Save the Silver Ball for another day

Action Man and I were in East Herts this weekend and planned to ride to the Silver Ball transport cafe on the A10 at Reed. We know from past experience that pubs are usually fully booked for lunch on Mother's Day. In any case, the Silver Ball does cheap, OK food, and it's a nice ride.

Unfortunately we were a bit tight for time because of other commitments, and the strong wind was making things slow and cold. We decided to go to the Fox and Hounds in Clavering, in the hope they'd have some room and some lunch for us. But all we found was a sign on the door 'closed until further notice'. So we ate our emergency rations and returned to base camp.

We passed through Much Hadham out and back. Here's a photo of the High Street at it's narrowest point - usually choca with parked cars and a queue of Audi's, BMW's and Range Rovers waiting to get through.

It's noticeable after riding in Suffolk for a while, that the Hertfordshire lanes are busier with traffic, that the traffic goes much faster, and that the road surfaces are generally in poorer condition - appalling in places.

The other thing I notice - although less so today because the wind drowned out the noise - is aeroplanes. Whichever bit of sky you look at, there's invariably an aeroplane in it.

Bury St Edmunds to Clare, the pretty way

Perhaps it's the spring weather, or the call of my 40th birthday, or hormones perhaps, but I have once again caught the Cycling Bug. Last time this happened I gave up work to race; the time before I sold the car and rode to work and everywhere else.

Anyway, Action Man and I did a lovely ride today as per the leaflet in the Bury Tourist Office, to Clare. Hilly but fab. Terrific views, quiet lanes, pretty villages (am thinking chocolate box Cavendish and bleakly beautiful Hawkedon).

We lunched at The Globe in Clare, having spurned the pub next door (too smokey, bit rough, long wait for grub - that was the clincher). The garden of The Globe was full of Cambridge CTC types, on fixers, Moultons and Bromptons (and some ordinary tourers). Wearing our Herts Wheelers regalia, we were approached by a fellow from Stevenage, who likes to ride to Cambridge on a Sunday and ride from there with the CTC. He does 120/140 miles on such Sundays.

The Globe gets a Gold Star for service, grub and value for money (£9 for 3 courses - hardly Suffolk prices, in our experience - that's cheap).

Other highlights were the lovely spring sunshine, the three lots of deer sitings (none muntjaks), the waterfall, the ramblers who made way without audible complaint, and the complete absence of Scarey Incidents with Cars.