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.