Ride report by Ian A
With the weather just about warm enough to shed gilets and arm warmers, Mark, Chris and Andy met at PC for the ride out to Reepham. (Though it was later noted that some had stowed gilets ‘just in case’.) The route went up Red Barn Lane to enjoy the descent to Gresham where they collected Doug and Clive at Gresham Church. Just a few minutes earlier Doug had seen Ian who stopped (very briefly!) to say ‘hello and see you at lunch’ as he was on his usual Zone 2 mission at a slightly slower pace.
The route went through Metton where a group of donkeys were seeking attention in a field by the roadside.
Then it was on to Hanworth, Calthorpe, Ingworth and Blickling and south to Cawston. The route then skirted Swannington before turning northwest to Whitwell to arrive at The Dial House around midday. Good timing as Ian had arrived just a couple of minutes earlier and couldn’t decide whether it was warm enough to sit outside. Thankfully the group were more decisive and we seated ourselves at a large round table outside.
The filled baps were good and the chocolate cake for a couple of the fat blokes looked really good. All was soon demolished and the coffee was up to their usual high standard. Andy retold the highlights of the ‘Society Wedding’ he attended in Kent last weekend; free booze all day with both a drinks marquee and a separate cocktail marquee. Sounds like it got a bit messy. Ian mentioned his golf at Royal Worlington and Newmarket Golf Club the previous day (some say the best 9 hole course in the world – Golf Magazine 2020).
Conversation then moved on to family war connections and how Mark’s granddad had inadvertently joined bomb disposal training by getting on the wrong truck. By this point Chris had left us for his normal solo fast run home – he had some brakes on his MX5 to paint before an upcoming trip to Italy in September. He seems to have far too many toys and spends an inordinate amount of time fettling with them rather than actually playing with them!
When it was time for the less time-pressured rest of us to leave, Doug was riding on to Norwich to meet his wife and drive her back after an eye appointment. As Ian wished him a safe ride, Ian slipped on his pedals and nearly fell off. Oh the irony.
The remaining 4 Wheelers continued on through Reepham, and on to Guestwick where Ian started to drift off the back (it’s a Zone 2 thing). The route continued on to Stody where Clive turned off to take a more direct route back to Blakeney. While this was happening, Ian had caught the peloton so that Mark, Andy and Ian were back together by the time they reached Hunworth. Then it was up Hunworth Road to Edgefield where Mark arrived (well) ahead of the other two. Andy turned for Corpusty leaving Mark & Ian to continue on to Hempstead, stopping soon after at Selbrigg Pond.
Still no swans, not even a duck. But a fair-sized pike doing what pikes do best i.e.very little. Despite some goading with a couple of small pebbles we failed to get any sort of a reaction. At the T junction Ian turned left for High Kelling leaving Mark to ride solo back to PC. A good day out in dry, mild conditions with a predominantly light north westerly tailwind out and headwind back.
PC to PC was 52.1 miles at an average speed of 15.1 mph (15.7 Out, 14.5 Back)
Riders: Andy S, Chris S, Clive A, Doug H, Ian A, Mark M.
Upcoming Rides –
Saturday 25th July – Bircham Mill – choice 67 or 100 miles – 9am Start
Wednesday 29th July – Skeyton Goat
Routes for rides on the website under Dates and Destinations: https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/
Visit the Clubs Runs Gallery for larger and more photos: https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/club-runs-photo-gallery/
North Norfolk Wheelers 