CTC Cambridge

Thursday 20 April 2023 

On Thursday 20th the elite gathered at Shelford outside the Square and Compass. Despite passing into the hands of a new publican we have maintained our invitation to assemble at that venue and use it as a departure base. Many thanks both to the new publican and to Ed, our negotiator-in-chief. His next job is negotiating easier entry to Europe: go on Ed, you know you want to and we'd all be super-grateful.

Ed was there in person to cheer us off. As aforementioned, we were an elite group of just four riders. As well as your correspondent there was also Richard, our "old hand" of earlier mention (more later). There was also Mike D and Nick G, the latter escaping from the Haverhill environs to come out and play with us as he has done a few times in the past.

The reduced numbers were due either due to (a) the person who was leading or (b) the fact that many of the village regulars were going away on a cycling weekend (delete as necessary).

We set off in a relatively unusual direction: most village rides nowadays go out south through Little Shelford or Sawston but this time we went t'other way and found the DNA path route north towards Addenbrooke's. We wove our way through the Nine Wells development. "I thought there was only about half a dozen houses here" said Mike. He was amazed at the South Cambridgeshire planners' ability to squeeze circa 140 four-bedroom houses into what was not much more than a small field.

On up over the Gogs and through Fulbourn we headed off to the countryside. There was the usual wonderment in Great Wilbraham at the flower display on the bend; spring bulbs in all their glory. The two old boys who garden in the corner cottage always excel and surprise and today was no different.

Some spring bulbs

We continued through Bottisham and onto the Quy to Swaffham road just by Anglesey Abbey, where we pulled into the National Trust cafe for coffee.

Here we were thrilled to see Peter, with Avril +1 also making a brief appearance. The Shelford four were happy to sit outside in the spring sunshine, confident in the knowledge that the first leg had all been directly into a fair wind. The hard miles were now "In the bag".

We set off once more and went up the cycle path to Swaffham where we turned off. The wind was now astern and easy miles in the sunshine beckoned. How many CTC Cambrudge rides has Richard done? A rhetorical question – the answer is certainly in the hundreds and may even be more than that. Amazed then as ride leader for him to declare to me as we took the road from Swaffham Bulbeck to Dullingham that he had never been on it. Was this (again, delete as necessary) (1) because the road was inherently dangerous (err no, it was quiet, well maintained and gently undulating), (2) because it didn't go anywhere we wanted to go to (no, Dullingham is a frequent place we pass through just we usually use the other road through it) or (3) because no previous leader had had the genius and creativity to plot a route using this little known road? The title makes sense now: indeed a New Leg for an Old Hand.

An old hand

At Dullingham we were greeted, to Mike and Nick"s amazement, by a closed level crossing gate. Why amazed? Because as the train pulled out of the station the signalman left his box and duly hand opened the gates. If you thought Haverhill was in the sticks...

After Dullingham we carried on in a wind-assisted sweep through West Wratting (waving to Richard who, overcome with the excitement of a new road, had decided to peel off and head home) and we went on to Bartlow. Then it was the oft-travelled road through Ashdon to bring us into Saffron Walden.

Here we negotiated the twists and turns to end up outside the Curious Goat, made more Curious because it is now no longer Curious but due to a name change has become the Goat and Grass. The Goat is furious as well as curious that he has had his name changed!

A curious goat

Obviously the change is working because, although I had tried to book ahead, they weren't taking bookings: self-evidently there was no need, as the "Goat" was rammed! There was no way we were getting a eat so we backtracked to the market square and took a bench in the sunshine.

Your correspondent went off to purchase a coffee. Earlier at Anglesey Abbey the technology of Google Pay had failed him and he had had to use his emergency cash supply. Remember that concept? No worries though as he confidently expected everything to work out here since he had in the meantime rebooted his phone. Once again Google pay wasn't working and this time he had only the remaining £2 change available. After holding the queue up in his fruitless efforts to pay he then offered to go and scrounge some change from his colleagues outside only for the next person in line to kindly offer to pay for his coffee. The Good Samaritan's offer was duly accepted. When his turn to pay came up – and he was buying coffee for two people – the Costa staff member comp'd his drinks because he had been a Good Samaritan. All in all a sign that doing good does pay off, a redeeming moment in the life of the nation. Costa for once didn't Costa!

By now Mike had left the remaining pair as he had to get back and the last two then made their way out of Saffron Walden over Coploe Hill. Nick left me at Duxford and I completed the loop, with the sun still shining.

Today was a simply glorious spring ride interspersed with the milk of human kindness, the thrill of new discoveries and some sunshine. Terrific! Greg