The crew assembled by Denis’s car with luggage in hand at 08:30hrs for the Grand Depart on the last full days riding. The temperature, like yesterday had thankfully slightly cooled overnight, but alas this was due to a headwind we would be challenged by all day. We said our goodbyes to our fantastic support car driver Denbo and headed out.
Breakfast was taken in Hethersett just two miles down the road south west of the Travelodge as the overnight digs had no eating facilities. It was a delightful little venue called Janey’s Village Cafe. The food was excellent and the range of tea pot designs presented to us was very entertaining. A local lady paramedics crew where also there enjoying the peace and quiet of their breakfast break, but more about them later.
After a hearty breakfast we headed out south-south-west along the busy Norwich Road, which thankfully had a really decent segregated cycle path alongside and then we turned for the town of Wymondham. Here we took to more peaceful lanes and our first off road section through some farm fields. We’d had a brisk headwind so far and Andy was up front navigating with shielding assistance from Tracy as lead-out rider due to the conditions.
Later on I took over for a turn as lead-out into the same headwind and was enjoying the countryside, especially the fields full of little piggy ‘Air-raid shelters’ and the hundreds of muddy piglets enjoying themselves at various troughs.
As we rode along something caught my eye ahead, something non-descript, large and on its side was laying in the road in the distance. At first it looked like a dead horse, but as we got closer I shouted to slow down as I realised it was a motorcycle on its side and just before it a dead munk deer.
Ahead of us.
Behind us.
On arriving at the scene the owner was sitting by the side of the road clutching a shoulder and it was clear that the deer had jumped out and toppled the rider at slow speed. The group stopped, but I noticed that the road location was an ‘S bend’ and was blind on approach, so I cycled on to protect it whilst Tracy dealt with the First-Aid issue and others in the group assisted in protection of the road from behind.
With this arrangement in place we were able to slow, warn, advise drivers and maintain what little traffic flow there was on the little country lane. Within fifteen minutes the ambulance arrived and the paramedic crew took over, serendipitously, the same lovely ladies that had been at our breakfast cafe venue two hours before! Tracy had diagnosed a possible dis-located shoulder, and with the ambulance crew now in charge we were able to start off again towards the lunch stop.
About five minutes later two police cars went thrashing by with the ‘blues & twos’ on to scoop up the deer and look after the reasonable unscathed bike, which unfortunately was less than can be said for its rider!
Our lunch stop was just outside East Harling at English Whiskey Distillery, The Grain Cafe, where some were lucky to get their orders and some got the disheartening advisory from the young waitress lady, ‘Sorry, we’ve just sold the last one.’ Nevertheless everyone got fed and refuelled to their satisfaction and an hour later we were onto our final twenty-five miles to Bury St. Edmunds.
The headwind was still there on the last leg, but not as strong as earlier and riding past fields full of corn seemed to reflect the sun’s heat back into the humid air. We had intermittent off road sections in the final twenty miles which gave us shade from the sun, and also a few nettle stings from the overgrown trails. On one trail the second puncture of the trip was encountered by Jigs and was swiftly dealt with by a co-operative effort.
With twelve miles to do we settled into a regular pattern with Bill. Navigating, myself close behind, everyone in between and Andy at the rear as a ‘checksum’ second navigator. We passed through quiet hamlets such as, Troston, Great Livermere and Great Barton. Then we turned right onto a main road and a mile on passed the sign, ‘Welcome to Bury St. Edmonds’ where upon a huge cheer of congratulations (or possibly relief! PW) went up by the whole group.
The final mile or so through the town returned us to our starting point at Bury St. Edmunds station where more rehydration took place at the station’s coffee shop.
And there upon ended the, Tour De Suffolk-Norfolk.
Thanks to everyone for a excellent few days, Bill for organising the gig, Andy and Bill for navigating and last but by no means least, Denis ‘Denbo’ Peacock for support car driver, without whom backpacks would’ve been less than comfortable.