.
"Richard and I went on Friday to a new café" Said Peter (forgetting that Tiger Tony Panting had been with them)
We were seventeen as we rolled off. It's always awkward to have an odd number on a ride, even with so large a number of cyclists. Obviously, when there are three, or five, or even seven there will always be the tail-end-Charlie, the Nobbie-no-mates, the excluded one. We always say that "two's company, three's a crowd" (though this probably referred to those anxious and insecure times of adolescent amorous entanglements) but in cycling any even number's company - but an odd one . . . . well, it's just a difficult for someone. And when it's a large group like ours, the 'empty seat' can end up anywhere in the group. I rode alongside TomTom, with much to discuss, but in front of us was Glenn Grant, he of the Eagle Road Club who joins our Wednesdays whenever he can for our sociability. What should I do? Cut TomTom and move up the line ? (the proper course of action) or carry on with the conversation? Answers by email, before Tuesday 27th September.
Peter was in charge of the route, and it was a no-nonsense and straightforward affair. Beyton, Tostock, Elmswell, Haughley etc., then after Debenham a more complex (and very enjoyable) route through to Easton and eventually Wickham Market. It was just outside Wickham that I asked Peter which new Café we were going to. He told me that it was the one that we used to use.
Now I knew that there had been a deal of controversy about this place, I'd read about it in the East Anglian Daily Times last year. The lady who had previously run the Cafe had had her tenancy terminated, and the landlords had (apparently) taken over her business and were running it themselves. When the proprietress found a new home, regular customers had rallied round and carried tables and chairs across the market square to her new, smaller, premises. A month or so ago we had visited the the new premises of the old proprietress , where she was doing a good trade with the verve and humour that I remembered. I mentioned to her that I had followed the saga in the EADT, and that I sympathised with her position. I mentioned to Peter that I felt guilty of a betrayal of the lovely lady (though her new premises would not have coped with seventeen cyclists). I sensed that he thought that I was soft in the head (did I mention that Peter was from Derbyshire?). Actually, when we arrived we were down to sixteen, having mislaid Glenn Morris along the way - last seen by Tom Smith riding off the front. We had two new faces roday - Simon Garrard, and another rider who's name I can't remember, but who enjoyed his first ride with a group a great deal. Simon has been out with the Cappuccini on Sundays, but found our Mercoledisti more organised.
Having parked our bikes and shuffled in, I realised the awful truth that the people now running "Café 46" are friendly and efficient, their food is excellent and their prices reasonable. My scone, butter & jam plus tea was £2.80, which puts them at the lower end of the scale. They also dabble in bygones & antiques, which lends a very eclectic feel to the room where we ate. If we ever come to Wickham as a group of 6 or so, we should use the old proprietor's new establishment - otherwise we will use the new proprietors at the old establishment.
I now realise that I didn't check if they open on a Sunday (see Blog passim - Julian Colman will explain). Just checked on the web for Café 46, and they only feature the antique-y bit. I note that they describe their collection of bric-a-brac as eclectic. And there is no mention of Sunday opening.
After a jolly time we go out and disentangle our bikes from the cycle rack (never thought I'd ever put a proper bike into one of those wheel-gripper things. I now can't remember quite why we never used to use them in the past - something to do with bending wheels, I seem to recall. Are wheels now stronger?
Set off for home via Dalinghoo Road (Lane?). A couple of miles , and we turn right. We carry on turning right for (I think) five successive junctions - but we don't end up back at Wickham. I would ask Gerry to give me a print out from his Garmin, but he'd programmed it for a different ride before leaving home, and it wasn't coping very well with the change of plan - I think it was trying to take him home and start again. Reminiscent of Hal the robot in 2001 a Space Odyssey - but not quite so malign. Maps don't have that problem of course, but I hardly ever carry one on a bike ride.
TomTom was on one of his inspired routes, and after our logic-defying sequence of right turns we entered his comfort zone with a more left leaning ride which brought us to the true direction. Back to the days of the Clarion . The road was flat, but twisted to and fro, the wind was getting strong and wasn't in our favour. Tiger Tony did a fearsome turn on the front with Rob Webb, must have been nearly half an hour, before Peter suggested that Mark Saunders and Glenn Grant take over and "take it easy". As if. Glenn has a powerful and high-revving style that copes well with head and cross winds, Mark is usually an indestructible powerhouse, but I thought that I detected signs of slight discomfort as we neared home. When I say home I mean Norton of course, where I live, and could wave goodbye to the morning's chums. As with the last several rides, my total was around 65 miles. And again, in good company.
SJH
Peter was in charge of the route, and it was a no-nonsense and straightforward affair. Beyton, Tostock, Elmswell, Haughley etc., then after Debenham a more complex (and very enjoyable) route through to Easton and eventually Wickham Market. It was just outside Wickham that I asked Peter which new Café we were going to. He told me that it was the one that we used to use.
Now I knew that there had been a deal of controversy about this place, I'd read about it in the East Anglian Daily Times last year. The lady who had previously run the Cafe had had her tenancy terminated, and the landlords had (apparently) taken over her business and were running it themselves. When the proprietress found a new home, regular customers had rallied round and carried tables and chairs across the market square to her new, smaller, premises. A month or so ago we had visited the the new premises of the old proprietress , where she was doing a good trade with the verve and humour that I remembered. I mentioned to her that I had followed the saga in the EADT, and that I sympathised with her position. I mentioned to Peter that I felt guilty of a betrayal of the lovely lady (though her new premises would not have coped with seventeen cyclists). I sensed that he thought that I was soft in the head (did I mention that Peter was from Derbyshire?). Actually, when we arrived we were down to sixteen, having mislaid Glenn Morris along the way - last seen by Tom Smith riding off the front. We had two new faces roday - Simon Garrard, and another rider who's name I can't remember, but who enjoyed his first ride with a group a great deal. Simon has been out with the Cappuccini on Sundays, but found our Mercoledisti more organised.
Having parked our bikes and shuffled in, I realised the awful truth that the people now running "Café 46" are friendly and efficient, their food is excellent and their prices reasonable. My scone, butter & jam plus tea was £2.80, which puts them at the lower end of the scale. They also dabble in bygones & antiques, which lends a very eclectic feel to the room where we ate. If we ever come to Wickham as a group of 6 or so, we should use the old proprietor's new establishment - otherwise we will use the new proprietors at the old establishment.
I now realise that I didn't check if they open on a Sunday (see Blog passim - Julian Colman will explain). Just checked on the web for Café 46, and they only feature the antique-y bit. I note that they describe their collection of bric-a-brac as eclectic. And there is no mention of Sunday opening.
After a jolly time we go out and disentangle our bikes from the cycle rack (never thought I'd ever put a proper bike into one of those wheel-gripper things. I now can't remember quite why we never used to use them in the past - something to do with bending wheels, I seem to recall. Are wheels now stronger?
Set off for home via Dalinghoo Road (Lane?). A couple of miles , and we turn right. We carry on turning right for (I think) five successive junctions - but we don't end up back at Wickham. I would ask Gerry to give me a print out from his Garmin, but he'd programmed it for a different ride before leaving home, and it wasn't coping very well with the change of plan - I think it was trying to take him home and start again. Reminiscent of Hal the robot in 2001 a Space Odyssey - but not quite so malign. Maps don't have that problem of course, but I hardly ever carry one on a bike ride.
TomTom was on one of his inspired routes, and after our logic-defying sequence of right turns we entered his comfort zone with a more left leaning ride which brought us to the true direction. Back to the days of the Clarion . The road was flat, but twisted to and fro, the wind was getting strong and wasn't in our favour. Tiger Tony did a fearsome turn on the front with Rob Webb, must have been nearly half an hour, before Peter suggested that Mark Saunders and Glenn Grant take over and "take it easy". As if. Glenn has a powerful and high-revving style that copes well with head and cross winds, Mark is usually an indestructible powerhouse, but I thought that I detected signs of slight discomfort as we neared home. When I say home I mean Norton of course, where I live, and could wave goodbye to the morning's chums. As with the last several rides, my total was around 65 miles. And again, in good company.
SJH
Café is closed Sunday Stephen, more's the pity.
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