NORTHERN NEWS

Number 139                                                                                                                                  Aug 05

  

 

HON. SEC’S JOTTINGS                                                                                                by John Bedford

Contributions are welcome, either handwritten or typed. If using the internet it would be helpful to me to send it using Microsoft Word to parkcycles@yahoo.co.uk Whilst the next copy date is 4th October I would like to get the majority typed before we go away on tour on the 14th September. (Not America again?)

Aspirations. With the recent increase in riders I would hope that we could shortly have a regular C ride on a Sunday. We are also hoping to do some recruiting at the opening of the New Hall Valley Country Park on Bank Holiday Monday, with particular emphasis on Family Rides. Volunteers would be very welcome to look after these two initiatives till they become established.

Telephone list. This should be available shortly. E-mail addresses are being added, but the list may not be complete.

Dates for your Diary.

Winter Clubroom. Carrs Lane Church Centre, Centre of Birmingham. 7-30pm. Finish about 9-30pm.

THURS.13th  October. ‘Images of India’ by John Bennett

THURS. 10th November. ‘A Medley of Mountains’ by Bob Tinley.

THURS. 8th December. ‘Tandem Trotting’ by Peter Clare.

Come along and meet our friends from South Birmingham, and see how other folks tour.

 

Tues  1st  Nov. Section AGM, Richard Cooper Hall, Shenstone, 8pm for 8.15.

 

Sat. 12th   November.  Coventry Section Slideshow. “Cycle Touring in America” By John Bedford.  Friends’ Meeting House. Central Coventry. 7.30pm.

Sun.13th  November.  DA AGM at Whitacre Heath. 12 noon.

Sun. 18th December. Meriden Carol Service.

 

FOR SALE Dawes Double Blue 22” Racer. 12speed indexed.

27” steel wheels. Weinmann CP brakes. Ideal leather saddle.

Circa 1964. Offers about £30. Tony Gray. Tel 382 7218

FOR SALE Orbit Mixte Ladies. 18 ½” frame, 27x1 ¼” wheels.

42-52 chainset, 5speed. Rack. vgc £30. Andy Wilkie, Tel 323 3072

 

 

SLOW & SORE TO WYEVALE                                                                                by Charlotte Cross

(A title to compete with John’s ‘Wet & Wild in Texas’!!)

 

On the 29th May my husband and son returned home after completing an 8mile cycle ride in Sutton Park for Cancer Research. They casually dropped a leaflet on the kitchen table reading:-

 

NORTH BIRMINGHAM CYCLING CLUB

LADIES INVITATION RIDE.   SATURDAY 4th JUNE.

 

The leaflet promised the ride would be slow and we would visit Wyevale Garden Centre for a coffee and a chat. The coffee and the chat grabbed me straight away! Always having resisted all forms of exercise, as the very thought of the effort required puts me off, how was I going to get my coffee & cake?

 

Well, I turned up at Streetly Gate on the 4th June to meet a lovely bunch of people. We had a steady ride all through the country lanes to Shenstone. John gave us some historical tit bits on the way, and with the lovely company and the country scenery and wildlife I was soon at Wyevale enjoying a cup of tea and a piece of cake! I’d made it and it didn’t even feel it had been a terrible effort!

 

I was pleased with myself for completing the ride. It had boosted my confidence and I felt very inspired and determined to ride again.

 

My aching bottom did remind me all week how much I had enjoyed the ride!

 

THE NORTHERN'S SUMMER B.B.Q.                                                                        by Brian Hailing

 

The event went very well, Paul and Sue looking after us as if they were our kids. The better looking of us even got "seconds". It would have been a little more like a Barbie if we could have sat outside, everyone had parked their bikes away from the tables, so thank you for that. After carefully checking the rate of cooling of a hot sausage outside, the diners were easily convinced to remain indoors, after all it's only midsummer!!!

 

Modes of transport to the Friday Run have always been very varied, but I think that at the Barbie the boundaries were extended even further.

 

Up until now the most odd transport used was by our greatly loved, and missed, cycling colleague George Dale. When unable to see very well, he removed the complete drive mechanism from his bike and replaced it with a piece of broom handle though the bottom bracket and scooted it from Lichfield station to The Dog.

 

We now, however, have a new standard, when Jennie and Bernard Fookes turned up IN THEIR LONGBOAT. Bernard was good enough to leave his captains hat on board.

 

Thanks to all of you who supported the event and made it a very happy occasion.

 

FOUND at The Dog

Very Mod. Sunglasses in transparent case. Lenses very narrow.

Phone Brian on 0121 240 1292.

 

THE GOLDEN BEECHES WEEKEND - 22/23 October

This year our base is Stokenchurch. a large village on the Bucks / Oxfordshire borders, which is on the A40 and just off the M40 (junction 5) so access is easy from most directions; the nearest rail station is at High Wycombe. Some of the best Chiltern scenery - with Red Kites in abundance - is within easy reach and the colours should be good by late October.

 

The event headquarters is at the Longburrow Hall on the rural outskirts of the village away from traffic; all the rides start and finish here, and it's the venue for Saturday evening meal and 'late lunch' on Sunday for those who book in advance. Other attractions at the hall include a Saturday evening slide show, a quiz and 'bike shop' - as well as light refreshments before the rides, and on Saturday afternoon. There is plenty of parking at the hall, plus a free public car park a few minutes away. Picnic food - sandwiches, fruit etc - is available from either of two shops nearby.

 

Rides - there are three on-road options to suit all abilities, plus two scenic routes on the Chiltern bridleways. Ride in a group with a local leader, or follow the route at your own pace; detailed instructions provided. Refreshments during the on-road rides will be available at cafes, garden centres and pubs. On-road rides (all covered by OS Landranger 165 and 175) are as follows:

 

Saturday (led groups leaving hall 10.30am)

Short (25 miles) - an easy ride to Ewelme for lunch and an opportunity to look round this interesting village at the foot of the Chilterns; one long climb in the afternoon followed by a scenic but easy return.

Medium (43) - quiet roads in the Vale of Aylesbury lead to a traffic-free route through wooded parkland to Waddesdon; the return includes some excellent and wide-ranging views and a visit to historic Thame before climbing back on to the Chilterns.

Longer (56) - a ride through the hills leads off the Chilterns to Thame and Waterperry with gardens, tea-room and historic church, returning by Chalgrove and climbing back into the scenic heart of the Chilterns before returning to the hall.

Sunday (led groups leaving hall at 9.30am)

Short (25) - by pretty wooded, lanes to a coffee-stop near Henley-on-Thames, returning south of the river, crossing at Hambleden Lock before climbing gently - and at one point steeply' - back to base.

Medium (36) - into the scenic SW Chilterns, and down to the Thames at Benson, returning via historic Ewelme followed by a ride back along the escarpment.

Longer (47) - along the escarpment and down to Benson, then a challenging hilly ride to Henley, with some Thames towpath, returning by Hambleden Lock before climbing back to Stokenchurch.

Booking forms will be ready in August, and must be returned to me by 12 October. For those travelling from further afield who may want to arrange accommodation in good time, there's a list of local B&B addresses. Campsites: Karma Farm, City Road, Radnage (2 level miles away) has basic facilities (2 loos and wash-basins, and one shower), some electric hook-ups - and lovely views! £7 per unit per night, plus electricity (Tel. 01494 484136). White Mark Farm, Watlington (6 miles away including a big hill) has more toilet facilities but no electric hook-ups; about £4 per night (Tel. 01491 612295). We may arrange a group booking for Golden Beeches participants at one of these sites -suggest you contact me before making an individual reservation.

For accommodation list or booking form please send sae or e-mail me at johnandcilla@btopenworld.com

The booking form will also be available on our South Bucks DA website www.southbuckscycling.org.uk

Cilla Gosnell, 40 Sixty Acres Rd, Prestwood, Gt Missenden. Bucks HP16 OPE (tel. 01494 863679)

 

{Beryl & I will be there. How about making a club weekend of it?

You’ll be sure of a warm welcome}

 

CHARITY RIDES FOR THE BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION UPDATE                                   Mary Evans

 

The revised total for the above is now £221.00.

Thankyou all once again.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

PASSIONATE ABOUT CYCLING                      by John Bedford

My First Overseas Tour (continued)

 

At the age of 17 my friend Ashley and myself undertook our first overseas tour from Loughborough to France,Belgium and Holland. In the last issue we had arrived at Utrecht after 7 days and 513 miles of cycling.

 

We were woken at 4.30am by a group of French chaps who chatted until 7am when the rising bell went. We had a pleasant ride to s’Hertogenbosch along a Rijwad which twisted through the country villages with their charming houses (according to my diary). We arrived at Vucht at 3 o’clock; the hostel was already full and we were directed to a nearby Catholic hostel. In the evening it was raining hard but a Law student took us to a friend’s house where we had a chat over a cup of coffee. There was a great crowd, a sort of international gathering with German, Dutch and others present. A dozen of us were squeezed into a small room. Back at the hostel we had the luxury of single beds in our own room – a real contrast to the previous night.

 

We got away by 9.30 and raced to Eindhoven where there is a large Philips lamp factory. It was a Dutch Bank Holiday, the shops were closed, but there was the inevitable fair. On the road to Weert we dug in behind an autocycle for 10 miles. We arrived at Beegden hostel early, arriving just as the rain came down. We helped a cycling Scotsman who was having rear mech. problems. “I noticed the warden had a very nice daughter.” Well, I was seventeen!

 

Then on through Reormond, Sittard and Maastricht with the wind against us. This part of Holland was hillier and similar in places to the Surrey Downs. We had now run out of Dutch money so we had to wait until we had gone through Customs into Belgium before we could buy lunch. We arrived at Angluer hostel about an hour before it opened so sat talking to three Americans from St. Louis who had been touring Germany. We only just managed to get into the hostel, which had straw-filled mattresses!

 

It was 10 o’clock before we got away from Angluer because of a dodgy saddlebag support. There was a good climb to Spa, but we were rewarded by some magnificent views. Ashley was now tiring and was slow on the hills. There were some pretty valleys to follow on the way to Comblain hostel. The facilities here were poor and expensive. It was also raining heavily again. I bought a glass of citreon – awful stuff, and ended up by dropping the glass – another 5F gone.

 

Earlier in the tour I had bought some full-size Dutch sabots or clogs (don’t ask me why). These were taking up a lot of room and the saddlebag support was gradually failing, so they were abandoned at the hostel. It was only a mile or so down the road when the saddlebag support finally gave way. An emergency job was done with a bit of string and the highering of the saddle. The weather was vile with a good storm and many showers as we passed through Marche and Rochefort on the way to Ave et Auffe hostel. That evening I found a length of wood to make a replacement saddlebag support, wedging it behind the seat tube and over the mudguard support. I also found that I’d only 1BF left and still half a day in Belgium!

 

More rain and storms the next day. The landscape changed from trees to agriculture and we crossed into France at midday. We didn’t arrive at Rheims hostel until 8pm, but still got in. Our evening walk took us to the floodlit cathedral.

 

We met four lads from Derby and Belper who were also going to Paris, so we decided to ride together. It soon became clear that Ashley and Gordon couldn’t keep up our pace so at Soissons they decided to use public transport for the rest of the way to Paris. We set a good pace. The road was good except for 5 miles of cobbles where we rode on the grass verge. We first spotted the Eiffel Tower about 10 miles out of Paris. We stopped at Paris Airport and got directions to the hostel in the centre. We actually rode past this a couple of times, thinking it was a public convenience – the hostel was located underground. We arrived at 8 and Gordon and Ashley made it by 9-15, after a long wait at Soissons. The Derby boys had prebooked 5 beds, and kindly said that they had brought an extra friend along. In fact one of their friends had decided not to join them. As there were only the prebooked beds available one of us had to sleep on the common room floor. I drew the short straw!

 

It was a very cold night because I didn’t have the comfort of a mattress. Ashley bought me tea in ‘bed’. We spent the morning looking round the main Parisien sights. We decided it was too expensive to go up the Eiffel Tower, and were too tired to walk up. We went to see the Tour of France finish, but had a 1 ½ hour wait, sustained by ice-cream. “There were many good mobile adverts. At last 3 riders, then a lone rider and then a large bunch.” As I wasn’t into racing no further details were recorded. In the evening we walked to Sacre Couer and Montmartre and “there were blokes playing accordions etc.”

 

The next day was again spent sightseeing, mainly around Notre Dame, the Madelaine, Opera and Montmartre. We even went back again to Sacre Couer in the evening when we seemed to have plenty of ice-cream and white wine. We also called in at a café where a gendarme proudly showed us his revolver.

 

At last it was time to leave Paris. An early start was required to cover the 90+ miles to the hostel at St. Pol. The plan was to leave at 9 o’clock, but Ashley found he’d a flat tyre so it was nearer 9 o’clock when we eventually set off. It was a good road from Paris, but soon became hilly. We saw 4 oxen pulling a cart in one of the  fields. We did some hard riding but missed a turn so went out of our way to Chantilly. We were resting at the roadside when a jolly chap pulled up and gave us a lift to Doullens. His father came from Grimsby but he knew few English words. He kept up a good speed and drove on the horn.

 

Eventually we found the hostel at St. Pol – but it was not a proper hostel despite being in the handbook. It was run by the Ministry of Education. After a lot of persuasion, and interpretation by the warden’s son, we got fixed up with two camp beds. There were no meals or self-cookers kitchen so we walked into St. Pol, bought some fruit and biscuits, and had a glass of cider in a small bar.

 

We were up early for the 80 mile ride to Calais, hoping to catch the 2-30 boat. The hills, heat and headwind eventually beat us and we gave up on the 2-30 ferry. We arrived at the hostel at 4pm.

 

Next day there was no hurry leaving the hostel as we planned to go for the 2-30 boat again. When we were ready to leave the hostel the warden had gone for his lunch so we couldn’t get our hostel cards until he returned at 1 o’clock. We then had to race down to the docks, losing Ashley somewhere in the town. Fortunately the ferry

was late leaving so we were able to be re-united. We were interrogated thoroughly by the Customs, but were eventually let through. We raced to Eastcliffe hostel but it was already full; fortunately we got into Town hostel.

 

Town hostel was only a temporary summer hostel. The warden was Joe Bedford, who, many years later, I met again at a Yorkshire hostel.

 

In Dover I bought a new saddlebag support and threw away the piece of wood. It was good to be on English roads again without any cobbles. It was a steep climb to Folkestone, and the heavy downpour didn’t help. Eventually we got to London, crossing the Thames at Tower Bridge. At the top of Highgate Hill there was a terrific thunderstorm and lightening for about ½ hour, and the roads became flooded. We arrived at Highgate hostel at 8pm but were told that all the London hostels were full. We had a meal and decided to cycle through the night again. We took the same route through St. Albans, Dunstable, Northampton and Leicester, arriving home in Loughborough at 9am.

 

After all of this I set off again the very next morning, cycling 50  miles to Leam Hall hostel in Derbyshire, enroute to meet my parents and sister for a walking holiday at Malhamdale HF in the Yorkshire Dales.

 

Ashley & I were away from home for 21 days and covered in excess of 1200 miles, bearing in mind that some days we did not cycle. We did two stretches of 190 miles overnight, and a couple of days of 94 miles. All in all quite an experience for my first overseas tour!