NORTHERN NEWS
Number 154
June 07
CHEDDAR GORGE as seen by Frank Patterson
See Mary’s article starting on page 2
NEXT COPY DATE – TUESDAY 31st JULY
HON SEC’S JOTTINGS
by John
Bedford
Lost Property. Somehow I have acquired a Derby & Burton
on Trent OS map (128). Does anybody lay claim to it?
Emergency Details. Are your details up-to-date on the form that we
suggest you carry on all Club rides. Have you changed your medication or
developed a new problem? Perhaps you have even lost your form? These simple
bits of paper may one day help to save
your life. New forms can be obtained from Beryl and myself.
A warm welcome to those new riders who have recently joined
us. I hope you are enjoying the rides. If there is any aspect that you are
unhappy about please talk to me or any other member of the Committee (listed
inside the front cover). All riders must be CTC members or have completed a
disclaimer form. Application for full membership should be made no later than
the fifth ride. Membership forms are available from any Committee member.
Don’t forget that Mildenhall Rally is on the August Bank
Holiday weekend, and that the South Bucks are holding their Golden Beeches
weekend in the Chilterns on 27th &
28th October. Please talk to Beryl or myself regarding details.
Early booking is advisable for both events.
St Mary’s Cycle Parking. I understand that there has been a
spot of bother with one or two market stall holders about cycle parking. Thanks
to Pam Green we now know that we can park on the cobbled area around the Church
Centre. If this problem still continues please have a word with the Market
Manager who has a little hut just nearby.
NN by post. It is possible to have the NN sent to you by
post. Just give Beryl or myself a £1 or so to just cover the postage costs for
a few issues. If we do see you on a ride and give you a copy you will not be
charged!
Pace Judging Comp will be held from the Clubroom on Tuesday, 26th
June. Don’t forget to bring your bike along that evening!
Bring & Buy
LOOKING FOR A CHALLENGE?
How about the 100
miles ride in 10 or 12 hours on Sunday 19thAug? Start training and
book the date now. Details from Chris Jones.
YOU ARE INVITED TO
Katie’s BBQ
On Sunday 26th August from
Estimated Cost £2-50.
Pre-bookingEsssential.
There will be the normal B & C rides, finishing at the BBQ
Further details available nearer the time
CHAIRMAN’S JOTTINGS
by Brian Hailing
Neville
Gamble celebrated his 80th birthday on March 30th, and
invited family and friends to a great party in Mere Green. Donations were made
for the Guide Dogs for The Blind, and Neville wishes to sincerely thank all
those who helped him raise a splendid £452 for the charity.
YES I DO
Know we haven’t had summer yet, but we do have to look ahead, just like looking
for potholes!! SO the Dog’s Dinner is
booked for Friday 14th December, usual arrangements will apply. Just
make sure you put this in your diary, and I will fill in the details nearer the
date.
Global
Warming? Just trundling along returning home with the team the other day, we
were amazed to find a very splendid PEACOCK crossing the road. What’s happened
to old fashioned chicken, I ask?
WILKIE SUNSHINE
by Mary Evans
20TH – 25TH APRIL 2007
Tour
Leaders:- Ken and Jane Wilkie.
This was an
energizing five day cycle tour and I think it was the best tour I have done.
The group was very diverse and there was an amazing array of bikes; Moltons, a
two wheeled recumbent, mountain bikes and hybrids. Unfortunately John decided not to cycle because of his hip but he
followed the route by car, meeting us at lunch stops and hotels.
For five
days we cycled in three counties;
DAY 1 – Far from the madding crowd to Casterbridge –
Twenty two
of us gathered for the start at the Holiday Inn Express and set off at steady
pace, following Tim who led us out of
It was not
long before we were winding our way through the lanes, passing through Stoke
St. Mary, West Hatch, eventually reaching Dillington House which is situated in
magnificent parkland and where Ken and Jane Wilkie were waiting for us with
refreshments! Cakes and bananas! The
house dates back to the l6th century and is, according to Simon Jenkins, one of
the most beautiful houses in
We noted a
very early Victorian Letter box built into a wall at Dinnington! Cycled through the Frampton Estate observing
the alpacas which, we were told, were there to protect the lambs from the
foxes.
Lunch was
at Hardington Mandeville where we relaxed for an hour before setting off for
We were
booked into three B & Bs.in Dorchester; evening meal was in Jagos
Restaurant which only opened for us!
The food was superb. We thumped
the table calling for the chef to appear so that we may show our appreciation
for the delicious meal he had prepared.
A good
start and promise of things to come!
48 miles
DAY 2 – Puddles and Piddles:
This was
the longest and hardest day of the tour.
60 glorious miles in beautiful
weather. On leaving
The scenery
was stunning thereafter. We cycled
through the prettiest countryside for miles, marvelling at the ancient bluebell
woods, the wood anemones, the wild garlic, cowslips and tree and shrub blossom
everywhere. Soon after leaving
Arriving at
Milton Abbas, we stopped and looked at the village which we know was moved from
its original site by the Abbey by Lord Milton because he couldn’t bear the
smells of the dirty people. The hill
out of Milton Abbas is short but steep and it was the only hill up which I
walked.
Our lunch
stop was at Blandford Forum, a very busy market town on a Saturday morning and
which has an interesting but unfortunate history. It was subject to being
destroyed by fire in l579; plundered by Parliamentarian forces in 1644 and totally
destroyed by fire in 1731. So this town
now dates from 1731.
We found
our way out of Blandford Forum onto the Dorset Cycle Way and this route
provided us with the most scenic landscape.
It was simply stunning with many hills to climb and wonderful
descents. Along one flat part following
a river we heard a cuckoo which gave out at least six “cuckoos”. What a thrill for it is years since I heard
a cuckoo! Wonderful. Also throughout this tour we noted the
ancient craft of hedgeweaving which is being continued and there were many
hedges which had recently been woven.
Also nearly every village had its village pond and streams trickling
through its centre. Lovely. And of course the ubiquitous thatched
cottages!
We found
ourselves at Moor Crichel, another village which was moved a mile to the south
by the landowner in 1765, and the villagers were sent to Witchampton. This was so that the parkland could be
landscaped and the original site of Moor Crichel is now submerged beneath the
lake. The landowner stopped short of
moving St. Mary’s church which remains today.
Some of the
villages hereabouts had interesting and quirky names i.e. Gussage All Saints
Amen Corner; Gussage St. Michael and Gussage St. Andrew.
Carrying on
through the beautiful lanes we arrived at Sixpenny Handley (home to the dreaded
Isaac Gulliver (1745-1822) who was a fearsome smuggler in these parts) where we
sat on a grass verge for a rest and refreshments.
The love of
money has nothing to do with the strange place name which is derived from the
two medieval hundreds of Saxpena and Hanlege (“Saxon hilltop” and “high
clearing”).
From here
we had a long steady grind up the hill and an exhilarating steep descent, (1 in
8) passing through the
After a few
left and right turns and yet another hill where we were afforded a wonderful
view of Salisbury Cathedral and to our right, Salisbury Racecourse.
We followed
the Sustrans route into
DAY 3 – Sunday
We’re going
on a lion hunt – swish swish
We set off
a half an hour earlier today for most of us wanted to see the Cathedral before
leaving
We followed
an excellent cycle route out of
One of the
interesting sights that we passed soon after leaving
Passing
through Amesbury, we came across Woodhenge which is a couple of miles from
Up and over
Salisbury Plain climbing continuously.
Some people may call it bleak and boring as it is hedgeless with a few
outcrops of trees. I found it had its
own beauty and I loved the space and the feeling of isolation it offered
one. We had a good view of
Leaving The
Plain behind, we entered Chitterne where rare butterflies, wild flowers and
birds could be found. At one point we
took a No Through Road to a level crossing which we crossed with great care and
then followed a narrow tarmac path beside the River Wylye. Having found an idyllic spot for lunch, we
stayed awhile sitting beside an old bridge, listening to the birds and the
trickling of the river as it ran beside us.
Another precious memory.
We found
ourselves in Boyton and wonder of wonders it had a Tea Shop. Our hearts leapt only to be disappointed for
it didn’t open on a Sunday!!
The tea
shop was part of a farm which bred rare pig breeds. In the field was a family of Tamworth Ginger Pigs. Sow and five piglets asleep in a muddy
bed! What a perfect sight.
We had tea
and cake at Shearwater, part of the Longleat Estate.
We followed
the road through the beautiful woodland full of rhododendron and azaleas just
coming into bloom reaching Frome at about
DAY 4 - Monday: Frome to the Webbington Hotel
Cheddar,
Simply Gorgeous.
“A deep, frightful
chasm” – Daniel Defoe, 1724
We found
the road to Radstock easily, crossing the River Frome until we reached Mells,
known as “the prettiest village in
Within a
few minutes, we were cycling along an old railway track to Kilmersdon. This was a pleasing straight run, the
railway track being built to serve the coal mining in the Mendips for over 300
years and as early as Roman Times.
Mining ceased here in 1973.
Apart from the track, there remained one forgotten rusty carriage. The cycle way is known as the
We began
climbing again up towards Cheddar Gorge – a steady climb, visiting a nature
reserve off to the left known as Tors Hill(?).
According to the Information Board, it is a valuable site for skylarks,
bog pimpernel and many other rare wetland species. Also along the verge were blankets of wild garlic and other wild
flowers and on either side in the woods were bluebells as far as the eye could
see. Simply beautiful.
We were by
now at the highest point of the Mendips, 952m.
Onwards and upwards, noting that either side of us the banks of rocks
were building up as we climbed higher and as we descended, the Gorge became a
narrow, winding ravine, with limestone rocks rising almost vertically on either
side. It was exhilarating to swoop
down through the Gorge, stopping at times to look at the feral goats, climbing
over the rocks. At great speed, we
arrived in Cheddar just in time for lunch.
Our next
stop was at Axbridge – quaint market town where we spent some time in King
John’s
We found
the cycle track again and soon found ourselves passing through a dark
tunnel. We held our nerve and came out
the other side safely! Not long to go
now and we were soon on our way to Webbington where we were staying. The scenery was beautiful here as we rode
along a high ridge, looking down at the pastures and the M5!
Another
glorious day’s riding. 35 miles
DAY 5 – Tuesday Webbington to
Unfortunately,
John and I returned home late on Monday night so were unable to complete the
cycle tour.
I would
like to express my appreciation to Ken and Jane Wilkie for their superb
planning and organisation of this wonderful 5 day tour. I would also like to say that we enjoyed
everybody’s company and to thank Tim who guided Ted and me every day and who
showed extreme patience. He got us home
before winter set in! Thankyou Ted for
being such a good companion. “He done
well” as they say.
It goes
without saying that our dear friend Trevor was again a wonderful asset on
tour. Without laughter where would we
be and there was much humour and wit. John
and I are still chuckling! I was very
glad to be able to escort you gentlemen as we wandered through the fleshpots of
Rating: 10/10.
Highly Recommended.
NOSTALGIA
by Brian Langdell
Northern News May-June 1952
The editor
received a letter from no less than the DA President recommending that a good
second hobby to cycling was rabbit breeding! (He was a regular exhibitor at
shows) There was also a request that the NN contained more pictures ‘since the
children like colouring them in’.
A belated
report was of an Easter tour by six ‘Alternatives’ , the only girl being Brenda
(‘Snookums’). They caught the Friday evening train to
The Social
Section had a ride to Appleby Magna and went to see the Hall designed by Sir
Christopher Wren. Only expecting to see the exterior they had a nice surprise
by being invited inside. Entering the spacious main hall they were confronted
by a large white marble statue of Sir John Moore who had it built mainly as a
school in 1697. One wall had been paneled with the parts of old school desks
showing names carved by pupils; one date noticed was 1723.
There was a
‘Ladies Only’ weekend to Whitbourne which went smoothly until someone punctured
in the dark and a repair had to be effected by cycle lamp lighting. The rabbit
supper made up for it afterwards.
The write
up on the ‘Bachelors’ Weekend was subtitled ‘How Percy suffered’. They went to
the ‘Plough’ in the Wenlock Edge area, a popular B&B with the Northern and
affectionately called the ‘Pluff’. Percy had been persuaded to ride the weekend
on the back of a tandem. It wasn’t long before he realized the saddle did not
suit him at all and he was in agony by the time they reached the Pluff. Hence
the entry in the Visitors book;
“It was
night fall when we reached the Pluff
And sat
around the table.
Poor Percy
had to stand to chuff
For to sit
he wasn’t able”
Someone
took pity on him for the return journey and let him ride their solo.
Advert in
the NN.
Ted Nevitt
selling his lightweight Evans touring bike, less than 10 years old, for £10.
The gearing was a Witney 2 speed (52” and 66” gears). What would they have done
with a 10 speed triple?
***
WELL DONE, GERALD
by Alistair Hanlon
Gerald
Barker, one of our members from
He achieved
both with distinction. He did an eighty miles circular ride into
Leicestershire, with a further ten miles to spare.
He was sent
off in the morning and was welcomed home in the early evening by a big group of
Church members with an appropriate party. The sponsorship provided a very
substantial sum for the Church funds.
Highway
Code cracked: more than 40 rules changed for cyclists
Following
a high-profile campaign by CTC the Government has agreed to amend the Highway
Code to improve cyclists’ safety and to encourage drivers to take more care
around vulnerable road users.
In total
over 40 rules in the Highway Code have been changed to the benefit of cyclists
and will come into effect this summer.
Last year,
the Department for Transport proposed a revised version of the Highway Code.
Cyclists feared that this version contained rules which would see them held
partly liable if hit by a driver while not using a cycle lane or cycle track.
11,000 people contacted their MPs, 20,000 signed an online petition and a
cross-party coalition in both Houses of Parliament defended cyclists' right to
cycle on the road.
CTC
campaigner, Richard George, said "We're delighted that the Minister has
decided to make these changes to the Highway Code; it now makes clear that
cyclists have every right to be on the road. Following some intensive
negotiations the Department for Transport has listened to cyclists, and this
new version is a definite improvement."
“We'd like
to thank DfT officials for listening to our concerns, the MPs and Lords who
supported us in Parliament and most of all the tens of thousands of cyclists
who took part, lobbied and supported us".
The DfT is
to conduct a short stakeholder-only consultation to confirm that all parties
are happy with the final wording. CTC will be pressing for a couple of changes
to tidy up the final version, and is asking cyclists to sign an online petition
to show their support. The petition will be available at www.ctc.org.uk/campaigns
- The two most controversial
rules covered cycle facilities and cycle lanes:
Rule 61 stated “Use cycle routes and cycle
facilities such as advanced stop lines, cycle boxes and toucan crossings
wherever possible, as they can make your journey safer.”
Rule 63 said “[cycle lanes] are marked with a
white line (which may be broken). Keep within the lane wherever possible.
- The proposed revisions are:
Rule 61: Cycle Facilities. Use cycle
routes, advanced stop lines, cycle boxes and toucan crossings unless at the
time it is unsafe to do so. Use of these facilities is not compulsory and will
depend on your experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer.
Rule 63: Cycle Lanes. These are marked by a white
line (which may be broken) along the carriageway. When using a cycle lane, keep
within the lane when practicable. When leaving a cycle lane check before
pulling out that it is safe to do so and signal your intention clearly to other
road users. Use of these facilities is not compulsory and will depend on your
experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer.
- The
original version contravened best practice on safe cycling (as taught
under Bikeabiltity - the new Government-backed National Standard for cycle
training) which in many situations advises cyclists not to use cycle
facilities, not least because many of them are very poorly designed.
Cyclists feared that rules in the original version of the new Highway Code
could put them legally at risk if they chose not to use a cycle lane or
cycle track. Although it would not have created any new offences, cyclists
risked losing out on damage claims against drivers who had hit
them if a cycle facility was nearby, and could have faced charges for
offences such as "inconsiderate cycling".
- As well as changing the rules
on cycle lanes and cycle facilities, the Highway Code now contains clearer
advice on overtaking cyclists and advises cyclists to be more confident
when using roundabouts.
FROM THE HON. SEC.
There are a number of ‘Cycle Facilities’ in the
area in which we ride. Many of these are poorly designed and may lack proper
maintenance. One of these is the cycle path at Hams Hall island. The entry from
Curdworth is at a very sharp angle and encourages cyclists to swing out into
the flow of traffic. The cyclepath sign is poorly positioned and cannot be seen
until it is too late to turn safely. There is no indication where the path
leads, and at the crossing on the main road there is considerable rubbish.
Please let me know of other areas of concern. It would be helpful if some
members could volunteer to try and get these sorted.
ALAN’S 4th MARKET BOSWORTH BASH
by John Bedford
Fifteen of
us sat down to a hearty meal on Wednesday 6th June at The Gatehouse
Restaurant. Unfortunately Alan could not lead the ride because of a leg
problem, but Tom took us around Stoke Golding, Sutton Cheney, Sutton Cheney,
Kirby Mallory to Desford for a drinks break. Here the group split, with Beryl,
Bill, Gill and Tony H doing a shorter ride back to Market Bosworth. We others
did a route via Thornton, Barton in the Beans and Shackerstone. There was also
a shorter separate ride which included Pam, Val and Sylvia, chaperoned by
Chris.
We were
fortunate with good weather and temperatures a little on the cool side at the
start, but pleasantly warm later in the day. After the rain of the past weeks
everywhere was nice and green.
Looking
round the restaurant after the meal I took note of some of the old local
photographs displayed on the wall. One of these was of
Thanks to
Alan and Tom for a good day out and an excuse to have a day off work!!
Market
Bosworth as seen by Frank Patterson
CLUB JERSEYS
We have in
stock just two jerseys, one Large short sleeve at £22 and one Medium long
sleeve at £28, for instant sale.
Please see
Val as soon as possible.