Still balaclava-cold at 9am in the bus stop. There's been a bit of a thaw, but snow is forecast so a curtailed run seemed prudent. Needham Market again. Not last weeks new best tea stop, apparently we must recalibrate in the light of Peter's cheese scone score from last week. We are to go to "Viv's"; further down Needham's main street, this café is (according to Peter) the CTC's stop of choice.
On the way we stopped for Peter to mend a puncture - I forgot to take a closer look as did this, I had intended to check out his improved technique following the Bicycle Maintenance evening that he went to last night at Elmy Cycles' swish new retail facility.
Peter had told me that there was a lot to be gained from correct positioning of the bead in the well of the rim when it came to slipping it on with bare hands. Or something like that. He is highlighted in the photo - click on image to enlarge.
Barry left us as we neared Stowmarket, pleading a prior engagement. I think he found us too slow for him but was, as ever, too polite to complain. There were no further incidents, and Viv's (or L & V's I think the sign says) was soon found. The building has considerable charm, and has that Estate Agents' much loved cliché 'a wealth of old timber' adorning the low ceiling'd room. However, by far the most remarkable feature was a truly enormous collection of tea pots
- the majority of which were of the novelty sort. My pictures tell the story.
This Wednesday was Richard Seggar's Official
Birthday. Like our dear Queen, Richard will be having his actual Birthday on a different date, Friday. Being an honourable chap (and a republican - though not too upset, I hope, by my reference to our Monarch) he paid for all of us and, since a Friday ride was on the cards, promised to do the honours for those then present who had missed out by virtue of their absence today.
The return journey was uneventful, and followed pretty much the same route as last week - except that we took the old A14 through to Haughley and Elmswell and when Tony and I found ourselves off the front coming through Elmswell Tony decided to take the cut off just past the church, which was slushy snow over rutted ice, and gave us a bit of bike-handling practice down to the 1088. I achieved a gentle 31.6 miles, but probably worth 40 since I had to pedal all the time. SJH
On the way we stopped for Peter to mend a puncture - I forgot to take a closer look as did this, I had intended to check out his improved technique following the Bicycle Maintenance evening that he went to last night at Elmy Cycles' swish new retail facility.
Peter had told me that there was a lot to be gained from correct positioning of the bead in the well of the rim when it came to slipping it on with bare hands. Or something like that. He is highlighted in the photo - click on image to enlarge.Barry left us as we neared Stowmarket, pleading a prior engagement. I think he found us too slow for him but was, as ever, too polite to complain. There were no further incidents, and Viv's (or L & V's I think the sign says) was soon found. The building has considerable charm, and has that Estate Agents' much loved cliché 'a wealth of old timber' adorning the low ceiling'd room. However, by far the most remarkable feature was a truly enormous collection of tea pots
- the majority of which were of the novelty sort. My pictures tell the story.
This Wednesday was Richard Seggar's Official
Birthday. Like our dear Queen, Richard will be having his actual Birthday on a different date, Friday. Being an honourable chap (and a republican - though not too upset, I hope, by my reference to our Monarch) he paid for all of us and, since a Friday ride was on the cards, promised to do the honours for those then present who had missed out by virtue of their absence today.The return journey was uneventful, and followed pretty much the same route as last week - except that we took the old A14 through to Haughley and Elmswell and when Tony and I found ourselves off the front coming through Elmswell Tony decided to take the cut off just past the church, which was slushy snow over rutted ice, and gave us a bit of bike-handling practice down to the 1088. I achieved a gentle 31.6 miles, but probably worth 40 since I had to pedal all the time. SJH
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