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Saturday 2nd June 2012

Most of us met up at Enfield Chase Station, either at 8:45 or 9:15, for the local journey to Kings Cross. Our Dave M (The Station Master) even put out a tannoy 'Bon Voyage' to us! The 8:45 group, plus a couple who joined at Kings Cross, caught the Kings Lynn train, while the 9:15 group went for Norwich via Cambridge.

The Kings Lynn group set off under cloudy skies at about 11:30, and after an interesting diversion around a housing estate and an aerial attack by a swarm of bees (not really an attack, as they just flew past at head height, but it was an unnerving experience) made their way to Harpley for a pub lunch. They were a tad behind schedule, so to make up time rode some distance on the main A148 road. They made a tea stop at a very genteel tea shop in the middle of nowhere - chintzy cloths and china cups and the sun almost shone - before a final descent into Sheringham and almost missing the turning to the hostel. They arrived at 5:30, having ridden 43 miles. So allowing an hour and a half for stops, the average speed was around 9.5mph. All this without Graham's computer!

The other group arrived at Norwich at 1:30, had a light snack before riding north on the B1150 and a left turn to Spixworth as the sun came out. Then towards Aylsham. Blicking to Itteringham Post Office for tea, which was delayed due to a power cut when a local digger had severed a cable. On past Matalske, West Beckham to Woodland by Upper Sheringham before reaching the hostel a few minutes after the first group. Riding distance was 25 miles.

After unpacking and queuing for the showers we all wandered into town and surveyed the restaurants. Fish and chips were off, but some went for a Thai meal while others went to a small bistro. Afterwards we met up in a pub for a chat. Strange decor - it was more like a museum than a pub with enamel signs, vending machines and other items from 50's to 70's strewn around - cries of 'I remember these!' were heard from various corners.

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Sunday 3rd June 2012

Jubilee day, and the weather responded as only the British climate can. Even though there was steady rain, most of us opted for a ride - we'd come on a cycling club trip after all! We tried the North Norfolk Coastal Path but it turned out to be very steep (whoever said Norfolk was flat was lying!) and rough in parts. So we diverted inland through Weybourn and uphill to Holt. Here we found a nice warm tea shop which was empty when we arrived, but after half an hour or so became absolutely packed with lunch customers. So back out in the rain and along country lanes, past Pretty Corner (yes, that is really its name) to Sheringham. At this point we split up - some to a pub for a live jazz session, others on the preserved steam railway while yet others had a stroll in the town. In the evening several of us met up in a pub which had been the CAMRA Pub of the Year, and where there were about 12 barrels of real ale stacked up and waiting to be sampled. Yet even so some insisted on drinking lager... Back to the hostel and the endless TV repeats of Her Maj looking out into the torrential rain on the Thames. Those that rode to Holt clocked up 16 miles.

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Monday 4th June 2012

Hurrah! The sun is out! After breakfast we untangled the bikes for the ride home. Karl produced the magic oil can to help us on our way. The Kings Lynn group had worked out an alternative route back that avoided all but the last few miles of the main road. They set off on the coast road, turned inland then owing to a missed turning found themselves back on the coast road. Events conspired to keep them there, as the B1388 on the map turned out to be the B1156 on the signpost. Peter M's fault for using such an outdated map! But once back on the intended road it was a pleasant ride through the Norfolk villages. A tea stop at Great Walsingham was frustrated by the tea shop being closed, so they moved on to the larger (!) village of Little Walsingham. Here the road was closed for some religious ceremony, but this was fortuitous as the diversion took them past an open tea shop! After tea the group pressed on to a lunch stop at a pub in Syderstone which must have boasted the slowest service in Norfolk. Undaunted, they continued the final leg to Kings Lynn, and were stopped at a level crossing for the inward journey of the train which eventually took them back to London. The train left at 4:56pm, and arrived at Kings Cross at 6:35pm. Peter M had to sprint across the station to make his local connection to New Barnet at 6:41pm, while the rest of the group had a more leisurely connection to the 6:56 to Winchmore Hill and Enfield. It was almost exactly the same distance as the outward journey, and in about the same amount of cycling time.

The Norwich group led by Paul went past Pretty Corner again, and then in warmer sun to East Beckham, Bessingham, Eppingham, Ingworth to Aylsham at 11:45. Here they stopped for a light lunch just as the town's diamond jubilee party was starting, with a guitar solo from a young chap on the pub balcony. This was followed by old, well known music, and certain club members (you know who you are!) showed their dancing prowess. Onward to Buxton, Frettenham etc and arrived at Norwich station about 2:00pm. From there they took a train to Cambridge and split into two groups for the final leg, reaching home between five and six pm.