RIDE no :: 120
Sat 8th Dec Thetford stn.
Hares:: MrBossy & Eliott
Can’t be doin’ with all this writing? Then just read the pictures below!
A lovely sunny and crisp morning. Gathering at the station, we found MogulMattress gathering the pack together and sorting out our lunch orders. We were also told that we had to get away by 10:45 but we were late as usual due to some faffing-about. HeadGirl was early for once though, and didn’t know what to do with herself with the spare time before the off; she decided that buying jelly babies would be a good idea.
Jimmy and Alex joined us for their first Saturday bash and Zorro threw a spanner into his aeroplane engine so that his tour of duty in the war zone was delayed because he wanted to bash. We set off across the meadows next to the river and everyone went through the brook even though there was a bridge just a little further on. We took the path out of town along the river for some distance and what lovely peaceful scenery – apart from the ditched cars that is. Still frosty, bright and hardly a breath of wind. At the weir, only Umplebore took the checkback, waiting ages for the rest of the pack to turn up and ended up some way behind. They had all crossed the river and headed into the forest. It was a bit muddier here as it was in the sun but not a problem except for Umplebore who found a large muddy hole that swallowed his front wheel. All gathered at the next checkpoint and the scenery changed to firm or sandy tracks through the forest, some wider and open in places that gave pleasant views.
The pack regrouped at the Bidwell Guide and Scout Centre, a new building next to a great campsite, set back some distance off the road, and the venue for Nash Bash in July. On through the campsite and under a bridge, either via the stream or a tricky walkway – most took the stream. Some more super tracks and a bit of road with well laid trail that kept the pack thinking. After a while we got a little split up but we had been met by MogulMattress to remind us about making the lunch stop by 1:30 – no chance really but we gave it a go. This section was also the trickiest, getting into the very technical sections of Thetford Forest that included bomb holes and lots of twisty single track through heavily wooded bits, shiggy, puddles, switchbacks, roots and ruts (plus a slimy green puddle that everyone avoided – apparently no-one’s been in it for years). A few of the more adventurous checked out the bomb holes and found ‘The Beast’ which wasn’t on trail. Towards the end a couple decided that a mile of road was the best option to get to lunch while the rest of us followed the single track just inside the wood that included another bomb hole.
Lunch at the Elvedon Inn was very welcome, good food in a pub that time had almost forgot. The barmaid also seemed to be in a world of her own! When we were ready to ride again we found that the hares had left us all a blob of flour on our saddles!
The afternoon section was a lot shorter and started with a ride along the path on the A11 then to a checkpoint and on up a tough grassy hill, field edge and then onto good tracks through woods, and then open fields. It ended by following a path along the river through pretty parts of the town to the final pub, the Rose & Crown.
Mr Bossy and Eliott had ensured that we would have plenty of decent beer and the landlord put on a barrel of Bombardier for us, what a reasonable price too. Down downs were taken inside but as Eliott had to leave earlier only Mr Bossy got the scouts’ one for a great trail: well researched and cunning, with plenty of variety, little tarmac, very pretty and superb tricky stuff. This is going to be a fantastic area for Nash Bash. Doug got named ‘Thug‘ because not only can the Yanks not speak correctly they also seem to have a hearing problem: at lunch Jimmy (not at Down Downs) asked Douglas his name. After the reply he retorted, ‘THUG?’ ‘No, ‘Doug.’ ‘What, ‘Thug?’ ‘Noooo!!!’ The same exercise was repeated at Down Downs with Zorro acting out the part for Jimmy with the same result. Struth got one for not bothering with the afternoon bit and Crabbo for opting to miss the bit in the forest and take the road to lunch. Umplebum and Checkpoint got theirs for carrying strange implements that weren’t required, and Liz for leaving the boot again with Mummy’s Boy who should have received the award. Mogul Mattress was also awarded one for pretending to be Mrs Bossy at the start and organising lunch so well, and Zorro for being there. Pedro got one for being overdressed on the grassy hill – he never wears anything other than a t-shirt.
The pub session ended up with Crabbo & Struth debating what time their train left and how much time they had for drinking and finding an eatery.
All in all, a really great day.
Pheep!Pheep!
Umplebore
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