There was sunshine ☀️ after the rain ☔ so the song says and so it proved. Wet roads and bright sun greeted the seven dwarfs at the later starting time of 10am. Sneezy suggested heading out to Newbald and……. (atishoo) Hotham then North Cave, South Cave with cafe stop in Little……. (atishoo) Weighton.

Following our usual route over the Westwood the initial pace was taken up by Bashful until the slope headed skywards allowing Dopey to take to the front. His turn was short lived though as first Doc closely followed by Happy squeezed past to create a mini breakaway.

The merry band regrouped at Manor House before Dopey resumed the lead on the road up to Newbald. Bashful having overcome his initial shyness, headed to the front again accompanied by Doc, Happy and Sleepy as we cruised down into Newbald. Tis the season to be jolly or so it appeared as we came across a running group all dressed up in ?Santa outfits?. Must have been elves in training!

Sleepy leading the one man breakaway

The peloton featuring, Grumpy, Happy, Bashful, Doc & Dopey, 

The dwarves continued on to South Newbald where the discussion turned again to the cafe stop. Sleepy suggested an alternative which had been spotted on previous rides where a large sign welcoming cyclists had been displayed. As we would be passing anyway it was decided to give it a try. 

On the way to Hotham, Grumpy started flapping his wings to indicate he was stopping, unfortunately the road at this point was covered in previously unnoticed sheet ice ❄️causing Dopey to hit the deck. Dopey can confirm Mathew’s assertion that the road is quite hard if you hit it. No damage done though, only to his pride.

After passing through Hotham, we entered the park estate leading to North Cave where we were greeted by the sound of church bells ringing out from All Saints⛪. Our souls being more in need of physical sustenance rather than of the spiritual kind, we ignored the call to prayer and continued on to South Cave.

Our destination was soon on the horizon. Situated next to the car and van hire was a furniture and antique shop recently converted to include a café, along with ample bike parking outside. Together with another cycling group from Cottingham we almost filled the place. With some rather tempting things on the menu it may be a place to come back to without the bike. Most of us settled for the usual light bites with the exception of Doc who opted for the pancake stack. Dinner table chat covered the potential sections for next year’s sprint and King of the mountains and other prizes. However it was soon time to move on before we were mistaken for antiques and put into the storage hall.

The return route saw the happy band heading through South Cave before tackling the Beverley “clump”. The pancake stack did not seem to harm Doc as he made the best time to the top, just goes to show why he won the “Spotty Pants” award 2018. After all that effort it was time for the reward with a long downhill sweep on Comberdale Hill and Bluestone Bottoms. The final leg on the way home taking us to Walkington and back to Beverley. 

Eight hardy souls turned out to make the most of the benign winter weather and to work off some calories before the big Xmas party bash. A slight change to the normal start point with everyone meeting at Manor House. 

The lure of the caveman breakfast at Driffield proved a draw for some as the preferred choice of cafe stop. We set off towards Cherry Burton at a rather cautious pace owing to the damp and chilly conditions.

With no sign of ice, the pace began to pick up as we made our way through Etton and on to South Dalton. A quick stop along Mere Lane we took a show of hands to confirm the choice of cafe before continuing onwards to Hutton Cranswick. Even the lure of a nice warm log burner at TJs was not enough to deter the group from their chosen destination.

It proved a turning point for Steve as he left the group to return home while the remaining seven carried on through Cranswick to Skerne. Another brief stop at Bellsmill gave us a chance to phone ahead with the food order. No takers for the caveman breakfast on this occasion though. With bacon sandwiches or egg on toast it was more like caveman lite!

Suitably refreshed it was time to return home, but not before Heather ran back into the shop to rescue Neil before he did too much damage to his credit card. Our return route saw us retracing our steps (almost) to Etton where Mike left the group to take the main road home while the rest of us took the usual road back to Manor House and home. 

Six members of the select Committee met at Market Cross on a bright sunny but cold morning. Mother Theresa had suggested we follow her Beverley-Routh-Exit plan, which would lead eventually to Burton Constable. Last to arrive on the scene was “See You Jimmy”, SNP representative for Beverley South & East, still sporting the after effects of his last bruising encounter. Boris was quick to take the lead as we headed along Hengate and on to Norwood.

Progress was smooth as the members all towed the line to the Swinemoor roundabout, leading to the Tickton cycle path. Waiting in the wings near Tickton Grange was Jeremy, the right honorable member for Tickton South, keen as mustard and ready to join the delegation as we continued onwards to Routh. Heading south towards Meaux the pace remained steady as Nigel, UKIP member for Keldgate and Lord Such, member for Molescroft assisted Boris and Theresa at the front. Turning onto Kidhill Lane caution was the watch word, especially on corners, in case of any residual ice.

After Skirlaugh, Nigel was given an encouraging “toot” from a passing lorry just before we left the main road heading for Old Ellerby. Vince Cable almost missed the next turn off, but a shout from the rest of the steering committee had him back on track. Part way along this section, Boris rode ahead to set up a photo opportunity as the group passed by.

On reaching the next junction by St James Church at Old Ellerby, there was dissention in the ranks, as some turned to the right, until Jeremy dragged everyone back to the left. 

Arriving at Burton Constable, Boris with his usual panache was soon to discover the intransigence of the establishment as he tried to get access to the rear, through the shop. Angela Merkel confronted him saying “ze back door ist nein negotiable”, before turning on some Gallic charm and continuing “however, si vous avez beaucoup de change, you can take a seat on our gravy train”

The seven members gathered appropriately around table 7 to enjoy the hospitality on offer. Bacon sandwiches a popular choice once again.

All too soon, it was time to return. Fortunately the temperature outside had climbed marginally making the journey back to Beverley a little more pleasant. From Sproatley we took the Park road behind Burton Constable leading to Coniston and Swine before retracing our steps to Tickton. At this point the members returned to their constituencies to recommend this ride to their supporters. 

It was a grey and dank morning in the Shires as Gandalf (Pugwash) and the Hobbits, along with Thorin Oakenshield (Dave Wat) and his band of dwarves gathered round the Market Cross. Our task this morning was to seek out the sustenance offered by the Bells Mill café in the far flung Driffield region of middle earth. Gandalf suggested following the route to South Dalton then on to Bracken road to Hutton and Skerne.

On setting off, the band were shadowed by an Orc aboard a Warg as they passed along North Bar. Despite the Orc’s best attempts to scare the band by skimming close by, we soon gave him the slip as we dropped into Tiger Lane. A racing fit Legolas (Brett) took up the pace to lead the band over the Westwood. Joining our band today from the southern shires of Bristol was Radagast the Brown (Bob), a wizard on a bike, sent by Galadriel (Sharrin) to aid in our quest.

As the happy band proceeded ever onwards towards the Northfarthing, the pace setting changed hands several times with Beorn (Mathew)sporting his latest time trialling battle helmet and Bofur (James) taking the lead at the hobbit village of Etton. The band took a wide route around a local hobbit riding Fatty Lumpkin before heading to the Misty Mountains of South Dalton. With a following wind, the pace along the Bracken road was swift. At the top of Bracken ascent the band almost split, with some heading towards TJ’s while the rest continued towards Southburn. After regrouping, the band headed for Hutton, where Beorn took charge of the run through Skerne and into the café.

For the rather hungry hobbits it was time for “second breakfast” as they gathered round the serving counter to place their order. From the other side of the counter a voice was heard “Let us see what you’ve got in your pocketses”. At a price to satisfy even King Thranduil (Neil), the refreshments were served quickly. Mission accomplished, it was time for the band to return to Hobbiton. 

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Retracing our steps back to Skerne, we then headed towards Wansford. On the way, Bilbo Baggins decided to leave a trail of breadcrumbs by throwing his money out of his pocket, however very quickly had second thoughts and stopped to recover his hard earned cash. Turning south to North Frodingham the band encountered adverse winds. Now led by Thorin, living up to his name of Oakenshield, taking a long turn on the front and maintaining an impressive pace. Continuing our journey to Brandesburton and Leven, the lead changed hands several times as the hobbitses, dwarves and wizards worked together to battle against the wind. The final leg of the return saw the happy band following the cycle path to Tickton Grange where there was a bit of a free-for-all as everyone found their own way to negotiate the Orc / Warg crossing leading to Tickton village. With everyone safely clear of the Wargs, it was time to seek out their own little patch of green, where they can while away the time and dream about the next adventure.

The mixed bag offered by the weather forecasters did not deter ten hardy knights from turning out at Market Cross. Winter hacks were much in evidence this morning and order of the day was for mudguards. There is always one however, that fails to heed the message, not naming any names MARK. The extra hour on the clocks proved invaluable, especially for Colin who managed to arrive with time to spare.

Suggested café stop for today was Langlands at Shiptonthorpe, a destination we have not visited recently and a shorter route than we’ve been used to, a definite sign that winter is on the way. Heading out of town via Molescroft and on to Cherry Burton, it was soon apparent why mudguards are now a necessity. It was bad enough that we may have to dodge showers from above but to also have the added hazard of dodging showers thrown up by the rear wheel of the rider in front (MARK) added insult to injury. It was also apparent that not all mudguards provide the same level of protection, a bit like other forms of prevention! Each time the road surface got a bit damp it was time to choose who to follow or change position in the group or best of all lead from the front.

Taking our familiar route from Etton along the Kiplingcotes road, the pace remained steady with the chilly northerly wind coming from the starboard quarter until reaching Goodmanham. It was around this time, the first shower appeared which encouraged the rear of the peloton to seek cover in a handy bus shelter in Market Weighton while the lead group continued on to the café. While it might have been tempting to jump on the next bus, the shower soon passed and le Lantern Rouge proceeded onwards to join the remainder of the group.

The return journey was full of promise for the cyclist’s dream of flat roads and tail winds, only downside, there was no way to avoid the busy traffic on the A614 as we made our way to Cliffe Lane. At North Cliffe, with the wind firmly behind us, the Twenty’s Plenty sprung to mind. However, like any unwritten rules, there are often exceptions as we found ourselves touching 25+mph on the way into North Cave. Making the most of the helpful wind we carried on into South Cave where the “fun” came to an abrupt end as we headed uphill over “the clump” and the wind off the bow once more. 

At the bottom of Comberdale hill Matt and Mark headed directly back to Walkington, while the rest of us returned through Little Weighton and Risby road

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The “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” continue to provide us with superb cycling weather and inspired ten knights to make the most of it and bask in the morning sunshine as we gathered around the Market Cross. Having recently returned from foreign travels celebrating his retirement, Mike put in his first appearance for some months. Summer bikes were still on show and even some daring to stick with shorts.

Our route saw us heading out of Beverley through North Bar and Molescroft Road with James setting the initial pace. Passing the Molescroft Inn, there was a distinct whiff of “fish & chips” wafting across the road. Not quite what you’d expect for breakfast!  Heather then found herself at the front and led the group up to the Dog Kennel roundabout before Pugwash set the pace into Cherry Burton. 

Passing through Etton we came upon a lone horse rider leading a second horse. While the first half of our group managed to pass, the remainder held back due to the skittish behaviour of the ‘led’ horse. When it was safe to pass the rider passed comment about “calling out” when approaching from behind. 

The knights regrouped at South Dalton where we took the Mere road leading onto Bracken. With a helpful wind we soon arrived at Cranswick. The pace picked up again as we headed for Skerne where James left the group to return home for an “early bath” while the remainder headed to Wansford. A bit more caution was required due to the road surface as we made our way along Carr Lane to the rail crossing at Outgates. It was interesting watching the many different ways of manoeuvring our bikes over/around the gates. It was around this time that Mike showed his lack of match fitness with “Are we nearly there yet?” Fortunately for him we were nearing Harpham so not long to wait for our coffee break. Unfortunately for him, he suffered a visit from the puncture fairy when approaching the final strait.

Expensive snack stop at Burton Agnes. A café that doesn’t cook eggs?

The Captain’s table, just discussing why Steve hasn’t got any sunglasses on today

The café at Burton Agnes was relatively quiet when we arrived and with the sun providing enough warmth we opted to sit outside. The earlier calls for “credit cards at the ready” were a little exaggerated. While the cost was higher compared with other cafes we attend, we did get crisps and salad along with the bacon buttie! Not sure that justifies the extra £2. Before setting off, we consulted Neil’s map to check the best return route. No matter which way round we looked at the map there was no way to avoid the head winds on the way back. 

Leaving Burton Agnes a few pounds(£) lighter all in team kit.

We set out towards Gransmoor, Great Kelk and Foston-on-the-Wolds. With regular changes of personnel on the front the pace remained high until reaching North Frodingham. A little additional assistance was given to Mike with Steve G giving verbal encouragement and a little shove from behind as we made our way to Brandesburton and back towards Tickton. How many more great rides can we have before the winter starts to bite. Looking forward to our next Sunday’s Spooktacular ride, weather permitting.

It was cool sunny autumnal morning as the fleet convened at Manor House. Our trading destination today was the Bike Cave at northerly port of Driffield as suggested by Greybeard the Pirate. A cheery mood, inspired by the perfect riding conditions, was prevalent as the motley crew set off to rendezvous with “Davy” Jones at Cherry Burton. A gentle wind coming from the port quarter assisted our progress as we sailed into Etton.

Heading along the main strait, a shout went up that our Rear Admiral Heather had suffered damage to her hull and had to be “careened” to effect repairs. Once suitably “caulked” and hull integrity restored, the fleet continued on passage towards South Dalton with Captain Pugwash setting the early pace. Passing along Mere Lane on a “broad tack”, Admiral Neil took up the lead until reaching the top of Bracken.  Sensing a good photo opportunity, Greybeard seized his chance to jump onto the front as we navigated our way through the narrow passage created by a local waste disposal vessel. Putting on our best “Aaaargh Jim lad” grins we sailed in formation passed the Admiral, who recorded the moment for posterity. 

Happy faces on the way to the Bike Cave

Greybeard relished his chance to dictate the pace, tacking our way along Burnbutts lane until passing (don’t mention) TJ’s. At Cranswick, we turned to then sail “before the wind” as we cruised along Meggison’s Turnpike and into Skerne. The fleet came to a brief stop outside Bell Mills Garden Centre, while the Admiral phoned ahead with our list of cargo requirements. Davey Jones saw this as a great chance to maintain his reputation and set off on his own to bag the first loading spot.

While the fleet were berthing their vessels, the Admiral was spotted checking out the local “bazaar” and trying to tempt Long John Sliver (Russel) with fluorescent yellow cycle shoes to complement the rest of his colourful ensemble. A similarly brash pair of blue shoes was also bandied about as potential club kit. During the cargo loading, the “despatches” from each vessel were read out. A mention for one vessel, not in attendance, was raised regarding his transgression of the “rules of the road” concerning his comments on Slack. This led to the jocular suggestion that we should introduce a “yellow card” system.

The return journey proved a more challenging effort as we sailed “close to the wind” while proceeding southwards towards Wansford and on to North Frodingham. The lead vessel changed frequently with Captain Pugwash, Captain Flint (Steve) and Long John Silver taking over from the Admiral. Davey Jones jumped onto the front after Wansford to set his own pace, while the rest followed astern in his wake. On the road into Brandesburton, Rear Admiral Heather and Captain Elizabeth Swann (Sharrin) took up the “cudgels” to lead the fleet onwards.

Despite the adverse head winds, good progress was made and we soon reached Leven and onto the cycle path back towards Tickton where everyone headed back to their home ports.