25th January 2026 - Ride out to Bawdeswell Garden Centre - Dave Cusdin

There is no report for the proposed run on the 11th Jan to the Shepherd’s Baa as the weather was deemed too inclement. However, six riders did meet on the 25th Jan for a short sojourn to Bawdeswell. Arriving at our designated starting point, we were surprised to find that Sainsbury’s car park was nearly full, well before the 10 a.m. opening time. It turned out that there was a VW camper van rally taking place and it was extremely popular. As we departed, there was still a steady stream of iconic vans queuing to get into the car park.

The decision had been made to take the most direct route as it was rather chilly and the road conditions still left a lot to be desired. Thirty odd miles later, following the B1145, we arrived at our destination. The Garden Centre is part of the Cherry Lane franchise; I don’t know if it is a new acquisition, but the café wasn’t where we expected it to be. However, in line with all good garden centre designs, you still have to traverse the entire store to get to the confectionary. We were kept entertained as one of our number (no names, no pack drill) temporarily mislaid his keys, but through a process of elimination, he was very relieved to be reunited with them. We were joined by Roly, who had driven over as he is still recuperating from his off last year; it was great to see him in fine form and to catch up on the gossip.

The return ride was the usual bombast as members made their way back to their respective domiciles. Many thanks to Steve C for undertaking tail end Charlie, and I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our outgoing membership secretary, Martin Woodhouse, for his outstanding contribution to the group. For over 35 years, he has served the committee in various roles, and I wish him all the best for the future.

Until the next time.

Cheers, Dave C