Cycling/walking/camping weekend 16/17th July 2011

Well, weather was forecast and weather we got! The first contingent of 5 walkers & cyclists arriving at the Brighthouse Farm campsite on the Friday enjoyed  a very pleasant afternoon and evening . Val even demonstrated her newly acquired cycle maintenance skills by mending several punctures on her bike. Then overnight the rain arrived.

We were ready to leave home early on the Saturday morning when disaster struck. I closed the front door then realised the bunch of keys I was clutching was not my house & car keys as I thought but a bunch of Copped Hall keys. Major panic! A frantic phone call to Parviz and he nobly drove up with his Yellow Pages and after several phone calls we located a locksmith who could come out at short notice. Parviz departed and we sat and waited. Eventually the guy turned up and opened our front door with alarming ease, leaving us £85 poorer. So eventually we were on our way to pick up Parviz plus bike and get to the campsite 2 hours late.

Here we pitched our tents in the rain and found everyone else in Bill & Inger’s large tent and showing a definite reluctance to emerge. Several cups of tea later we summoned some efog spirit and decided we would do a shorter route than intended and cycle to Lavenham. Taking advantage of a slight lull in the downpour the cyclists set off, the slight lull then immediately ceased. Once on the road though, cycling in the rain is not too bad. We arrived in Lavenham and made for the National Trust tearoom at the famous Guild Hall. Here they gave us a space to pile our wet gear and let us in for some lunch. The walkers met up with us here (by car!).

Maz & Peter left for home while, replenished, we started the return journey via several garage sales in the town where Inger purchased things for her schools and Duncan bought a sort of red parrot (don’t ask!).

Back at the campsite later, the rain actually stopped and most of us cooked outside, while Ian & Susan took the footpath to the pub, and we were able to appreciate the beautiful view from the site.

Next day, we packed up camp and the walkers departed to walk. The cycle ride from the campsite began & finished in sunshine. However, in between, the rain varied between light & deluge which meant many sprints to find trees to shelter under. This, plus a puncture (Val’s bike) which had to be mended twice because the patch didn’t stick, meant we didn’t quite reach our destination of Ickworth House and so stopped at Chevington for lunch where most of us ate our sandwiches in a bus shelter while Val treated herself to a slap up lunch in the pub. We finally gave in and joined her for some hot soup. The return ride via many pretty lanes was more of the same weatherwise but by now we were immune to wetness. At least it was dry at the finish to load up the bikes.

Despite all, I think everyone enjoyed the weekend. Something to do with ‘triumphing over adversity', I think!

Ann