Number Seventy News » cycling

A Steak House No More

John — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:23:23 +0000

To mourn the demise of the Agar Arms at Warthill – not as a pub, it’s still there and open, but as one of the best steak houses in the area – and it was for nearly 30 years to my personal knowledge. However, a recent cycle ride out through the early Spring countryside to this delightfully situated hostelry by the village duck-pond revealed a menu consisting only of standard pub food – not a steak in sight. The food was adequate – microwaved and hot and good size portions – but the old days are gone. The Fox at nearby STockton-on-the-Forest may be a more acceptable food alternative.

Ryedale Revisited – and a good food find

John — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:54:54 +0000

By folding bike to Helmsley. Few spring flowers yet apart from snowdrops and crocuses, one patch of celandine, and few lambs too, though lots of fat ewes. Catkins, but not yet the light green sheen on the trees which is the true colour of early Spring. Sun, and a light breeze from the SW, so mainly behind me. A fine descent, new to me, from Yearsley to Ampleforth, with some fine views. The White Swan at Ampleforth proved a gem – well-kept Black Sheep bitter and the best toasted sandwich I’ve ever had. Brie and bacon both excellent, delicious coleslaw, a very mixed and interesting mixed salad, and crisps. 9 out of 10. It would have been 10/10 if the crisps had been Seabrooks instead of Walkers. Must get back there to see if their meals are as good as their snacks.

Past the stream bridge of family fame and on to Helmsley for the bus home. Several crossings of the former railway which ran from the ECML to Pickering and on to Scarborough. Some fine station houses remain, and a signalbox at Coxwold.

The scrumptiousness of tea

John — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:07:14 +0000

D’Oylys tea rooms at Bolton Percy. Cream teas with scones, butter, jam and cream ! Plus real Yorkshire tea. Note the butter. Some cheapskate tea-rooms miss it out. An absolutely delightful cycle ride through early autumn clear and delightful sunshine.

Brompton winners

John — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:03:26 +0000

When it comes to time-trialling on Bromptons we certainly take the biscuit – or in this case most of the cheap wine provided by the local council. Fastest overall, fastest woman, and oldest competitor. Yay !

Oh, and we found time to watch the finish of the first stage of the Tour of Britain too !

Bromptons, Bromptons, everywhere

John — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:03:34 +0000

Bromptons are still rare enough in continental Europe to be noticeable (except the Netherlands, where there seem to be quite a lot), so when I parked my Brommie outside a shop in central Paris one morning, I was quite surprised when I came out to find another couple parked outside the shop next door. I was even more surprised, after parking my bike in Heilbronn, Germany, which is almost nobody’s idea of a tourist hub, to turn round and find two Bromptons (a different two) sailing past.

The Brompton folded nicely and Eurostar was happy to accept it as luggage, as were all the other trains in France, Germany, Austria and Belgium. It was useful to potter from station to hotel/youth hostel / house(s) of friend(s) but also enjoyed itself on a 70km jaunt from Schwabisch Hall to Heilbronn on a mixture of quiet roads, forest and farm tracks, and an old railway line. There were a few steepish hills, but only one where I had to walk, and that was more because it was very hot and humid than because it would have been too hard.

Pedalling alongside Lake Constance from Lindau to Uberlingen was just fine, and of course no problem on the train back, even for my daughter’s hired conventional bike, because German local trains have such generous accommodation for bikes. Much better than the niggardly provision in the UK. This was well illustrated when we turned up at Lindau station for the train to Wangen, only to find a cycle club of about a dozen middle aged gents waiting for it too. But it accommodated the club, my daughter’s bike, and another couple we picked up on the way, perfectly adequately.

Then a lovely ride from Wangen back to Lindau – beautiful countryside, excellent cycle path, a good lunch, and almost all downhill.

The Brompton / train/ bus combination is just ideal.

Racing Round Ryedale

John — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:21:45 +0000

Few things more exciting that watching one’s son participating in the leading break in a bike race over 100+ miles, though few things more gutting than having the pros overtake on the last lap, when he’d given his all. But a great day out – starting with the Moorsbus to Ampleforth, biking across to Hovingham where the cafe/delicatessen does wonderful coffee and sadwiches, and then catching the race from various vantage points with magnificent views over Ryedale as the riders passed on each circuit. Home from Helmsley on the bus.

Bishop Wilton by bus

John — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:16:45 +0000

The lunchtime 747 from York to Pocklington is a bus, not a jumbo jet, and this one shed all its passengers except me at Full Sutton Prison. Classic East Yorks scenery through to Bishop Wilton at the foot of the Wolds. Not up and over this time, but pedalling the Brompton through Skirpenbeck and Buttercrambe to Sand Hutton and Stockton on the Forest. Wild roses in the hedgerows, cow parsley on the verges, and poppies amongst the oilseed rape. Light northerly wind to help me along. (I’d checked this out before leaving – wind assisted cycling is a great way to preserve one’s energies).

I wonder if Stockton on the Forest is the world’s longest village ?

Jacobean Dormouse

John — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:10:10 +0000

The Portland Street Pedallers don’t get as far out of town as they used to. Crayke or bust had become Huby or bust and is now The Jacobean or bust. Three of us made it by bike, through quite cool showers, and two came by car. But I’m still not keen on the Jacobean. Not much choice of beer and wht there was not particularly well kept. The ride back to The Dormouse benefited from some pleasant late evening sun and at least the pub had a variety of drinkable beer. Real ale in a pub pastiche.

Lincoln

John — Sun, 10 May 2009 21:50:51 +0000

Apart from the fact that everything in Lincoln seems to close at 4pm (if it can’t manage to close at 3) we had a pleasant visit. Noted that the cathedral west front has a very horizontal feel – better from a distance than close up. Internally seemed to be more choir than nave but had a nice cloister.

A tea-shop served us what they called a “plumb” scone. We thought later that it would go nicely with the “chicken and leak” dish advertised elsewhere.

Gino’s Italian restaurant – very popular with the younger set – very average.

Duke Wiliam Hotel – elements of Fawlty Towers and a bizarre line in brown hedgehog pillows but probably 5/10 as B&Bs go. The breakfast sausage was herby and probably local.

Lincoln bike race provided very satisfying entertainment on Sunday. 11 shortish laps and a really challenging short sharp cobbled winding hill for good spectator participation.

CAROL’S COMMENT. And the reason we went was to support Kit, who finished 10th out of 200 entrants, just over a minute behind the winner. All of the family who live in England were there to cheer him up the cobbles on Michaelgate.

Across the Wolds

John — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:35:42 +0000

Ages since I’ve had a good bike ride – so off on the train to Seamer, heading back to Malton, taking the benefit of a light NE breeze, Started off quite cloudy and cool near the coast – to CAyton village then across Folkton Carr – flat,drained land to the pretty little village of Folkton on the rising land at the foot of the scarp. Up onto the scarp at Flixton – very steep, had to get off and push as I had the Brompton which doesn’t have a low enough gear for such feats. But soon the wide open skies and the chalk-studded fields of the high Wolds. A hare loped across a field (another was, alas, roadkill a few miles further on). Views down into dry valleys winding away from near their head. Loads of white blackthorn blossom studding the hedgerows. Peewits, seagulls. A tiny church at Fordon – a cross roads deep in the junction of dry valleys. The church dated from the 1100s- services once a month. A noisy rookery adjacent.

Rather a dull, wide valley then, going east-west, but the cloud started to break up and after crossing the busy B1249 the lane I was on got windier and more interesting. Particularly interesting was “The Star” at Weaverthorpe where a pint of Theakeston’s best bitter went very nicely with an excellent plate of belly pork on lentils with apple and chorizo, plus mashed potatoes, creamed leeks, carrots and cabbage.

From West Lutton a long gentle climb to the top of the ridge where the tree belt to the south of the road conceals an ancient defensive earthwork, and the hedge to the north fails to conceal a very extensive piggery. Beyond the pigs, though, the lower end of Ryedale laid out, and the Moors in the distance. Past Settrington Beacon with its near 360 degree visibility and then the spectacular descent to Settrington – amazing to think that I survived coming up that way the last time I was in this area (May 2006).

And so to Malton and the train. I was much refreshed, not only by the Theakstons but by the delightful cool yet sunny weather, the exercise, and the wonderful feeling of Spring – buds, leaves, birds, lambs, primroses.