Blog Bulletin

Sapperton Canal Tunnel

This Saturday we return to the Jolly Nice Cafe at Frampton Mansell. Viewers of BBC 1's Countryfile, will have seen the business featured on Sunday 23rd October 2016.

Frampton Mansell sits within the parish of Sapperton, which from my limited research, appears to have more to interest the casual visitor. Sapperton is probably most famous for its canal tunnel on the Thames and Severn Canal. At 3,187 yards it was the longest canal tunnel, and the longest tunnel of any kind, in England from 1789 to 1811.

In C.S Forester's book Hornblower and the Atropos, Hornblower helps the boatman 'leg' through Sapperton Tunnel. The first two chapters of the book are spent on the canal boat journey.

Sir Stafford Cripps and his wife are both buried in the churchyard at Sapperton. Cripps was expelled by the Labour Party in 1939. Winston Churchill appointed Cripps in 1940, as the Ambassador to the Soviet Union. Well known for his Marxist views, Cripps was seen as the ideal person to negotiate with Joseph Stalin. He won popular support for the role he played in forging an alliance between the western powers and the Soviet Union. He was appointed a member of the War Cabinet in 1942. Cripps died in 1952. His Bristol South East seat, vacated due to ill health in 1950, was won by Tony Benn.

You can view and download the Social Group's 36.7 mile course with 1,461 feet of elevation here.

Likewise, the Sporting Group's 41.5 mile course with 1,625 feet of elevation is here. 

Please take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with the course you intend to ride and for the users of Garmins or similar devices, download the route. Both will be a great help to your Ride Leader.

The Social Group ready to leave the Wickwar Coffee Shop

Saturday's outing to the Wickwar Coffee Shop was very successful. The rather gloomy weather didn't bode well, but Clarions are a hardy breed, and they turned out in droves. 

The light drizzle gave the morning a damp feel, but with no wind to speak of and such mild weather, we couldn't really complain.

This was my first club ride in a few weeks, and so I quickly had to get up to speed with who the new riders were, particularly as I discovered that 3 of them were joining me. A big blog bienvenu(e) to Jim, Mike R and Sue A. 

Social Group: Brian, Mike Ratcliffe, Steve Cox, Sue Akers, and me, Tim W.

Sporting Group: Ian, Jim, Jonathan, Malc, Mike G, Peter C, Phil and Tommy.

Seeing as there were so many of us, I asked Howard if he could ring ahead to let the staff at the Wickwar Coffee Shop know we were going to descend on them.

As the Social Group neared the common having descended from the Somerset Monument, we met the Sporting riders coming from Hillesley. Leaving them to lead the charge, we completed the outward leg and arrived to find the cafe busy with customers. Fortunately, Howard's telephone call had secured two tables reserved for our use.

Comfortably seated, we were joined by Phil who had overslept, having only just returned from the USA. Some might have abandoned the idea of riding, but not Phil, who must have made good time to catch up with us.

                                   Now, where did I leave my bike

Other than Brian switching groups and Phil boosting the number of Sporting riders, we returned as we'd set out, in two packs.

The 14% hill from Horton to Hawkesbury Upton was a bit of a beast, but everyone rose to the challenge, and one way or another, conquered the climb.

At Alderton the hunt emerged from a wood and we found ourselves engulfed by the hounds who seemed more interested in us than trying to gain the scent of a fox.

We rolled into Malmesbury at about 1.45pm, roughly 15 minutes behind the Sporting Group, having thoroughly enjoyed the outing.

I'm grateful to Mike G for the below figures, hot off the press, for the 2016 Grimpeur Challenge Trophy, as at 31st October 2016.

Position	Strava Club Member	Elevation in Metres
1	Tim W	74,710
2	Peter C	60,685
3	Mike G	53,666
4	Phil	32,780
5	Andy Poolman	30,128
6	Tim H	27,739
7	Malc	24,339
8	Steve K	23,102
9	Steve M	12,545
10	Ian	10,331

A packed village hall at Kemble with former MCCC member Des Milkins in the centre in yellow with his back to the camera

The annual Chippenham Flapjack 102km Audax takes place on Sunday 12th February 2017.

In February 2016, Phil, Steve K and me, Tim W, rode this event together with George, plus our good friend at Sherston Velo, Simon Vannerley. 

There's already been strong interest from MCCC members. Peter C and me have entered and there's a firm commitment from Caroline. It would be brilliant to see some more Clarions taking part.

If you'd like to find out a bit more about the ride, you can follow the link here for my blog review of the 2015 Flapjack.

To enter, please follow this link.

Blog Bulletin

Clarions relaxing outside at the National Trust Tearoom, Lacock on 25th October 2015

This isn't exactly a return to normal service for the blog, but it is a step in the right direction. With those warm sunny days quickly becoming a distant memory, the next batch of coffee stops have all been chosen with a degree of warmth and comfort in mind.

November

05.11.16 - Jolly Nice Cafe, Frampton Mansell
12.11.16 - The Canteen, Nailsworth
19.11.16 - The Old Stables Coffee Shop & Deli, Hullavington
26.11.16 - Folly Row Cafe, Kington St Michael

December

03.12.16 - Relish, Cotswold Water Park
10.12.16 - Allington Farm Shop, Chippenham
17.12.16 - AV8, Cotswold Airport, Kemble

Christmas Period Rides

24.12.16 - The Angel Cafe, Sherston
28.12.16 - Knight Riders - to be decided
29.12.16 - Lunchtime meet, The Angel Cafe, Sherston (subject to confirmation)
31.12.16 - Cafe 53, Long Street, Tetbury

The ride on Christmas Eve is traditionally a fairly short excursion. Previously we've convened at the Whole Hog in Malmesbury, and for the last two years, we've enjoyed Howard's generous hospitality at MCCC HQ. The Angel Cafe is only lightly penciled in as a nominal venue.

It's also worth noting that the weekly Knight Riders adventure on Wednesday 28th December 2016, will be switching from 6.30pm to 9.30am.

Members preparing to leave Wickwar on 16th August 2014

This Saturday's Sporting Group ride to the Wickwar Coffee Shop, will be led by Tim H. The 38.6 mile excursion climbs 1,925 feet.

You can view and download the course here. For those of you who made the last trip to Wickwar on Saturday 20th August 2016, it follows virtually the same route, except this time, at the top of Horton Hill, we follow Highfield Lane into Hawkesbury Upton. In doing so, we avoid having to use the busy A46.

Meanwhile, the Social Group, led by me, will also be visiting Wickwar. The 36.8 mile trip gains 1,743 feet. 

Similarly, you can view and download the course here. The slightly shorter outward leg will hopefully see us all arriving at about the same time.

Please take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with the route you intend to ride and if you have a Garmin or similar device, then download the course.

Nick's demolished house in the High Street at Wickwar

In recent times, Wickwar is best known for its gas explosion in 1987. Returning home late at night after playing backgammon, off-duty policeman Nick Shaw smelt gas and raised the alarm, evacuating those living in the High Street to the local Social Club. The gas main later exploded destroying Nick's house and seriously damaging two others. Fortunately no one was injured. It was thought that the frequent lorry movements, coupled with the freezing weather conditions, had caused the 1950's pipes to break.

At the last committee meeting the future of the MCCC trophies was debated. It was decided that in the absence of a volunteer to record all of the necessary data, the Chairman's Trophy for 2017 will be awarded to the member who has made the most significant contribution during the year. This will have a very broad interpretation. It could be a sustained effort or something in isolation.

The Grimpeur and Sunday Series will remain unchanged. Whilst applauding the concept, the Club Ambassador Cup will end. Its discontinuation wasn't a unanimous decision. I felt that for the cup to have any meaning, it needed to be properly contested. Sportive riders are at a disadvantage, as they very often wear an event jersey or one as part of a charity fund raising package. Audax riders don't have the same considerations. I'm also fortunate in having more spare time than some others. The end result is what looks a bit like a one horse race.

I'm very grateful to Mike G for the following positions, as at 29th September 2016. 

Those for the Chairman's Trophy:

Member	Points
Tim W	48
Peter C	47
Phil	24
Simon S	24
Tim H	22
Des D	21
Steve K	20
James	19
Jonathan	18
Mike G	18
Andy Poolman	17
Steve M	17
Malc	17
Lyndon	14
Ian	14
Howard	14
Atherton	12
Andy Parker	11
Karine	11
Paul	10
Chris	10

And those for the Ambassador's Cup:

Member	Points
Tim W	65
Mike G	20
Peter C	15
Phil	5
Steve K	5
Andy Poolman	5

And finally, just in case there are some members who aren't already familiar with Performance Cycles Winter Mini-Sportive Series, here's a link to their home page.

The popular monthly rides start at 9.00am from the Cotswold Water Park. There's a choice of two well signed routes, of either 45 or 65 miles. Entry costs just £9.50 and includes hot food, drink and cake at the end. They are limited to 150 riders. The next one on Sunday 20th November 2016, already has 122 entries, so you'll need to get in quickly if you're interested.