***STOP THE PRESS - DOS SANTOS LOSES 6 RIDERS***
Well this was a ride and a half. First half of the ride went well, except when Peter Eldon decided to have a puncture. Peter was trying to be a martyr by telling us all to go on, whilst he fixes the puncture. No one gets left behind on my watch! We helped poor old Peter fix the puncture as he was all thumbs, and we went on our merry way. All went well. We got to Thremhall Park, the service was a little slow, but the food was lovely as ever.
Extinction Rebellion is over. What did we learn? First, club activities probably qualify for some form of green accreditation - all those emission free miles. Smug virtue signalling all round. Could we do more? - enforcing a rule on riding to the start! Secondly, they demonstrated the multifarious uses of superglue. So, if you arrive at the cafe and have forgotten your lock? No problem - just glue your bike to a nearby wall while you refuel.
The bank holiday weekend meant that the 'Wings' café at North Weald airfield were doing some much needed refurbishment. Knowing that the village café at Hatfield Heath have catered for us before on Easter Sunday, I booked us a table there. The café was unusually quiet, quiet in the number of customers not in noise level, although lacking the two motor mouths who were asked to keep it down a couple of years ago on the same Easter Sunday. We were in fact quiet in noise level too.
There needs to be an escape from the news at the moment - all that disunity and name calling, tempers flaring and relationships straining...the spat between the Cambridges and Sussexes has certainly grabbed my attention, and I am deeply concerned about the consequences. Real doom and gloom.
A brief smattering of hail was the only negative on this category 6 ride to Vanstone’s Orchard Cafe, where both food and service have improved significantly. Its popularity is evidenced by three other cycling clubs making it their destination while we were there. There was nothing more of note, other than to welcome back Marcia and to welcome Russell on his first ride with us. Thirty four miles by eight riders. Well ridden, the Vanstone Cowboys.
Once again the sun came out to join us on our Sunday ride and who could blame him. He knows what a charming bunch of dapper gents and sophisticated ladies make up the cat sixers. Today these cool cats were fourteen in number, at least until one of us decided that she'd like to find out what it's like to ride with the ruffians for a change and jumped ship. Being bad can be good sometimes!
You can't beat a bit of the old currant bun for bringing out the numbers. The start was certainly busy with Wheelers ready to make up for the lousy weather of late.
The dirty dozen, a group specially chosen for this mission from the seediest parts of town and the toughest, roughest of prison populations, set off. Boldly going where no man had gone before. Well, to Theydon Bois!
The ride leader bailed after 4 miles - too icy.
The remaining two, Kate and Martin, carried on like Scott and Oates, although with more success. They earned kudos, two points, and some warming food. Not sure about the last achievement though - see below. A George Cross might be in the offing too.
Martin reports:
We got to Codicote, came straight back via Welwyn and Digswell. Couple of icy spots negotiated better than Gemma Collins. Riding on ice!!
Five Wheelers presented themselves for an appetiser ride prior to the new year lunch (or was it a belated Christmas lunch?). Fortunately the overnight rain and sleet had been blown away, although we were still left with the wind which made the outward leg through Wareside, Much Hadham and Standon a bit of a slog. Our turn to the south in Puckeridge gave us a nice chuff wind to assist us home through Latchford, Barwick and Wareside back to Ware, appetites duly sharpened after lumpy 21 miles.
