Wednesday 24 March. Clare at Last.

Though we were over the approved number for a visit to Clare (10) two riders offered to go home without tea so that the rest of us could indulge ourselves with Sarah's hospitality. Justin has been stricken by a virus, and was apparently under doctor's orders to ride fifty miles without stopping. Tom Tom wasn't clear about his reason, but I don't doubt for a moment that it must have been extremely unavoidable.
Peter H, Justin, Barry, T-T, Jeff Agricole, Sharon, Mike Cross, Ron Fisher, SJH, Tiger Tony set off for the hills on our way to Clare, on a Sicklesmere - Gt Welnetham - Lawshall - Stanstead - Glemsford - Cavendish-ish route with a neat left and right at the foot of Water Lane at Cavendish to take the Pentlow route to Clare thus avoiding the main road. Outside No.1 Delicatessen we bade our farewells to T-T and Justin and filed in to a warm welcome. After only two changes of seating arrangement, we were all installed, munching, sipping and chatting. We discussed the advisability of booking ahead next time (after all Sarah is on speed dial on Peter's mobile) and a strategy for delivering leaflets in Ixworth for Adi and the Ixworth Crits (possible popular music combo - Adi and the Crits?). My pear and cranberry 'cake' was superb - and several of our party who made the same choice agreed.
Our return was the usual Poslingford version, which involves a touch too much downhill for my liking. I notice a drop in my uphill performance (its going downhill?) and wonder if the heavy cold and throat infection (not necessarily in that order) that I experienced last week could be having an effect. The fact that I reached Whepstead Church before anyone else only proves that (a) I have to go as hard as I can or come to a standstill (and I'm not certain how one copes with an uphill standstill when riding fixed) and (b) no one else was trying (though Barry claimed to be - but was probably just being diplomatic). Barry introduced us to his favourite back-route that takes a right some way before reaching Gt Welnetham that looks just like a private drive to start with, then becomes a tiny lane that joins a bigger lane that finally joins the A134 for a swift right and left at Bradfield Combust (what a name) to bring us to the start of the Lt Welnetham TT course.
I managed 51-ish miles of enjoyable riding. Mileages may vary, and can go down as well as up.

SJH

17 March 2010 - Lakenheath??? - Yes!!! And the cheapest tea'n'cake so far

South west wind. Clare? "Looks like it " said Peter.

Then a few more mercredists roll up, and we are a dozen (but not a particularly dirty one - though my bike could do with a bit of a clean). This, it was decided, would have been too many for No1 Delicatessen at Clare.
For a few weeks now, Tom-Tom has been keen for us to share his latest discovery, which is a farm shop tea room at Lakenheath. We have been shamefully reluctant to venture up there voluntarily (getting there while losing one's way north of Mildenhall is allowable), so we finally caved in and cruised northwards with the sou'wester at our backs. The redoubtable T-T took us by an oblique route, so that we weren't fully aware of where we were heading. This simple ploy prevented panic, though there was a certain amounted of twitching and shying-away as we hit the long flat roads with lines of Scots Pine. Just short of Lakenheath itself, we came to Christmas Farm - and thence to 'Mary's Tea Room'. As you can see from the photos, this is a genteel establishment, with an abundance of linen, several flower arrangements and a warm welcome. All this for just £2. Yes, that's TWO POUNDS. Astounding.

During our tea break we responded to the ambiance, with Richard Muchmore assuming the David Niven role from the film "Separate Tables" and all of us engaging in generally civilised chatter. In a paddock alongside the track to the Tea Room, we saw two startlingly marked horses (who looked pretty pleased with their outfits, I thought).
On our return route the wind hardly favoured us at all, (as I had promised when we left Thurston) being mainly headwind, with occasional crosswind. We covered a satisfying 66 miles at a reasonable pace and, who knows, might be back to Mary's.
SJH

27 January 2010. Peter leads us in "Happy Birthday". Again

Today is my younger son Ed's birthday. Unfortunately, living in Wisbech he can't make it to buy the teas; so Peter is going to do the honours. Eager to help him celebrate are, Tiger Tony, Tom-Tom, Justin, Ann Fish, Ed Bucknell, Ron, Peter Gay, SJH, Richard Balaam & Sharon. We are to go to Clare, for the first time since 25th November 2009. As we left The No1 Delicatessen, in balmy Autumn sunshine, we had said "we'll be back before Christmas" . . . . . . . . .

Justin took us on a variation of the Cavenham/Kentford/Gazeley/Dallham/Stradishall route that we've used quite a lot, by going Risby/Barrow/Ousden. The Ousden bit was to avoid going down the hill to Dalham, which had a lot of slush and ice on Sunday. The weather was again cold - extremely cold first thing, and we had difficulty keeping warm. The climb from Stradishall to Hundon helped - and the descent to Clare kept me warm at 140 rpm (I had kidded myself on the outward journey that I was on the higher gear - and told people as much "I thought it was hard work this morning - then I realised that I must be on the higher gear". The truth was unavoidable on the long descent).

Peter had phoned ahead to book space for eleven and, sure enough, there were the tables pushed together; we should do this more often. A warm welcome to a warm Café, and further warmth provided by our spirited rendition of "Happy Birthday to Me" (this is Peter's personalised version). Some of us had already had a rehearsal at the start of the Pilates session on Monday - which was The Day itself. Peter got an extra portion of home made brownie (but no candle). Before beginning this Post, I actually found my notes from 2nd December (I mentioned having lost them). The one topic that I forgot, and can now share with you, is Peter's 2010 project to climb the height of Mt Everest during club runs in Suffolk using an altimeter to get the total climbed each ride. Is this still on, Peter?

We returned by going up Hickford Hill and through Foxearth to Long Melford. In Lavenham, we took the advice of Eddie Taylor's widow (whom we met outside the Café) and visited the cycle shop in which she had an interest - apparently it is about to close, and everything is greatly reduced. If there's one thing that is guaranteed to excite a cyclist's interest, then that one thing is something for next to nothing. If you take the right turn at the northern end of Lavenham to Preston St Mary, there is an industrial complex on the left. In a warehouse round the side, partly shrouded in camouflage netting, there seem to be three traders; a real, proper army surplus store with only the minimum of new stuff. (everything you could possibly need for your next BNP multiculturalism workshop) , A guy sitting behind a low counter surrounded with, well, 'stuff'' and the cycling bit, wich was being directed with a light touch by a friendly man restoring a Morris '8'. If you do go (and I recommend that you do; several of us bought tyres and tubes - no inflated prices) do not show interest in the Morris '8' project. I did, and if Tony hadn't approached with a purchase, I think I'd still be there. My big regret, now that I write with the benefit of hindsight, is that I didn't take a photo of the Birthday Boy with a spare tyre round his neck.

When I got home I was a yard or two shy of 62 miles - and I thought of Ann and Peter G who had another 10 or so to go. SJH

25 November 2009: Justin's Shout at No1 Deli in Clare

It was a well-kept secret. Very few of us realised that Justin had achieved 63 years of age just the day before he turned up at the bus stop - so, not many cards for him, but free teas all round for us. And perfect weather, with brilliant sunshine in a pure blue sky. The only problem was the very strong wind, which would be in our faces all the way to our tea stop at Clare. The low angle of the November sun provided those deep shadows that make the landscape so dramatically beautiful in autumn, and the anti-cyclonic conditions gave us sparkling sharpness right to the horizon. Many trees have shed their leaves, but oaks, which have been late to change colour are still well-clothed in a modest shade of tan.

It was Justin's birthday privilege to choose a route, and he selected a favourite (of his) that began by heading north over the Bunbury cross roads to Livermere and working our way round via West Stowe to Lackford where we picked up the Icknield Way down to Kentford to pick up the road to Dalham and join the B1063 to Wickambrooke. There is a great deal of climbing involved between Kentford and Wickambrooke, most of it steady and not too steep, but a lot of it nonetheless. The memorable moment came when Tom-Tom, Peter Heath, Ron, Justin and I instituted by wordless agreement a 'through and off' chain whilst climbing. This is not easy, the possibility of a split if a rider goes through too hard, is far greater than on the flat. Skill is required; self control; discipline. We achieved it - until the point where road finally kicks up more steeply just before Wickambrooke, and we continued at the same pace (i.e. increased effort) thus losing the tail of the group. But it was a special moment. Next comes the climb up from Stradishall, to the summit above Hundon (hi, Kevin). After this, the long descent to Clare which the headwind made slow and effortful (I have a fixie's preference for a descent that doesn't require 150 rpm, so I didn't care). Arrival at No1 Café and Deli about half an hour later than would have been expected, to the usual warm greeting.


In addition to the chain gang listed above, we had Sharon, Tony and Peter Gay (who will have had a headwind all the way from Rickinghall!).

As we shuffled around trying to find enough space for all eight of us (and eight riders in clackety shoes do tend to make a place look untidy and sound less than tranquil) a very pleasant lady, who had, until we arrived, been enjoying a quiet hot chocolate in the sunshine streaming through the window (sun always 'streams' doesn't it?) insisted in getting up and removing herself to a smaller table to allow us room to sit down - which restored the calm that had prevailed before we burst upon the scene with our voices tuned to conversation into a head wind. As we were about to leave, the PL asked "do you ever go north?". After a slight hesitation (Tom-Tom later confided "I though she meant Diss or Thetford to start with") we realised that she was talking Scottish sort of north, and Peter H was able to say that "yes" he had. PL's sister ran a restaurant on Harris. Peter had been there - not just Harris, but the very restaurant - and further added that it was "a very fine restaurant indeed" (you could almost hear us sigh with relief ), and we parted on a high note.


Return via Poslingford brought some tail wind, but not as much as we'd have liked - the road winds and weaves its way too wildly for that. The south westerly approaches to Bury are never kind to tired legs, and even though the pace had been steady all morning, there was suffering involved in getting home. 60 miles for me. Another lovely ride through Suffolk. SJH

and here is our pleasant lady's reply:-

I'm the lady who was in the Number One Deli in Clare, Suffolk on Wednesday, 25 November, who you were kind enough to buy a cappuccino for as I had moved tables so that you could all sit together... One of you, whose name I didn't catch, has cycled around the Isles of Harris and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides and knows of my sister's restaurant, The Anchorage, in Leverburgh on the Isle of Harris. My sister, Sally Lessi, asked me to say hello and to ask you your name as she does remember you coming in with a group of other cyclists, but can't remember what you look like specifically. Hope you don't mind my emailing you, got the email address from your website.

Thank you.

Sarah Golding
sarahgolding@msn.com

Tiger Tony's Birthday Bash

Tony Panting is the reason that none of us on the Wednesday Ride can ever use age as an excuse for anything.

This year Tony the Tiger has Time Trialled faster than at any time in his life, set an East Anglian age-record for 100 miles and ridden 213 miles in his first ever 12-hour TT. And the day after these photos was his 75th Birthday.
In fact, he's Grrrrrrrreat!!!!!!!!!

Seven of us gathered at the Bus Stop in downtown Thurston to set off for Clare, where we would help him to an early celebration - meeting up with Kevin Flanagan near Wickhambrook to circle around towards Clare. We had intended a route that would stalk cautiously towards our destination, but still ended up going up (and up) to the seemingly inevitable Poslingford plunge down to Clare, and a Cake and a Candle. We had ordered the cake the week before, hoping that Tony and Maureen's Mallorca holiday wouldn't seduce them into a longer stay. The nightmare of eating the cake by ourselves was too awful to contemplate. There was even a letter to Maureen, pleading that Tony MUST be out this Wednesday.

Justin had brought a tiny plastic Cyclist to decorate the cake, and then produced a second surprise contribution which involved demonstrating (to general excitement) how they glowed when agitated. These were then set each side of the cake as sentinels. Richard, of No 1 Delicatessen, had produced a superb sponge cake (generally, we have sufficient fruit cakes with us on the Wednesday ride, without the need for more) filled with the finest Wilkin & Son 'Tiny Tip' Raspberry Conserve. Each enormous slice was so light that we had to hold it down and eat it fast for fear of it floating clear away.

We returned by a similar route to last week, but carried on through to Long Melford on tiny lanes and in good spirits. My total mileage, which would be similar to most, was just on 60. If Tony wanted to make this up to a mile-per-year he could always pop out again in the afternoon (as he did the week before his 12 hour, when he topped-up the ride to 100!)
SJH

Clare, Sarah, and a Gentlemanly Ride.

We began with Pete Hogg's tale of an out of saddle experience riding home last week. LifeCycle at Bildeston was closed, so our hero had to make the best of what must have been a painful experience. He told us how he rested his hind quarters on the cross bar (as we used to call the top tube back in the day). For some reason this reminds me of young tykes riding fathers' bikes with one leg going under the cross bar to reach the pedal. I've just tried to draw this - and I can't work out how it was possible. Anyway, Pete proudly showed off his disturbingly modern, black seat pin, leaning nonchalantly on his now-secure saddle. There was a pleasing amount of red in our group (Ron's must've been in the wash) which was composed of TomTom, Justin, the Peters Gay, Heath'n'Hogg, Jeff, Ron, SJH and Jonathan, as we headed south-ish via Sicklesmere, Gt Welnetham, Hawstead, Whepstead, Chevington, Whickambrook and Stradishall, thence over the hill via Hundon then hurtled down to Chilton St and Clare and Sarah. All this was accomplished on a one-stop strategy - the site chosen, however, was quite surprisingly bleak for otherwise glorious Suffolk. Every one seemed to have been so mesmerised by my 130rpm escape to take the Clare sign that they all stayed behind me. Thanks guys.
We left Clare by a route usually used for the outward journey, turning right as we left No1 Delicatessen, then left past the Priory and left through Hickford Hill to Pentlow and then Cavendish - thus avoiding the main road. I notice on the map that lies on the desk beside me, that there are no fewer than three Pentlows. We turn left just before the main Pentlow to reach Cavendish at another Pentlow - and there is a third, Pentlow Street on the B1064 that goes from Cavendish to the A134 at Rodbridge Corner, via Foxearth. This detour (of course) courtesy of TomTom. From Cavedish it was up Water Lane to Glemsford, and the rest you can probably guess. Our average was 15.7 (4mph slower than Sunday) and our distance I seem to remember nudging sixty (56, actually - I just checked)
Next week it's going to be











SOMEONE'S 75th BIRTHDAY