CTC Cambridge

Thursday 28 August 2025 

For, on approaching Haslingfield, your esteemed author (he cannot yet be called ride leader since at this point the ride hadn't actually yet begun) caught up with Simon on the outskirts of the village.

There was nothing too extraordinary about that except that the conversation then developed in a somewhat alarming manner. Simon noted that I was again down to lead today's ride and in response I duly commented that Simon's annual 'Long Ride to Tea' was listed in the rides list for 14th September.

'Yes', said Simon, 'England expects every man shall do his duty, as Kitchener said.'

Well I nearly crashed my bike. Mixing upthe military heroes of yesteryear is something up with which I will not put, and I promptly regaled my interlocutor with the fact that it was a Nelsonian quote he was making. I also pointed out that, at the end of the engagement to which the quote belongs, Nelson was killed, and I avowed that such a fate would not befall either of us on our rides. We duly arrived at the start of the ride having sorted out the correct quotation sources...

Also arriving, in dribs and drabs, were Ed, Phil, Averil, David, Nick (2), Sarah, Susan, Andrew, John and our very own all-action hero Carl (see later for more details.) Andy arrived with Sarah but he looked decidedly peeky and chose to abandon the ride before it had started and went back home directly to recover – GWS!

So much had happened it was somewhat of a relief to get the actual ride underway and we headed north out of Haslingfield. The cycling to Swavesey followed the usual route.

At Bourn we stopped at the traditional pull-in to enable Sharon to take off a layer or two. The fact that she was not with us at that point was deemed irrelevant by the leader, for this was where we always stopped for this tradition and Sharon's absence would make no impact on long-established Best Practice.

We headed off after a short pause and lo!, on approaching Swavesey, Sharon appeared from nowhere (well from somewhere, but you get the point) to join us.

We headed towards Fen Drayton and then made a loop around before making it to the Bethel Baptist Church.

My previous comments, when I suggested that the village riders would make a dash to coffee to ensure the chocolate cake was all consumed before the city slickers arrived, had spurred the city group on, and they had taken the bait, hastened to coffee, and got there first. They made some heroic efforts to make serious inroads into the cake supplies but the good ladies of Swavesey WI had, as ever, risen to the challenge and there was plenty to go round.

CTC Cambridge takes over the coffee morning

Susan had already got her complaints in early, cursing the fact that the next leg, from Swavesey to St Neots, would be into the wind, 'As usual.'

I did point out that it meant the after lunch stint would be wind-assisted, but she was having none of it since the pre-lunch gig would be a slog. And, reader, it was!

We left Swavesey after the city team: they were headed to Waresley via a loop or two, whilst we headed south-west towards the wind farm and into the wind.

As we left Hilton a gaggle of riders appeared from our left – lo, 'twas the "city slickers", and we all rode as a single group for a few km. miles. Niall and Peter did a terrific job up front plugging away into the gales. The two rides diverged in due course and the village team headed off into St Neots.

On arrival at Ambience café we took up a large picnic bench outside and enjoyed some lively banter. Carl was able to regale us with tales of LEL (London Edinburgh London): he made it as far as Yorkshire before Storm Floris forced the cancellation of the event. Well done for getting that far (and back, and we wish you better luck next time.

Creating our own ambience

Susan generated some heated and lively discussion by forcing a debate around acceptable profanities and their usage. Perhaps CTC Cambridge should stand for "Curses That Count" or some such. If anyone wants the list of approved terminology then Susan has it: ask her.

We left after an hour of relaxed socialising, Susan and Ed having cut short their enjoyment of our presence because they needed an early return.

The rest of us packed up and reassembled only to discover that the wind had filled in somewhat over lunch.

'How fortunate' said Greg, 'I picked a route where we get the full benefit of this wind on the last leg'. Susan ran through her list of lively epithets and discharged a flurry of same in his general direction!

We made our way back and at Gamlingay bade a fond farewell to Sharon as she headed off. The rest of us were soon weaving our way over the cattle grids of Wimpole and fairly swiftly thereafter the mighty Chapel Hill presented the final hurdle. Duly tamed we arrived back in Haslingfield at a very reasonable 3.12pm after some 90 km 56 miles of sheer cycling fun. Greg