Number Seventy News » cycling

Sun and Wind

John — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:49:27 +0000

Late November, so both sun and wind in the face heading south-west out of the city, but the countryside sharp and clear — still green in many of the hedgerows, but trees shades of brown, if not nearly bare already. After Tadcaster, heading to Bolton Percy and Appleton Roebuck, there were tiny arcs of rainbow in the distance under shreds of cloud, then larger dark banks heading towards us, the outlines of fields and trees blurring beneath them. The Shoulder of Mutton at Appleton Roebuck provided shelter from a heavy shower, and served a nice pint of Sam’s, and the sandwiches looked good. The prospect of a sunny interval beckoned me onwards and we were back in York in barely over half an hour with the wind behind us, catching a few stray drops at Bishopthorpe and, alas, a really heavy shower in the last 1/4 mile. Overall not too bad for November.

Unwontedly Warm

John — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 20:20:49 +0000

Talk about going to Birmingham by way of Beachey Head. Low Catton via Escrick, Wheldrake, Elvington, Sutton-on-Derwent and Wilberfoss is also pretty perverse, and that was before a drop had been taken. A glorious and unseasonably warm autumn day — countryside as beautiful as I have ever seen it in a combination of low sun, leaves beginning to turn, harvested fields, ploughing begun, and green still the predominant colour after the comparatively wet summer. At Low Catton the Gold Cup inn was happy to serve a refreshing pint of Theakston’s bitter, and provide some tasty sandwiches. (Top Tip — go for the crusty roll version, it’s worth the extra quid to avoid the sliced version of bread.) And so back via the old viaduct at Stamford bridge, across the fields to Dunnington, and the Tang Hall cycle track, now through the at last under way housing development at Derwentthorpe, with nary a newt in sight.

Wonderful Wolds

John — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:44:22 +0000

No apologies for once again going on about how amazing the Yorkshire Wolds are. Even a short ride taking in Millington, Huggate, Thixendale and Birdsall reveals so many of the characteristic features — the narrow dry valleys, the sheep pasture, the hawthorn/blackthorn bushes lining the horizon. The lanes are not busy, there’s a good tea shop at Millington, a fine pub at Huggate which does good food and Timothy Taylors (my first pint of their Golden Best — delicious!) and another at Thixendale, though I believe it remains child unfriendly (having once had to eat dinner on a chilly lawn one far from balmy evening).

This is at Millington Pastures, in front, some roadside art, behind, the site of a former settlement, below, the point where the Roman Road from Brough to Malton crosses the valley.

The dramatic skies of a windy September day. By going up from Millington to Huggate, and up from Thixendale to Leavening Brow, I took the easy option, the downhills being steeper than the gentle ups in the dry valleys.

And a rainbow !

This was looking out towards Langton and Malton from near Aldro Farm at the head of Birdsall Dale, with the North York Moors purple in the distance.What more could one want on a day out ?

Small and Eccentric

John — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 15:16:07 +0000

We manage to subscribe to a number of small and eccentric publications which, taken together, give us a lot of pleasure. (The ever-wonderful “Private Eye” doesn’t count for these purposes, nor the London Review of Books, which are too big both physically and in circulation.) The immediate trigger for this post is the tiny literary journal “Slightly Foxed”, which consists of a number of short essays by book enthusiasts well-known, known, and unknown, on the subject of a book or an author who interests them and, often, seems to be in danger of neglect. The most recent issue sent me off to Marghanita Laski’s “Little Boy Lost”, published by Persephone Books, who also like to rescue minor masterpieces in danger of being forgotten. The book deals with the search by an Englishman for his half-french little boy, immediately after the second world war. I’ll say no more except that the success or failure of the search is not revealed until the very last sentence, and Laski knows enough to leave it there — by then we can all imagine what follows because we have got to know the man and the boy already.

And then there is the even smaller and more eccentric “Smoke, a London peculiar” which appears at quite rare intervals but quite accurately describes itself as a love-letter to London, except that it’s not the London most of us who don’t live there think of but the London of night buses, pigeons, scrapyards and marshes, and most unlikely of all, London south of the river.

Or “A to B” the magazine of folding and electric bikes and general encouragement to sensible travel. Tends to go on a bit, entertainingly and justifiably, about how difficult sensible travel is made by the suits who run things. Bits of it are so technical about engineering modifications you can make to obscure bikes that one suspects that only a couple of readers get to the end but the reviews of bikes are great, as are the polemics. They also like to reproduce, with mock-horror, any bike advertisments which feature semi-naked young women deriving pleasure from twining round a bike. Fortunately such lapses are rare.

Or “Blithe Spirit” the magazine of the British Haiku Society, which also publishes tanka and renga and other anglo-japanese specialities, plus erudite reviews. I like the haiku best — sometimes they capture a moment, a feeling, to utter perfection.

Finally, there’s “Railwatch” the magazine of Railfutures, which campaigns for improvements to Britain’s betrayed railways (Beeching, Tories, New Labour, privatisation). Nothing like supporting an organisation banging its head on the brick wall of greed, blame culture and incompetence which characterises the very top echelons of rail ownership, leasing, and governance.

Bolton Percy Steam and Ale

John — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 14:42:59 +0000

Approaching Bolton Percy from Tadcaster on a recent Friday morning, we found the railway bridge lined with men and cameras, so we naturally enough leant our bikes on the fence and joined them, correctly anticipating a steam-hauled delight. It did appear that some were equally excited about a rumoured 47 on empty stock (it turned up later behind a 37) but the main course was to be the unrebuilt Battle of Britain class light pacific “Tangmere” on an excursion, heading north to York and Scarborough. The wait was extended, but contemporary gricers have colleagues who text on progress from down the line so we knew she was coming before the distinctive cloud of smoke which always seemed to wreathe the unrebuilt version came in sight. A fine sight in BR green, shovelling through at about 60, with a rake of BR maroon Mark I coaches. Reminded me very much of standing on the platform at Woking with my grandma in the early 50s, watching the expresses hurtle through as we waited for our electric connection.

Then on to “The Crown” which does Sam’s fine ales, and a nice selection of luncheon grub.

A North-West Wind

John — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 17:04:06 +0000

On the train to Thirsk with a non-folding bike — there were 4 on instead of the regulation 2 but the guard didn’t seem to mind and anyway two were off at Thirsk, the first stop. The reason for this was a moderate north to north-west wind, which I thought, correctly as it turned out, would help me nicely down across the foothills where the Howardian Hills meet the Moors, and down across the Plain of York back to the city. Delightful high summer, hedgerows and roadsides maybe just past their peak for wild flowers, but a countryside of ripening crops and growing livestock.

This was from the undulating road between Bagby and Kilburn. Later, a much neglected byway (though nonetheless part of National Cycle Route 65) gave a wonderful view of Coxwold Church and the White Horse.

After Easingwold (where the Co-op on the Market Square opens on Sundays and sells a better class of bottled drink) it’s all flat. The back lane between Youlton and Linton was new to me, and more interesting than the roads.

Farlington — not the Royal Wedding

John — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:57:53 +0000

What better way to spend the morning of the Royal Wedding but on a circuitous bicycle ride, taking in Newton on Ouse, Tollerton, Huby and Stillington before a lengthy pause at the Blacksmiths Arms at Farlington. A few spots of rain on the way, and a stiff north-east breeze to contend with, but the wonderfully burgeoning hedgerows, verges, fields and woods took our minds off the weather and the wedding. We did notice bunting at Newton on Ouse, but Huby hadn’t a single flag, although the streets were completely empty — a ghost town as doubtless folk were glued to their TVs. Stillington was equally deserted, but hardly a house was without some red white and blue token — a very loyal village doubtless heading for a party in the afternoon. And then the sun came out, so we were able to enjoy our pints of Sams and sandwiches ( 6/10) on the lawn at the back of the pub. A swift ride home by the nearly shortest route (escaped the Helmsley Road by taking the bridleway from Wigginton to the Skelton Road) with the wind behind us most of the way. Plagues of black flies — need the swallows and house martins to turn up.

Sunshine and Primroses

John — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:59:35 +0000

At the end of a sunny and quite warm week the opportunity to get out on the Orbit — must be nearly a year since that bike hit the road. The slightly undulating country around York doesn’t really merit 21 gears but the final stretch direct from Long Marston into the city did send me into the higher registers. Before that, though, a meandering route through Acaster Malbis, Appleton Roebuck, Bilbrough, Healaugh, Wighill, and Tockwith to Long Marston. Lots of lambs around Acaster, and primroses on a roadside bank (though I forget exactly where). Healaugh church as delightful as ever — magnificent Norman porch and corbels. Spring definitely springing. A fine pint of Sam’s at the Sun in Long Marston, and a very acceptable burger and chips.

Abandoned in London

John — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 12:23:42 +0000

Not us, actually, but 16,000 children left at the Foundling Hospital in the late 18th century. A fascinating small exhibition at the Foundling Museum by Coram’s Fields in Bloomsbury, displaying a small selection of the textile tokens which mothers left with their children, often in the hope that they would come back to collect the child at some future date. Out of 16,000, only 152 children were ever collected. Mostly they were babies, from as young as a day old. Some christened, some not, many noted as going to a wet-nurse. One 3 day old was christened the same day his mother was buried. Poignant stuff.

But also an amble round Islington — some very posh bits there,

and the surprising (to me) discovery that the Regents Canal goes right under Islington High Street in a tunnel.

Lambs Conduit Street is always a delight, calling in this time at the ever-inspiring Persephone Books, and The Lamb pub for a nice glass of Young’s bitter and an adequate lunch (perhaps not quite as good as The Perseverance a few doors down on the other side).

Boris bikes much in evidence in their racks, less so on the streets, though we did see a pair hurtling round Russell Square, and a lorry refilling a rack near King’s Cross.

The “Slightly Foxed” bookshop on Gloucester Road surprised me by being mostly second-hand (I hadn’t been concentrating) but did have a most comprehensive selection in many categories (not all properly sorted, unfortunately). But it did put me in mind of the splendid “Richmond [on Thames] Bookshop” I used to frequent 45 years ago and whence I would return to Hounslow laden with fascinating finds.

I’d forgotten too, quite how crowded the Tube can get at rush-hours — Leeds commuters don’t know what they are missing. Our decision to use buses in London wherever possible very wise, unless of course it’s a long distance or one is in a hurry and it involves Oxford Street.

There’s a mural just off Carnaby Street which has a delightful tribute to Soho Jazz in one of its panels.

Wheldrake/Thorganby Circular

John — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:49:12 +0000

Joined a group of Friday cyclists at the Milennium Bridge. Predictably mostly retired folk. Maybe 2/3rds sporting some Lycra. Mine was the only Brompton. One bloke wondered how I’d cope. In fact all very leisurely. Some of the lanes which restrict the view with high hedges in summer much more interesting with no leaves on the bushes — wide views possible, including of the Derwent Ings well flooded. Rumours of a re-instated bridge allowing access to the far side of the river between Elvington and Bubwith — must investigate someday. Also the visitor centre for birdwatchers just beyond Wheldrake. So many years since I’ve cycled through Thorganby (normally I stop at the Ferry Boat). The village has lots of interesting and charming buildings — including what appears to be a magnificent Victorian vicarage or similar.

Concluded at the “Blacksmiths” at Naburn, which coped splendidly with 32 thirsty and hungry cyclists. An excellent pint of Hobgoblin to be had.