SUMMER TOUR 2004

by Eddie Graves

The summer tour was this year held over four days in the first week of June and based again at Blaxhall Youth Hostel near Snape and the seaside town of Aldeburgh, Suffolk. This year those attending were Ken Lovett, Adrian Kennett (tour organiser and chief mechanic), Eric Jewell, Peter Egan, Martin Douglas, David Capon, newest NR member of the group, Glyn Halliday and myself, who found himself holding the map when the music stopped.
It’s a lovely part of the country which still has plenty of quiet lanes. The general approach, by mutual agreement, seems to be an easy pace, frequent refreshment stops and having a laugh most of the time.
This year we were determined to reach the transport museum at Carlton Colville, on the outskirts of Lowestoft. Having almost reached it last year, only to be out of time and very wet. This time we were blessed with a fine day and were able to leave in good time (note who was not with us this year). Even though we had few punctures we made it to the museum. This was a fascinating place, with working trolleybuses and trams. Of course several of the group remembered trams from their youth, I won’t say which ones.
We were dry for half the return journey but the weather caught up with us and we ended up soaked! Over 100 kilometres that day, one of our longer rides.

AUTUMN TOUR 2004

by Eddie Graves

The autumn tour was held over three days from October 11, based at Clare in Suffolk at a B & B where we stayed about seven years ago.
A different line up this time: Graham Thompson, Eddie Jones, Adrian Kennett, David Capon, Glyn Halliday, Tony Giles and myself. Castle Hedingham, Long Melford, Lavenham, Sudbury and many other villages were all visited. It would be fair to say that the weather was mixed, but we did enjoy ourselves and what did we expect in October?
The highlight of the tour was the celebration of Tony Giles’ 70th birthday in the local pub. Adrian had organised a gift from us all, a model cyclist made from nuts and bolts and Doreen Kennett had baked a cake. All of this was secretly taken to the pub in advance and on the night Tony was gobsmacked and speechless (which is of course a first). To add to this the lady owner of the pub, who had had a few herself, came in and gave him a kiss. An evening not to be forgotten!
Roll on next year!