The Windmill Cycle Club

With The Tally Ho, Barkway being the starting point, 5 Windmillers were to turn out for this ride – Maurice, Andrew, John T, Sandra and Keith. Looks like it’s going to be a dry evening then!! Well I must admit, I had turned out anticipating an odd shower but my fears were put aside when Keith pulled into the car park.

With Maurice back on his electric stead, we set off towards Barkway Golf course, at the first hill, were there issues with this bike, as we all bunched up close to Maurice, expecting him to take off up the hill but NO, determined as he is to be back to full strength ASAP, it turned out he was using minimal power and the heavier bike slowed, crash averted and those of us keen to get to the potential watering hole carried on.

Trough Anstey to Brent Pelham and a brief stop for everyone to get back together or so we thought. No Maurice!! He did appear and the suggestion that he may have a technical fault were dismissed, NO, a slow puncture but also with minimal equipment to repair. It was decided that Maurice with chief assistant Andrew head back, pumping the tyre as needed, change to vehicles and meet us at the watering hole.

On through Brent Pelham, John T took the reigns thankfully and guided us through some muddy at times roads to Stocking Pelham, Berden and Little London with its delightful cottages on to Clavering, where both Keith and my phones had been ringing and the decision to stop and check out who it would be (I’m certainly not adept at riding while on the phone, so the best to stop first, don’t need another invalid in our household!!). It was Andrew checking on our progress, having collected Maurice now on ‘run flat tyre’ on the back of his bike. A slight change of plan and instead of The Cricketers at Clavering for timely refreshment, let’s meet at The Bull, Lower Langley, which we did. Mid pint and John T decided to depart and leave Keith and myself to finish the route via Meesden and Anstey, back to The Tally Ho and a warm welcome from Sally.

So it would be two out of five to finish the ride!!!

Thanks to Maurice for organising the route, Andrew for organising us and John T for taking over when needed to keep us in check.

Sandra

It was dry at first, but not for long as the first rain for nine weeks descended on the six hardy Windmillers who had gathered at 9.00am at The Red Lion in Great Wratting near Haverhill for coffee before placing their lunch orders. Maurice had gone electric again, Vernon was riding his son’s featherweight hi-tech bike (hoping there was no off-road in store) whilst Sandra, Roger, Victor and Martin were on their usual steeds.

It was not exactly tipping it down, just a few spits and spots to start with, but wet enough for Maurice not to get a very good grip on his pedals with his clippity clop cycle shoes and so after half a mile he returned to slip on some deck shoes which were more appropriate for the prevailing conditions, leaving the rest of the group sheltering behind a hedge whilst admiring the entrance to the local pig processing factory:

With Maurice having got a grip on his pedals we soon re-started and started a clockwise route through wet but still delightful Suffolk lanes. Here is the route taken:

The churches, houses and cottages in the villages we passed through all looked splendid and there was a general absence of potholes thanks to some recent repairs and re-gravelling, necessitating some careful riding at times. There were hills too, steep enough in the fields near Boxted for a blue ski run, according to Roger.

Thoughts of more coffee began at about the 15 mile mark but the destination was the old Station at Clare after 20 miles, by which time we needed to dry out a bit too. This is a favourite stop with coffee and cakes being served in the Waiting Room amongst all kinds of railway paraphernalia.  The Eccles cakes were still warm, and very good too, likewise the coffee.

According to Wikipedia, Clare Castle was built shortly after the Norman conquest of England by Richard Fitz Gilbert. In the 14th century the castle was the home of Elizabeth de Clare, one of the richest women in England, who maintained a substantial household there. The castle passed into the hands of the Crown, and by the 16th century was in ruins. It was damaged by the construction of the Great Eastern Railway in 1867 which went through the middle of castle, which could perhaps be the origin of that old song about The railroad runs through the middle of the house, the middle of the house, the middle of the house etc.. Perhaps not.

Then it was 10 miles back to The Red Lion, with Maurice having just two of five blobs left on his battery gauge, in heavier rain but not torrential, and it was good to see John B’s car in the car park. We sat down to a good lunch and were later joined by John who had started his ride a bit later than the rest of us.

Thanks, Maurice, for organising the ride. We had the best part of a wet day judging by what came later.

Martin

PS. What came later was one of the wettest days ever recorded in Cavendish.

 

 

 

 

Once again it was nothing but sun on this glorious evening ride, made more glorious by fields of sunflowers and a stunning sunset. But there were just three Windmillers out to enjoy it, this being the peak of the holiday season, and so Maurice, Sandra and Martin set off shortly after 5.00pm from the Tally Ho! in Barkway to take it slowly through the lanes to Clavering and back, clocking up 20 miles.

Maurice decided to go non-electric for the first time since his hip op which had the advantage of a long refreshment stop being needed at The Cricketers in Clavering, where a large crowd were outside drinking, grazing and generally enjoying the lovely weather.

Here is the route taken:

Setting off back to Barkway, Maurice soon regretted trying to get his leg over (his bike) in his pre-hip op style, resulting in a bit of a tweak of the new joint. But all was well and we trundled steadily through the lanes enjoying some spectacular views on the way.

Shortly afterwards it was a pleasant surprise to come across a large field of sunflowers. reminiscent of the Charente region of France – is this a further sign of global warming?

And then, one of the most stunning sunsets ever seen on a Monday ride, radiating through the clouds in spectacular style:

By the time we were back at The Tally Ho! the light was beginning to fade, a reminder that late afternoon starts will start to become earlier from now on as the days shorten. A warm welcome was received from Sally which was a pleasant end to a very pleasant ride.

Thanks, Maurice for organising the ride but obey doctor’s orders in future!

Martin

 

 

 

Yet another hot Thursday ride was in store as eleven Windmillers gathered at 9.30am in the shade of the Fleur de Lys car park in Widdington. A tanker of water / beer towed by someone with an electric bike would have come in useful but, alas, Maurice was unable to make the ride. Andrew therefore organised it, assisted ably by John B who introduced a couple of off-road elements , and so with the others comprising Ken, Ric, Brummy Brian, Keith, Tom, Lawrence, Roger, Victor and Martin, the peloton set off in search of The Blue Egg near Great Bardfield. It was great to have Ric with us again on his first major ride since his accident earlier in the year and fully recovered, so much so that he rode also to Widdington and back to Harston clocking up over 60 miles in all. Furthermore, it had been Ric’s birthday a couple of weeks before and so there was the prospect on beers on him. Well done, Ric!

Here is the route taken:

John B’s first off road section was a splendid piece of smoothish farm track not far from Widdington which took us directly to the Thaxted road south east of Debden avoiding several annoying hills and busy roads in the process. Whether that was the cause of Victor’s puncture was not known but with help of Roger and Brian it was mended in record time and the group all met up again in Thaxted in the shade of the church spire.

Lawrence and Andrew speeding towards Thaxted with both church spire and windmill visible in the distance

The Blue Egg Café in Great Bardfield was the coffee destination, a place visited only once before and attempted on other occasions without success due to inclement weather. So it was good to be back at what is apparently one of Mark Cavendish’s favourite bike cafés, and understandably so as the coffee, cakes and all important scones were excellent and likewise the service. Someone even thought the bearded fellow biker near us was indeed Mark Cavendish but on closer inspection he was only a look-a-like.

Refreshed , but getting hotter, the peloton headed back via Bardfield Saling, Lindsell and Great Easton but were soon turning off the main road to explore John B’s second off-road section. We had to stop outside a wonderful wood carver’s cottage to admire, in particular, his carving of a bearded man with a pointed hat which we all agreed bore a great resemblance to Ric, except perhaps for the hat. Here he is taking pride of place in the photograph:

The off-road section was short, narrow and fine on a dry summer’s day, but probably left well alone on a wet Essex-mud kind of day. We exited onto a quiet lane and then continued on a mix of hot and shady lanes with only the occasional difficult Essex van driver to contend with. Thoughts of beer began in earnest around Henham, which John took advantage of, but the others had lunch in mind and continued towards Widdington with a final steep climb to the Fleur de Lys, which was a welcome sight after 34 hot miles in the saddle (and even more for Ric). An excellent lunch was had, washed down with some fine beers, courtesy of Ric. Thanks Ric! And it was good to have Vernon join us too, having ridden over from Melbourn. Let’s have birthdays every week.

Thanks also to Andrew and John for planning the route, and to Brian for the Strava map and some of the pics.. It was a great ride.

Martin

 

 

 

 

‘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