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‘Time flies, mind your business’ was the reminder once again as five Windmillers stopped outside St Mary the Virgin in Furneux Pelham to admire the church clock.

The starting point once again was The Tally Ho! in Barkway where we are always made to feel very welcome by Sally and the locals. Maurice, Andrew, John T, Keith and Martin were the five who set forth, hoping that Sally might one day be able to join us too as she has done in the past. Here is the route taken:

The lanes were empty as usual and the temperature bearable, having set forth at 6.00pm. Wouldn’t it be nice if time just stood still instead of flying by, then we could always set off at 6.00pm on a Monday evening? The route took us almost past Keith’s house in Anstey and almost past Roger’s house in Furneux Pelham and so Keith could easily have been blindfolded without losing the way.

Opposite the church in Furneux Pelham is a house with, for some unknown reason, a slightly different version of the inscription on the church tower, which says simply  ‘Mind Your Own Business’:

Local lore states that the Church version of the inscription apparently reminded farmers and landowners to get on with the harvest, as the church bell was rung at 6pm, during the harvest, to allow gleaners into the fields to scavenge spilled corn. So gleaning would have been in full swing many years ago at the time when we stopped at 6.47pm. If you believe that you’ll believe anything! More local lore also states, probably accurately, that all the Pelhams were once known just as Pelham and recorded as such in the Domesday Book of 1086. Here endeth today’s Hertfordshire history lesson.

On we went to Brent Pelham via the notorious Violet’s Lane (the longest ford in England [Correction: Europe. Ed.] according to Roger) except that we turned right before hitting any water or mud. Maurice recalled how his Range Rover had once been up to its bonnet in water (as a dare from some his pals).  A lane to perhaps avoid in the middle of winter on a bike.

Finally we met up with our outgoing route in Anstey and returned to The Tally Ho! ready to do justice to the Hophead on offer.

Thanks go to Maurice for planning the ride and to Andrew for getting us to the start line on time. Congratulations are also due to Maurice for raising the handsome sum of over £600 for the East Anglian Children’s Hospice through holding his annual classic / interesting car show on 29 July.

Martin

 

 

 

Too many of us? Too noisy? Too much lycra? Whatever the reason, we were turned away from the Westmill Tea Room. We won’t be darkening their door again.

Twenty miles into a circuit of North Herts and the hottest Thursday of the year so far, we could have done with some refreshment. We’d had a lovely ride from Therfield, through Sandon, Cromer, Wood End and Haultwick – and we were on the return leg heading for Buntingford and lunch back at the Fox and Duck. We knew there’d be a warm welcome there.

Maurice – astride his natty new ebike – had led the way, followed by birthday girl Sandra, Andrew, Tom, Lawrence, Roger, Chris, Martin, two Johns, both Brians and new boy, Victor.

Arriving back in Therfield, hot and gasping for a beer, we were delighted to be joined by Bridget, Lyn and Ric – who had all cycled in  – and Vernon, the only Windmiller looking cool, thanks to Jaguar air conditioning.

Great company, a good lunch – and Sandra was buying the beer. Life doesn’t get any better.

Thanks, Maurice and Andrew, for organising another great outing.

Brian

This was to prove an enchanting evening in so many ways. Firstly, it was Sandra’s birthday and she was buying the beers; secondly, we had visions of loveliness never seen before on a ride; thirdly we were once again entertained to Rogers and Hammerstein and various East End songs by the dazzling duo of John T and Julian in The Tally Ho! after the ride.

So five Windmillers comprising electric Maurice, Andrew, John T, Sandra and Martin set forth from The Tally Ho! in Barkway not knowing what lay in store, other than the promise of a beer at the end. Maurice’s recent purchase of an electric bike from a chap in Aldeburgh meant he was soon zooming on ahead at high speed leaving some of us less fit ones gasping for breath to keep up. The route took us through familiar lanes on a delightful circuit via Therfield, Kelshall, Sandon (where we rang our bells as we passed Lyn and John B’s house [corrected with apologies, ed.]) and on to Buntingford.

It was just after Wyddial that, on first sight, the vision we had could have been a dream or some kind of stroke brought on by heat exhaustion but, no, on second sight, there really were two very scantily clad beautiful young ladies walking down a track playing loud music, having parked their Mini Convertible near the road. Were they clothed at all, some wondered? Yes, but only in itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikinis, or perhaps underwear of a similar design. Needless to say, being responsible Windmillers and also having a lady amongst us, there was no sudden braking or U-turns or photographs taken to see if this really was a dream or reality. Such a manoeuvre might in any case have been unwise, according to John T, who claimed to have seen two chaps sitting in the back of the Mini……..

And so on we sped, averaging 12.5mph, until The Tally Ho! finally came into view soon after passing the very brown Barkway golf course. Sandra very kindly bought the beers and we celebrated her birthday by singing a rousing Happy Birthday. It was of course the singing that got John T and Julian going with another splendid rendition of some Rogers and Hammerstein favourites, including of course Some Enchanted Evening, sung to an equally high standard:

We were in stitches listening to Julian’s version of Who Killed Cock Robin?, the words of which will not be repeated here. This is a decent blog.

Thanks to Maurice for planning the route, Andrew for organising us, Sandra for owning up to her birthday and buying the beers and to John T and Julian for the cabaret.

Finally, commiserations to Sandra’s Steve who broke his collar bone at the weekend by colliding with a roadside bank at only 10mph on his electric bike whilst watching combine harvesters at work. Just as well that a similar fate didn’t happen this evening when watching those girls; it could have been an almighty pile up.

Martin

 

 

 

 

 

Another glorious day was in store as 9 Windmillers descended on to The Henny Swan in Henny Street, situated deep in the Suffolk countryside  alongside the River Stour near Sudbury. Unfortunately, Ken didn’t quite make it in time and so it was Maurice, Andrew, Sandra, Keith, Brummie Brian, Chris, Tom and Martin who set forth on one of Maurice’s dazzling  5-star rides.

Here is the route taken:

Going in a clockwise direction we soon entered a familiar stretch of disused railway line, skirting Sudbury, which was very pleasant to ride on in dry, shaded conditions. Then it was along quiet roads and lanes, passing many beautiful churches such as this one, St. Lawrence, in Great Waldingfield:

Thoughts of coffee began to occur shortly after this stop, Boxford being the original destination, but it proved difficult to pass through Kersey without stopping at the delightful Bell Inn, where the coffee was superb (and the beers probably not bad either). On the way we had to stop to take in this amazing view of the Suffolk countryside at its best:

There were a surprising number of hills from Kersey onwards but none too challenging, particularly for Maurice who was breezing along once again on Ann Worthing’s electric bike, albeit in eco mode in order to gain more muscle strength for when he rides battery free once again, continuing his amazingly quick recovery from his hip op. Well done, Maurice!

Other than a pause for Andrew to pick up a road-kill onion on the side of the road, the return leg to Henny Street was uneventful, but passing a pub rated as having 5 stars seemed to sum up the ride perfectly. The Swan was heaving with customers, some of whom had travelled down from Sudbury on the pub’s own electric boat, the John Constable, but once the drinks had been served we could relax and have a pleasant lunch outside in the shade. Ken joined us having done his own tour of Suffolk but Brian had to whizz away.

The pub’s table tennis table beckoned after lunch with Andrew, Sandra, Keith and Martin taking part, but the clear winner was Keith thanks to some demon spins.

Thanks go to Maurice for organising a great ride and to Andrew for getting the majority of us to the starting line on time.

Martin

 

Andrew, Laird of Wendens Ambo, had invited us to meet at his place for our regular Thursday outing. We were very pleased to see Ric for the first time since his tumble in May. Even more impressively, he had cycled to Andrew’s from Harston. Andrew and Ric were joined by Sandra, Tom and both Brians – Yorkie and Brummie.

Setting off, the six Windmillers made the long ascent up El Bastardo and on via Strethall, Ickleton, Duxford and Whittlesford to Great Shelford, where we pulled in at the excellent Deli for refreshments. Here we met Pam, Brummie Brian’s missus, who joined us in the garden for coffee.

Having already done 25 miles, Ric thought it best to not overdo things on his first outing and headed home to Harston.

The rest of us continued to Stapleford, where we negotiated the gravel trap at the Granary, and took the off road route to Babraham and Abington. Along the way, Brummie Brian, caught napping by the rutted track, took a spill and fell in a nettle patch. No real harm was done, apart from nettle rash. We have yet to find out if there’s footage of it on Sandra’s handlebar camera.

Despite the tumble, we were gung ho enough take another off road section from Hildersham to Linton. Along here we came across a woman leading a pair of working horses pulling a plough. Her name was Calixta and the horses were Comtois, a French breed from the Jura Mountains. They were working a market garden supplying organic produce to up market restaurants, including Midsummer House and Cotto in Cambridge.

Setting off again from Linton we took the return leg via Hadstock and Little Walden back to Saffron Walden and Wendens Ambo. Having clocked up 31 miles on a hot day, we were glad of a beer at The Bell and lunch in the garden.

Thanks, Andrew, for organising everything.

Brian

Yet another sunny Thursday morning saw nine Windmillers gathering in the car park of The Black Bull Inn, Balsham. There was Andrew, Yorkie Brian, Sandra, Ken, Roger, Tom, Chris, Brummie Brian and Keith who, following a YouTube crash course in bicycle mechanics, was back on his favourite machine, now fitted with shiny new parts.

We were off on one of Maurice’s routes, 30 miles or so, taking in West Wratting, Withersfield, Great Wratting, Kedington, Baythorne End, Steeple Bumpstead, Castle Camps and Bartlow.

It was in Great Wratting that we pulled into the Red Lion, an interesting old place with a pair of ancient whale jawbones standing guard by the front door. Inside it was cool and dark with a fine collection of brass and copper ware hung from the ceiling. “Cappuccino?” asked Andrew hopefully. “We’ve got coffee – or there’s beer” replied the landlady flatly. Thinking 10.30 am a little early for a pint, we settled for coffee all round. Served in the garden with a generous supply of biscuits, the coffee was good and – at £1 each –  supremely good value. We like The Red Lion; seemingly open all hours, it qualifies as a John Bagrie “proper pub”. We shall return for lunch at a later date.

Continuing on into Suffolk and enjoying the peaceful lanes around Boyton End, there was a yelp from Andrew, followed by some robust language. Pulling up sharpish, he declared he had been stung on the face by a wasp. It’s one of those summer cycling hazards; at least he didn’t swallow the thing.

The rest of the route was uneventful. Approaching Balsham we were delighted to be joined by Maurice who had cycled out to meet us. Back in the pub we were further delighted to be joined by Ric who had cycled up from Harston, his shoulder now well and truly on the mend.

It had been another fine outing. Thanks, Andrew, for organising things, seeing us safely around the course and facing down that pesky Mr Wasp.

Brian

It was a lovely summer’s evening as four Windmillers set off from the Tally Ho! in Barkway, not knowing what a sing-song might occur later. Maurice was once again on Ann Worthing’s electric bike, with which he became so enamoured that he bought one for himself in Aldeburgh over the weekend, which needs a bit of tlc before being allowed out on the road.

Accompanied by Andrew, John T and Martin, the quartet set off on a delightful trip around the lanes taking in Anstey, Meesden, Clavering, Arkesden, Duddenhoe End, Langley Lower Green and back via Anstey, with John T taking a longer route via Nuthampstead. Here is the tadpole route taken (apologies for the first attempt at creating a Strava image):

It was of course thirsty work and so a stop had to be made at The Bull at Lower Langley, which was somewhat less busy than the Friday evening before when Ken Worthing organised a ride, which also happened to pass by The Bull. Then it was heaving with families and kids all having a great pizza evening and enjoying the sunshine.

Then it was back to The Tally Ho! to receive a warm welcome from Sally behind the bar and the locals, most of whom we had met before on previous visits. Somehow or other, the conversation got around to Rogers and Hammerstein whereupon John T professed to be a great fan and indeed knew all the words of pretty well every R&H musical ever written, and began to serenade us in a fine tenor voice that Lawrence would have loved to hear too. South Pacific, Carousel, Oklahoma, you name it and John knows it. Sadly, however, this site does not support videos but if a way can be found to create a link to Andrew’s filming of John and the chorus, it will be added at a later date. Thoughts of a follow up at the annual Christmas lunch also spring to mind………..

Thanks to Maurice and Andrew for organising the ride.

Martin

 

 

Just 5 weeks after his hip operation, Maurice was back on a bike, albeit an electric one courtesy of Ann Worthing. This must surely rank as one of the fastest recoveries known in the history of hip transplants?

And so it was that 10 Windmillers gathered at a new starting point, the Eight Bells at Abbotsley near St Neots. Accompanying Maurice were Andrew, Sandra, Keith, Rod, Chris, Brummie Brian, Yorkie Brian, Roger and Martin, freshly back from his trip down the west coast of France. Having adjusted Ann’s bike to ensure the all important 90° angle between torso and legs (on doctor’s orders) Maurice roared away from the pub leaving the others struggling to keep up.

This is the route taken by all except Maurice:

Maurice thought he was setting an easy pace but it wasn’t until some traffic lights in St Neots that the gasping peloton finally caught him up when a U-turn was required before  negotiating a tricky river crossing and then going the wrong way around the Market Square, much to the notice of local townsfolk. So it was a question of getting out of town fast and that is indeed what Maurice continued to do.

Once under the A1, the roads got a little quieter and it wasn’t long before we reached Perry on the shores of Graffham Water after about 16 miles. At this point Maurice decided wisely that a 6 mile section of off-road riding around Graffham Water might not be what his consultant had in mind and so he pedalled on anti-clockwise to a café further round the shore whilst the rest of us continued at a blistering pace on the narrow and bumpy track in a clockwise direction. Funny how Maurice’s influence continued, or was it the thought of coffee and cakes that kept us whizzing along?

As it happens, the peloton got to the café not long after Maurice and so we suspected he had switched the controls of Ann’s bike from ‘sport’ to ‘normal’ to conserve battery power for the homeward leg.

The return leg took us again under the A1 at Buckden, passing a delightful church on the way:

Buckden was clearly a major stopping off point for travellers on the Great North Road – Buckden Towers was the 5 star place used frequently by bishops and royalty.

Maurice’s speed back wasn’t quite as fast, which enabled Roger, Sandra, Brian and other speedsters to overtake him at times but towards the end when he realised that the impressive battery still had 28% of its charge left he appeared to revert to sport mode and charged off again. However, despite the assistance of a battery, there is still a considerable amount of effort needed to pedal an electric bike and so it is truly remarkable what Maurice achieved on his first day back in the saddle for 5 weeks. Well done! And well done, too, to Rod who continues to make a great recovery and who is fighting fit again. But hauling Rod back from disappearing up the wrong road continues to exercise our vocal chords at times.

There was a warm welcome back at the Eight Bells and a good lunch was had in the garden.

Thanks, Maurice, for leading the way. It’s good to have you back. And thanks to Andrew for organising us and to B Brian for the Strava map and a pic.

Martin

P.S. If anyone would like to read of our exploits and the food and wine consumed by me and my chum Dick on our recent French ride, it’s all here: https://martinwoodheadsblog.wordpress.com

Thursday morning saw Andrew and his band roll into Stapleford Granary to give an impromptu performance for Lindsey and her staff at the Ace Foundation. Having played just a few notes, however, Andrew was asked to leave the £68,000 Steinway alone and move over to the adjacent, less valuable instrument. Undimmed, he played some thundering chords, cheered on – or rather woofed at – by his biggest fan, Hector.

Having persuaded her spouse to leave the piano, Lindsey gave us a fascinating tour of the recently restored granary building with its impressive exhibition and performance space. They intend to open a coffee shop soon – so it will no doubt feature as a stopover on some future Windmill Club outing.

We did a little cycling too, though it turned out to be a very short ride for Keith. Starting from Andrew’s house, we had gone barely a mile when he pulled up with a mechanical problem, some spokes having detached themselves from the wheel rim. Even for Tom that proved too big a roadside repair job – so Keith was obliged to make the short walk back to Wendens Ambo, collect his car and go home.

That left Ken, Sandra, Roger, Brian, Tom and Andrew to continue on through Saffron Walden, Hadstock and Linton to Abington. Leaving the road at this point, Brian led the way over the A11 on a footbridge and thence on a cross country route via Babraham to Stapleford; a picturesque off road section of some 3 miles.

Following our tour of the Granary and back on the bikes once more, we made the short hop on to Great Shelford where we pulled in at Brian’s house for coffee and cake in the garden. Then it was onwards to Whittlesford, Duxford, Hinxton, Ickleton – where Ken peeled off to tend his bees – and Strethall, before the pleasantly cooling descent back down to Wendens Ambo.

Dismounting at The Bell Inn we found Keith consoling himself with a beer while considering whether to replace his ailing bicycle. We were soon joined by Ken – who was somewhat miffed at being stung by his beloved bees – and John who had done his own off road thing.

We enjoyed an excellent lunch while Roger and John regaled us with true crime stories from the Pelhams; by all accounts a pretty rum part of Hertfordshire.

Brian

Thursday morning in the Fox and Duck car park and Sandra was giving a safety briefing to the assembled Windmillers: Vernon, Ken, John B, John T, Chris, Roger, Lawrence and Brian. She would be leading us around a circuit of some 30 miles from Therfield through Sandon, Ashwell, Baldock, Weston, Cromer and Rushden, returning to Therfield for lunch.

There was a lot of interest in Vernon’s Quintana Roo. That’s not a medical condition but an Australian-made triathlon bike which he had shipped back from Australia some years ago. Like Vernon, it has been lovingly restored. Together with Roger’s Eddie Merckx, Maurice’s Claud Butler and Ric’s Mercian (more of that below) it joins our ever growing quota of vintage machines.

John B, ever the free spirit, opted to do his own thing while the rest of us enjoyed Sandra’s route. The day was dry and the roads were mostly quiet, though we did have an interesting encounter with a large tractor on a narrow lane. Both the tractor driver and ourselves saw the funny side; he pausing to take pictures of us pressed into the hedgerow and us taking pictures of him trying to squeeze past eight Windmillers.

We pulled in for coffee at the Delizia Italian Café in Baldock. Back on the bikes for the return leg, we caught up with John B at Sandon where we found him waiting for us on a bench. He persuaded Ken and Brian to join him on an off-road shortcut between Sandon and Therfield while the others, fearing a repeat of last week’s mudfest, thought it wise to stick to the road. John’s track proved to be pleasantly dry and both parties were eventually reunited at Therfield where we were delighted to be joined by Bridget, Lyn and Maurice for lunch.

Brian

14 June update: Three weeks on from his involuntary dismount, Ric reports that his shoulder is getting better and – crucially – his trusty Mercian bicycle is repairable. He knows this because has taken advice from the Mercian Cycles factory in Derby. He hopes to be joining us again in a few weeks’ time. Meanwhile he is becoming an accomplished one-armed gardener.

And we all felt just like hippos as we waded through a mile or so of the stickiest form of Essex mud ever seen on a Windmill ride, but there was no singing of the famous Flanders and Swann song. This was Andrew’s promise of an interesting off road route but half way through the mud there was talk of whether plan B would have been a better choice. But there were happier faces all round when, feeling guilty, Andrew bought all the coffees and so he was forgiven his sins by the Revd Holy Moley and others present.

The ride of 28 miles started at 9.30am from the Fleur de Lys in Widdington with a briefing from Andrew about the need to cycle safely and to leave a gap in front of every four or so cyclists to allow drivers to pull in when overtaking, which was well received. There was  a good gathering of Windmillers, the others being Vernon, John B, Sandra, Brummie Brian, Yorkie Brian, Chris, Lawrence and Roger. John B decided to do his own thing, wisely, and the rest set off on a circuit through pleasant lanes, until the off road section was encountered……………

Here is the route taken, courtesy of Brian’s Strava:

It is difficult to see from the map exactly where the off road section started and finished but it was essentially the squiggly bit near Little Walden.

Those with mudguards, perhaps better described as rainguards in future, and rim brakes suffered the worst as both clogged up resulting in much poking and removal of wheels to clear the sticky stuff. But once through, on we sped to a welcome coffee at the Three Hills at Bartlow where a hosepipe came in handy too. If Andrew hadn’t bought the coffees there was a considerable risk the hosepipe might have been used for another purpose.

After a pleasant stop at the Three Hills, where the restraining chains around the garden chairs and tables had been removed (they must trust us now), we left as little mud as possible on their patio before the return leg to Widdington on mainly quiet roads, although there was an unusually high level of bad behaviour by motorists despite our polite and responsible cycling.

Back at the Fleur we were delighted to be joined by Maurice who had been given a lift over by Linda. He was remarkably well and only using one crutch, which he claimed he didn’t really need. All this less than 2 weeks from his hip operation which says a lot both for the latest medical technology and being Windmiller fit in the first place.

So it was all smiles at the end of an eventful day. Thanks to Bear Grylls Andrew for pushing us to limits we never knew we were capable of!

Holy Moley Martin

 

With Maurice out of action for a few weeks it was Deputy Dawg Andrew’s turn to lead the pack on what turned out to be a very eventful ride.

Andrew, John T, Chris B, Ric (more of later), Lawrence, Brummie Brian, Newbee Roger, Ken, Sandra (New Wheels) and Two Scones Keith congregated at High Beeches, Wendens Ambo ready to tackle a 30 mile circuit to Maurice’s house to cheer him up 6 days after his hip replacement operation.

To much laughter Ric is observed pulling his tights off in my garden beside a hedge as not to upset the neighbours.

We set off through Wendens Ambo and almost immediately tackled  the infamous “Hill Bastardo” and onward to Littlebury Green. Rusack being his usual cautious self, alerted everyone that most of the roads in the area had been dressed and there was considerable loose gravel.  Onward we rode to Strethall and up into Elmdon to discover no progress has been made in refurbing The Dial pub a future Windmiller watering hole.

Que Ric  – As we left Elmdon enroute to Chrishall we encountered a huge pile of loose gravel across the entire road. Andrew screamed “loose gravel” “slowing” and almost immediately Ric hit the deck with some considerable force. Lying lifeless for a short period, Roger kept saying to Ric “talk to me -talk to me” Ric replied i’ve hit my head. Somewhat stunned he composed himself and after much debate he decided to continue the ride. Having only travelled a few feet he came to a grinding halt when the derailleur planted itself into the rear spokes.

It was decided that Rics wife should pick him up and Brummie Brian kindly stayed with him and Andrew led the remaining pack to Maurices.

Ric very sensibly headed off to A&E to discover he had fractured his clavicle (Collar bone) and possibly a crack in his right arm socket. He was finally released from A&E at 14.00 – Poor Ric -we all wish him a speedy recovery.

The remaining Posse arrived at Maurice’s and enjoyed coffee, biscuits and wonderful scones and jam. Thanks to Lynn and Maurice for their generous hospitality. Even since Monday Maurice has made great progress and we wish him well for a speedy recovery.

           Similar to the Monday ride we tackled the hill from Maurices to Barkway with Sandra taking the lead completing it in 10 Minutes followed by the next batch (Andrew, Keith & Roger) who completed it in 11 minutes.

The ride took us through Barkway onwards to Nuthampstead, Anstey, Meesden and as we entered the minor road to to Roast Green, Chris B decided to dismount, albeit less dramatically that Ric’s dismount. Unscathed Chris continued with the rest of the gang towards Clavering, Arkesden and a new lunch venue and drinking hole The Bell at Wendens Ambo where we met Brummie Brian who had continued to ride “Billy no mates style”.

A wide selection of excellent beers were on offer and everyone enjoyed a hearty lunch dining alfresco.

There was much hilarity when we observed the delivery of a Pond Liner for the new enormous pond being dug in the pub garden. The pond is so large that Chris, mine host has taken delivery of an Ocean Liner  🙂

Thanks to all for joining the ride from my home which allowed me to have a glorious lie  in !!!

Deputy Dawg Andrew

This Monday ride started from a new location, a well known drinking establishment for the Windmiller -yes The Bull at Lower Langley. Andrew led the group consisting of two scones Keith and newbee Roger.

My plan was to surprise Maurice having only just been released from hospital having undergone a very painful hip replacement -and surprise him we did as his face lite up (no change there) as we entered the patio. Although having gone through a big operation Maurice was in good form albeit still in a lot of pain.

Our route took us from Lower Langley past the rally school and down a road we have never ridden before towards Barley and onwards to Maurice’s farm. On the return leg we enjoyed the big hill up to Barkway and back via Nuthampstead, Anstey, Meesden.

On our return to The Bull the three thirsties enjoyed some excellent beer (Rusack’s off the Guiness for the summer)

Andrew (Deputy Dawg)

With Maurice and Andrew indisposed, it fell to Brian to find a route for Thursday’s outing. Starting from The Cock at Broom he led the gang around a 26 mile circuit south east of Bedford. It took us through the little village of Ireland; we didn’t see any leprechauns though there were some garden gnomes.

We were particularly pleased to see Rod, in fine fettle and back on two wheels after a long absence. He was joined by Keith, Ken, Lawrence, Martin, Ric, Roger, Sandra and two Brians; ten Windmillers in all.

Sandra – on a shiny new road bike – was somewhat dismayed that the route included an off road section, notably a rough footpath across a meadow and over a ditch. But it was dry so her new machine sustained nothing more than a light dusting. Others complained about  stinging nettles, which brought out a fine rash on bare legs.

Highlights along the way included:

• The Shuttleworth Collection of historic aircraft. We pedalled around the estate admiring the House and even managed to get into one of the hangers
• The fifteenth century bridge over the Ouse at Great Barford
• Willington Dovecote and Stables, built in 1543 – but the pigeons are new. It’s owned by the National Trust
• The Cardington Sheds; two massive airship hangers dating back to 1916.
• And, of course, the aforementioned village of Ireland, which is tiny. Blink and you’ll miss it.

Returning to Broom, we were joined by John B and enjoyed lunch in the garden of The Cock. This is a new venue for Windmill Club outings, a quirky place where there’s no bar and the beer is served directly from barrels in the cellar. John went exploring its various rooms and original fittings, returning visibly moved. “It’s a proper pub,” he declared, wiping a tear from his eye. There is no higher accolade.

Finally, we all wish Maurice – who is in hospital having some worn out parts replaced – a very speedy recovery. We hope to see him joining us for a good lunch – and eventually getting back on the bike – very soon.

Brian

A large gathering had been expected at the Fleur de Lys in Widdington, knowing that we would be celebrating Andrew’s receipt of his old age pension, but it turned out that John B had a birthday coming up too, and so the boys very kindly bought the drinks at the end of a delightful tour of Essex lanes.

We also celebrated having a new member join us, Roger Phillips, who has spent many years in the oil business, but not at all slippery! He dusted down his old Eddy Merckx bike and was soon whizzing along with the rest of us. Welcome Roger!

And so it was that 10 Windmillers comprising Maurice, Andrew, John B, Vernon, Keith, Lawrence, Chris, Ric, Roger and Martin set off in a north easterly direction towards Radwinter avoiding the main effects of quite a strong north westerly wind. It wasn’t long before a loud clatter came from Ric’s bike but it was nothing more than a loose mudguard which was soon fixed. (Hardly surprising given the miles that Ric clocks up through riding to and from the majority of our start points.)

Here is the route taken:

The lanes were quiet which once again allowed us to converse in peace whilst also enjoying the stunning sights, sounds and smells of spring time.

Maurice had planned a coffee stop at the recently refurbished Three Hills in Bartlow, and what a transformation it proved to be. Hats off to the local person who has retained many of the pub’s old features whilst enlarging it tastefully, including the creation of a large garden / barbecue area.

Maurice had planned the return route via Sewards End but when the first group took a left in Ashdon the others followed and so it was slightly less of a circuit and more of a lasso, but still very pleasant. At Radwinter we then retraced our pedalling to Widdington where, once again, we enjoyed a warm welcome and an excellent lunch around our familiar round table.

Thanks to Maurice for planning the ride and to the birthday boys Andrew and John B for buying the drinks. More birthdays coming up!

Martin

The lanes of North East Essex and South Suffolk were at their best on this fine Spring day as seven Windmillers set forth from the Fox and Hounds in Steeple Bumpstead for a clockwise tour. Our maestro Maurice led the way and his six faithful followers were Andrew, Ken, Keith, Brummie Brian, Ric and Martin. Ric, as usual, had cycled all the way from home in Harston and so would have clocked up 70+ miles by the end of the day. Well done Ric, you put the rest of us to shame!

Here is the route taken:

Other than a very short stretch of the A1017, Maurice’s route took us through very peaceful lanes with hardly a car or DPD van in evidence. That gave us time to admire the scenery which was a mass of vivid greens, yellows and lilac. There were churches galore and, of course, potholes.

Besides the abundance of usual tree species, a particularly unusual tree sporting preloved walking boots was spotted near one junction:

All was going smoothly until Martin felt that familiar bump bump from his rear tyre which signalled his second puncture of the year, and more suggestions to ditch his recently acquired Schwalbe Evolutions for something tougher. However, it was so easy to remove the tyre that some thought a new record might be created for a puncture repair, until the replaced tyre took on a decidedly wonky profile, necessitating deflation, adjustment, reflation and then a prayer or two before hoping for the best and carrying on to Clare, resulting in no new record. However it was a good team effort, which might lead to an offer to work for a Formula 1 team in future, if word gets around.

Then it was on to coffee in the waiting room of the disused railway station at Clare, where the coffee was fine but the scones might have been better described as rock cakes. As Wikipedia states : A rock cake, also called a rock bun, is a small fruit cake with a rough surface resembling a rock. Rock cakes originated in Great Britain, where they are a traditional teatime treat, but are now popular in many parts of the world, particularly in Clare, Suffolk at the previous railway station.  Anyhow, Maurice got his money back and so he was happy and was none the worse for the experience.

Soon after leaving Clare it was back into Essex for the final run back to Steeple Bumpstead via Ridgewell, with very few hills to tax us. The new management of the Fox and Hounds greeted us warmly, in a traditional landlady sort of way, and a good lunch was had in the garden, washed down with some interesting ales including an old fashioned mild from Wibblers Brewery.

Thanks, Maurice, for devising such a peaceful route. Next week, expect a record turnout as it will be drinks on Andrew to celebrate his birthday. And thanks to Brian for the map and some of the pics.

Martin

 

With Maurice away in Cornwall, our Deputy Dawg Andrew devised a canny North-South route from the Red Cow in Chrishall to avoid the winds on what was quite a blowy but otherwise very pleasant day. Timothy Taylor was there at the end to help quench our thirsts, having taken over the Red Cow for a few days, enabling Windmillers and others to sample brews other than Landlord. You could tell that Spring was in the air by the number of shorts being worn.

Those setting off on the ride comprised, besides Andrew,  John B, Vernon, Keith, Ken, Sandra, B Brian, Y Brian, Tom, Lawrence and Martin. So keen were some to clock up more miles than usual (or was it something to do with Timothy Taylor?)  that the Brians, Tom, Andrew, Ken and Martin all set off from their respective homes to reach Chrishall by the start time of 9.30am, resulting in total miles for the day ranging from 31 to 45 or more in the case of the Shelfordians / Staplefordians.

Here is the canny route:

The lanes were quiet, as usual, but potholes are becoming a more serious issue as each week goes by (now blamed by the Government on repairs not being made properly by utility companies and so pavements will be dug up instead…………..). So instead of keeping an eye out for red kites or deer, pothole spotting has become a main activity.

An early coffee stop was made at The Cricketers at Rickling Green  and then it was down through Manuden as far as Hazel End before taking a westerly route through to Upwick Green and finally northwards again through the Pelhams and back via Duddenhoe End.

Windmillers relaxing over coffee after a hard ride to The Cricketers at Rickling Green

Thoughts of what Timothy Taylor had in store at the Red Cow never left some minds but, sadly, Tom and Yorkie Brian had to set off homewards before sampling his fine beers, except of course for Andrew who has been weaned off lager and is gradually on the path to real ale via Guinness. And so it was that we were treated not only to Landlord but also to Boltmaker, Knowle Spring and, courtesy of the Red Cow, a pint of Cook Lane IPA which we shared whilst enjoying an excellent lunch.

Thanks go to Andrew for leading us around our pleasant lanes and to Brummie Brian for some of the pics and the map.

Martin

Having recently returned from my South Coast travels, it seemed only fair that I should bring a little something back with me – ‘The Sunshine’!! Although even I can’t take full credit for such a feat, it was a delight to meet up at The Pheasant with Maurice, Andrew and Keith on such a pleasant evening, although not quite warm enough to brave shorts. So it would be that the 4 of us set off towards Heydon avoiding the now cavernous potholes that take pride of place in the roads between Gt Chishill and the Elmdon turn, I’d been warned about these caverns earlier in the day but still amazed by their size and depth.

Safely negotiated we headed down through Chrishall Grange and on to take the road that runs parallel to Duxford’s runway in to Duxford village, on to Hinxton and Ickleton before tackling the long Coploe Hill, after a short rest-bite at the top viewing a sizeable herd of deer on the fields in the distance, safe in the knowledge that if they stay near the M11, they will keep increasing the herd (only a fool will shoot here!!). Up to Strethall before heading on through Littlebury Green and then deciding to take the easier route along the B1039 before veering off to see if The Red Cow would be open for a little refreshment, sadly not open on a Monday. On to Crawley End to encounter a couple of Kamikaze Cock Pheasants, not satisfied with surviving the shooting season and having the urge to dash out into our path, no more Roadkill on this day, well not by us anyway!!

Back to The Pheasant, avoiding the caverns again en route, for succulent Goujons and chips.

Thanks Andrew for organising the route and us too.

Sandra

Maybe it was just an innocent typo, but Andrew’s promise of a “sinning trip” was enough to tempt ten of us out for a trip to London.

So it was that Maurice, Andrew, Lawrence, Sandra, Tom, Yorkie Brian, Brummie Brian, Keith, Chris and Vernon met on a sunny Thursday morning at the White Water Centre, Waltham Abbey.

After a quick coffee, we set off down the Lee Valley, passing under the M25 and on through Enfield and Ponders End to Tottenham Hale, where we found a familiar figure lolling on a bench, his biked propped up nearby. It was Ken who had arrived by train and was looking to join his cycling buddies on the towpath. Now we were eleven.

There was lots to see along the way: wildlife – herons and assorted waterfowl – and all sorts of houseboats; everything from Thames barges to freefall lifeboats, serving as homes and workshops for wood carvers, tarot card readers and bike repair businesses.

At Stratford we took a diversion to view the Olympic Park and the London Stadium, home to West Ham United, before heading on to the Royal Docks where we stopped for coffee and cake at Caffé Fratelli. No scones here for Keith, alas, though he adapted to Italian pastries remarkably quickly.

Then it was on to the Emirates Skyline cable car which lofted us, three at a time, bikes and all, over the Thames to Greenwich. The view was magnificent.

Landing on the south bank, we headed westwards around the Dome, through the Old Royal Naval College and on past the Cutty Sark.

Given the warm weather, we needed little or no excuse to pop into the odd pub for refreshment; we particularly enjoyed the The Blacksmith’s Arms at Rotherhithe.

Back on the bikes, we headed for Tower Bridge where, briefly, we encountered the only heavy traffic of the day. Forming a sizeable peloton, we kept the taxis and trucks at bay and we were soon safely back on cycleways, heading eastwards on the north bank towards St Katherine Docks, where we pulled into The Dickens Inn for lunch.

Revived, we wound our way through the historic lanes of Wapping and Shadwell to Limehouse Basin where we joined first the Regent’s Canal and then the Hertford Union Canal, heading back towards the Lee Valley. From there it was steady going northwards, retracing our tracks for an hour or so and arriving back at Waltham Abbey around tea time.

It had been a superb outing; 44 miles in glorious sunshine. We owe a very big thank you to routemeister, Maurice who, supported by Andrew and Martin, had researched the route with a dry run two days earlier. We would be lost (literally) without him.

You can re-live the trip on Andrew’s recording. And there’s yet more pictures (excluding the most sinful ones) in our Windmill Club 2018 folder.

Brian

Thursday’s weather forecast was plain wrong; the promised dry day had dawned decidedly wet.

Nine Windmillers sat glumly in cars outside The Red House in Longstowe peering out at the rain. Did anyone fancy riding in this? No, not really. So we drove to Bourn Golf Club to keep warm and drank coffee while waiting for the worst of the weather to pass. A golfer – in all seriousness – asked when we’d be starting our round. As soon as our lycra’s dry, we told him.

The rain did eventually stop and seven of us – Ken and John T having sensibly headed for home – returned to The Red House to saddle up the bikes and brave the flooded roads.

So it was that Maurice, Martin, Andrew, John B, Chris and both Brians pedalled off through the puddles back through Bourn from where we headed on to Caxton, the Gransdens, Abbotsley and Gamlingay, before turning back towards Longstowe and a well deserved  lunch. We didn’t stop along the way, it was too cold!

Arriving back at the Red House, we stowed the bikes and headed to the restaurant for beer and sandwiches. As ever, and despite the weather, we had enjoyed the ride and the good company. Thanks Maurice – for steering us around the worst of the floods – and Andrew for getting us organised.

Brian