Category: Monday rides

Little were we aware of the musical talents of Windmillers until our new quartet of Rod, Simon, Andrew and Alan performed around the Steinway grand piano at Stapleford Granary, but only in air mode. The potential is clearly there for a full blown concert at a future date. Maybe they could start with this one:

Starting from The Pheasant in Great Chishill for a change was a bit like the old days when Simon and Ollie were in charge and it was interesting to see the changes carried out both internally and externally. Besides The Windmill Quartet, other participants were Andrew, Roger, Ric, Graham, Martin, Jeremy, Brian, Ken and Ann, the latter three starting at Stapleford. This is where we went, clockwise:

The first stop caused a traffic jam outside Lawrence’s house in Fowlmere when we knocked on his door for a chat. He was just about to leave with a friend to study an organ in Pampisford – the new quartet would benefit from becoming a quintet as Lawrence is the only Windmiller known to be really capable of tinkling the ivories.

Speeding along on flat roads with a tail wind on this fine day, it wasn’t long before Stapleford Granary came into view, complete with its spanking new coffee shop and covered awning, all ready for a Stapleford Village Day on the following Sunday (where a brilliant band, Mishra, hailing from Sheffield, played a fusion of folk and Indian music).

After excellent coffee and cakes we had to drag ourselves away for the return leg via the off-road path to Babraham and then back via Sawston, the bike path to Whittlesford, Duxford, Ickleton (where Ric peeled off back to Harston), Elmdon and Heydon, making a very pleasant circuit of 28 miles in all.

Back at The Pheasant, the London Pride was as good as ever and lunch was taken outside on the new terrace behind the pub – all very tasteful and we wish the new management every success.

Thanks to Andrew for organising the ride and also Brian and Graham for the photos.

Martin

A goodly number – I reckon it was twelve Windmillers – turned out on the first Monday of 2021 to burn off their Christmas pudding. Riding either solo or in pairs, the roster included: Maurice, Andrew, Deborah, Jenni, Martin, Alan, Charles, Nick, Graham, Lawrence, Suzanne and Brian. Apologies if I have overlooked anyone; do let me know.

Maurice had devised a 23 mile circuit – with the charity box and a basket of beers tucked away on his driveway at Heath Farm – an ideal spot for our resident photographer to snap passing Windmillers.

Alas, it was much too cold for our photographer to linger longer in the hope of snapping further Windmillers and, saddling up, he was last seen heading up the hill to Barkway.

There was an element of competition in the outing: who could turn in the fastest time on the 7 mile section near Heath Farm? Multiple claims, counter claims and allegations – not to mention dodgy historical data (thanks, Sandra) – appeared on the club’s WhatsApp message board – and I, for one, can’t make head or tail of it. It will all be forwarded to the relevant authorities – British Cycling, WADA, Guinness Book of Records, etc – for validation.

Thanks as ever to Maurice for devising the route and providing the refreshments – and to Andrew for rousing us all off our sofas.

Brian

PS Lawrence, poor chap, lost his wallet somewhere between Barkway and Barley so, if anyone comes across it, please shout.

Knowing of the typical Windmiller’s love of mushrooms, following the monster specimens found on 15 October, Deborah very kindly offered to go hunting for more and brought a massive box full of field mushrooms collected from a field near Ashdon, the whereabouts of which is a closely guarded secret. The box was soon emptied and conversations then held about the best recipe for mushroom soup. But a bucket full of bramley apples that Deborah also brought along was not so popular and so Martin took the lot and will be enjoying apple pie for the next few months.

A good turnout of 10 Windmillers at The Red Cow in Chrishall on this pleasant autumnal day meant that two groups of five would cycle separately around the lanes, but exactly where was a mystery to those in Maurice’s group A of Rod, Charles, Nick and Martin. As a result, Andrew’s group B of Sandra, Simon, Deborah and Lindsey headed off first in the general direction of Duddenhoe End, followed at a visible distance by the others. Maurice shot up the first hill on his e-bike towards Hamlet Church but took a left towards Arkesden without waiting for the others in the group who, arriving puffing and panting at the same junction, wondered where he had gone. Seeing some hi-viz jackets by Hamlet Church suggested that might be the way to go but having eventually caught them up there was no sign of Maurice. So there was nothing for it but to phone him and arrange a rendezvous at the two windmills, hoping he was not suffering from being lonely. Meanwhile, Group B continued on their merry way.

This is where the lost souls of Group A went:

Maurice’s route took in Arksden and Clavering whereas Group B went anti-clockwise from Langley Upper Green.

Having reconvened, Group A then met Group B at the muddy end of Violet’s Lane, luckily still passable:

Nick peeled off from Group A on the return leg after Brent Pelham and both groups arrived back at the Red Cow at around the same time, where some stayed to enjoy an outside pint and to put the world to rights.

Thanks to Maurice for planning the route, even if it did result in a lasoo for most of Group A, and to Andrew for organising us.

Martin