon for sending on to Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust in recognition of the treatment that both he and Lawrence had received recently.

Starting once again at noon from The Red Lion in Hinxton, Maurice was accompanied by Andrew, Ken, Ann, Rod, Graham, Alan and Martin on an anti-clockwise circuit taking in Duxford, Chrishall Grange, Elmdon, Duddenhoe End, Newland End, Catmere End, (no end to the Ends on this ride) and Ickleton.

12.30 was Maurice’s expected arrival time in Elmdon and sure enough it was, with Simon and Ollie waiting to greet us outside their lovely house, laden with beers. It was great to see Simon looking so well after his operation. Maurice then presented the cheque:

After chatting for a while, and declining the beers as it was a bit chilly (deciding instead to consume them on a warm spring / summer evening ) the 8 Windmillers wished Simon and Ollie a Happy Christmas and continued on their circuit around relatively quiet lanes, and not too muddy for a change. Hill Bastardo was taken in its stride, with a tail wind which helped, and we stopped in Catmere End to bid farewell to Alan who had started from his home in Great Chishill.

Back at The Red Lion in Hinxton we enjoyed good sandwiches and beers before a roaring fire, the local riders feeling quite sleepy by the time they eventually left.

This is where we went, right to the Ends:

Thanks, as always, to Maurice and Andrew for planning and organising the ride.

Martin

No one in their right mind would attempt to cycle down the Southern end of Violet’s Lane between Brent Pelham and Furneux Pelham, even when it is open, although there was a photo of Graham being ankle deep in water in the same vicinity recently, albeit on his mountain bike. Claimed to be the longest ford in the UK (1km) it is thick with mud even when dry, which is not very often as it is actually the course of the River Ash.

Starting from The Black Horse in Brent Pelham for a change, seven Windmillers comprising Maurice, Andrew, Sandra, Nick, Graham, Simon and Martin set off at noon in a clockwise direction to experience copious amounts of winter mud and filthy bikes at the end of the ride. But it was a fairly mild, dry day and so we should be thankful for small mercies, says the Rev.

This is where we went:

The mud on the narrow lane between Rickling Green and Manuden was so thick in places that a tractor with a Heath Robinson sweeper attached to its front bucket was making hard work of scooping it up as it reversed down the lane. Eventually it gave up and let us pass.

By the time we got to Manuden, the locals were warning us that we might not get through on the section of road between Maggots End and Furneux Pelham but, as it turned out, there were only a few puddles and so no need to raise legs in the air to traverse floods.

Heading down the steep, bumpy concrete track from Furneux Pelham to Violet’s Lane, the mud at the bottom by the closed road was also thick but passable with care and so we escaped unscathed except for the need to give our bikes a good hosing down.

Back at The Black Horse, those who called in for a refreshing pint reported a quiet atmosphere and nothing to eat and so not quite ticking the Windmillers’ boxes it seems. Having cycled from Ickleton to join the ride, and cycled back again, Graham hopefully found some sustenance elsewhere.

Thanks go as always to our stalwarts Maurice and Andrew for planning and organising the ride.

Martin

It came as quite a surprise a week ago to be notified that 500 Windmill Club blogs had been published since the inception in May 2015. Doesn’t time just pedal by? This is therefore the 501st and what better way to celebrate than for 12 Windmillers to cycle around some of our quiet lanes, or so we thought, on a circuit from The Fox & Duck in Therfield, with coffee to look forward to at The Golden Fleece in Braughing – two of our favourite pubs in one day. Is this a record?

Group A – Maurice, Victor, Charles, Brian and Howard set off promptly at 9.30am followed a few minutes later by Group B – Andrew, Rod, Simon, Graham, Sandra, Martin and, finally, Geoff who arrived just as we were setting off but who soon caught us up – did he switch to turbo mode on his e-bike we wondered?

This is where we went:

Quiet lanes? Usually, yes, but Group B witnessed three crazy drivers after only a short distance – one in Reed who screeched past with cars coming in the opposite direction, only to stop shortly afterwards, and then two in Barkway, one of whom scraped past Andrew before pulling into a petrol station. Maurice later reported having a similar experience in Group A. What’s happening? The start of the Christmas rush perhaps? All the more reason to cycle carefully, wear hi-viz, use lights on these dark days and keep a beady eye open for daft drivers.

Pulling in at The Golden Fleece for coffee provided an opportunity to warm up on what had been quite a chilly ride so far. The coffee and lemon drizzle cake were excellent but we were sorry to hear from Peter of several cancellations due to the latest Covid scare. What a tough time it is now for those in the hospitality business, with no Government support any more. Let’s hope they all survive. But Peter can rely on the support of The Windmill Club on 15 December, thanks to all taking a lateral flow test before attending.

Emerging from The Golden Fleece after a longer than usual coffee break saw the sun emerging too from its slumber and so the return leg was delightful. Both Groups stopped at different places to admire local sights – Group A at Cromer windmill, where the centre of attraction was not the windmill but a fine lady on a fine horse called Charlie.

Group B, meanwhile, stopped to admire St Nicholas’ Church in Great Munden which was looking splendid in the winter sunshine with its Norman North wall and a 13th century South facing aisle:

Charles reported a near collision with two birds of prey, which he regretted not being able to video, but that would have been preferable to meeting another impatient motorist. As it was, the return leg to Therfield was peaceful and quiet with time to soak up some nice views:

Back at The Fox & Duck, having negotiated the familiar flooded dip just before Therfield, we were afforded a warm welcome and tucked into the usual excellent fare.

Graham set off back to Ickleton after lunch, having started at 7.30am, mentioning in passing that he had clocked up an amazing 13,000km so far this year. Well done, Graham! You’re up for at least one award at the Christmas lunch.

Thanks as always go to Maurice for planning the route and to Andrew for his organisation.

Martin

Christmas came early for Windmillers this year following Pat’s offer to cook us a turkey with all the trimmings at The Pig and Abbott in Abington Pigotts, and supply crackers too. What a tasty turkey it was too, for those who took advantage of her offer, and even those who didn’t still got the chance to pull a cracker, put on a hat and tell corny jokes. ‘What do you call a detective crossed with a skeleton? Sherlock Bones of course!’ As if we didn’t all know that one………………

Gathering at 9.00am for a warm up coffee and to place lunch orders, 11 Windmillers set off on another chilly but sunny day on a pleasant circuit of South West Cambridgeshire, taking in Bassingbourn, Barrington, Haslingfield, Harlton, The Eversdens, Kingston, Bourn, Longstowe, Hatley St. George, Shingay and back to Abington Pigotts.

Group A comprising Maurice, Howard, Roger, Charles and Ken set off at high speed whilst Group B comprising Martin, Deborah, Simon, Sandra, Graham and Rod set off a few minutes later, for greater safety and to avoid potential road rage but that didn’t stop a lady driver shaking her head angrily at Group B on the narrow road leading to Abington Pigotts, having presumably thought that Group A was enough cyclists on the road for one day.

Not long afterwards, entering Bassingbourn, Group B encountered e-bikers Charles and Ken poring over digital displays trying to work out why Ken’s bike seemed not to be working properly. But a few more stabs of his display with a fat finger cured the problem and so Group B then comprised eight temporarily until they rejoined Group A who were waiting patiently for them near Shepreth.

Group A picked up Brian and Victor in Haslingfield, who had ridden over from Shelford, and who gave good reports of the new Mohak Café (ex-Moringa Tree). Group B decided to have a breather after the climb from Barrington and had a lengthy discussion at the top of Chapel Hill about the pros and cons of the proposed East West rail link between Cambridge, Bedford and Oxford, and in particular whether it should cut Chapel Hill in half. There was nothing for it but to take a vote:

Trundling on, it wasn’t long before we descended on the swanky new Cambridge Country Club, the new name for Bourn Golf Club, where we were given a warm welcome and sat in the clubhouse drinking good coffee but, sadly, no cakes and Deborah’s request for toast would have taken 20 minutes. How would Windmillers ever have the energy for the return leg we wondered? Luckily it was mainly downwind and so not as difficult as, say, returning to West Wratting with a Force 5 on the nose.

The return leg through empty Cambridgeshire countryside was easy and warmer than the way out. It was good to see Hatley St. George again with its parkland and fine church, known as the Chapel of St James the Greater. Next door is East Hatley, the population of both villages being just 200.

Back at The Pig and Abbott, where it was great to be joined by John Bagrie, Christmas seemed to be in full swing with other diners also tucking into turkey whilst sporting their best Christmas jumpers or smart attire. The Windmiller contingent of 11 diners, Deborah and Roger being unable to make lunch, lowered the tone a bit but will surely look the part when the Christmas lunch proper takes place on 15 December, even if crimson trousers are in evidence.

And this is where we went:

Thanks to Maurice for planning the route, absent Andrew for his organisation, Pat and her staff for their wonderful food, Mike for his good beer, and photographers Brian, Charles and Simon.

Martin

Starting at the earlier hour of noon on this ride produced several benefits, not least of which was being able to ride in daylight. Other benefits were that most of the ice had melted and not re-frozen on this cold day, there was good light for Sandra’s constant spotting of wildlife, plus the bonus of a good lunch at 2.00pm in front of a roaring fire at The Red Lion in Hinxton.

Despite the cold, seven Windmillers comprising Graham, Rod, Sandra, Simon, Charles, Alan and Martin decided to brave the icy patches and set off on an anticlockwise route in the hope of picking up Andrew, who was attending a Zoom funeral. But it was a sunny day and so it proved to be not so bad after all, certainly not as icy as the photo above showing Dutch children heading off to school, and probably warmer than the previous Thursday once the first hill up to Chrishall had been climbed. There was more than the usual traffic on the road to Duxford Grange due to a snarl up on the A505, requiring several stops to allow vehicles to pass.

Thanks to having eagle-eyed Sandra with us, there were constant sightings of buzzards and red kites and no less than four sightings of deer, one of which was a stag with his three wives in tow. It seems that female deer are some way off gaining the full legal, economic, vocational, educational, and social rights enjoyed by stags.

Graham suggested a wise modification of the route to avoid cycling up to Duddenhoe End under the trees, where the surface could be distinctly icy, and so we took a slightly longer, more open route via Pond Street. Heading down to Arkesden was sheer bliss, soaking up the warm sun as we cruised along thinking of Deborah the flower girl on the way. Deborah was due to join us but, sadly, her horse had been hurt following Storm Arwen and she was expecting a visit from the vet. Even more sad was the subsequent news that the horse had to be put down and so our sympathies go to Deborah on her loss.

The long hill down to Clanver End looked dodgy in places and so care was taken not to go too fast and all descended safely. Then it was time to call up Andrew to see if he could join us but the eulogies were running late and so we climbed Hill Bastardo up to Littlebury Green without him.

Alan and Charles both peeled off at Catmere End to head through the woods back to Chrishall and Great Chishill respectively, from whence they came, leaving the remaining five to take in the views towards Strethall Church and Ickleton before descending past Martin’s allotment and wending their way through to Hinxton for a well earned pint and some excellent sandwiches. Here they are warming their extremities in front of the fire:

And this is where we went:

Thanks to everyone who came along.

Martin

Captain Brian devised a brilliant route around Cambridge for this ride, assisted by Lieutenant Jeremy, which provided an update on some of the major developments taking place around this hotbed of science and technological research, with a cultural tour of Eddington thrown in for free.

Starting from The Three Horseshoes in Stapleford, Brian’s group A comprised Simon, Nigel, Howard, Roger, Charles, Victor and Martin, whilst Jeremy’s group B with Suzanne, Andrew, Graham, Chris, Rod and Deborah followed a few minutes later – 15 Windmillers heading out to soak up the sights of Cambridge.

This is where we went, anticlockwise:

Brian’s group sped along the multi-coloured DNA path towards Addenbrooke’s but Jeremy reports that his group stopped and he mentioned its significance: “In 2005, as a celebration of the 10,000th mile of the national cycle network, Cambridgeshire County Council and Sustrans created a DNA-inspired cycle path. The path is decorated with 10,257 colourful stripes, which represent the four nucleotides of the BRCA2 gene.” Brian’s group: Nota bene gene, and stop thinking about coffee.

The Cambridge busway created much discussion as Group A approached Cambridge, following the tragic death of a pedestrian when hit by a bus in October. This followed the death of a Sawston cyclist, Stephen Moir, in 2018, the investigation of which by the HSE has yet to be published. Another bus veered off the busway and crashed into the embankment in 2016, luckily missing cyclists and pedestrians. Whoever thought up such a crazy scheme? Scandalous!

Once through the back streets of Mill Road, the route took us up the side of the River Cam where precautions were taken not to do a Rod, Vernon, Martin or Charles, all of whom had crashed previously in one form or another whilst passing bollards or on the river path. Luckily nothing untoward happened but there was still a crash to come……….

Brian chose a fine coffee stop at the old station in Histon, alongside the busway, where Groups A and B met up momentarily. Both groups stopped to admire the new Chisholm Trail bridge over the Cam and this is what Jeremy said about it, “The Chisholm Trail bridge, which connects Abbey ward and Chesterton, was lifted into place by very large cranes in the early hours of November 8 2020. It is a key part of the Trail, which when completed will be a 26km route from Trumpington to St Ives. It is named after sustainable transport campaigner Jim Chisholm, who first proposed the idea more than two decades ago.”

On a less cultural level, knobbly knees were again in evidence on this ‘shall we, shan’t we wear long trousers day’.

Not long after leaving Histon, the crash happened at the Oakington junction on the busway, but nothing too serious, when Nigel collided with Brian. Here is the evidence:

The route then took us through to Girton and down to the new University site of Eddington with its modern architecture and all the trappings of a new community – fields, footpaths, cycle paths, a lake, bus station, supermarket, an award winning community centre and sculptures. Skirting the lake the first sculpture was the Fata Morgana Teahouse, as above, an impressive tower of stainless steel mesh with steps up to the top level for good views over the lake (although opening the mesh in places might have afforded better views). The sculpture was designed by Wolfgang Winter and Berthold Horbelt and was presumably inspired by a trip to Japan.

Next up was the Pixel Wall, by the same artists, which was not dissimilar to the distorting mirrors on the Palace Pier in Brighton:

Group B also stopped to take a look at the award winning Storey’s Field Centre and Eddington Nursery, which is also a very impressive space for all community purposes – probably the best village hall in the UK.

Then it was a question of wending our way along cycle paths and alleys on the west of Cambridge, down to Newnham and along the bike path to Granchester before heading through to Trumpington Meadows, over the M11 to Hauxton, through what was Fison’s contaminated site and which is now a housing estate, and finally back to The Three Horseshoes.

Group B’s cultural tour took a bit longer than Group A’s but eventually we all sat down to an excellent lunch washed down by some fine ales.

Many thanks to Brain and Jeremy for planning and leading us around the delightful route, to Andrew for organising us and to photographers too numerous to mention.

Martin

Meeting at Andrew’s house at the earlier time of 2.00pm, five devils comprising the devil himslf, Andrew, and his disciples Alan, Charles, Simon and Martin met up with a sixth, Jenni, in Saffron Walden to cruise around some pleasant lanes, taking in Debden, Radwinter and Sewards End and hamlets in between. The seventh would have been Maurice but he was catching sea bass in Cornwall.

We had no idea what a treat there was in store once the sun got below the cloud cover and began to set.

This is where we went:

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Waving goodbye to Queen-devil Jenni in Saffron Walden, the remaining five devils headed back to Wendens Ambo where Andrew offered a hell of a good choice of beers but, sadly, the light was going and so Charles and Alan continued on their way back to Chrishall and Great Chishill, clocking up around 35 miles in all – well done, chaps – leaving Simon and Martin to partake of the devil’s brew, i.e. Abbott Ale, in front of a roaring fire.

Thanks go to the devil himself, Andrew, for devising the route and for his hospitality at the end, and to Simon and Charles for their photographs.

Martin

The day after the clocks go back might be considered the onset of winter but, instead, knobbly knees were still in evidence on this ride from The Tally Ho! in Barkway, but some more knobbly than others. Will those above stand a chance of winning the 2021 Knobbly Knee Kup? Only those attending the forthcoming Christmas lunch will find out.

The fine weather produced a good turnout of nine Windmillers at the earlier time of 2.30pm, with a promise of the pub being open on our return – Maurice, Andrew, Sandra, Rod, Alan, Charles, Nick, Nigel and Martin. It was great to have Nigel with us again telling tales of his recent motorbike ride around the Picos de Europa in Northern Spain.

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As usual, Maurice shot off on his e-bike and it wasn’t until the end of Barkway High Street that the tail enders caught up, after which Storm Sandra was in her element tackling the head-on wind on the road towards Reed, where Alan once lived (next door to The Cabinet, lucky chap).

Not long after the above photo was taken, one of the flooded dips encountered on 18 October was traversed again, but this time it was not so deep, thankfully. Deborah would hardly have got her feet wet.

Sandon is a lovely sunny village, perched as it is on top of a hill with magnificent views all around – a good location for John and Lyn Bagrie and their love of horse riding, walking, running and cycling. Could do with a pub, though.

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Down to Buntingford we sped, with Rod spotting two huge buzzards on the way, stopping briefly with Sandra to put Charles’s chain back on, and through to Wyddial and past ‘visions of loveliness lane’ until we crossed the road towards Anstey. Nick and Alan both peeled off to head for home whilst the remaining Windmillers returned to The Tally Ho! via Nuthampstead to enjoy a pint and watch England beat Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup on the pub’s telly. All in all a great end to a great ride.

This is where we went:

Thanks go to Maurice for leading the way, to Andrew for organising us and Charles for his photos.

Martin

The Plough at Rede was once again the meeting place for this tour of sunny Suffolk lanes. Brian and Joyce, the owners of the pub, had just entered their 40th year of running it and it was good to offer them our congratulations on arriving for coffee at 9.00am and placing our lunch orders. Providing good food and beer in a wonderful location, a friendly welcome and great efficiency, it’s no wonder the pub has been so successful over the years.

Maurice, Brian, Sandra, Rod and Chris set off as Group A followed a few minutes later by Andrew, Howard, Roger, Simon, Deborah, Ken and Martin. This is where we went, clockwise:

Passing initially through the pretty village of Hawkedon with its church surrounded by green meadows we cruised down a valley before the first climb up to Somerton where Group B stopped to watch Simon experimenting with what effect gravity might have on a tyre dumped by the roadside. Luckily it rolled towards a ditch instead of careering down the hill we had just climbed.

Hartest Hill came next, which resulted in another stop at the top to regain breath, followed by a pleasant run through to Lavenham and onwards to Café Como at Brent Eleigh, which necessitated taking the busy A1141 towards Hadleigh. We were reminded of how careful we have to be whilst making rare use of A-roads when Simon was overtaken by a Fiat Panda as a car was coming towards it on a clear stretch of road, leaving barely an inch between either of them – a narrow squeeze indeed.

Café Como is a popular place for cyclists and deservedly so judging by the quality of the coffee and cakes, the oozy flapjacks being especially tasty.

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The return leg took us again through delightful villages and lanes with some interesting architecture.

The countryside past Glemsford became quite hilly again, steep enough to tempt Roger and Martin to don skis at one stage given sufficient snow, with a splendid view towards Hawkedon at the end (main photo above).

Then it was back to The Plough to down a well earned pint and enjoy a good lunch, except for Deborah who had to head back, but we were joined by Suzanne who had cycled all the way from Abington and who had a strong head-wind for her return leg.

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Thanks go once again to Maurice and Andrew for planning the route and organising us, and to Deborah and Brian for their photographs.

Martin

This was a ride of great extremes of weather – cold and miserable at the start, warm and sunny at the end and flooded roads to contend with at many points on the circuit from The Fox and Duck at Therfield. The photographs tell the tale, but floods are difficult to photograph when pedal high in water and so you’ll have to take my word that we did in fact traverse a few.

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It was a go, no-go decision for Ken but, recovering from a bug, he decided wisely to do a shorter ride and meet us on the return leg. The remaining 12 Windmillers comprising Maurice (in his smart yellow rain hat), Alan, Charles, Rod (also in a yellow hat), Sandra, Deborah, Howard, Roger, Chris, Brian, Simon and Martin chose to believe the weather forecast and set off in the direction of Buntingford in two groups.

Just outside Therfield Group B met John Bagrie coming the other way who joined up for a while before choosing his own route (and most probably avoiding the floods). He was later spotted in Ardley and then reached Sandon before both Groups A and B.

Group A decided to try their luck with the café proprietor in Westmill and managed to be seated at an inside table, as it was still pretty miserable outside. Group B pressed on to Church Farm at Ardley, passing through some autumnal Hertfordshire scenery as the sun began to emerge.

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The return leg took us through more water-logged roads as far as Sandon where Group B spotted Group A just leaving after stopping to chat with John who was sunning himself on a seat overlooking the famous duck pond.

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There was one final flood to pass through between Sandon and Therfield, one that deterred Ken from heading towards us and who instead headed down to Royston for an excellent coffee at Macdonald’s. Just as well because Deborah reported water soaking her shoes, which must have explained the squelching sounds coming from the other end of the table at lunch.

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Back at The Fox and Duck, we sat at ‘our’ table and enjoyed a good lunch.

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Thanks go to Maurice for changing the route to avoid a section on the A505 and to Andrew, who was nursing a bad back and couldn’t join us, for organising us. Thanks also to Charles for some of the photos.

And this is where we went:

Martin

Simon’s legs were much in evidence again on this damp ride and at one stage near Furneux Pelham he almost regretted not wearing thick leather trousers and armour plated boots. He doesn’t usually shave his legs, as far as we know, but a lady with a gang mower nearly did it for him.

Starting from The Bull at Lower Langley at 3.00pm on an afternoon that threatened a downpour, but luckily held off, Andrew, Rod, Alan, Simon, Sanda and Martin set off on a spur-of-the-moment route that Andrew devised to take us around the lanes and back by opening time. That’s what good planning is all about.

Everything went well until the lady with the gang mower was encountered, mowing a verge on a Byway approaching Furneux Pelham in the same direction as we were going. Alan passed by safely but as Simon was passing the lady suddenly did a U-turn without looking behind her and both she and Simon screeched to a halt with the blades still spinning a few centimetres from his legs. The look of shock on both faces was considerable but at least Simon escaped unshaven.

Thereafter, things improved and we settled down into a pleasant ride around familiar lanes until we came across a Road Closed section between Great Hormead and Anstey, a situation which rarely deters Windmillers. Having been encouraged to give it a go by a workman at one end of the section, we soon encountered a large Tarmac lorry, spreaders, rollers and a gang of workmen who made it clear we were not wanted. So there was nothing for it but to follow Sandra and take the stubble field bypass alongside the road, give them a cheery wave, cross a deep ditch and we were soon back en route again.

As we passed through Anstey we gave Keith a shout and a wave and hoped we would be seeing him out with us again some time. The Blind Fiddler is a pub well worth visiting too, and it opens early.

Back at The Bull we were given a warm welcome and Rod and Sandra bought the beers – thanks both! There was some Crafty beer on tap which was excellent. Sadly, Alan and Andrew both missed out as Alan headed back to Great Chishill at Shaftenhoe End and Andrew had to dash off to cook a road-kill pheasant for supper.

This is where we went:

Thanks to Andrew for planning the route on the spur of the moment and for organising us.

Martin

Men of Essex were ticked off roundly it seems during World War 1 for not enlisting in their regiment, which had seen honours in Egypt, Gibraltar, the Battle of Waterloo and South Africa, amongst many other battles. So says the poster in The Chestnut Tree, West Wratting, as well as reminding women to do women’s work. Not only that, but women are reprimanded in another poster for excessive drinking and asked to leave the pub after having had ‘reasonable refreshment’. Meanwhile, the South Midland Divisional Cyclist Company was recruiting enthusiastic cyclists to ‘cycle for the King’ and pedal abroad somewhere having been given a free bike, uniform and clothing. Furthermore, having bad teeth was not deemed to be an issue. What a fab deal, except the cycling probably involved ferrying messages from trench to trench in the battlefields, for which task having bad teeth was a minor problem except, perhaps, for those on the receiving end of the messages.

These eclectic posters which adorn the walls of The Chestnut Tree provide a stark reminder of how lucky we are not to have fought in any world wars, although Charles has of course been in the thick of it during his Army career. Well done, Charles; we salute you. Fortunately, women are allowed to stay longer in pubs too, whether or not they have consumed a large amount of alcohol, and those fond of cycling like Windmillers can go where they like, when they like, except they have to pay for their own bike these days.

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Thus ended a repeat of a ride to Finchingfield and back attended by Maurice, Graham, Ken, Victor, Alan, Rod, Brian, Jeremy, Howard, Roger, Simon and Martin. Charles was due to take part too but somehow or other he left his helmet at home and felt naked without one. (Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. So easily done. Ed.)

This is where we went:

It was a windy day and dry except for a few spots of rain whilst having coffee in Finchingfield.

Finchingfield is such a photogenic place that it’s no wonder the locals get a bit cheesed off at times with all the tourists. But it’s good business for the cafés and pubs.

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Back at The Chestnut Tree we were joined for lunch by Suzanne, showing off her flashy new bike, and Geoff who had recovered from a back injury whilst weeding his garden – moral of the story, cycle don’t weed.

Yet another good lunch was consumed, washed down with some fine ales. How can one tire of such a place?

Thanks to Maurice for organising the ride, Graham for the gpx file and Brian for some of the photos.

Martin

Some blog followers might be forgiven for thinking that Monday rides in August and September didn’t happen, but that’s not the case! It’s just that the blogmeisters didn’t get their act together, but holidays have taken their toll too. So here’s a summary of how Windmillers spent their Monday afternoons recently – far removed from what the Mamas and Papas thought of Mondays:

Every other day, every other day
Every other day, every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes
But whenever Monday comes, you can find me cryin’ all of the time

For those who wish to remember bopping along to the Mamas and Papas here’s a link to those ageing rockers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h81Ojd3d2rY

The last Monday blog was on 2 August. Since then:

9 August. Andrew, Charles, Nick, Rod Deborah and Alan set off from the Red Cow at 16.30 for a 21 mile ride to the power line capital of Essex, Stocking Pelham, and back.

16 August. Meeting again at The Red Cow at 16.30, Maurice led a ride with Sandra, Rod, Alan, Nick and Simon in tow on a magical mystery tour of the lanes – no sign of a map on WhatsApp but Great Chishill was clearly en route judging by this wonderful photo taken by Rod:

23 August. Not sure who attended or where they went but Andrew, Nick, Charles, Sandra, Maurice and Simon might have been amongst them.

30 August. Bank holiday Monday. No ride but some may have met up at the Upper Langley fete on Andrew’s recommendation for light sabre training and to feast on amazing cakes:

Towards the end of August news began to emerge of illness affecting Lawrence and Simon Oughton, both of whom were expecting to have operations in the coming weeks. We wish them both well and look forward to having them join us again once recovered. (Lawrence kept cycling throughout September and on Doctor’s orders, not to mention Nurse Elaine, has been piling on the calories.)

Maurice had a lucky escape at the end of August when his bike was hit by a maniac car driver as he was crossing the A1198 north of Royston and he got thrown off. He landed with a thump but promptly continued his journey to pick up his car and drove home. It was only later that shock set in and bruises began to appear but it could easily have been a lot worse. He needed a few days to recover, assisted by large quantities of pain killer.

6 September. With Maurice injured and Andrew away, Martin arranged a ride from The Bull at Lower Langley for a change but who should turn up – Maurice! It takes a lot to put a good man down. Accompanied by Charles, Sandra, Nick, Alan, Jenni, Simon, and Graham, the ride took place on a lovely evening and included an off-road section which was a good test for Maurice’s ribs.

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13 September. Back to The Bull for a ride organised by Andrew with Charles, Nick, Rod, Jeremy, Simon, Deborah and Martin in tow. Luckily Violet’s Lane, known as the longest ford in Europe, was dry at the top end but Graham discovered what it can be like at times:

20 September. This was Black Forest week for Simon and Martin, Andrew was attending a bash at Rusack’s Hotel in St Andrew’s and Deborah was sunning herself in Spain. Maurice organised the ride, again from The Bull, and whizzed around the lanes with Charles, Rod, Nick, Alan and Graham in tow.

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27 September. On yet another lovely September evening where better to start and end a ride? Yes, you guessed it, The Bull once again. It’s been good to re-aquaint ourselves in recent weeks with this unpretentious, quintessentially English country pub. Andrew was still away, this time quaffing port in Portugal, but Maurice, Charles, Rod, Alan, Sandra, Simon, Graham, Lawrence and Martin set off at the earlier time of 16.00 due to the days beginning to shorten and the shadows getting longer. Maurice put us through our paces with several bastardos to contend with and a high average speed but this just created more business for The Bull once we had returned. And it was great to have John Bagrie join us who had been doing his own thing, but threatening to join us on a Thursday ride. Riding in small groups of 6 / 7 makes life easier for all concerned, whether they be Windmillers, motorists or cafés – just like it used to be John!

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Thanks go to the organisers of the recent Monday rides and to the photographers, particularly Charles.

Martin

20 Windmillers cruised into Finchingfield in three separate groups to take over every available seat outside at Winners Tearoom on what could be a record ride for the Windmill Club. And Maurice joined us for lunch which made a total of 21. What an amazing turnout!

Assembling once again at the fabulous Chestnut Tree in West Wratting at 9.00am to have coffee and place lunch orders, the groups setting off included Andrew, Brian, Sandra, Ric, Charles, Ken, Victor, Roger, Rod, Graham, Alan, Jeremy, Howard, Mike, Tom, Lawrence, Jenni, Geoff, Simon and Martin. And to think we could so easily have several others join us, were it not for holidays, this says a lot for the club.

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It was great to have Lawrence with us, borrowing one of Maurice’s e-bikes for the day, and at the end there were still five blobs left on the battery indicator, having completed the circuit in eco-mode. Mike joined us too but chose wisely not to accompany Graham to the start from Ickleton which would have meant riding via Finchingfield and having breakfast in Haverhill. Brian, Ric, Victor, Tom, Jeremy and Howard also rode from their homes, clocking up many more miles / km. Well done to everyone.

Here is the route taken, anticlockwise:

Winners coped well with the invasion and dished up excellent coffee and cakes with great efficiency. A feature of the ride were the extraordinary smells that surrounded us, not just of the coffee but those of the harvested countryside – a mixed fragrance of freshly combined and ploughed fields which nasal buds were still able to detect despite frequent lateral flow tests for some.

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The first stop for Group B on the return leg had to be Finchingfield’s windmill:

The route then took us up a quiet lane to Helions Bumpstead, passing Jamie Oliver’s new abode on the way:

Simon also came across a classic pile of rusty junk somewhere en route which took his fancy:

Meanwhile, Andrew made a stop in Castle Camps to admire this RAF war memorial:

Back at The Chestnut Tree, the beer flowed plentifully as thirsty and hungry Windmillers arrived for lunch. And once again we were not disappointed.

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Maurice was still feeling a bit bashed and bruised from his accident last week but threatening to be back on his bike very soon. There’s no putting that man down.

Thanks to the team involved in planning the route – Howard in particular – and to Andrew for organising the record turnout. Also many thanks to photographers Charles, Brian, Graham and Simon.

Martin

Our thoughts today as we gathered for coffee at the Pig and Abbott in Abington Pigotts were with Lawrence and Simon O, both of whom will be having medical time out shortly. We wish them well for a good recovery and look forward to seeing them again as soon as possible. We also heard about a close shave which Maurice had the previous day whilst crossing the A1198 north of Royston on his bike when a passing motorist clipped his front wheel and knocked him off resulting in a few bruises, but it was great that he could join us for lunch relatively unscathed.

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So eight Windmillers, Andrew, Ken, Roger, Charles, Alan, Simon, Howard and Martin set off on a pleasant anticlockwise circuit of Hertfordshire and South Cambs lanes before meeting up with Brian and Victor in Haslingfield who rode over from Shelford. Alan had set off from Great Chishill and Howard had ridden all the way from Saffron Walden, clocking up 70 miles in all. Well done to all those long distance types.

This is where we went:

It wasn’t long before Alan hollered that he had a puncture, just before Barrington, but it turned out to be a mini one which was conquered at regular intervals thereafter by means of his trusty pump.

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In Haslingfield Brian and Victor were bemoaning the loss of the Moringa Tree café and its sausage rolls but were having a coffee instead at the nearby village shop, also destined for closure apparently. How will cyclists ever survive in this area in future?

On we went, taking a slight Maurice detour in Bourn as we did so, until another detour was made into what we thought was Bourn Golf Club for coffee until a chap with a yellow hat said it was a construction site for the new clubhouse. The old clubhouse was further down the road, where we pulled in for large slices of freshly made strawberry and cream sponge, but not an Americano or Cappucino in sight – just a bag of something that tasted frothy when stirred into hot water. Hopefully the new clubhouse will invest in a coffee machine.

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The return leg was uneventful, except for the occasional pump up by Alan, and relief was expressed all round that we descended the 10% Croydon hill rather than going up it.

Back at the Pig and Abbott somewhat earlier than expected due to a relatively quick flattish ride, it was good to have Maurice join us to give graphic detail of the idiot driver who nearly mowed him down. The driver stopped and asked if he was ok but then drove off without giving his details so if anyone in the Royston area spots a black Vauxhall being driven at high speed, make a note of the number.

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Pat’s pies were as good as ever, according to those that had them, and other menu choices were also excellent, washed down with fine ales. We shall be back on 4 November for Vernon’s memorial ride.

Thanks to Maurice for planning the route even though he was unable to take part, Andrew for his organisation and Charles, Simon and Brian for the photographs.

Martin

A red herring is something that misleads or distracts from a relevant or important question. It may be either a logical fallacy or a literary device that leads readers or audiences toward a false conclusion. Wikipedia. It’s also a very good pint of bitter brewed by the award winning Mighty Oak brewery in Maldon, and weren’t we lucky to sample it at The Chestnut Tree in West Wratting after this rapid ride around Cambs and Suffolk lanes?

And a rapid ride it was, having first placed our orders for lunch at The Chestnut Tree and had a cup of coffee. But the coffee stop in Barrow at The Three Horseshoes was not so rapid as the coffee machine packed up after the first few had been dispensed, resulting in a long wait for a cup of instant for those at the back of the queue of 16 Windmillers. Blame the Chinese, said Charles, who spoke ecstacically of Danish machines but eventually, after pressing various buttons the machine starting behaving itself just as we were leaving.

The A team of Maurice, Simon, Jenni, Roger, Chris, Jeremy, Victor and Ric were first in the queue whilst the B team of Martin, Deborah, Charles, Alan, Graham, Hazel, Howard and Brian arrived 10 minutes later having stopped occasionally to admire the lovely freshly combined Suffolk countryside, and got the instant coffee as a result.

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All changed in the team line up after coffee as Deborah was on a very tight schedule in order to get to Chelmsford by 1.30pm to view a wedding venue for her daughter and future son-in-law, who got engaged recently. Congratulations to them! There was much debate about how best to get to Chelmsford and the combined wisdom of Windmillers, which might well have resulted in Deborah getting hopelessly lost, actually enabled her to reach her destination bang on time. Much of this must have been due to Maurice switching to sport mode on his e-bike with his slightly depleted group (Victor and Ric joining team B, which was not considered a very good swap for losing Deborah!) keeping close behind.

Meanwhile, the now 9 members of team B set off also at a fast pace until it came to a sudden halt on hearing the word ‘Ouch’ screamed by Hazel who had been stung in a sensitive part of her nether region by something with a sting long enough to penetrate a layer of lycra. Luckily a gallant Windmiller (Alan?) came forward with some sting relief cream which seemed to ease her discomfort. Well done Hazel for managing this whilst surrounded by earnest and willing would-be helpers!

Back at The Chestnut Tree after a delightful ride through very quiet lanes but with a strong head wind on the last leg, we sat down at reserved tables in the garden to enjoy pints of Red Herring and other beers / drinks whilst eating fabulous sandwiches and other dishes, all delivered in such an efficient manner. The ham can be highly recommended, sourced from a Suffolk farm and cooked at the pub. It was great to be joined by Geoff who had done a ride starting from Balsham.

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And this is where we went, anti-clockwise:

Many thanks to Maurice for planning the route, to Andrew who couldn’t make the ride but who organised us and to Graham and Charles for some of the photos.

Martin

Andrew regaled us on this ride with his stories of joining the ‘real’ Windmill Club whilst on a night out in London, and losing his wallet en route (not due to improper expenditure it should be stressed).

What happened was that he left his wallet at a BP Station whilst en route to the Silverstone Clasic in his brother-in-law’s Mercedes Benz 560SEC, once owned by Martin. One Windmill wag questioned whether there was anything in the wallet but Andrew claimed it contained £240 and they were not Scottish notes, plus credit cards. Luckily it was handed in at the BP Station who promised to return it, and it eventually arrived with nothing missing.

If that wasn’t enough hassle for one day, after a rollicking good night on the town Lindsey left her handbag in a London cab, a fancy handbag at that, which contained her mobile phone. Andrew eventually traced it to a house in Barking where the hung over SEC was directed to early on the Sunday morning in an attempt to retrieve it. And there on the drive was a Black cab and the phone could be heard ringing inside but despite Andrew barking in true dawggie fashion outside there was no answer. Eventually an upstairs window opened and the sleepy cab driver who hadn’t got home until 4.30am came out in his pyjamas and handed back Lindsey’s handbag. Phew! Relief all round in the Rusack family. Or just Barking mad?

These tales of woe were recounted at various stages of a pleasant 30 mile ride around the lanes which Maurice devised, somewhat cruelly, to take in hill after hill after hill after hill, starting with that nasty little bastardo going eastwards from Chrishall Grange.

So stops galore were needed to regain breath and hear the next instalment from Andrew.

Then it was on to Arkesden, Clavering, Langley Upper Green, Duddenhoe End and back to the starting point of The Red Cow for refreshments.

Thanks go as always to Maurice and Andrew for organising our rides, and to Charles for two of the pics – he is not guilty of the Windmill Club pic!

Martin

Translated from the Latin, means ‘I, Borage, bring always joys’ and that was certainly the case for 10 happy Windmillers who cruised around the lanes from West Wratting admiring the blue Borage fields and wondering why so many farmers are growing the crop this year. The joy of money perhaps?

Meeting at The Chestnut Tree for coffee before departure were Maurice, nursing a disjointed new knee, Andrew, birthday boy Ric, Simon, Victor, Brian, Howard, Suzanne, Tom and Martin.

This is where we went looking for Borage, going clockwise:

The first stop was en route to Dullingham where we gathered under a threatening looking East Anglian sky, which proved to be harmless, and paid homage to Borage (photo above). Simon was joyfully happy to be photographed posing alone………….

………….as was Suzanne:

So Borage clearly has a joyful effect on Windmillers. Not surprising really because this is what Francis Bacon had to say about this ancient herb: ‘It hath an excellent spirit to repress the fuliginous vapour of dusky melancholie.’ And John Gerard said in his book Herball: ‘Those of our time do use the flowers in salads to exhilerate and make the mind glad. There be also many things made of these used everywhere for the comfort of the heart, for the driving away of sorrow and increasing the joy of the mind. The leaves and flowers of Borage put into wine make men and women glad and merry and drive away all sadness, dullness and melancholy, as Dioscorides and Pliny affirm. Syrup made of the flowers of Borage comfort the heart, purge melancholy and quiet the frantic and lunatic person. The leaves eaten raw engender good blood, especially in those that have been lately sick.’ So there you go; pick some and don’t just bung it in your gin and tonic but make a syrup and it will cure all ills whilst also putting a lid on your average lunatic Windmiller.

At the half way stage in Barrow we discovered a new pub The Three Horseshoes who opened up specially for us at 11.00am to serve good coffee, which was enjoyed in the pub garden, but the all important cakes were not on offer unfortuately. Opposite the pub was a fine garage, Kevin Williams, specialising in classic cars and we were somewhat surprised that neither Maurice nor Howard stepped inside to do a deal.

The return leg to West Wratting took us through more delightfully quiet Suffolk and Cambs lanes where GPX files came in very useful unless you happened to be on Maurice’s tail, who sped along at high speed even though he was recovering from a fall on his replacement knee – well done Maurice!

Back at The Chestnut Tree, birthday boy Ric very kindly bought the drinks and received a hearty rendering of Happy Birthday in return. Large helpings of food appeared from the kitchen and an excellent lunch was had by all.

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Thanks once again to Maurice and Andrew for planning and organising the route and to Brian and Andrew for some of the photos.

Martin