Norfolk and Norwich Group of Advanced Motorists
Registered Charity Number 1051282. Affiliated to the Institute of Advanced Motorists Ltd.
It was a clear, bright and dry day for the first ride of the year to The Shepherds Baa at Lynford Arboretum, with the only fly in the ointment being the air temperature of -5C. A solitary (foolhardy?) rider arrived at the Sainsburys rendezvous point and was disappointed to find himself unable to refuel his bike - the filler cap lock being frozen solid; Note to self (for our lonely rider is, of course, me) - when washing the bike, make sure the locks are free of water afterwards. De-icer, purchased at the fuel station, didn't make things any better so there followed a detour back home to make use of the kettle. Once de-iced and re-fuelled, the ride was a nice simple one in deference to the weather, mostly just following the A134.
The roads were damp but not icy, the wintry countryside spectacular in its Christmas Card mimicry, the glare from the low sun but a small hindrance. Heated grips and puffy, insulating mid-layers are life savers, while closing helmet air vents protects ears from frost bite; wind chill at -5C and 60mph being -18C.
The Shepherds Baa is a quaint, picturesque little tea hut with a reasonable selection of hot and cold sustenance and some nice outdoor seating in bucolic woodland. Today it looked like a scene from Narnia, though why we schedule an outdoor venue in January remains a mystery.
Warmed and revived by hot tea and an even hotter veggie sausage roll, the return journey was by the A1065 (with a stop at Swaffham for more tea, thanks Mel and Karen) and the rapidly thawing A47. On returning home, as usual for this time of year, more time was spent cleaning the filth off the bike and clothing than was actually spent riding - but after two weeks of two-wheeled inactivity over the Christmas break it was great to be back out.
Dave Robins
