NORTHERN NEWS

Number 152                                                                             

Mar 07

                  

Photo; Tom Moore

One of the six wells at Tissington’s Well Dressing which

will be visited on Thursday 17th May this year.

Further details of this car-assisted ride from Tom Moore.

 

 

NEXT COPY DATE – TUESDAY 24th APRIL

 

 

HON SEC’S JOTTINGS                                           

by John Bedford

 

Cycle Jumble. The event on 3rd March was the most successful one that we have held. The Club made just over £450, which will be spent on the NN and its colour inserts, and an enhanced social programme. Thank you to the large number of you who helped to make this a worthwhile event both financially and socially.

Cycling Instructors. Dawn Latham of Sutton Central Group is wishing to recruit experienced cyclists who would be willing to be trained to teach cycling skills to children and young people. Anybody interested please contact Dawn on 07962  593 645. Having been trained myself I may be able to give some general information. Dawn is also involved with the Sutton Park wardens in organizing a Family Cycling Day in Sutton Park on Sunday 17th June.

A Night Out. Members are invited to join Beryl and myself for an evening of Big Band music at The David Lloyd Centre, Shady Lane, Great Barr on Sunday 15th April, starting at 8pm till 10-30pm. Garry Allcock’s Allstar Big Band will be playing as usual, and Dave Chance will be the guest singer. £8 entry. If interested let Beryl or myself know and we will try and reserve a table for us all.

Heart of England Rally is to be held this year on 12th and 13th May. The Northern is hosting the two Saturday rides. Paul Nicholson will be leading a 30 mile ride to Ridge Lane and Coleshill, whilst Val and Chris will be leading a 50 mile ride to Aston Cantlow. There will also be two Audaxes; the 100km Warwickshire Wanderer and the 160km Cotswold Challenge, both organized by the Southern Wheelers.

In the evening John Evans is organizing a 3-course meal at The Plough at Shustoke (6pm for 6.30pm) which costs just £8. Pre-booking is essential by 28th April. Please support this event as we have 40 places to fill. Why not treat your other half, partner, friend to an evening out in convivial surroundings.

On the Sunday there will be the ‘Celebration of Cycling and Memorial’ Service on Meriden Green at 11am. Bring your own sandwiches to eat in the village hall afterwards before riding the Pace-Judging Challenge ride in the afternoon.

Beryl and I have copies of the full programme and hope that you can support this event which has been offered for many years.

Club Jerseys. Val Jones has still in stock a medium long-sleeved                                                                                                  

and a large short-sleeved club jersey. These are subsidized by about £20 each out of club funds.

Kidderminster Cycle Jumble

Saturday, 28th April 2007. Forest Glades Leisure Centre,

Bromsgrove Street, Kidderminster.10am to 1pm. Entry £1. Pay carpark opposite. Further details, Doug Pinkerton 07778 429 313.

People. We are delighted that Tony Hall is back onhis bike and that our Chairman, Brian Hailing, is now able to do full rides. We are sorry to hear that both Pam and Marti have had to cancel their Majorca trip, and send them our very best wishes.

*****

AUDAX

 

Yes it’s that time of the year again.

We will be running our usual 3 rides from the Shenstone clubhouse on Sunday 22nd April.

 

CASTLETON CLASSIC 213k starting at 08:00. Entry £5.50

DERBYSHIRE DALES 160k starting at 08:30. Entry £4.50

STAFFORDSHIRE LANES starting at 09:00. Entry £3.75

 

Details from Geoff Findon  0121 6018973

 

If you are not riding any of the events then will you please give a couple of hours of your time to help.

Marshals are required for The Little Fawn café at Milford and for both shifts at Wyaston village hall.

Travelling expenses will be paid.

 

Please remember that these events and the Cycle jumble are the main fundraiser’s for our club, and can only continue if club members are prepared to give up a couple of hours to help. Thanks.

 

UN GOUT DE FRANCE                                             

by Mary Evans

 

John and I would like to say a big thankyou to all those who came to the French Evening on 27th February at the Clubhouse. We truly feel that it was a most enjoyable and successful evening. It was heartwarming to see so many happy, smiling faces.

 

Special thanks go to Val Jones, Audrey (‘Yvette’) Howkins, Pam Green and Judy (‘Madeleines’) Burnett for supplying much of the food, and to Geoff and Enid who brought along the popular St. Agur cheese! The music was supplied by John Griffin, Tom Moore and my neighbour Viv Sellars. John and Beryl provided the CD player. The music and songs by Charles Trenet, Yves Montand, Django Rheinhardt and Stefan Grappelli created a romantic and authentic French flavour to the evening.

 

We intend to have more evenings like this in the future e.g. a German, Spanish and /or Italian. We would also welcome any other ideas for social evenings at the Club.

****

JUST PUBLISHED

 

‘Four Fifty-Plus Fools Flit Fru France’ by Mike Newton

 

“Four over-fifty old men tour France, cycle over 900 miles from Biarritz to Caen, and pass through 16 towns twinned with British towns, raising money for five charities. The route included the Pyrenees, the Dordogne, the Loire Valley and Normandy. The reader  will find the book wonderfully entertaining and full of amusing and interesting digressions. The route was certainly challenging for old legs and their ‘biffons’ were severely tested, with one cyclist suffering from ‘white penis syndrome’. Letters and emails were sent to all the twinned towns mayors in hopes that crowds would line the streets as they arrived. The reception from all the French people that they met on the way was outstanding. They were greeted by dancing in the main square in Biarritz and bunting on display in many towns that they passed through. The latter part of the ride passed through towns historically rich in Second World War stories.”

Further details on www.1bm.me.uk/books

 

NO BAKE CHOCOLATE CAKE                              

by Mary Evans

 

As requested by many people who came to the Jumble Sale, here is the recipe for the No Bake Chocolate Cake

 

4 oz. Margarine

3 oz sugar

3 oz. Chocolate

3 tbs. Honey

14 slices of brown rye crispbread, well crumbled

(I use digestive biscuits)

2 oz raisins or chopped dates

6 oz chocolate (topping)

(being altruistic, I buy Fairtrade chocolate)

 

Melt margarine, 3 oz. Chocolate, honey and sugar together in a pan and stir in raisins or dates and biscuits/crispbread crumbs.

 

Press into a square tin/tray and set in the fridge.

 

If desired, melt 6 oz. of chocolate in a bowl over hot water and spread over the top.  Allow to set and cut into squares.

 

Reduce the amount of sugar or honey if desired for it is very sweet.

For the Jumble Sale refreshments, I doubled the quantities.

 

 

NORTHERN NEWS. Have it posted direct to you for the price of a stamp. No missed copies. See John or Beryl for details.

 

A GRAND DAY OUT                                            

by Sylvia Sharples

 

During the winter months when the days are short and the weather is unpredictable, one does not feel like venturing out on the bike much further than the local lanes. However they can become all too familiar and the prospect of seeing some new scenery makes a welcome change.

 

Bearing this in mind I boarded the train with my bike at Four Oaks railway station on a fine day in January. I alighted at Barnt Green some forty-five minutes later and with OS maps 139 and 140 firmly affixed to my bar bag, set off in a southerly direction.

 

The first part of my route was on quiet country lanes which lead to a bridge over the Worcester and Birmingham canal near Tardebigge. I stopped on the bridge to take in the views and I was not disappointed. A series of locks stretched as far as the eye could see and I later learned that this was the largest flight of locks in Britain, there being thirty locks in four miles. I was glad to be making this trip on my bike and not on a narrow boat.

 

Once again I was back in the saddle enjoying the bright sunshine and the gentle sloping gradients heading towards Woodgate. However, it was not long before I found myself behind a large flock of sheep completely blocking the road making passing impossible. Behind them was a farmer driving an old Land Rover with two very excited Border Collies in the back. I followed this entourage for about a mile when they came to a flood in the road and refused to move forwards. It was then that I decided to have a chat with the farmer in the Land Rover. He was a very friendly chap and advised me that he was moving the sheep to a drier location some two miles further down the valley.

 

He explained that the ewes were all pregnant with three lambs due in February and they could not be rushed because of their condition. Yes, they were on my route so I had to be content to follow at walking pace riding alongside the Land Rover whilst chatting to the farmer. During the next half hour I became a lot more informed about the subject of sheep farming and found our chat was very interesting.

 

At last the sheep were shepherded from the road into a field and I was able to continue on my way. My route continued south via Stock Green, Flyford Flavel, Bishampton and on to Inkberrow where I sat on a bench on the village green to eat my sandwich. There is a lovely old pub in the village but as I was behind schedule I was not tempted to take refreshments there as I had planned to take the three-thirty train home from Barnt Green.

 

So it was onwards through Feckenham, Upper Bentley and once again over the Worcester and Birmingham canal to reach Barnt Green in time to catch the three-thirty train to Four Oaks.

 

I arrived home just as the daylight faded. I had cycled just over forty miles, explored some new territory and had enjoyed a thoroughly interesting day. I must do it again soon.

 

NOSTALGIA                                                          

by Brian Langdell

Northern News Aug – Nov 1952

 

It was felt that the standard of riding was slipping and the editor reviewed the rules and the meaning of shouted instructions such as “Single out”, “Pothole”, “Roughstuff”, “Easy” which are still the same today. However “Car up” and “Car down” had been replaced with “Side up” which was considered better (but it did not last) due to confusion about what was “Up” and what was “Down”. The “Single out” manoeuvre was clarified as the nearside rider accelerates and the offside rider drops into position behind him.

 

A 14 year old boy from the Erdington Cottage Homes had published his report on their outing with the Northern to the Clent hills, a very creditable piece of clear and precise writing.

 

Jean Bolton took over the editorship of the NN, assisted by husband Albert.

 

Tom and Hilda Dorn took the family to Rhyl for their summer holiday, Hilda on her solo and Tom on the triplet with the young children. They rode it in one day 8am to 8pm, a distance of 108 miles!

 

Subs at the Shenstone clubroom were still 3D but takings had fallen, partly due to the racing splinter group (NBRCC) moving to ‘The Cock’ at Wishaw; however, the weekly rent of 4 shillings was well covered.

 

The Birmingham Post & Mail had an excellent photo (copy in the club album) of two ‘Northerners’ cycling down to Lynmouth to take a cheque for money collected within the Birmingham DA for the Flood Relief Fund.

 

‘A Bikeshop without a Bike!’ This eyecatching advert was for Wilson’s Cycle Shop in Aston. He did not stock complete bikes since his customers preferred to choose the components and either build it up themselves or get the shop to do it. If I remember correctly in these times a complete bike was subject to Purchase Tax whereas components were classed as spares and not taxed. Quite different today when it is cheaper to buy the complete bike. The latest fashion fad was coloured toeclips by Christophe available in red, yellow, white, blue or grey.

 

The ‘Alternatives’ had a rare easy day. Cycling down to Warwick they watched the finish of a 100 mile TT, then pottered on down to Stratford to spend an hour or more on the banks of the Avon. Warwick for lunch then they hired two motor boats to cruise up and down the river. A bit of sunbathing. Egg and chips at the café for tea before the ride home. A most unusual day for the group known for their mile eating rides.

 

One mechanically minded member could not decide which was the better rear derailleur, the Simplex or the Cycle Benelux, liking some features of one over the other. So he built a hybrid and had in the year completed two long tours successfully using it!

 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR                                       

by Roy Bishop

 

Just a few lines to thank you for all the hard work you are still putting in to the club. I have been promising myself a Friday coffee morning out at The Dog Inn but don’t think I made it once in 2006. Perhaps in 2007; or I will have to give up this part time working as it really cramps your style.

 

I have been Audaxing all year and rode the Etape du Tour again. Finished inside the time limit but not as well as in 2005. The heat on the day was phenomenal. People were recording temperatures of 42 degrees at the bottom of Alpe d’Huez with 9 miles and 21 hairpins still to go! Over one third of the starters were eliminated by the intermediate time limits or dropped out. I put in the competitor’s questionnaire that I thought the time limits were too tough on the day; particularly as the later riders found the revitalment stations had run out of drinks, (the ones who probably needed it most). I should have told them to come to the Castleton Classic to see how a cycling event should be run.

 

Don’t know if I will be able to ride the Classic  this year. I hope to ride the Paris-Brest-Paris in 2007 so I have already looked at the Audax calendar. Unfortunately, the Elinith 300 from Kidderminster is on the Saturday and I need it for a qualifying event. I don’t expect to finish it much before midnight and the ride home would not see me in bed before 2 am. It’s a real shame as I really like all three routes and use them as training rides when there are no events on locally.

 

I very much enjoy reading your articles (and others) in The Northern News, both from the past and your current trips to America etc. I have to be very disciplined not to read it from cover to cover the day it comes, (when I should be doing other things).

 

I know there is a great deal of experience in The Club, but if there are any current or new members who are interested in doing some Audax events, I would be very pleased to help them if I can.

 

CONNECT2 IN SOLIHULL & WARWICKSHIRE

What is Connect2 about?

Connect2 is all about connecting people to people, people to places and people to pride in their local community. This nationwide community project aims to create a more active and positive future for ourselves and our children.

How will Connect2 make a difference?

Sustrans, the charity behind Connect2, is working with partners around the UK to overcome long-standing barriers such as busy roads, railways or rivers that are dividing communities and making it difficult for people to travel by foot or bike as part of their everyday lives. This might mean building a foot or cycle bridge just for people over a river or railway, creating a pleasant path for people that by-passes the by-pass, or linking up existing traffic-free paths.

Connect2 and the Big Lottery Fund

Connect2 is one of the projects competing for a single multi-million pound grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s Living Landmarks: The People’s Millions competition. The winner will be decided by public TV vote in Winter 2007/08 and it is hoped that Connect2 will be successful in going forward to this vote and, of course, in then winning the grant which will make Sustrans’  Living Landmarks vision a reality.

What has happened so far?

Last year Sustrans invited people to submit ideas for Connect2 projects and received over 400 bids. These have now been reduced to a “long-list” of about 140. Further work is underway to reduce it to about 75 for the final bid.  Those projects which are most feasible, provide the greatest benefits and have strong community support have the best chance of being selected for the final bid. 

Connect 2 in Solihull

Solihull MBC is supporting two schemes promoted by Warwickshire County Council which cross the Solihull and Warwickshire Border:

Coleshill to Fordbridge via Chelmsley Wood. This scheme would link and upgrade existing paths to provide a new route from North Solihull to the rural areas to the east of Coleshill. It would provide a link between National Cycle Network Route 53 and the North Warwickshire Cycleway. It would reduce the severance to Coleshill caused by the numerous motorways in the area. It would create new opportunities for the people of North Solihull to obtain the health benefits of regular cycling.

Berkswell to Kenilworth Greenway The upgrading of the footpath along this disused railway will create a marvellous off-road route which could match the popularity of the well-established Stratford Greenway. It also will create a new link between parts of the National Cycle Network and to Warwick University.

What can I do to Support these Schemes?

First find out more about Connect2 at www.sustransconnect2.org.uk  Then pledge your support for these two projects. The detailed project pages are:

www.sustransconnect2.org.uk/projects/project_detail.php?id=21 (Fordbridge to Coleshill) www.sustransconnect2.org.uk/projects/project_detail.php?id=146 (Berkswell to Kenilworth).

Finally start or join discussions on these projects – there are online forums for projects in the “Have your say” section of the website.

It will only take 10 minutes of your time to do this. Please do your bit by pledging your support. Please also copy this information to other people who may be interested in Connect2 and ask them to offer their support.

 

 

CENTUAR                                                             

by Arthur McHugh

 

Because of her strange nature, she could roam

The airy vaults of myth, although her home,

A modern structure in a quiet street,

Was far from Neptune’s realm of waves and foam.

 

She knew the woods and lanes for miles around,

She knew where crouching pheasants could be found,

She knew where Pan piped by the riverbank,

And she would often listen for that sound.

 

It was her habit just to stand and wait

To see what happened: by a five-bar gate,

A mild-eyed Houyhohom whinnied at her once,

As though bemoaning its inferior state.

 

By mirror-pools, Narcissus-like, she’d pause

To watch the watchful pike, with fearsome jaws,

Waiting in some deep shadow for its prey,

The heedless dragonfly on wings of gauze.

 

When purple clouds hung low above the wold,

And claps of summer thunder crashed and rolled

Across the sky to the horizon’s rim.

She heard Thor’s hammer, as men did of old.

 

On a canal that wound its way nearby,

A painted narrow-boat, the ‘Torelei’,

Slid out from underneath a humpback bridge

And chugged away between flat fields and sky.

 

And when the rain had soaked the earth below,

She marvelled at that many-coloured bow

Which Iris, heavenly messenger, employed

When she appeared to mortals, long ago.

 

One autumn evening, wreathed in mist and smoke,

The moon half-hidden by a cloud’s black cloak,

She came on dainty Ariel and Puck

Conversing underneath an English oak.

 

Another time, light snow began to fall,

Then more and more, until its icy pall

Lay over everything: and on that day

She clearly saw the Snow Queen’s frozen hall.

 

No matter where each day’s excursion led,

Just like the rooks who flew above her head,

She’d try to be home before night fell

And put her bike in the garden shed.

 

CLUB CYCLING TO WORLD TOURING 

by Steven Montgomery

 

10 days in Morocco at the end of the winter, we were expectant of some sunshine, but also found several days of heavy rain in the Saharan desert of all places. Starting in Marrakesh we booked on-line to stay in a funky designed traditional Riad in the walled Medina run by a French gay couple. This was in stark contrast to the maze of organic alleyways of the old town it was part of. Stepping into a world of chic from the wild, colourful, intimidating but friendly world within a world of the Souk.

Getting lost was expected and part of the fun, then finding ancient Islamic study schools to visit and mosque doors to peep in and catch a glimpse of the praying. In between grabbing a mint tea and talking with many of the friendly locals. There were some difficult hawkers too, but generally if you initiated the conversation you could expect to meet incredibly friendly people.

Islamic culture here is very strong but also very relaxed and accommodating in its people. Women don't generally go out to the cafe in Moroccan culture and the man and wife lead quite separate lives out of the home. It’s quite common to see men or women holding hands here, but rarely men holding women's hands. Although many women do not have their heads covered this is quite a relaxed Muslim country and although officially illegal, homosexuality is tolerated.

We took a bus over the snow covered High Atlas pass of Tizi n'Tichka 2260m over to the red coloured former French garrison town of Ouarzazate and visited the nearby Atlas film studios. Set in the desert against a mountain backdrop that could be Tibet this is a popular film location, including Gladiator, The 10 Commandments, Cleopatra, Kundun, Lawrence of Arabia and the Jewel of the Nile. Inside we could walk around ancient huge Egyptian temples built from polystyrene, then past Moses' old home and the slave markets where Gladiator was made.

We took a car from here for 4 days, the next day driving through the desert through pouring rain through red towns, villages and passed ruined kasbahs, or fortified buildings. Driving up Dades gorge in torrential rain and snow, up winding roads and through streams that ran right across the road, we finally settled on a nice looking but overpriced and cold hotel to shelter for the night. The next day rewarded us with sunshine and a drive through snow up the gorge and into the High Atlas through scenery and Moroccan villages that wouldn't be out of place in an Afghanistan winter.

In between gorges we sped through the altiplano flat desert road, stopping to shout and scream at the nothingness and space. We arrived at night in the Oasis town of Tinerhir; driving at night is tricky as you don't need lights if you are travelling less than 20kph to allow for things like goats, bikes and mopeds. Even so in town people walk in the middle of the road and leave their bikes on the floor in the middle of side roads, it makes driving very testing.

The Todra gorge was more stunning but didn't have the villages. We almost grounded the car snaking on a road which had half fallen away and reduced to snow on top of rubble. We gave up in the end and walked up a flash flood river valley (in the sunshine) for a picnic, it was one of those inspiring travelling moments in the mountains with sun and snow.

Quite a bit of driving was still ahead of us and a night in the desert town of Er Rachidia. Then over the the High and Middle Atlas to Fes. One of the places we stopped at on the way, Zeida, a one street nowhere town, had excellent butchers and Tagine stalls. Over lamb tagines and absinthe tea we had a crazy talk in French with the cook.   “I may be a simple cook in this small town,” he said, “but I have a book beside me and at the same time I am studying Science, Philosophy, in particular etymology and the life of Isaac Newton.” He told us all about the genius and life of Sir Isaac from behind the excited eyes of someone inspired by a thirst for knowledge. A true Buddha.

The ancient city of Fes, or the Baghdad of the West, was like Marrakesh, a place to inspire your senses. Fes is the most complete medieval city if the Arab world, one of the most amazing spectacle cities of the world, one of the major intellectual and cultural cities of the Arab world and rivalling the great university cities of Europe. With a mile long network of Souks getting lost is something you do without trying.

The last night was quite amusing, we met with Joseph, an English traveller studying Arabic culture. In our quite posh hotel there was also a nightclub, designed inside like a mosque but with comfortable seating all looking out into the room. We shared an apple shisha pipe in a room mostly populated by wealthy middle aged Moroccan men and some rough looking prostitutes. The prostitutes here were dancing with the some of the men and a guy in the corner was singing and playing pretty good Arabic music on his synth.

Will definitely be coming back to Morocco....

Return flights were £70 using EasyJet and RyanAir

 

 

SYLVIA’S DAY OUT. See page 6

 

MOROCCO. See page 13.

  Atlas Mountains

 

   A Madrassa  Snake Charmer