Tiptree not so fast group “EXTRA RIDE”
First we would just like to say the ride was listed as Pat & Paul, but just like the WW1 Generals they insisted on leading from the rear!
We left Tiptree by Newbridge Road, Birch Airfield,Copford,through Turkey Cock Lane,all went well and our average speed was over 13mph despite a strong headwind. When we reached Barnplants we stopped so that some of us could make use of the Loos.Pat had complained about a clicking from the rear chain on their Dawes,so whilst Pat was away Paul and I had a fiddle with the gears and thought we had fixed it, until we all started again and the noise was louder (Paul had another fiddle) and again we set off and after a few hundred yards the noise “stopped completely” their chain had broken and just fallen off!! At this point I would like to say on how nice it is to repair a chain that is completely dry although I did waste a good pair of rubber gloves before I realised. Paul insisted it had been well oiled (this must have been done about the reign of Julius Ceasar. We do not know who started the rumour about their can of oil having “as recommended by all top chariot manufacturers” written on it but this is not very kind and if we find culprit they are in big trouble.The ride continued at a good pace through Great Tey,and onto America Road passing The Bird in Hand Pub we have heard that a part of the pub roof was removed during WW2 so airmen could watch the planes returning. We then turned onto Earls Colne airfield passing the memorial to the aircrews a bit further we went through a gap in the fence onto the little lane (Newhouse Road) from Earls Colne to Greenstead Green. This had road closed signs every few yards but Tiptree Velo are made of stern stuff and by keeping the “Upper Lip Stiff” we made through, over a disused bridge to lunch at the farm Shop. We think the ride being a bit longer and a little faster than the norm caused “Eddie on seeing food” to order double, when the waitress served his Bread pudding and then said who ordered the Fruit cake and his hand went up her jaw dropped. He said if the ride back was as bad as the one to get to lunch he did not know when he would be able to eat again!!!!. Les also had sandwiches plus 1/2 a jacket potato only to help out as it had been cooked by mistake and he thought (in error) that he would get it at half price. We had found that our intended route back through Stisted had a “VERY CLOSED ROAD” this section we had trouble with on a previous ride with Alan and Wendy on one of their brief stop overs in Tiptree, the detour up a small busy lane was not very nice so as Margaret and Eddie were local we asked their advice. To this day we do not know what we did to upset them but they brought us back via Burton Green on the most Trike unfriendly uneven lane up the steepest hill out of  Greenstead that we have ever found but it was a very nice quite lane along which Pat caught sight of “The Beast of Essex” in a field, this turned out to be the most ferocious piece of material we have seen in a long time. In fact the fear of it was so great we think Pat jumped of the back of the Tandem knocking Paul off obviously thinking “it would get him first as he was laying on the ground  and give her an easy escape”.The rest of the ride home through Coggeshall,and Kelvedon was in bright sunshine but still headwind all very pleasant and great company. A total of 34 miles. One small point that we have noticed Sarah insisted on riding right at the back, on other rides when we are the back markers she seems to be at the front? we can’t think why.
Hope that Margaret and Eddie are your correct names if not we will get you next time, (Sorry Gill forgot as normal as soon as you told her)
Les & Gill