Road testing the tow path runner

The plan is to ride the 12 miles to one of my places of work - I go there twice a week on average. Most of the journey is do-able on the Lee towpath, and I need to be able to leave the bike lashed up whilst I'm at work without worrying too much about it getting nicked.

Introducing the new towpath runner....a 1937 BSA Gold Vase single speed. It is a birthday gift from Action Man, who was willed it by a friend who died last year. The friend had the bike from new, and did many many miles on it in the forties and fifties. Mick at Omega Cycles in Hoddesdon did a lovely job of restoring it to good working order and re-painting the frame.


Road testing on Saturday went well - a part towpath, part road, part cross country ride to a party at my parents' house in Watton-at-Stone, Herts. The last bit went through Bramfield Forest, which was full of bluebells and quite magnificent.

Easter mini tour of NW Suffolk

Action Man arrived on Easter Sunday with his rucksack and ill-formed plans for a two-day ride to Somewhere. We took all morning to find a suitable destination that had accomodation available, and set off in a Diss direction, following the delightful Low Road along the Waveney valley through tiny villages and then gorse-covered heathland up towards the Norfolk border, with the sound of a chime whistle from the Bressingham steam museum floating across on a lovely tail wind.

The wind made it an easy ride to our digs: the Cornwallis Hotel in Brome, near Eye. This beautiful Tudor hotel was perhaps a bit posher than we deserved after such modest efforts to get there, but never mind; we made up for it on the return leg with 50 miles against the wind.

Action Man is a big fan of Sandringham Class locomotives and he had spotted Quidenham on the map, whose Hall has a loco named after it. So from the hotel we looped north into Norfolk via Burston (see magnificent mill, pictured) and Shelfanger - this time hearing the sounds of a race meeting at Snetterton on the wind - to find Quidenham (pictured), now a Carmelite monestry.

West towards Newmarket

April Fool's Day. We headed West from Bury, blown along by a strong Easterly wind, and through the lovely rolling countryside of Little Saxham, Ousden, Upend (pictured - this spot hasn't changed; see here) into the horsey villages on the outskirts of Newmarket. The verges here are wide and beautifully kept; the roads deserted.

We were aimng for the King's Head at Dullingham, but found it closed for refurbishment and ended up at the Black Bull in Balsham for a very tasty roast dinner, served by friendly staff. A chap at the bar was complaining about something he'd read in his paper concerning a new version of darts, played with a square board. He was most unhappy. An April Fool.

Woolpit

25th March. Time was short so we did the short hop from Bury to Woolpit. Lunch at the Bull - unpretentious food, not expensive. Good.

Woolpit has its own website, which says:

"Woolpit is an attractive Suffolk village with period and modern houses nestling around a mediaeval village centre. Its lively community is richly provided with a wealth of clubs and organisations, and well served with shops and other amenities.

Its greatest claims to fame are: the legend of the Green Children, a mediaeval mystery of strange children appearing from nowhere, whose skin was green and who would only eat green foods; the beautiful church of St Mary, with its stunning hammer beams and angel carvings, perhaps equalled but unsurpassed in Suffolk; and the former brickworks, long since disused, the white bricks of which were used, locals claim, to build the White House in Washington, D.C.

These days Woolpit attracts tourists and painters who appreciate its picturesque setting and historical heritage, but those who live here also take pride in the annual Woolpit Festival, a medley of concerts, readings and theatre; in the 30 or more clubs and societies catering for a wide range of needs and interests; and in the development and care of their beautiful home village."

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.