Old Butchers – The Windmill Cycle Club

A bridge too far

Dark mutterings were heard amongst the e-bikers as we gathered for the ride on Thursday. They were unimpressed with Brian’s route, given it would involve hauling their heavy machines up and over the A11 footbridge. Brian put their minds at rest; there would be two groups, one taking the bridge, the other taking a slightly longer diversion around it.

Setting out from the Square & Compasses, Great Shelford, Jeremy led the bridge grapplers – Alan, Andrew, Gareth, Howard and Roger – while Brian led the bridge-phobics, namely Rod, Paul and two Martins. It would be a 31 mile circuit; 32 with the diversion.

All hands aloft at Streetly End Mill. Built in 1802, it ceased milling after the sails blew off in 1895. The timber-framed house on the left dates from c1600 and is Grade II listed.

Also at Streetly End, Howard came across this colony of gnomes

Despite the extra mile, Brian’s group proved the quicker, arriving first at Balsham’s Old Butchers for coffee. Being only 10 miles into the outing, not to mention that it was only a few degrees above freezing, we stoked up on caffeine and cake before heading on, via Streetly End, to Horseheath, Cardinal’s Green, Shudy Camps, Bartlow and Hadstock. Somewhere thereabouts, Roger pulled up with a puncture. Normally, a fairly straightforward problem to fix but, with Alan and Andrew keen to help, it took two attempts and the best part of an hour before Roger was back on the road. Windmill Club puncture repairs are best regarded as team building exercises.

Team building: Alan and Roger, with Andrew behind the camera.

The return leg, via Linton, Hildersham, Pampisford and Sawston passed uneventfully as we headed back to Shelford and the Square & Compasses. We last lunched there four years ago (as you can read here) when we celebrated Lawrence’s birthday; he is sadly missed.

Sharing a long table, we were delighted to be joined by Ken and Maurice, and even more delighted that Martin – this week’s birthday boy, was buying the beer.

Maurice showed us the list of charity donations he had made on the club’s behalf. We raised just under £5000 during 2023, monies being distributed to Children’s Cancer & Leukaemia, Addenbrookes Charitable Trust, East Anglia Children’s Hospice, Macmillan Nurses, Samaritans, Pets as Therapy, Arthur Rank Hospice, Marie Curie, Breast Cancer and Bowel Cancer. Well done all.

31 miles (or 32 miles avoiding the bridge) : Shelford – Stapleford – Sawston – Babraham – The Abingtons – Balsham – Streetly End – Horseheath – Cardinal’s Green – Mill Green – Barton – Hadstock – Linton – Hildersham – Pampisford – Sawston – Stapleford – Great Shelford

Café Society

It isn’t often that we lunch in a café rather than a pub. Indeed, it is almost a year to the day since our outing to Ely when we last ordered lunch from a barista rather than a barman.

So quite understandably, there was some consternation in the peloton when Jeremy announced we would be lunching at Duxford’s Café 19. Would they tolerate our alehouse manners? Might Simon’s eccentric tearoom etiquette raise eyebrows? And, let’s not beat around the bush here, did they serve beer?

We needn’t have worried, not only did Café 19 serve up an excellent lunch, but they made us feel most welcome and we were warmly invited to return. What’s more, there was a decent selection of bottled beers on offer – and Simon was on his best behaviour.

Thanks to Jeremy we had enjoyed an excellent outing, riding once more through the Abington Land Settlements, climbing the stiff hill up to Balsham – where we stopped for coffee at The Old Butchers – before heading back down the hill towards Sawston and returning to Duxford.

Jeremy lost us only once – which puts him on a par with Maurice – but otherwise managed to get us all back safely and on time. Top chap!

Completing the 30 mile circuit were: Andrew, Brian, Chris, Deborah, Geoff, Graham, Jenni, Jeremy, Ken, Ric, Rod, Roger, Simon and Victor.

Graham, Victor and Roger cresting the hill at Linton

. . . closely followed by Ken and Andrew, feeling the burn

Jeremy’s wiggly route, some 30 miles in all, taking in Duxford, Whittlesford, Sawston, Pampisford, Linton, Balsham, Great Abington, Babraham, Sawston and Shelford

Brian