Unexpected and oily looking black clouds approached over the coast on the north east wind as riders arrived at the Pretty Corner assembly point. Fortunately the holiday weekend small bunch soon rode into clearer conditions as they headed inland. The coastal strip however did receive some rain, as evidenced by 1.2mm in the rain gauge back in N.E. Norfolk.
Only four Wheelers headed south via Corpusty and Reepham, where they were caught by new man Ian A, ex Dittons Velo, who meet at The Bear in Esher, Surrey. Ian had been delayed by a recalcitrant garage door lock at his new house, so followed a short cut in a vain attempt to cut off the bunch and then, guided by the downloadable route file for the day, set off on a 12 mile chase to join the group.
Good progress was made on quiet lanes as far as Gressenhall church, from where even quieter lanes were anticipated over Bushey Common and the Podmore ford. Instead the small bunch were confronted by dozens of vehicles travelling in both directions on tiny lanes barely wide enough to take a single vehicle. Lesson: don’t organise a club run down these lanes on the weekend of the Maui Waui Festival of Dub, Techno, Trance, Electro and Reggae at Hill Farm, featuring China Bull Shop, Dub Pistols, Teapad Orchestra, The Iron Bootscrapers and Captain Flatcap. Once away from the cultural hot spot of Dereham however, it was plain sailing via Daffy Green to the King’s Cafe at Shipdham, at 5.2 kms the longest village in Norfolk. The cafe was converted nine years ago (seems longer) from one of a former total of 27 pubs in Shipdham. Only the Golden Dog remains today.
It was a slightly longer route back into a lot of north easterly wind, via Garvestone, Mattishall, Elsing, Bawdeswell, Foxley, Themelthorpe and Craymere ford to the familiar lanes back from Briston.
Group: Mark; Jim; Ian A; Harvey; Brian.
Distances: 69 miles to 83 miles.
North Norfolk Wheelers 