The Windmill Cycle Club

“Mmmm,” pondered Martin, a replacement inner tube in each hand, one with three old repair patches, the other with just two; it was a tricky decision – and it took  two attempts to repair the puncture. Meanwhile the rest of us lolled about in the sunshine. It wasn’t exactly a peaceful spot – we were within spitting distance of the Blackwall Tunnel. But eventually Martin managed to re-inflate his tyre and we were back on the road.

 

We were halfway around our annual outing to London. Thirteen Windmillers: Maurice, Andrew, two Brians, Martin, Keith, Simon, Geoff, Rod, Graham, Victor, Roger and Peter had set off at 9am from the car park of the Lee Valley White Water Centre at Waltham Cross.

It had been a very chilly start but Peter – who had found time to slip away from his duties at The Golden Fleece – arrived in shorts, brave man, and Graham, having cycled all the way from home, wasn’t feeling the cold at all. More of him later.

Maurice led the way out and on to the River Lee towpath. Heading south, we warded off the cold by keeping up a good pace along the 12 mile stretch to the Olympic Park. From there we crossed the Lee and followed the Hertford Union Canal for a further couple of miles, eventually reaching the Regent’s Canal. Then it was another two miles to Limehouse Basin and the Thames, where we paused to take in the City skyline.

We stopped for coffee and cake at St Katherine Docks before crossing the river at Tower Bridge, where we encountered the only heavy traffic of the day. Then it was back along the south bank, stopping for an aperitif at The Blacksmiths Arms, before heading on to Greenwich for lunch at the Trafalgar Tavern.

Back on the bikes, we looped around the O2 and took the cable car over the river; the views were superb. Landing on the north bank, we wound our way through the backstreets of Canning Town and back on to the River Lee towpath.

Heading north we took the return leg at a more leisurely pace, arriving back at the cars around 5pm having clocked up 44 miles; apart from Graham who had continued pedalling northwards and all the way home, clocking up some 120 miles! Well done, Graham, we reckon that’s a club record.

Thanks, Maurice and Andrew, for planning a truly exceptional day.

Martin might appreciate this old Clarence Carter classic from 1970, “Patches”

And there’s many more pictures in the Windmill Club photo album.

Brian

We knew this was going to be a long day, and probably a windy one, but that didn’t stop 9 hardy  Windmillers from gathering in the Trumpington Park and Ride for a 51 mile trip to Ely and back. Graham, Sandra, Victor and Brian clocked up even longer distances having started from and returned to their homes, so well done those four, particularly Victor who had a dodgy front brake with pads that were stuck on for part of the way.

The others on this jaunt were organiser Andrew, Keith, Lawrence, Geoff and Martin. Having all assembled safely, off we whizzed alongside the busway to Cambridge station and then guided by Brian through the side streets to a convenient underpass at the junction of East Road and Newmarket Road and down to the River Cam.

Instead of going clockwise as on previous trips we decided to go anti-clockwise to try out a new route and also have a coffee break at the Wicken Fen Visitor Centre café. This worked out well on the whole except that National Cycle Route No. 11 came to an abrupt stop at Waterbeach, even though it was marked on the map, and became a series of stiles and gates which had to be crossed whilst heading towards Lode resulting in this becoming an Iron Man challenge, particularly when lifting Geoff’s e-bike over a gate.

Once we were back on No. 11 near Lode we had a glorious ride across the open Fens with a strong wind on our tail resulting in a fast journey to Wicken, arriving at 11.30am after 18 miles. Lawrence spotted a Marsh Harrier circling for its prey and Sandra thought it might have had a mate too. A great sighting. En route to Wicken we passed the infamous cock-up bridge and of course had to be photographed against it:

After coffee and cakes we set off for another 10 miles to our favourite lunch stop in Ely, Peacocks, via more riverside roads and tracks and under the newly constructed bridge carrying heavy traffic from Ely to Newmarket. This made the final hop into Ely somewhat easier than on previous trips, particularly as the bike path had been well repaired too.

Lunch was quite superb – a friendly greeting, a large table (the owner knew we were coming thanks to Brian phoning ahead), and excellent food washed down with some fine bottled Elgood’s beer from Wisbech (for those not worried about falling asleep on the homeward leg).

With 28 miles under our belt, there were no takers for the train home and so after lunch we set off on the homeward leg via Witchford, Wilburton and Cottenham knowing that a Fen blow would be on our noses most of the way. And indeed it was but we plugged on, heads down and getting relief at times from roadside hedges and trees. Just after crossing the River Ouse, Graham and Sandra peeled off and went down the main road to  Cottenham whilst the others took a minor back road and then to the River Cam via Landbeach and Milton. At one stage Victor took a minor tumble at a road junction after which repairs were attempted on his front brake without much success which resulted in Victor having effectively pedalled uphill across the Fens. So the prize for losing the most calories on the ride definitely went to Victor.

Once back in Cambridge, Keith, Brian and Martin decided they could not manage another inch without some refreshment and so they headed for The Salisbury Arms in Tenison Road whilst the others returned to Trumpington via the busway.

Here is the route taken:

Thanks to Andrew for organising a great ride. Let’s hope Route 11 near Waterbeach gets established for real in the coming months, so please lobby Sustrans!

Martin

 

It was way past noon and so no practical jokes on this All Fools Day were allowed, which was a bit of a shame. But Andrew’s DIY dental treatment gave us much to laugh about.

It was also our first summer-time ride which meant no more lights to lead our way back to The Tally Ho!. Instead we could generally dawdle and just admire the views if we chose to. And so it was that six not-so-foolish Windmillers, comprising Maurice, Andrew, Rod, Keith, Peter and Martin, turned out on this fine Spring evening at 4.30pm for a 20 mile ride around our quiet lanes. This is where we went:

Speeding past a lone cyclist near Barkway Golf Club established quickly that he lived in Furneux Pelham, didn’t know Roger (‘Is he the blind ex-Olympic rower?’, the chap asked) and showed no sign of wanting to ride along with us for fear of being left behind. That’s what happens when two e-bikes are in the pack – Maurice charging along up front and Hot Rod sweeping up the rear. It was good to have Peter out with us again, who has no problem keeping up with an e-bike.

It wasn’t long before the aforesaid Furneux Pelham with its lovely church and its motto Time Flies – Mind Your Business came into view. Then it was left up a farm road passing the same elderly gent and his dog who we often meet at that time of day, bidding him a cheery hello and getting one back in return. The downhill concrete track was once again a real bone shaker if taken at speed, enough to shake Andrew’s new tooth out but it survived, and it wasn’t long before we were back on the tarmac proceeding towards Clavering.

It felt strange not to stop at a wide open Bull at Lower Langley but chips were on offer once again and so we sped on towards Little Chishill passing many sunlit cottages on the way:

Master W J Bates’s farm was passed before taking care descending the steep bumpy hill to Shaftenhoe End, after which there were a few humps and bumps before climbing back into Barkway.

Back at The Tally Ho! the Trelawney was as good as ever but Martin settled for a Captain Bob brewed by a Maldon firm which he also declared excellent. Saleesha’s chips were good too.

Thanks to Maurice for planning the ride and congratulations to Andrew on his DIY dental skills. I for one will stick with my usual dentist, thank you all the same.

Martin

Answer: top row, 4th from the right. Pretty neat, eh?

 

Thirteen Windmillers set off from The Fox Inn at Newbourne for a forty-odd mile outing to the Suffolk coast.

Or at least, that was the plan.

Maurice – followed by Ric, Graham, Tom, Deborah, Keith, Martin, Andrew, Geoff, Lawrence, Ken, Simon and Brian – led the way southwards through Felixstowe and out to the tip of the peninsula, from where we would catch the ferry across the Deben to Bawdsey. Alas, the jetty was strangely quiet and, looking our way, the patrons of the nearby cafe were shaking their heads sadly. Maurice went along the jetty to read the notice and came back looking decidedly sheepish; the ferry was closed until April 1st.

Clearly, we had options:

1. Hanging around for four days until the ferry opened.
2. Swimming across, it couldn’t be more than 100 yards.
3. Or just milling around for 10 minutes while Maurice poured over the OS map.

Maurice soon came up with fallback plan. Back on the bikes, we followed him inland on a gravel track along the Deben to Falkenham and thence back through Newbourne to The Fox where we pulled in for coffee and some further route mapping.

With lunchtime little over an hour away, a short hop to Woodbridge and back seemed our best bet and so, draining our cups, we headed north to visit the Woodbridge Tide Mill.

Pausing for photographs, we then headed back to Newbourne. Somehow on the return leg we managed to lose half the peloton – but all were eventually reunited at The Fox where we enjoyed an al fresco lunch in glorious sunshine.

Thanks, as ever, to Maurice and Andrew organising the day.

Brian

Four Windmillers, Maurice, Andrew, Keith and Martin, gathered in the car park of The Tally Ho! in Barkway at the later time of 4.30pm for a ‘leisurely’ ride, as advertised by Andrew. And leisurely it was except for a short hairy stretch on the A505.

The plan was to take in the views on this glorious March evening, starting on the ridge heading towards Therfield and then descending to the A505 before climbing up to Sandon via Maurice’s ‘valley’ route. All went well until we experienced huge volumes of traffic whizzing along the A505. Was the A14 closed somewhere we wondered? It was only a few hundred yards from the Therfield junction to the Sandon junction but judging when to make a break for it exercised our minds for quite a while. Keith was the first to pluck up courage, followed by Andrew, Maurice and finally Martin with rear light flashing.

After we had duly recovered we could revert to taking in the vast views east and west as we climbed steadily towards Sandon.

The ‘valley’ became quite a steep climb as we approached Sandon, puffing and panting like a steam engine in the case of Martin. Another stop was called for to regain breath and also to take a pic of a magnificent magnolia tree in full bloom in a local’s garden:

Continuing on past Lyn and John B’s house, we were soon in Buntingford and heading back via the usual route through Wyddial, stopping once again to pay homage to Visions of Loveliness Lane.

Saying farewell to Keith who cycled back to Anstey, from whence he came, Maurice, Andrew and Martin headed back to a packed Tally Ho! to enjoy good chips and Trelawney bitter once again.

Here is the route taken:

Rod, if you’re reading this, we need to enlist your help in persuading Herts CC to construct cycle paths alongside the A505 between the Sandon and Ashwell Station junctions! And if everyone writes in support of such a scheme, you never know it might happen.

Thanks go to Maurice for planning the route, even if we did put our lives at risk! The views made it all worthwhile. And thanks to Andrew, as always, for his organisation.

Martin

 

If Roger’s birthday had been publicised in advance, the Fleur de Lys in Widdington might have been crammed even further with Windmillers at the end of the ride but, even so, it took two tables to fit everyone in. A large turnout of 14 Windmillers – Maurice, Andrew, Sandra, Keith, Ken, Brian, birthday boy Roger (sporting a Val d’Isere induced suntan), Ric, Simon, Deborah, Nigel and Martin – and joined later by Vernon and John B, meant we kept the kitchen staff very busy.

The weather was perfect for cruising through Essex lanes to the Blue Egg café at Great Bardfield and back. Setting off at 9.30am, the quiet route that Maurice had devised took us on a figure of 8 via Henham and Thaxted on the way out and Debden on the way back.

After a safety briefing about keeping in groups of 4 / 5 to enable cars to overtake, we set off down the hill from Widdington towards Henham and found the roads to be unusually quiet. Then it was through to the outskirts of Great Easton before heading north to Thaxted and on to Little Sampford before reaching the Blue Egg, famous for its cycling fans and the size/quality of its scones. Would Keith manage two we all wondered? But, alas, he could only consume one which was hardly surprising. It was gratifying to see other scone consumers, including Deborah and Martin putting the cream on top of the jam, Cornish style.

The Blue Egg gave us their usual warm, efficient welcome and we were soon enjoying good coffee, scones, toast and other goodies, cheered on in the knowledge that it was Roger’s birthday and free beer would be on offer later on: 

The return leg via Debden resulted in one group taking the on-road route back to Widdington whilst others look a left down Rook End Lane and then off-road along a dry track, cutting some of the corner off. So the mileage of some could have been another mile or so, except for Ric, Brian and Sandra who all cycled to and from Widdington clocking up another 35 miles or so each. Congratulations to all of them.

Back at the Fleur de Lys, we celebrated Roger’s birthday in fine style whilst enjoying an excellent lunch.

Thanks to Maurice for a great ride, to Roger for the drinks and to Andrew for his organisation.

Martin (whose daughter Jessie produced a sixth grand daughter for Martin and Penny later the same day)

 

The promised chips at The Tally Ho! finally materialised when bowlfuls galore appeared from Saleesha’s kitchen at the end of this glorious late afternoon Spring ride. Ready to gorge on them were Maurice, Andrew, Sandra, Keith, new boy Peter and Martin. We had met Peter before when he was doing a stint behind the bar of The Tally Ho! whilst Saleesha was away and so it was very good to have him join us. Peter’s wife, Maggie, also rides, both of them having cycled 20 miles earlier in the day.

And so it was that the assembled crew set off at 4.00pm to enjoy the local lanes. Here is the clockwise route taken:

Maurice led the way at a brisk pace and it wasn’t long before the three hills leading to Great Chishill were despatched, helped by a following wind. The views towards Great Chishill windmill (‘our’ windmill) and beyond were at their best in the afternoon sun.

Maurice fancied trying the new off road route between Elmdon and Strethall which he had heard good reports of when we did it without him recently in the opposite direction, and so off we went in the Ickleton direction before turning right up quite a steep hill to the start of the newly laid track through Elmdon woods. And it wasn’t a disappointment – a bit stony here and there, to be expected, but a pleasant diversion from the usual on-road route to Strethall. In a few week’s time the woods will be ablaze with bluebells.

In Strethall,  Andrew stopped to admire a Fox Red Labrador puppy out for a walk with its owners, and to discuss its parentage – no relation to his dog it seems.

Next stop was probably the most-photographed place in this blog – Arkesden – and deservedly so as it must rank as one of the prettiest villages around. It was looking particularly nice this evening with the stream alongside the High Street flowing well, flanked by daffodils on the banks.

 

Thoughts of chips and beer must have encouraged Sandra, Keith and Peter to charge off at high speed soon after Roast Green, leaving Maurice, Andrew and Martin to bring up the rear at a more sedate pace. But we were all rewarded with excellent chips and, of course, excellent Trelawney too. It was good to meet Peter’s wife Maggie again and we hope she may join us on a future ride.

Thanks to Maurice for taking us off the beaten track and to Andrew for organising us.

Martin

 

 

I don’t know how he does it but on so many of the rides Maurice organises, the weather seems to be on his side!! This afternoon would be no exception, the sun shone and the winds from previous storms would ease but not be totally still, so the decision would be to reverse a regular Monday route, to go out into the wind along mostly sheltered roads and take advantage of a tail wind from Kelshall and Therfield back along Reed Joint.

Andrew freshly back from a challenging journey across The Channel in force 11 gales and Sandra would join Maurice to celebrate the big day!

Heading out from The Tally Ho to Nuthampstead, Anstey, Wyddial, Buntingford before crossing the A10 to head through to Sandon and on to Kelshall and Therfield, where the promised tail wind had all but disappeared to a light breeze, needless to say we didn’t achieve 36mph along Reed Joint that I’d experienced on Saturday prior to this ride (quite exhilarating I must say!), especially when you see two other cyclists battling into the headwind, very much like my first Storm Sandra ride with Brummie Brian and Martin a couple of years ago!!!

Back at The Tally Ho and word had clearly got out that it was Maurice’s birthday. Friends and locals flocked in to help with the celebrations and to devour the lovely chips Saleesha had cooked specially for us.

Thanks Maurice for organising and the refreshments, hope you enjoyed your birthday, sorry we forgot the fireworks!!

Sandra

There was the promise of chips and good beer at the end of this ride but we had to settle for the beer. Maurice came on his usual non-e bike, accompanied by Nigel, Sandra and Martin and it was good to be joined by Lyn B and Bridget at the end.

Setting off from The Tally Ho! at 3.30pm on a mild Spring day brought another reminder of the longer days to come. The countryside was ablaze with daffodils, with hedges beginning to sprout in all directions, not knowing that storms would soon be giving them a rough time.

Here is the route taken:

The lanes were quiet, as usual, the main vehicle of choice amongst the locals seemingly being a Land Rover Discovery. We must have spotted at least a dozen, both old and new, with one driver so determined to overtake us on the hill coming out of Arkesden towards Clavering that he narrowly missed an oncoming car and then swerved into the gully between tarmac and a ditch before regaining control. We rather hoped he might end up in the ditch. The other Discovery drivers were much better behaved.

Maurice brought along an early photograph of a Windmill Club ride taken, we think by him, in October 2014 in Duddenhoe End:

Back in The Tally Ho! we enjoyed good conversation and good beer whilst enjoying the company of Lyn B and Bridget. There was much discussion about returning to those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer in 2014 when more ladies joined us on Monday rides. We hope to encourage others to ride with us, particularly now that the days are getting longer, and would welcome ideas about how to achieve this.

Thanks to Maurice for planning the route and to Sandra for getting us to the starting line. (Andrew was busy whizzing down the slopes in Les Gets.)

Martin

 

 

Alas, Storm Gareth put paid to Thursday’s ride – but that was no reason to miss out on a good lunch – especially when Maurice was buying the beer.

Joining Maurice at the Pig & Abbot were eleven well-wishers / beer-swilling freeloaders: Ken, Andrew, Graham, Victor, Chris, Keith, Ric, Rod, two Simons and one Brian; all tucking into Landlady Pat’s meat pies with gusto. And then there was cake – topped with a bloody great firework – to follow.

Let’s hope there’s no storm next week – for the sake of our waistlines.

Where do the years go, eh? It seems no time since we last toasted Maurice on his birthday. Here we were in 2018 https://thewindmillclubdotnet.wordpress.com/2018/03/13/8-march-2018-happy-birthday-maurice/.

Brian

The Fox & Duck, Therfield was the meeting point for this ride. With Maurice and Andrew away, I was tasked with organising a ride, well storm Freya passed through the week before, so all should go well. The weather was looking ok earlier in the week and I’d chosen a route, so that if the winds returned we would be sheltered from hedges to a degree!!

The wind had returned for the day and 2 brave/foolhardy souls were willing to join me, Lawrence and Graham. With the knowledge that the weather was only going to get worse later we set off to Dane End, turning towards Sandon before turning left and heading through Green End, Mill End and Lye End to Buntingford, on through the High Street and heading to Aspenden, Westmill, Nasty and Gt Munden. So far not too bad with the wind, as we’d been fairly well sheltered, that would change when we hit the bottom of the valley from Gt Munden to the Haultwick turn, this stretch was more akin to being in a wind tunnel, a full on head wind, the guys opting to tuck in behind me. I had promised them that this wouldn’t be for long and we would be turning to take full advantage of a tail wind up the hill into Haultwick. There was a huge sigh of relief at this turning point and we could also hear ourselves think too.

On to Wood End and Church Farm, Ardeley (Little Delhi!!) for coffee and a well deserved break. Knowing that it was only 10 miles back from here with a tail wind, we lingered a while. Then it was down to Cromer before heading up to Cumberlow Green, Rushden and then through Sandon, Kelshall and the direct route to Therfield and the welcoming Fox & Duck, where Brummy Brian, Yorkie Brian (who had chosen to find their own route in the slightly more exposed Cambridgeshire) and Rocket Rod joined us for lunch.

 

 

Thanks to Lawrence and Graham for being brave enough to join me and Rod and the Two Brian’s for joining us for lunch.

Storm ( Sandra)

The Bull, Lower Langley was the meeting point for this ride, 15.00 start time. Maurice, Andrew, Sandra and Simon O (just managing to join us as hoped by the end of January).

A glorious sunny afternoon/evening was in store and we set off up to Meesden Bury, on to Brent Pelham and Stocking Pelham before hitting the somewhat rougher roads through to Furneux Pelham, this would be where Simon blinded by the sun took a direct hit on one of the potholes and lost all the air out of his front tyre. Not realising what had happened Maurice and Andrew had turned left, heading to Maggots End, I had also turned left towards Maggots End and reached the top of the first hill, only to look back to see Simon pushing his bike to catch up. Unsure as to whether there was actually a puncture, we opted for a quick puff of CO2 and hope it would hold (Simon’s bike has rather larger tyres than the regular and we didn’t fancy trying to pump by hand!!) strangely the tyre stayed up for the rest of the ride and I believe for some weeks afterwards.

Once pumped up we were on our way again and caught up with Maurice and Andrew somewhat further along the road. On to Manuden, Rickling Green, Rickling, Clavering, Roast Green where Andrew turned left to head towards Meesden Bury before dropping back to The Bull, ( I’d already ridden this way on the way to the Bull – hence the extra bits on the map) and Maurice, Simon and I went the direct route to Lower Langley and the welcome of The Bull.

Thanks Maurice for the ride and Andrew for organising us.

Apologies that this rides blog is somewhat out of sync.

Sandra

It was the blackboard outside The Linton Kitchen that caught our eye; “French Tart Thursday” it proclaimed. Quick as a flash, we dismounted, abandoned the bikes and formed an orderly queue at the counter. The French tarts were indeed sublime – and the coffee was good too.

Some two hours earlier eleven Windmillers had set off from Andrew’s house for our regular Thursday outing. Cresting the hill at Strethall, Martin persuaded us to follow him off road along a roughly gravelled, but thankfully dry, mile-long track through picturesque woods, emerging on a quiet lane just outside Elmdon. From there it was mostly downhill to Ickleton and then on to Hinxton, Duxford, Whittlesford, Sawston and Babraham, where we hauled the bikes up and over the A11 footbridge.

Brian then led the way from Abington to Linton, home of the aforementioned French Tarts, before Andrew resumed the lead, guiding us back to Wendens Ambo where we met up with John Bagrie at The Bell. The beer was free flowing and the conversation wide ranging; everything from Ickleton level crossing woes to Mike Ashley’s sprawling business empire.

For the record, our team roster for the day was Ric, Victor, Simon, Sandra, Deborah (on a shiny new bike), Martin (Shorts? In February? Strewth!), Andrew, Graham, Ken, Lawrence and Brian.

Thanks, Andrew, for getting us all organised.

Brian

It could easily have been a day for watching a T20 game of cricket, such was the fine weather, but cycling 20 miles in a starting temperature of 20C on a February day seemed just as good a way of having fun on a nice evening, and a good excuse to show off some knobbly knees. And it was fun from start to finish, albeit a bit cooler at the end.

Four Windmillers took part in the ride, Maurice, Andrew, Nigel and Martin, assembling at The Tally Ho! in Barkway at the later time of 3.30pm due to the lengthening evenings (and opening times). Maurice was astride one of his trusty pedal bikes, the one that toured Sccotland a couple of years back, and off we set to take in some glorious views of the surrounding countryside. As it was such a nice day, two other Windmillers, Sandra and Graham, were cycling to Dunwich, clocking up at least 80 miles in the process.

Here is the route taken:

It wasn’t long before Andrew called a halt in Therfield saying he was suffering from overheating, which enabled a leisurely look at The Fox and Duck and almost time for a pint had it been open.

Not much later, on the high ridge heading westwards another stop was made to admire the view which included a herd of approx. 100 deer, including several Albino, in a distant field about half a mile away:

Then we wound our way through the lanes to Sandon and admired for the first time the buttresses holding the church tower up, speculating as to when they were built – answer, sometime in the 17th Century.

Continuing on towards Buntingford, past Lyn and John Bagrie’s house, we sauntered along quiet roads, except for crossing the busy A10, taking in the sights and sounds of an early Spring. What a contrast to the Beast from the East at the same time last year. We paid our respects to Visions of Loveliness Lane outside Wyddial and then decided on a detour via Anstey and Nuthampstead before arriving back at The Tally Ho! just as the temperature was dropping like a stone. The fire inside the pub reminded us that winter is not over just yet.

Soon after arriving we were joined by Bridget and an Australian friend who was living and working in Paris – a keen cyclist, conversation soon got around to his club and The Windmill Club organising a get together by meeting half way between Le Havre and Paris and exploring the rolling countryside west of Paris. Une idée magnifique! Oui?

More locals then poured in including Lyn and John Bagrie and so soon the pub was heaving and a jolly time was had by all. Nigel regaled us with some hilarious tales of his regular night time rides, sometimes in minus C temperatures, when repairing punctures by torch light make our day time efforts look pale by comparison. Rumour has it that Saleesha will be dishing up some chips on future Mondays.

Thanks once again to Maurice and Andrew for organising the ride.

Martin

 

 

 

Eight Windmillers – Graham, Victor, Sandra, Simon, Roger, Maurice, Andrew and Brian – turned out on Thursday for an excursion into Suffolk. But we hadn’t long left Moulton when Andrew pulled up with a puncture. It only took fifteen minutes to fix – by which time, Andrew was covered in oil and Roger was bleeding from a cut finger. (Health and safety be damned!) Thankfully, Sandra was on hand with wet wipes, the puncture was mended and we were on our way once more.

Maurice led the way out to the Maglia Rosso cycle shop and café, where we pulled in for coffee and inspected the fancy bikes on sale, some for three thousand quid. Any Windmiller seeking a more sensibly priced machine should contact Andrew, as Bridget Tarrington has kindly donated two of John’s machines to the club. These are available at very reasonable prices and all proceeds will go one of our charities. Well done, Bridget (and John!)

Back on the bikes, we made the return leg via Hargrave and Dalham, posing for photos by the Windmill, before returning hungry and thirsty to the Packhouse at Moulton. We enjoyed an excellent lunch of steak sandwiches washed down with some very good beer.

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

Brian

Four Windmillers, Maurice, Andrew, Sandra and Martin, set off from The Bull, Lower Langley, at 3.00pm, exactly a week after John Tarrington’s funeral in Stevenage. His funeral was attended by a large gathering of his family, friends and colleagues – standing room only for many – followed by a wake at The Woodman in Nuthampstead. It was a fitting end for someone who enjoyed life to the full and who never gave up. There were some wonderful memories and reflections on John at the service and Bridget has supplied some additional eulogies from his rugby playing chums which can be accessed here: John Tarrington Eulogies .  Amongst many fine stories and memories, it is good to read of his novel method of ordering a meal in a Chinese restaurant in the ’60’s!

There was a very good turnout of Windmillers at John’s funeral and so it was good that some of those who attended could also pay their last respects by cycling via Nuthampstead on today’s ride. And who should we meet outside The Woodman but Bridget, who explained that the flowers in front of the World War II Memorial for American servicemen, shown above, were those that had bedecked John’s coffin. John was closely associated with the work of the Nuthampstead Airfield Museum which is behind The Woodman.

Having invited Bridget to join us for a drink at The Bull at opening time, the Windmillers continued their circuit via Anstey, the Pelhams and Meesden before arriving back at The Bull bang on 5.00pm. How does Maurice manage this kind of precision? It is indeed masterful. En route, Sandra indicated that she does not intend to let Graham ride away with the 2019 longest distance award. Not only is she regularly cycling to and from a ride’s start / finish point but she had clocked up a mere 80+ ‘leisurely’ miles the day before. What a role model!

Here is the route taken:

Maurice was proudly displaying the modifications to the e-bike which he first purchased from a chap in Aldeburgh shortly after his hip operation last year. It was a bit troublesome from the start what with difficulty in removing the rear wheel to mend punctures, to a limited range and then, finally, the complete collapse of the hub of the rear wheel. The difference now is amazing thanks to some clever Chinese technology – a new wheel with an efficient, powerful motor and better range with the same battery. And should there be a puncture the rear wheel can be easily removed too. All this and new controls, brake levers too for less than £200. The only downside is weight as it needs a fork lift truck to get it into Maurice’s car.

Although it had been a mild weather ride it was still very pleasant to sit down at the bar of The Bull to enjoy a pint of Benny’s Best in front of the fire, and even better when Bridget joined us and relayed more stories about John. We shall miss him but hope to see Bridget on future rides.

Thanks of course to Maurice for leading the way and to Andrew for getting us to the starting line on time.

Martin

PS. Don’t forget to bid high for John’s bikes! All proceeds to Headline – the brain injury charity

 

 

The origins of Valentine’s Day are murky and so it was very appropriate that Suffolk was shrouded in thick fog as 10 Windmillers gathered at The Red Lion in Great Wratting, feeling cold and not the least bit romantic. The forecast had been for mild weather, and the sun had been shining en route to Great Wratting and so there was the prospect of it breaking through, and indeed it did.

Coffee was served and lunch orders were placed before departing but due to snarled up traffic on the A505 and other places it took a while for all to assemble. Eventually, Maurice signalled the start and he shot off, lights blazing, hotly pursued by Andrew, Ken, Chris, Roger, Lawrence, Victor, Simon T, Graham and Martin. Graham had already clocked up 18 miles by setting off early from Ickleton, and would pedal back home at the end of the ride, thus laying an early claim to the 2019 longest distance award. Sandra – you have competition this year!

It was not only foggy but very cold and so we welcomed the first hill and yearned for more in order to warm up. ‘The views here are fantastic’, said Maurice at one point even though he could only see the end of his nose. But we believed him and just as we reached Glemsford for a coffee stop the fog lifted and we were treated to a glorious sunny Suffolk day.

There was some speculation that Glemsford had a café but after making enquiries anongst the very pleasant local population the ‘café’ turned out to be the village store which possessed a jammed up coffee vending machine incapable of producing a standard white coffee let alone a cappucino with chocolate stripes. However, after several bangs and opening up the interior to inspect the innards, Baristas Maurice and Simon unjammed it and succeeded in persuading it to produce some brown coloured liquid. Meanwhile, other Windmillers stood around talking to the locals, who had never witnessed such a gathering before of so many cyclists in their shop, and enjoyed some hot and spicy vegetable soup ladelled out by a member of staff.

Having warmed up and said goodbye to Mr Gnome and his friends, we then enjoyed a Suffolk Spring day in all its splendour – wonderful views, pretty cottages and impressive mansions as we cruised through the lanes whilst also ascending and descending some significant hills.. Other than Simon’s chain coming off at one point it was an incident free ride despite the early fog, quite a lot of difficult-to-see potholes and recent hedgecutting.

By this time the temperature had probably reached an unseasonable 13C but we weren’t complaining and it continued like this all the way back to The Red Lion where it was good to be joined for lunch by Simon O and his dog, followed shortly afterwards by John B who had also been riding around the lanes. Valentine’s Day was in full swing, with the Landlord sporting a particularly interesting tie but in the interests of decency it is best left to the imagination.

And here is the route taken, a real half and half ride anti-clockwise. Half in fog and half in sun:

Thanks go once again to Maurice for planning the ride and doing a great job of not getting lost in the fog. Well done Maurice! And, of course, thanks to Andrew too for getting us to the starting line, and for the Strava map above.

Martin

 

 

 

It was more like a Roman candle than a birthday candle fizzing away in front of Brian. He had bought the beers and the Windmillers – back from a 29 mile outing – had just finished a big lunch at the Pig & Abbott, when Landlady Pat surprised the birthday boy with a very large cake topped with a rather alarming firework. Pat stood by with advice on the best way to blow it out – but the pyrotechnics eventually fizzled out themselves and Brian was able to cut generous slices for all.

Twelve Windmillers – Maurice, Graham, Sandra, Deborah, Ken, Lawrence, Rod, Brian, Chris, Tom, Andrew – and his old school chum, Don – had set off from Abington Pigotts on a route that had taken in Steeple Morden, Potton, Gamlingay and Waresley, where we pulled in for coffee at the garden centre. Then on the return leg we took a diversion to visit Cockayne Hatley; a charmingly named little place at the end of a no-through road. Nice enough but – as Americans say of Canada – not for the whole weekend.

The outing would have been uneventful but for Chris taking a tumble on a slippery bend not far from the finish. Thankfully, the road was quiet and – apart from road rash and a very sore shoulder – Chris didn’t sustain too much damage. Just as well, as he is off skiing soon.

Back at the pub, we were delighted to be joined by Vernon, who’d heard rumours of free beer.

Thanks, as ever, to Maurice for planning the route and guiding us around – and to Andrew for getting us all organised.

Brian

There was a certain aroma in the air as Martin emerged from his BMW; distinctly savoury, some likened it to Lancashire hot pot, others to boeuf bourguignon. Martin explained his misfortune; he had up-ended a pot-full of casserole in the footwell earlier in the week. We suspect it’s a new business venture; some sort of meals-on-wheels-for-the-well-heeled, or a soup kitchen for the super rich. We will let you know.

There were eight Windmillers gathering outside Andrew’s house in Wendens Ambo for the regular Thursday outing: Geoff, Chris, Tom, Roger, Sandra and Brian, plus Andrew himself and the fragrant Martin.

A quick risk assessment concluded that – barring an unlikely encounter with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Land Rover – the main hazards to look out for would be a low sun and frost in the shade.

Anticipating a cold ride, we set off at pace, heading out through Saffron Walden and Hadstock to Linton, where we passed a vaguely familiar rider going the other way. What with him being so well wrapped against the cold it was a while before it dawned on us that that did look like Victor. Likewise, with the low sun in his eyes, Victor had pulled up wondering whether he had just passed the Windmillers. But, sensible chap, he turned around and we all caught up; so now we were nine.

It wasn’t long before Tom pulled up with a flat tyre. Alas, his reputation as a mechanical wizard took a knock when he needed two attempts at the repair, though no doubt the poor chap was hampered by cold, numb fingers.

With Tom re-inflated, we continued on through Little Abington, where we shouldered the bikes and took the footbridge over the A11, Babraham, Sawston, Whittlesford and Duxford, where we pulled in at Greystones for refreshment. Our first visit, the warm welcome, coffee and excellent cake were all very much to our liking; we shall return.

Then it was on to Hinxton, Ickleton (where we were minded to inspect Martin’s kitchen facilities – alas time was short) and up the steep incline of Coploe Hill to Strethall, where we spied a familiar figure on his shiny new e-bike. Maurice! Now we were ten.

Then came the best bit; whizzing down the long descent into Wendens Ambo and the warm embrace of The Bell, where we thawed out in front of a splendid log fire. It was here that John Bagrie turned up; now we were eleven! And this being Martin’s birthday, we enjoyed a few beers – not to mention stew jokes – at his expense. Cheers!

Brian

With the evenings drawing out, a later start of 15.00 at The Bull, Lower Langley would see 5 participants for this ride – Maurice, Nigel, Sandra, Andrew and Don Kent (AKA – Malbec Don) – Andrews school friend from Newcastle and a participant of some  ‘memorable’ Windmiller rides!! Great to have you back with us Don, if only for a few days.

Having cycled up with a gloomy sky, I was pleased to see this clearing as the guys arrived and we prepared to set off, for what would be perfect weather, if a bit breezier than expected for the journey of 18 miles, clockwise.

Setting out towards Little Chishill, taking care through the well rutted downhill section before turning up ‘The Three Hills’ section to Great Chishill, stopping for a breather and also a quick repair to Dons rattling mudguard using a trusty cable tie. Then on through Heydon to Elmdon, briefly stopping outside the Elmdon Dial, Don quick to spot a photo opportunity.

With a chill forming in the air and before Don could even get his phone back in his pocket, let alone the many layers of gloves and mittens that needed to be removed to take the picture, Maurice, Nigel and Andrew had set off and were nowhere in sight. Having had the same difficulty on a previous ride, I stayed with Don to make sure we didn’t lose him. Catching up with the gang again at the Duddenhoe End turn and a notorious hill, on to Arkesden, Clavering, Stickling Green, passing the two windmills before veering off to Roast Green and Meesden Bury before dropping back to Lower Langley and a very warm welcome back at The Bull.

Thanks Maurice for another great ride and Andrew for organising us.

Sandra