Sicklesmere – The Windmill Cycle Club

Keith’s birthday outing

Thursday morning saw nine Windmillers gathering in the car park of The Rushbrooke Arms, Sicklesmere, just south of Bury St Edmunds where, with the beet harvest in full swing, there is a distinct tang in the air from the nearby British Sugar factory as it cooks up lorry-loads of the stuff and refines it into Silver Spoon sugar. It makes for quite a stink.

Keith, Rach, Alan and Robert pause to take in the view

Keith, this week’s ride leader, led us southwards away from the stink towards Lavenham and on to Brent Eleigh where we pulled in at Café Como, fast becoming a Windmill favourite given its fine selection of homemade goodies.

Not only is Suffolk beautiful cycling country but, if you keep your eyes open, there is plenty of history hereabouts worthy of closer inspection. So it was that our return route, via Thorpe Morieux and Little Whelnetham, took us past the memorial to the seventeen American airmen who died in 1944 when two Flying Fortress’ collided and crashed midair near Hitcham.

Rod, Andrew and Roger at the memorial on the road between Kettlebaston and Hitcham

Later we pulled over to admire the fine 15th century farmhouse near Brettenham.

Back at the pub Keith bought us all a beer and endured our rowdy rendition of Happy Birthday. Top chap!

Thanks go to Keith for planning the route, leading the way and buying the beers; also to Simon and Robert for the many photographs.

Beerless at Lavenham

Socially distanced cycling, eh? Who’d have thought? Whereas our peloton used to be upwards of a dozen strong – a veritable rolling roadblock – we now only venture out in groups of six or less, appropriately spaced. This week it was Maurice leading the first group and Brian the second. Trouble was, Brian didn’t really know the route, relying instead on tail-enders Graham and Rod to shout directions from the rear.

So it was that Maurice, followed by Roger, Ken, Alan and Chris set off from The Rushbrooke Arms, Sicklesmere, heading for Gedding – followed ten minutes later by Brian, Victor, Deborah, Mike, Graham and Rod – Brian making sure he kept within earshot of Graham and Rod.

Sunshine and the beautiful Suffolk countryside ensured a very pleasant outbound ride to Lavenham, where we pulled in for refreshments at The Swan. Most ordered coffee and teacakes – but Graham, who had already cycled the extra 35 miles from home – was desperate to wet his whistle with a pint. Coffee and teacakes were served aplenty but, despite increasingly desperate reminders to the staff, the beer did not materialise and poor old Graham took the saddle just as thirsty as when he arrived.

Returning to Sicklesmere via Bridge Street, Shimpling and Hawstead, we enjoyed an alfresco lunch at the The Rushbrooke Arms where, thankfully, Graham managed to down a few restorative pints ahead of his 35 mile return home, neighbour Mike joining him for the ride.

Thanks, Maurice, for planning the route and leading the way on such a delightful outing.

31 miles clockwise from Sicklesmere