Newark Castle

Cyclists Touring Club
Newark On Trent
Section

CTC winged wheel
[Home]

NEWARK NOTES from the Secretary

May 2001

An every-Sunday tale of cycling folk

After the, er, excitement of plough month, it was a ride with an aeronautical theme for March 11th. A shortish ride and warmish weather ensured a larger than usual turnout for a ride to Tollerton. After an uneventful morning, we ate our lunches watching the comings and goings of light aircraft on the airfield, before adjourning to the 'Air Hostess' for a pint. Returning by roads west of the Trent, we were disappointed to find that the Café at Bleasby is being turned into the garage block for a development of des-res barn conversions. Use it or lose it, did I hear someone say?

The following Sunday saw light snow just starting to fall as we left. By the time we reached the edge of town it had become quite heavy and Tony turned back. By Collingham we were thinking he had the right idea as inch diameter snowflakes came at us horizontally, but fortunately it soon slackened off, although some light drizzly snow was to follow us for most of the morning. At our destination of Nettleham, the first pub we found was called the Plough, but fancying a change of scenery we opted for the White Horse instead. This pub has a live music scene and pictures of some of the artists who had performed there were on the walls. We were unable to find one of our chairman and erstwhile guitarist 'Rocking Jimmy Reckless' though.

Clumber Park was to have been our next destination, but due to the foot and mouth epidemic, the ride went to Bolsover instead. No sightings of the Beast - or the sun - were reported.

Another fine day saw a slightly longer ride the next week to Normanton on Soar. Eating our sandwiches by the riverside in the pub garden, we thought was a pretty good way of spending a Sunday lunchtime in March. And on the way back we got to go down Kinoulton hill, too.

North-west the following week to Whitwell in Derbyshire, and another alfresco lunch, if not quite so warm as the previous week. At the café in Hockerton on the way back, we bumped into the hardriders. Asking us where we'd been, we told them. "Oh, we went through there on the way" was their reply. And they had further to go than us as well. How do they manage it?

The Easter break saw many of us otherwise occupied and it was left to Nick and Ray to uphold the honour of the section. The official destination was Braunston in Rutland, but I understand they ended up at the Grainstore in Oakham (A small brewery set up by ex-Ruddles personnel, and highly recommended to cyclists with a penchant for real ale, you'll find it next to the station)

The next week saw us heading north again to Walkeringham. A following wind ensured we arrived early enough to invoke the old tradition of putting a loop in. Nick, Newark's answer to Alan Titchmarsh, was very impressed with the floral displays in the pub's garden. After an enjoyable break, the return journey, over the hill at Gringley, was a little harder being into the same wind that had helped us on the way out.

We thought our weather luck had deserted us the following week, as an unpromising forecast, thickening cloud and threatening rain dampened our spirits. After retiring to the garden centre café at Belton for shelter, we were pleasantly surprised on coming out to find blue sky and a few small clouds, a situation which would stay for the rest of the day. Lunch was at Helpringham, followed by a return home via the north of Sleaford, which found us, much to our surprise, shedding garments. Can the warm weather last?

Mike Graham

Page updated 19/02/03