Saturday 12th April 2014

After faffing about this morning I finally managed to get out by 7am, and once again I was on the Rory for a mooch around the lanes. A chilly start greeted me (though it never really got warm all day) so a climb up through South Weald was called for, just to warm myself up. Then on through Blackmore, Norton Heath to Willingale where I picked up part of this years Tour De France route. Which is badly in need of some resurfacing work before the big day! Four Wantz led me to High Easter which I reached at 09.30 with 28 miles on the clock. I pressed on to High Roding and Great Canfield to Hellman`s Cross, where I stopped for my iron rations.
Then made my way to Taverners Green and White Roding to Matching Green and saw the sun come out, but only for a few minutes before it disappear again! Onward to Little Laver and Clatterford End to Fyfield and once again to Willingale, to have a stop in Fred`s bus shelter for more iron rations and a chat with a couple of cyclists. From here I retrace my outward route to reach home at 3pm with my longest ride of the year (so far) of 71 miles. 

Photo`s taken at Hellman`s Cross

The `Peace Oak` which is a war memorial, I found this very unusually.

The Whipping post & Stocks, also this was the site were in 1683 a witch was burnt.

Saturday 8th March

After months of riding my Raleigh around the local lanes I decide today to `blow the cobwebs away` and get some decent mileage in on the Rory. So I set off at 07.30 heading toward Billericay and onto East Hanningfield where I stopped for a newspaper and also to have a think ( yes that did hurt thinking) where to go from here. Maldon wasn`t too far away, but would probably be on the chilly side with the wind coming off the River Blackwater, so I headed for Butts Green instead. Where I stopped at the gardening centre for a coffee and some yummy bread pudding, my mileage at this point was just over 26 miles so  decide to head for home from here.
This saw me going through Sandon and Stock to Margaretting and onto Ingatestone and Mountnessing where I had a much needed iron ration stop. Then Swallow Cross led me to Doddinghurst and South Weald were the sun came out at last and stayed out all the way home. Which I reached at 14.15 with my longest mileage of the year so far of 59 miles.

 

Butts Green gardening centre coffee shop which as very friendly staff and some very yummy bread pudding!

Sunday 23rd December

No write ups for awhile doesn`t mean I`ve not been out cycling, I`ve just been cycling the local lanes  and a lot less mileage! A bright and breezy start this morning and still very mild as I set off at 08.45 on my Raleigh with a wee bit of tinsel on it. But unfortunately I couldn`t wear my Santa hat this year as just a few weeks ago I started wearing a helmet for the first time in 35 years of cycling! But I made do with some tinsel around the helmet. I expected to find more flooded lanes around this morning but I just found some large puddles so no wet feet. This was just going to be another easy peasy ride, so out to Corbets Tey and then onto North Ockendon to Bulphan, the strange thing was I never saw another cyclist! I reached my destination of Langdon Visitor Centre with just 10 miles on the clock and after a coffee and chat with the volunteers, I bought a book about the WW2 P.O.W camp that was just up the road from here. Looked an interesting read and I do like my local history.
Leaving the Visitor Centre I saw at last another cyclist but my friendly greeting fell on death ears as he just ignored me! Retracing my outward route along Doesgate Lane I met some friendly cyclists from the Havering CTC, Chan, Dave and Stephen. After a chat and I had to decline a number of time to join them on their run we parted company and I headed for home via Bulphan and this time Pike Lane. I was indoors by 12.30 with just over 23 miles on the clock, but still a very enjoyable time spent in and out of the saddle.

Sunday 3rd November

A sunny and breezy morning greeted me as I set off at 07.45 on-board the Rory which I`ve not ridden on for nearly 4 weeks so it was due an airing. Been out cycling of course but on my old (Raleigh) hack, while my `Claud Baby` is still off the road because I can`t decide which tyres to put on Panaracer or Schwalbe?  Anyway back to this morning, it was also a bit chilly than of late fingers and toes chilly! But I soon warmed up as I sped (with a tailwind) through Bulphan to Dunton and with no Bootsale, a traffic free roundabout was enjoyed! After a few lumpy bits I was in Billericay and out again heading for Ingatestone via Buttsbury Wash. It wasn`t too deep but it was running fast and the footbridge was a mud-bath so I decide I didn`t want to go that way after all. It was also here I sent a text to Dave of the Havering CTC to find out where they were having lunch after their AGM.
I made my way to Ingatestone via the 16th century Hall with its one handed clock, and then over the railway crossing to reach the High Street, where I got a text from Dave saying the Havering have no idea where they were going for lunch. So I carried on to Margaretting and decide to turn for home and face that headwind along Ivy Barns La to Highwood and eventually Blackmore. Where I stopped beside the village pond just to get out of that wind and found it was very pleasant sitting in the sunshine. Then back in the saddle to face that wind again I made my way to Doddinghurst and South Weald to find Nags Head La closed to all traffic. But not to worry I wasn`t in a hurry so I followed the detour route only to remember how lumpy Mascalls La was! Still a nice downhill stretch along Warley Gap, Birds La and Warley Street to reach Pike Lane and the Thames Chase Visitors Centre. Where I met the Havering just coming out after their AGM, after a chat I was indoors by 13.20 with 44.33 miles done. I did plan to do much more mileage today but glad I didn`t because I found that wind very tough or am I just getting old?

Sunday 6th October

I had a destination today `The Green Cafe` at Little Canfield, the reason I was going there was because it`s one of the cafes on my list for the Cycle Cafe Challenge. You visit a cafe on the list collect a stamp and after 4th stamps at different cafes you get a free slice of cake! Just a bit of fun really, anyway a 07.20 start and would you believe it I was on the Rory! A bit chilly around the knees as I set off and found some lovely thick fog though it didn`t last long and by the time I was in St. Marys Lane it was clear and the sun was out by the time I climbed over South Weald. I headed out to Willingale and then to Four Wantz to reach High Easter and made my way to High Roding. After Becon End I had my first `Senior Moment` do I turn left or right? As I don`t carry a map or anything because I know my Essex, well sometimes! Anyway I went right and should have gone left but it didn`t really matter I just did a bit more on the B1258, but the traffic was light along here anyway. I reached `The Green Cafe` at 10.30 with just over 34 miles done and after a coffee and a yummy egg roll, plus collecting my first stamp I headed down the lane to All Saints Church for `Senior Moment` number two, I had left my camera at home!
Leaving Little Canfield on the B1258 for a couple of miles before turning back into the lanes to Hope End Green and Taverners Green. Then on Through Manwood Green and Matching Green to Fyfield where I pulled off the road as a  speeding Ambulance with its blue lights flashing sped pass me. A few miles further up the lane just before Willingale I came across the Ambulance again along with a group of Essex Road cyclists. It seem one rider wanted to slow the bunch down by falling off and breaking his collarbone! I had a short stop in Freds bus stop and then onto Blackmore and Doddinghurst to South Weald and reached home by 15.30 with 73.50 miles on the clock on rather lovely warm and sunny day.

Saturday 28th September

On the road just after 7am on a sunny and surprisingly warm morning and as normal I was on the Rory with no idea where I was a going just a mooch around the lanes. Took my normal route out through South Weald, Blackmore and Willingale to Birds Green, with a stop along School La at Hornets Farm. To inspect the small graveyard at the Farm Gates, when I was first shown this site some 20 years ago it was very overgrown but these days it`s being looked after and is much tidy. But I do wonder how many know it`s there as they speed pass whether in a motor vehicle or cycling! I continued on through Beauchamp & Abbess Roding`s and then onto Matching Green, stopping beside the village pond I notice a pair of swans, can`t remember ever seeing swans here before. As it was time for my Iron Rations I pointed my wheels towards Matching Church as I seem to remember a bench just waiting for me.
Then back to Matching Green and onto Little Laver and Clatterford End to Fyfield for a short stop beside the River Roding which was running pretty high. Then it was the ups and downs along the Willingale Road to pick up my outward route back to Blackmore and South Weald. It was much cloudy and windy by this time and the last mile to home I caught a short sharp shower! But a nice mooch around the lanes today and I was back indoors at 14.30 with just over 62 miles on the clock.

St. Mary Church, and the Marriage & Feast house which was build by a William Chimney around 1480 for the use of his farm workers on their wedding day. It was last used for this purpose in 1936, these days it`s mostly used for Church functions.

Sunday 15th September

The sun was a shining but it was a rather chilly morning as I set off at 07.20 on the Rory and once again I had no idea where I was a going! Outside Roomes in Upminster I came across a cold looking Dave Rowlands the leader of today`s Havering CTC ride, so I stopped for a chat until the rest of the riders arrived. Then made my way to South Weald, Coxtie Green, Bentley and Princes Gate to the A113 and turned into Berwick La and after a short distance I came upon the Havering group who had stopped for a friendly bush as yer do! We rode together until the end of the lane where we parted company the Havering up Toots Hill, while I down to Stanford Rivers. A left just pass St. Margaret Church into Mutton Row a lovely wee lane especially now with a freshly laid tarmac on it. Then on through  Greensted Green and once over the A414 into Moreton and High Laver to Matching Green. By this time the sun had long disappeared and it was getting rather breezy. After Abbess Roding and Birds Green I exchange greeting with Kelvin Dane and the Central London CTC group in Dukes La.
Then onto Willingale for a short stop in Fred`s bus shelter for a cereal bar and to get out of the wind for awhile.
A few spots of rain on route to Blackmore, then I had the company of a local cyclist before he turned off at Hook End and I headed for South Weald and Upminster. In Dennis La I met a large group of  cyclists that looked like Skyriders maybe from the Havering L.C.C? Anyway I was home by 2pm with 58.02 on the clock.

 All Saints Church, High Laver the burial place of John Locke said to be the greatest philosophers in Europe at the end of the seventeenth century.