The Windmill Cycle Club

It’s a long story.  It started with a stranger on a bike wandering down Maurice’s driveway at 7.00am looking for a classic motorbike shop specialising in Vincents. He had been sent in Maurice’s direction by Sandra’s husband just down the road who thought correctly that Maurice would be able to help the stranger. Maurice being Maurice gave him a warm welcome and offered him a cup of coffee whilst Lynn was a bit hesitant, not surprisingly at that time in the morning. However the stranger was genuinely interested in buying a Vincent and Maurice was able to guide him to a chap in Buntingford who specialised in these rare beasts. In the course of conversation the stranger said that he lived in Brisbane and was on a cycling holiday around our area staying on camp sites. His name was Doug Whitehead and it turned out that he had worked for the infamous Robert Maxwell for several years. Maurice being Maurice then suggested he met us later that evening in The Pheasant so that we could all hear some of his many Maxwell stories.

So that is just a preamble to this evening’s ride for Maurice, Andrew, Keith, Tom and Martin which took us around 24 miles of familiar lanes, which can be seen at high speed here:

We met up with John B at what has become one of our favourite refreshment stops on a summer’s evening, The Bull at Lower Langley, and then ambled back to The Pheasant watching the GPS antics of a large combine harvester on the way. John decided to take a more vertical off road route back from Little Chishill but appeared later to regret having done so. Here are some pics of the circuit, Martin narrowly escaping cruxifiction at one stage in Rickling:

On returning to The Pheasant, Doug Whitehead was indeed there having dinner with the Vincent chap from Buntingford after which they joined us whilst we tucked into succulent goujons. Doug indeed had many stories to tell about the chaotic Maxwell business in the years just before he disappeared overboard his yacht in the middle of the night, some say whilst having a pee whilst others say he committed suicide and others that he was bumped off by the Israeli secret service. We may never know.

With promises of meeting again either on his next trip, and Keith discussing meeting him in Brisbane when he is there for the cricket in December, we bid Doug farewell. It was not the usual Monday evening ride.

Thanks go to Maurice for introducing us to Doug Whitehead and to Andrew for taking the pics and recording the ride.

Martin

Thursday morning saw Maurice, John, Chris, Sandra, Andrew and Brian gathering in the car park of The Golden Fleece in Braughing, Landlord Peter coming out to greet us and take our orders for lunch. We tried persuading him to join us for the ride but he declined; all work and no play, eh?

Maurice had planned a new route; setting off from Braughing, we followed him through Barwick, Thundridge, Sacombe and Benington. Rain threatened but didn’t materialise – and John tried on several occasions to tempt us into some off road excursions, which we respectfully declined.

We pulled in for a coffee and cake stop at Church Farm, Ardeley. Refreshed and revived, we made short work of the return leg to The Fleece where, having clocked up a respectable 30 miles, we tucked into a well earned lunch and a restorative pint of Peter’s best. Bliss!

Thanks are due to Maurice – for planning another great route – and to Andrew for getting us all organised.

Here is Andrew’s recording – with photos attached – of our ride.

Starting from The Fox Inn at Newbourne, six Windmillers led by Maurice and accompanied by Andrew, Sandra, Tom, Chris and Martin donned wet weather gear to start with but soon stripped off after a mile as the threatened rain failed to materialise. The route took us firstly to Felixstowe old  town and its grand Edwardian seafront, and then along the esplanade to a cycle path alongside the beach which was great until it ended abruptly at a flight of steps……..

Felixstowe Ferry was next where the ferryman was more jolly than the last time we met him two years ago, possibly due to swiftly removing a substantial amount of cash from each of us for the crossing.

Once on the Bawdsey side of the Deben, the first stop was to see if the pre-war BMWs that we had seen 2 years ago were still looking sad and alone in an old garage, but they had gone leaving nothing but an Austin 7 chassis, if anyone wants one. Wonder how the garage will look in another 2 year’s time?

The weather continued fine all the way to Orford with a strong tail wind pushing us along sandy lanes through peaceful hamlets and villages, paying homage of course to Andrew Dawg in Capel St. Andrew:

We planned to meet friends of Maurice, and neighbours of John B, over a coffee in Orford and then head back to Newbourne for a late lunch but black clouds soon put paid to that idea. So a trip to the quayside lasted 20 minutes for some whilst waiting for the rain to stop but eventually we all gathered at The Kings Head with Maurice’s friends and had an excellent lunch. Thanks go to Sandra for birthday drinks, a few days ahead of time!

Mixed weather in Orford

After lunch it was back via Woodbridge and a visit to the Marina and Tide Mill Museum, which was very impressive to see working:

Woodbridge views at low tide

Finally, it was back through the lanes to The Fox Inn at Newbourne where apologies were given for not making lunch but we made partial amends by having a drink outside before heading home.

Here is the route taken:

And here is Andrew’s aerial view with additional pics:

Thanks to Maurice for a repeat of a delightful ride and to Andrew Sheepdawg for getting us all there on time.

Martin

On a fine summer’s evening Maurice, Keith and Martin set off from The Pheasant on a pleasant 25 mile run westwards to Therfield, down to the A505, a quick spurt to the Sandon road and then up the long long hill to Sandon itself, a climb that likes to bite cyclists every now and then.

Passing John B’s house, and large numbers of ‘Sandon says NO’ posters, we then headed to Buntingford through quiet Herts lanes, returning via Barkway and a refreshment stop at The Tally Ho where it was good to meet up with John B and, behind the bar, Sallie, who has been out with Windmillers in the past and who might be able to join us again sometime, work permitting. Suitably refreshed we ascended to The Pheasant and enjoyed massive portions of succulent goujons and French fries as a reward.

Here is the route taken:

Thanks, Maurice, for planning a picturesque route with great views, and a sunset to die for.

Martin

A large gang of 11 Windmillers gathered at The Black Bull in Balsham at the early hour of 9.00am in order to accommodate the needs of cricket fans and others who needed to finish earlier than usual.

The incidents began before the start when Yorkshire Brian’s bike toppled over on the top of Brummie Brian’s car on the way to Balsham. Luckily the wheel straps held it on and there was no damage to the bike, but Brian’s red golf is now sporting a small bruise on its roof. Incident over, the Brians were joined by Maurice, Andrew, John B, Keith, Sandra, Rick, Chris, Lawrence and Martin and everything was going smoothly through delightful empty lanes on a beautiful day when a call of nature was required by Maurice, signalling politely as he pulled into a gate entrance. However, his signal was not seen by all those behind resulting in a rear end shunt and a second incident for Yorkshire Brian who fell off and suffered some minor grazing. Nurse Sandra rushed to administer first aid with a wet wipe and we were soon on our way again.

Other than Lawrence steaming on ahead and missing a junction in Withersfield, almost requiring a repeat of the ‘Do a U turn’ message texted to him whilst en route from Wells to Kings Lynn, we were incident free for the rest of the ride.

Arriving back earlier than expected at The Black Bull, due to not being able to find a coffee stop, we were sampling some fine beers by 11.45am and were joined for lunch by Ken who had cycled up from Ickleton after a hard morning’s work in Cambridge. Here is a map of the route taken:

Thanks, Maurice and Andrew for your organisation of a great ride.

Martin

This was indeed a sad day. Many of us had got used to seeing Charlie at The Pheasant whilst we were out for a ride and we shall miss him. Here is Andrew’s message to members:

Sad to report the passing of what could have been described as the Windmill Club’s four legged mascot Charlie the Chocolate Labrador who died on Friday.

Yesterday Charlie would have celebrated his 16^th birthday however sadly he missed this by only 3days.

Many will have memories of Charlie being tethered to the bench near the kitchen at The Pheasant while we rode out and being pampered with crisps by John Bagrie while he (John) enjoyed beer in the garden.

I dedicated last night’s ride to my lovely boy Charlie and if you click on the link below you can relive the ride.     

https://www.relive.cc/view/1077729722

Our speed was not as fast as on the link above but the route took in Elmdon, where Maurice, Andrew, Chris and Martin stopped to see if Simon and Ollie were at home. They were not so we proceeded to Duddenhoe End, Arkesden, Wicken Bonhunt, Rickling, Clavering and Lower Langley where we met up once again with John B at The Bull, after which we all cycled back to The Pheasant for a plentiful helping of scampi and chips.

Thanks to Maurice and Andrew for organising the ride and condolences to Andrew and Lindsey on the loss of Charlie. He had a good innings.

Martin

Vernon was due to take part again in the annual London – Cambridge ride on behalf of Camsight, a local charity which provides support for blind and visually impaired people. Steering a tandem with his blind friend Alan Chamley on the back was the plan but Vernon was called into hospital just a few days beforehand for an operation requiring an overnight stay and so he asked me if I might be willing to take over. Never having driven a tandem before, the first journey out with Vernon on the back as ‘stoker’ was scary in the extreme but we managed to get as far as Balsham for a pint in the Black Bull before heading back to Sawston where the tandem is kept in Alan’s garage. A subsequent trip with Alan, also to Balsham, and a tweaking of the handlebars was sufficient for me to accept the request provided Alan wasn’t too scared by my driving. He pronounced he was ready to take the risk, silly man, and so at 5.00am on Sunday 2 July we set off from Sawston to cycle 8 miles into Cambridge to catch a bus to the start, with the tandem going by lorry.

Tom also offered to come along and so together with Andrew’s support, who rode south to meet us in Berden, we had three Windmillers supporting Camsight. Andrew also took the pics.

Setting off from Pickett’s Lock at 8.17am we pedalled on the flat and downhill at a fair old speed. It was the hills that got us, not helped by the tandem finding it difficult to engage with its granny gear which meant getting off and pushing at times. But we had a moving average of over 11mph the whole way thanks to the flat and downhill bits.

After a couple of stops for refreshments, Tom, who set off at a brisk pace about an hour and a half behind us, caught us up, unsurprisingly, in Arkesden where the village community laid on a fantastic welcome. He then whizzed off toward the next stop at the Bees in the Wall at Whittlesford where it was wonderful to see Vernon looking extremely well, having been let out of hospital the day before. Tom’s wife Jo was there too together with Vernon’s Moira and my wife Penny and elder daughter Vanessa. We all enjoyed a good lunch in the garden before pedalling the final 10 miles to Cambridge via Newton, Harston and Haslingfield, arriving at 3.15.

There were 7 other tandems taking part from Camsight and it was good to see the others at stages during the ride. Our top speed of 29.8mph was topped by at least one other pair of riders, two ladies who claimed 30.5mph.

An ice cream and yet more water was followed by 8 miles back to Sawston, making a total of 80 miles for the day.

Camsight are keen to develop a closer relationship with the Windmill Club and have some spare tandems available. Tom has expressed interest in riding next year and others would be welcome too. Some commitment is of course required during the year to ensure each team is fit – Vernon will be able to give details of how much is required as he has been riding with Alan for some time. I feel sure Alan will be relieved to have Vernon back in the driving seat as soon as possible.

As of 4 July, Camsight had raised over £2,700 from the event.

Thanks, Tom and Andrew, for your support and to Vernon and Alan for trusting me to ride the beast.

Martin

The plan was to rely on Great Northern and Abellio Greater Anglia ( suitably abbreviated to AGA) to transport six Windmillers to Cambridge initially and then all take the 09.10 to Thetford for a 10.00 start. Great Northern delivered Sandra, Rod and Lawrence on time but AGA failed miserably and so Ken, Keith and Martin had to pedal furiously to Whittlesford after first lugging their bikes and panniers over the bridge to Platform 1 at Great Chesterford only to be told that their train had been cancelled, and then lug them back again. The position at Whittlesford was not much better but eventually a train arrived which just connected in Cambridge with a later train to Ely, involving a change there for Thetford. That was the theory, but an angry baton waving Fat Controller told us we could not get the next train to Thetford because there was not enough room for our bikes. As it happened, two of us could have boarded because when our train eventually arrived, exactly an hour after our scheduled train, the guard said that six bikes were not allowed…………. But he was a genial guard, and a cyclist, and so he relented. And so, at last, we said goodbye to Ely Station, waving two fingers at the Fat Controller as we did so, and we were finally on the start of our two day bike ride.

Setting off from Thetford finally at 11.00 meant that lunch arrangements might be compromised but we sped up National Cycle Route 13 to the edge of Thetford Forest with the wind behind us. But at Galley Hill the route deteriorated into an off road stretch of 2 miles through the forest and due to torrential rain the day before it was full of deep puddles. We got through without incident and were soon on very quiet lanes heading due North, clocking up the miles with no effort.

It soon became apparent that the planned choice of  lunch stops were both achievable and so we decided to make for the farthest one, The White Horse in Longham, having placed our orders in advance by phone. We were greeted warmly and given a nice table where we could be noisy and not upset other diners.

The White Horse, Longham

With 30 miles behind us already, and fortified by an excellent lunch, the remaining 22 miles to Wells through delightful villages and very quiet lanes was a breeze. The route was primarily No. 13 but with adjustments to reach Longham and cut out East Dereham, eventually teaming up with No. 1 in the Walsinghams, having avoided Fakenham by going through Great and Little Snoring on roads familiar to Windmillers from last year’s ride in the same area. Just before Little Walsingham we paid homage to the site where John T had his unfortunate accident last year, from which he has made an excellent recovery.

Great Ryburgh

Great Ryburgh

Thoughts of Wherry began to happen soon afterwards and by 4.15 we whizzed into Wells and were on the deck of The Albatros by 4.30 admiring the view and downing some excellent pints from a new barrel.

Captain Ton was a charming chap but asked us to move our bikes from where we had placed them on deck as they were obscuring the all important sky lights to the space below.

Once on board, new names had to be allocated of course in true Good Ship Venus style to reflect our nautical hierarchy for the night ahead, except for Sandra the Wren who had wisely chosen luxury b&B accommodation close by. As Maurice was sadly unable to be with us, Martin was promoted to Captain Ugger, Ken was First Mate Preen, Rod was Second Mate Carter, Keith was Midshipman Paul and Lawrence was Roger the Cabin Boy. Andrew’s verses from the Good Ship Venus were much in our minds…………..

Once settled, if that’s the right word, in our cabins Keith led us on a tour of Wells and we had a pint in a nice pub before enjoying a superlative meal at the Wells Crab House Restaurant. Sauntering back to the Albatros, we bid goodnight to Sandra on the way, who never ceased to remind us of the triple aspect room she had and the quality of the plumbing compared to our solitary shower. But then you can’t beat a quiet nightcap on the deck of the Albatros listening to the gentle rippling of the tide and a good night’s sleep.

Breakfast for the shipmates was a Dutch pancake or full English, both of which contained sufficient calories for several days ahead, whilst Sandra ate at a luxury breakfast cafe nearby. It took a while to get going but by 10.00 we set off on what was thought to be an easy ride to Kings Lynn, following National Cycle Route 1 the whole way.

The first part of the ride took us on the off road stretch behind the pine trees between Wells and Holkham beach before heading up through the Holkham Hall Estate to the road behind leading to Burnham Market. Acknowledgements are due to Lawrence for the pics hereafter (and the one of the Albatros above) due to Martin’s phone running out of oomph.

Riding through the Holkham Hall estate was one of the highlights of the ride

Unlike the previous day, the wind was on our nose for most of the day and the hills were surprisingly non-stop from Burnham Market onwards as the route went westwards along a quiet straight lane of nearly 10 miles to Ringstead, resulting in quite slow progress. But an amazing pub, The Gin Trap, hove into view in Ringstead where we enjoyed coffee before heading south to Kings Lynn, passing through pretty villages full of flint faced cottages.

The Sandringham Estate then made an appearance but despite rattling the gate we were not allowed in:

The ride through the Estate was very attractive and there was a useful stretch of cycle path alongside the busy A149 before turning off down an avenue of trees for lunch in a cafe in Castle Rising, the local pub being out of action which would have been our preferred choice for celebrating the fun we had over the 2 days.

After lunch it was a straightforward ride through to Kings Lynn following the well marked Route 1 the whole way including an excellent cycle path to the station, only having to cross a couple of busy roads at marked crossings. With no plans to catch a particular train, we arrived after 35 miles to find a train about to depart in 4 minutes and so there was no time for a final pic outside the station. The journey back was a dream compared to the outward one.

Here are the routes taken:

Thanks to everyone for taking part.

Martin

On a perfect summer’s evening just two Windmillers, Andrew and Martin, set forth from the Pheasant at 17.30 following a similar route as the week before and, hey presto, the same Specialized bike and its owner John B were spotted once again outside The Bull at Lower Langley. So two became three and we ambled back through the lanes after suitable refreshment, taking in the air, marvelling at the lovely scenery, and stealing peas from a large field.

On the way through Arkesden we stopped and chatted to the organiser of one of the official stops on the London to Cambridge bike ride held the previous day, which Martin took part in on behalf of Vernon who was unable to make it at the last moment – more anon. The Arkesden welcome was amazing – a village hall full of home made cakes and free drinks for thirsty cyclists. They made over £1,500 for village charities. The organiser, Rod Higgins, was also Chairman of Arkesden Parish Council and a keen cyclist – he cycles mainly with another chap who rides one of those low lie-on-yer-back tricycles with flags galore to prevent being mown down by large Volvos and the like. He would be a good addition to the Windmill Club if he can be persuaded to come along.

Talking of members, it would be good to increase attendance on our short Monday evening rides. These are always great fun and usually end up in The Pheasant where succulent goujons and chips are once again on offer.

Thanks, Andrew, for a gentle ride – much needed after 80 miles on a tandem the day before.

09:30 Thursday morning saw Andrew, John, Keith, Ric, Sandra and the Brians (Brummie & Yorkshire) parking up behind the Fleur de Lys. Andrew had promised us a new route taking in Hatfield Forest; virgin territory for the Windmill Club. But thunderstorms were forecast and, sure enough, the rain started just as we set off down the hill from Widdington. Fearing a soaking, Keith turned back to the Fleur, while the rest of us soldiered on. Lo and behold, we were rewarded within five minutes. The rain stopped, the clouds lifted and for the rest of the day we were bathed in sunshine. God truly smiles on the righteous!

At first we were on familiar territory, wheeling past Rickling and Braughing on our way to Much Hadham, where we pulled into Hopleys Café, a delightful spot with a lovely garden, good coffee, a fabulous selection of homemade cakes and – John was gratified to discover – bottled Adnams. Sandra and Brummie Brian, knowing it’s wise to take on fuel at every possible opportunity, ordered generous portions of blueberry cake.

Back on the bikes, there was some debate about the best route; Andrew pointing one way and John the other. Should we trust a Scotsman’s knowledge of Hertfordshire? Or an Englishman with a dog-eared map, circa 1960? Where’s the M11 on here, John?

Eventually, we found our way to Hatfield Forest via quiet lanes through the picturesque villages of Green Tye and Spellbrook. But by this time it was becoming clear we weren’t going to make it back to Widdington in time for lunch. We considered our options; meanwhile Andrew phoned the Fleur and made apologies.

Alas, the next hostelry, The Three Horseshoes at Molehill Green, couldn’t accommodate us for lunch, at least not without a long wait. So we supped beer and munched peanuts in the garden while we watched the planes take off from Stansted. Lean pickings indeed; and there were still many miles to go!

The final leg, through Pledgdon Green and Henham (where we waved goodbye to John as he entered The Cock Inn) and the climb up to Widdington, was hard work on empty stomachs, but we persevered, getting back to the Fleur just as it was closing at 3pm.

All in all, we clocked up 43 miles, which was impressive given that most of us did it on coffee, beer and peanuts.

Despite the hunger pangs, it was a lovely day spent in good company. Thanks, Andrew, for the new route – and apologies to Landlord Chris for missing lunchtime at the Fleur. We promise to bring an extra large gang of Windmillers next time.

With Martin and the A-Team away in Norfolk, we thought we’d form a B-Team and do a local run.

So it was that Tom, Vernon, Ric, Brian and, confusingly, another Brian, gathered at Brummie Brian’s house in Great Shelford, where his missus, Brummie Pam, kindly provided coffee and biscuits.

It was a chilly morning so, to warm ourselves up, we set off at a cracking pace along the cycle path towards Addenbrookes and then up the hill to Fulbourn, continuing on through the Wilbrahams, Bottisham and Lode before stopping for coffee at Anglesey Abbey.

After the break we continued on to Fen Ditton, Horningsea, Waterbeach, Landbeach and Milton, where we turned southwards on the riverside path along the Cam to Cambridge.

Pulling up for lunch at the Green Dragon in Chesterton, our curiosity was piqued by the £5.99 two course meal deal. Our new member – let’s call him Yorkshire Brian – wisely decided to stick with beer and crisps while the rest of us plumbed for the too-good-to-be-true offer. Haut cuisine? Er, no. But in calories per penny – it was truly unbeatable value.

The final leg saw us winding our way along the riverside and through the back streets of Cambridge to the railway station, from where we followed the guided bus path back to Shelford.

All in all, we clocked up a very respectable 33 miles.

We hope Yorkshire Brian joins us on future outings – and we promise him a better lunch next time.

Brian

Knowing that goujons and chips would be on offer at the end of the ride was sufficient reason for four Windmillers to set off from the Pheasant at a brisk pace at 6.00pm. Led by Maurice and followed by Keith, Chris and Martin, we sped through Heydon and on to Elmdon before testing out the smooth new tarmac towards Ickleton but turning right up to the Strethall crossroads where the tarmac finally ended. Then it was through Littlebury Green and a fast descent (32.4 mph to be precise) before the steep climb to Duddenhoe End. There was no time for a photo in Arkesden (but then the thatched cottage by the signpost has already been captured many times already) and so we whizzed through to Langley Lower Green by which time a considerable thirst had developed which just had to be quenched for safety reasons…………….. And guess who we found in The Bull? The Specialized bike outside gave us a clue and John B was indeed inside, having taken a slightly different route to the rest of us. So four became five but the best bit was that John remembered it was his birthday recently and so it was drinks all round – thanks John!

The three hills remained the main obstacle as usual on the way back but whether it was the thought of the goujons or the beer or just Summer madness, there was an almighty race back to The Pheasant where a warm welcome was awaiting us from Mark and Debs after a ride of 20.5 miles.

Outside The Pheasant was a classic 60’s Chevvy and a future classic alongside it………

Thanks, Maurice for organising a great summer evening’s ride.

Martin

Thursday again and the week-long heatwave was finally breaking. Thunderstorms threatened and were heard distantly from The Pheasant car park. Oo-er!

Seven Windmillers – Andrew, Maurice, Chris, Ken, Lawrence, Sandra and Brian – were gathered at Great Chishill for a 35 mile tour of North Herts.

Maurice led us out through Therfield, Sandon and Rushden to Cromer where we stopped to admire Hertfordshire’s sole surviving mill, much restored since our last visit. Then it was on to Ardeley and a welcome coffee stop at Church Farm.

Refreshed and back in the saddle once more, we made short work of the return leg via Nasty, Buntingford and Anstey before labouring up the those three damned hills to The Pheasant; it’s a good job we are so fond of the place! And, apart from a light shower early on, we had managed to stay dry all the way.

Halfway through a blissful beer, however, we realised that Maurice and Andrew were missing. Much rumblings of “Where the hell are they?” and “We just want our bloomin’ lunch”. Mobile phone calls went unanswered and there was consternation all round that two of our most senior members had gone astray. Their wives would give us hell!

Thankfully, the missing pair eventually showed up, somewhat sheepishly, and not before Sandra and Brian had gone out in the Shedmobile to search for them. Their excuse was they’d stopped at Nuthampstead to enquire after John Tarrington, whereupon Bridget opened a bottle of wine . . . and you just can’t rush a good aperitif.

Lunch may have been delayed – but was no less enjoyable – and it capped a great morning’s ride. Our thanks go to Maurice and Andrew for organising everything. And this week’s prize for the smallest carbon footprint goes to Ken who’d cycled from Ickleton.

Brian

Exactly why the Windmillers were doing the hokey cokey outside Andrew’s front door escapes me; maybe we were showing we had the legs for the 44 miles on hot roads that lay ahead.

We had gathered at Andrew’s house in Wendens Ambo: Ken having pedalled from Ickleton and Brian from Shelford, plus Maurice, Rod, Sandra, Vernon and, of course, Andrew himself.

Maurice had planned a route – via Steeple Bumpstead, Long Melford and Lavenham – to Stowmarket. We set off heading for Saffron Walden and were soon on our way into deepest Suffolk. Stopping in Clare for refreshment we discovered a new – and very good – café in the disused railway station. They do homemade cakes and very good coffee in the delightfully restored Victorian building; it’s a little gem of a place and definitely worth supporting. We shall return.

Refreshed and back on the bikes once more we headed for our next stop, lunch at Lavenham where, an hour or so later we pulled into the garden of The Swan, hot, hungry and thirsty. Most of us devoured platefuls of sandwiches and swilled pints of Adnams, while Maurice – with his more refined palate – sampled the panéed cod cheeks, which looked like a few fishy morsels served with a teaspoon of rice. Lean pickings indeed, though Ken thoughtfully shared a sandwich with him.

Then it was back in the saddle for the final leg to Stowmarket and the train home. As ever, our bikes proved a challenge for the guard who made us re-distribute ourselves and our machines in a way more to his liking. We finally settled down for the ride to Cambridge where, tumbling out on to the platform in the middle of rush hour, we felt glad our commuting days were behind us.

Thanks, Maurice, for planning things – and Andrew for organising things. We are looking forward to the next one!

Brian

It’s polling day every Thursday, or so it seemed as six Windmillers set out from Widdington to exercise their democratic rights yet again. We were off to hold up the traffic in the safe seats of Saffron Walden and Hertfordshire North East.

Keith, Ric, Maurice, Vernon, Chris and Brian clocked up 28 miles – without a coffee stop -and returned to the Fleur de Lys early for a slap up lunch and a well deserved pint.

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

Brian

PS: What’s the difference between Nick Clegg and a bicycle? A bicycle has a seat.

It was such a lovely day, we hadn’t thought to bring our galoshes. Maurice was leading us on a circuit from Widdington to Puckeridge and back – but he had kept quiet about the river beds and farmers’ fields that lay ahead. We must have crossed at least five fords, maybe six, we lost count.

To be fair, some of the off road sections were more John’s doing – in particular, a very bumpy one which Martin dubbed prostate path – but we followed resolutely and the occasional stretch of tarmac came as blessed relief.

It was another good turnout – twelve riders in all – a Dirty Dozen of Windmillers, namely: Chris, Martin, Maurice, Ken, Sandra, Lawrence, Vernon, Keith, John B, Brian, Andrew and special guest Garry – a pal of Andrew’s who’d come all the way from North Queensferry, Fife.

When it came to fording rivers, each rider had his or her own particular technique, though Andrew’s was particularly notable. Then there was Garry on his electric bike making the rest of us fearful of electrocution.

We pulled into our favourite tea room in Puckeridge, partly to dry out, but mostly for the excellent coffee and cake.

Restored, we set off on the return leg, but alas, just outside Braughing, we heard what sounded like a pistol shot followed by a very rude word from Lawrence; his rear tyre had blown out.

While those ahead carried on to Widdington – they could smell lunch and didn’t even look back – the rest of us did the decent thing and stayed with Lawrence. Maurice got to work and did the best he could with a tyre seemingly composed of perished rubber with a horsehair underlay. Lawrence had had them since he was a boy and they’d never let him down before.

On the road once more, we did our best to catch up with the others and made short work of the final stretch uphill to Widdington and the very welcome sight of the Fleur de Lys.

Birthday Boy Ken bought the beer; good man!

Thanks to Maurice for planning and leading us on another delightful and truly varied route. We are looking forward to the next one, honestly.

Brian

The prospect of a gloriously sunny day had tempted Sandra, Ric, Tom and Brian to leave their cars at home and cycle out to Great Chishill where they met up with gas guzzlers Andrew, Chris, Keith and Vernon for the Windmillers regular Thursday outing.

Maurice was away in Scotland, so Andrew was in charge and had planned a route – taking in Therwell, Odsey, Steeple Morden and Wendy – to Wimpole Hall.

The air was thick with the smell of sun lotion as we applied generous dollops of the stuff to our exposed parts before heading off, bikes and bodies well oiled.

Along the way, Chris reminded us there was to be a minute’s silence across the country at 11am in support of the people of Manchester. When the time came, we duly stopped on a quiet lane to pay our respects and reflect on the freedoms we all take for granted.

Crossing the Wimpole estate, we found the footpath blocked by a herd of rare breed cattle. Magnificent creatures they were but – with horns as big as our front forks – a pretty intimidating sight. Not wanting to spook them, we hung back while Tom – brave chap – threaded his way through. The rest of us followed timidly through the horns and cowpats. Phew!

Arriving at Wimpole tea room, we enjoyed coffee and cake in the garden before, having applied yet more protective oils and lotions, we set off on the return leg, heading back via Shepreth and Fowlmere before tackling the long, hot hill climb back up to Great Chishill.

We returned to The Pheasant for a very welcome beer and an excellent lunch under a shady tree in the garden. Alas, the Green Team were still several miles from home on a baking hot afternoon; so we decided on another restorative ale before setting off.

Thanks, Andrew, for planning the route and leading the way.

Brian

Rumour had it today was John B’s birthday. So there was a quite natural, if unspoken, assumption that he would be buying the beer, possibly in prodigious quantities. It was on this basis that a goodly number of Windmillers gathered at the Fox & Hounds in Steeple Bumpstead on Thursday morning, anticipating a jolly outing and an even jollier lunch.

Alas, there was no John B to be seen; cue glum faces all around. Crestfallen but determined to make the best of things, we set off across the Suffolk countryside for a 32 mile ride taking in Glemsford, Cavendish and Clare.

Our party comprised Andrew (last week’s birthday boy and very generous with the beers, thank you), Ken, Chris, Keith, Maurice, Martin, Tom, Rick and Brian. Notable was Chris, astride a brand new bicycle; a sleek and gleaming machine in a natty shade of red. So you can imagine his dismay when Maurice led us down some particularly muddy lanes, yesterday’s downpours having washed topsoil off the surrounding fields. Never mind, Chris; it washes off.

We stopped for coffee and cake at The George in Cavendish before setting off on the return leg to Steeple Bumpstead where we were joined by Vernon for lunch.

All in all, another lovely outing and an excellent route; thank you, Maurice.

We look forward to helping John B celebrate his birthday next time.

Another team of 11 Windmillers  gathered at The Golden Fleece in Braughing at 9.15am, earlier than usual in order to place their orders for lunch with landlord Pete (who sometimes rides with us).  Having got our priorities right we then proceeded in an anti-clockwise direction towards Hertford to shed a few calories before piling them back on again a few hours later when celebrating birthday boy Andrew’s big day.

The formidable team comprised centre forward / captain Maurice, wingers Tom and Brian, forwards Keith and Rick, mid-fielders Ken, John B and Lawrence, backs Sandra and Martin, and goalie Andrew. Donning their kit they were soon clocking up the miles on a picturesque ride that Maurice had created through quiet lanes, yet close to large areas of population at times. But, as a Hertfordshire lad, this was familiar territory for Maurice who knew all the back doubles including bridleways, river paths and car parks. Here is the route taken:

After traversing quiet lanes to Hertford the team then cycled down the towpath alongside the River Lea as far as Ware to fill up with excellent coffee and cakes.

Suitably fortified, we then continued down the Lea to Stanstead Abbotts stopping to admire Amwell Nature Reserve, a former gravel quarry and now one of the RSPB’s foremost sites for watching a mix of inland and marine birds – well worth a longer visit. Amongst the sightings that day was a cuckoo, cormorants and bar-tailed godwits.

Then it was time to turn northwards back to Braughing via Widford and its attractive church

and then crossing the River Rib at Maurice’s old stamping ground, Barwick Ford, where his grandfather once filled up his traction engine trailer with water.

After 32 miles we were back at The Golden Fleece where we received a warm welcome and tucked into an excellent lunch, washed down with a large round of birthday drinks supplied courtesy of the birthday boy himself. Thanks Andrew!!

Thanks also to Maurice for organising the ride and to Deputy Dawg Andrew for getting us to the starting line on time.

Revd Holy Moley Martin

Monday evening and, despite the chill, it was another good turnout for the Windmillers. Our team roster was: Maurice, Martin, Ken, Anne, Andrew R, Andrew G, Steve, Chris, Keith, Sandra and Brian; enough for a football team.

Keen to get us warmed up, Maurice led us out of the Pheasant car park at a fair old clip; we were off on a 20 mile jaunt taking in Elmdon, Littlebury Green, Arkesden and Langley Lower Green. And indeed it was at Langley, while passing The Bull, some innocent was heard to say, “Never been in there; what’s it like?” That was it; quick as a flash and in unison we had dismounted, abandoned the bikes and trooped inside to order pints all round. Even better, Martin declared this was to be his round; a belated birthday celebration. Good man!

Then it was back on the bikes for the short return ride to The Pheasant. We like to keep well refreshed!

Thanks Maurice for leading the way.

Brian