Updates

Two riders met at PC on a hot and sunny morning, fortunately cooled all day by a NE breeze. Graham A would meet us at Waxham after checking out the new bike shop, Woods Cycles at Mundesley, in the former Corner House Café. The verdict was that it is early days but looks promising.
We picked Jim up at Aldborough and set off for Barningham, Worstead, Honing, Ingham, Calthorpe Street to Sea Palling and Worstead. Even though we covered the 31 miles at an average speed of 16.1mph, Graham had got there first and had bagged us a table. The café was busy and there was also a wedding being prepared for in the barn. The bride arrived in a motorhome, which was different, it may also have doubled as the honeymoon suite.

Malcolm arrived from St Olaves with his perfectly clean titanium bike gleaming in the sun and joined us for lunch and a good chat, before heading back home, for a round trip of 45 miles at a 16.2 avg, it would seem that sun made us all faster today.

Our return route started with a southerly leg to Hickling before heading north to Lessingham and then a tour of the lanes via Crostwight with its unusual church tower, then Knapton, Trunch and Lower Southrepps, where Graham turned off for Cromer.
The remaining trio took the usual route west to Hanworth and the Thurgarton crossroads, where we split ways, leaving just one to retrace the route back to PC.

PC to PC was 64 miles at brisk 15.6mph average
Neil Mc, Mark, Jim, Graham A and Malcolm joining us for lunch.
No Harvey today, though he did provide an enjoyable route.

Only two Wheelers were available for the ride to the Rising Sun in Coltishall. An overcast sky and north wind kept the temperature in check until around lunchtime, when the clouds cleared and the sun was very hot out of the wind.
Our route south took us via Alby Hill, Suffield, Swanton Abbott, Worstead, Anchor Street, Ashmanhaugh and across the two railways into Coltishall.

As we arrived at the Rising Sun, we could see that it was very busy, with no free tables outside, so after checking there were no other Wheelers waiting for us, we went up the road to the No.77 café, which was quiet. We found a well shaded table outside and enjoyed our lunch and drinks.
On our return leg we decided to do some sightseeing and went down to Horstead Mill and the now disused navigation lock, the first of five, that allowed wherries to travel up-river to Aylsham, from 1779 until the great flood of 1912 which damaged all the locks beyond economic repair. https://www.bnctnorfolk.org.uk/navigation-history
Incidentally, it was the same flood that destroyed the bridge at Itteringham.
We continued our adventures by taking the partial unmade road which runs around the east side of Coltishall airfield, two very good sections of tarmac are joined by a short section of rough unmade farm track, but perfectly rideable on sturdy tyres. We then looped around the top of the airfield on the main road and then turned south back into the old base via Scottow church before heading for Buxton, Brampton, Banningham, Erpingham and on to Sustead where we parted ways.

PC to PC was 51 miles at a leisurely 13.4mph average.
Graham A and Mark M
Reminder that next week’s ride is to the new café at Binham.

https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1958443?units=km

Five riders, led by Graham, left Pretty Corner en route to Pensthorpe and pushing against an increasing westerly breeze. The group went southwards to Barningham Winter, turned to visit Baconsthorpe, Edgefield and Hunworth negotiating gravelly roads. Via Thornage and Sharrington the A148 was crossed to Bale. A rear puncture caused the leader to short pause the excursion. Fakenham was reached via Hindringham, Gt Snoring and Thorpelands. The two miles to Pensthorpe on the A148 were dealt with rather frantically.

Lunch was enjoyed on a busy patio area. A few birds such as ducks, sparrows, pidgeons and a solo black headed gull caused amusement by competing for scraps left on tables and paving. The route back to PC went via Kettlestone, Hindolveston and Melton Constable near where three riders peeled off. The remaining two soon got to PC via Edgefield after a ride of about 46 miles.

Riders: Mark M, Duncan S, Neil Mc, Ian W (a new rider for Wednesdays) and Graham A leading

Journey to the Centre of Norfolk: Six Wheelers left Pretty Corner to collect one more at Heydon, but one was out only for a short morning lung-opener. The bunch pushed a strong SSW wind via Saxthorpe to Reepham, the valley of the Wensum, Elsing, Etling Green, Cutthroat Lane, Yaxham and the Thorpe Row lane to the King’s Cafe, formerly the King William pub (known locally as the ‘King Billy’). Refreshments were taken out of the wind in a large new gazebo that has appeared since the last time that any of the Wheelers visited. It was a pretty brisk tailwind-assisted ride back by way of Daffy Green, Scarning, under the A47 to Podmore ford and the hidden network of lanes through to Gressenhall. From here it was a relatively short route back, down the Blackwater, over to Billingford, Bintree and Foulsham to Hindolveston and the familiar roads back to Red Barn Lane.

Group: Brian; Graham A; Harvey; Jim; Mark; Neil S + Ian W (making his first appearance since 2019, but out only for a short morning expedition).

Distances: 52 miles to 80 miles.

https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1951514?units=km

Four Wheelers met at PC, to be greeted with a light rain shower, that would continue intermittently for the next hour. We set off on a south-easterly course via Hanworth, Suffield and North Walsham to pick up John S in Honing.
Alas, the pick up didn’t go as planned. The roads around Honing had just been resurfaced, so John decided to head out to meet us and to take us on a route to avoid the resurfacing. We arrived at the other end of the resurfaced road and decided to try a detour to avoid it, without much luck as it turned out, and in the process missed John.
So as we arrived into Honing, John phones from White Horse Common. It’s decided that we will continue on and catch up with John another day. However, the thought of missing out on 1940’s style Spam fritters was enough for John to organise a lift with his wife and to chase us down, catching up with us on the Brumstead Road. We were most surprised to see John and his bike emerging from a car. Chapeau John!
By now the clouds had been blown away by a steady Southerly wind and it was very warm as we continued to Sea Palling, Waxham to Horsey.
Poppylands was busy with people indoors and out, though we were able to get a shaded table outside. Poppylands is a 1940’s themed café and does it very well, with lots of period memorabilia and quirky menus. Sadly, today the Spam fritters were off the menu but corned beef hash served in a mess tin was popular, with three Wheelers choosing it. The tea cosy was in the shape of an aircraft, though one which had crashed into the drink a few times too many.
Suitably fed and watered and now with a tail wind, we retraced our route to Sea Palling, then along the beach road to Lessingham, Ridlington to Bacton Woods, where John headed for home. Then it was the regular route to Knapton (where they are still digging up the road), Trunch, South and Northrepps, where Graham A headed for Cromer, Metton, Gresham and PC.

PC to PC 59 flattish miles with an average speed of 14.5 miles
Andrew B, Graham A, Graham J, John S and Mark M leading