Bob Clift Cheshire Cycleway 50 or 100 miles 2015

Ray writes:



Bob Clift 100. Selection of photos to give a flavour of this event. Warm day with just a few minor showers on the way around. Course was ably navigated by "shorts Dave" who it must be said was below par due to work getting in the way. Puncture was at just 6 miles in!! Landrover was not a new "discovery" just one of the many known about by Bob & Dave.

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AND.....

sorry about selfie-stick-shake!

Bob Clift 50 - various Chester people rode either as couple, family, solo or in our little gathering of 7.  To start with it was breezy,and a bit grey but warm enough for short sleeves.  A nice touch was the Church Bells in Waverton sending us off (or at least welcoming me in!). 

We passed this gentleman about 6 times,
and I am sure he was still back before us!!!

...Craig and Sue, we leapfrogged
and rode together at times...

...Dave from Waverton, seen once or twice...

...Gill and Alex were on a mission
to get back in good time...about two hours before us!

...Sonia and family also joined us at one stage, near Eaton

Hazel and Tommy seen later at Eaton and then
found in the 50p shop cafe!

Danish Pastries (huge ones) at Hatchmere
(lake in background)

Usual route out through new Waverton, past Walk Mill, cross A51, Duddon, slight mis read of instructions, Kelsall, Delamere to the first stop at Hatchmere, the Carriers Inn.  Here we met Bob's son Stephen checking us in; and chance to say hi to other friends and cyclists.

Jane with Alex and Gill (last time we saw them!)

Onwards to Norley, Cuddington, Sandiway, Whitegate, Little Budworth to Eaton, and Beans!

a light shower.  Too warm for waterproofs really!

Beeeeeeeeeeans!

Outside Jessie Hughes institute,
shoes back on and ready to go

nice long downhill now, spotting Kestrel
and Buzzard (fly past!)

After Eaton the sun came out properly, and we trundled off to Bunbury, Beeston and Huxley - passing far to near to the 50p shop cafe.  By now the sun was really warm, and it was not hard to persuade the group to have another little cake stop.

Beeeeeston.  Such a fab landmark!

photos, blue sky and sunshine worthy of bigger pictures!

We really were in the cafe until the cows came home!

Waverton in sight....

Final destination

Kath's Kurry Ride #2

I had taxi duties and village fete to attend to on this Saturday - but Nick and the gang have filled us in on facebook - Nick writes:

 "Bob and Kath's curry ride (around Delamere)


The Chester Cycling touring club set off from the Piper pub on the A41 at 3pm with a good number about 15 of us, I'd asked Kath by text if it would be ok to bring along some of the guys from the Tuesday evening cycling club ( TEC) yes was the reply and they were made to feel very welcome. Some of the friends I brought along happen to be elite cyclists (Steve, Gail Stuthridge andTrudie Philpott), so I said to them " no showing off this is going to be a leisurely ride of about 30 miles".


I hadn't considered Bob from the Chester group. 


The ride started off with smiles and friendly chat, after a short while smiles turned to expressions of pain. Bob had realised we were running short on time, so he upped the pace and we all started to struggle (apart from Bob), on his heavy touring bike, plus the fact he's been retired for years, Ayrton Senna and George Best used to be my heroes (now it's Bob). 


Our destination was the Helsby Spice (great curry house) it couldn't come soon enough for the TEC elite. 


After we finished our meal and paid the bill, Bob stood up and said " come on my old sergocias let's go to the next pub on our way back to Chester".


More cycling, more pubs, more beer, it ended up just a final few of us, Ju, Martin, Bob, Steve, Gail, Gill and me. We all sat outside the Cross Keys in Chester, last orders rang, by now we were all feeling very tired apart from Bob, he suggested going to Cruise night club " NO" !! was the reply, then he said " maybe I shouldn't I've got a hundred mile bike ride in the morning " we all looked at each other in astonishment."

I am guessing this is The Shrewsbury Arms.

One Planet Adventure at Coed Llandegla

I am going to cheat for a few posts - I am behind with blogging and several rides have come along at once! (bit like buses, you miss one and they all come along!)

I like that riders are nearly
neatly arranged in height order!

The plan was to meet at The Little Roodee Car Park at 9.45am on Sunday 21 June, heading towards Mold (the Woodworks Cafe) for morning coffee. Lunch will be at the Visitor Centre at Llandegla Forest. 

Afternoonsies will be at the new Cleopatra's in Holt (Old Hildegards) OR Bellis Farm Garden Centre (depending on time and space) for afternoonsies.








Ray writes (on facebook) - Small & some (maybe) would say select band assembled at Roodee for Stephen & Welna's ride to Landegla. Morning coffee etc at the Woodwork Cafe, Nr. Mold ( discovered by Welna !!! ). Highly recommended, we were warmly welcomed. Pleasant trip to Llandegla & afternoon coffee at the Red Lion Doddleston. Loads of thanks to Stephen & Welna


so much for Cleopatra's?!

Indeed this was Stephens first led ride, and although it may be a small group this is probably good for a first one.  It looks like a select 6 riders met, of varying heights!


 I am also guessing from the first set of photos, that the ride set off up lower mountain on the Pen-Y Ffordd side.  I certainly recognise the view behind Nosheen.

Woodworks Cafe, near Mold

Nice looking cafe, first use by Chester CTC.  Of course, now we know where it is....

There certainly appears to be a large gap in photos - and therefore story of the day.

Any more information or photos welcome! 

The Fir Tree at Crewe Green

The first Sunday ride of June was actually on a Saturday this year [again] because on the route we were following, the original vets 100 from Kinnerton, we seem to struggle to find any cafes open on a Sunday. 

So on a chilly but bright and breezy (slight understatement) morning 12 of us set out through Doddleston, Holt, Threapwood, and Overton to Ellesmere and our morning coffee stop at “Coco” the cafe in the town sporting a CTC winged wheel above the front window. 

Dave had left us just before Overton as he had to be back for an afternoon shift, yes that horrible four letter word “work” rears its ugly head again. Sue and Gill left us after breakfast [Breakfast!!!! at 11:30!]  as they couldn’t ride for the full day so the remaining 9 set off again suitably fuelled up with coffee, bacon butties and cake etc... into the rather nasty headwind for our lunch stop at Crew Green. 

The Fir Tree was our destination where we enjoyed sausage or fish fingers and chips in a basket, very 1970’s, outside in the sun in the beer garden behind the pub ( £3 per head, bargain ) The entertainment was provided by Dave Browne almost doing a Mary Poppins and taking off in the breeze with the large parasol on his table.

After lunch we crossed the River Severn into Melverley and stopped to have a look around St Peters church in the village, it’s an old black and white timbered building that was built in the early 1400’s although there has been a church on the site for over 1000 years, the original building having been burnt down in 1401 by Owian Glyndwr, well worth a look if you are ever in the area. 

It was then back towards home via Kinnerley, Knockin (carefully avoiding the shop) West Felton, and Rednal airfield before I missed the turn for Tetchill (too busy talking) no matter we carried on for another mile or so and took the next left at Lower Hordley which took us back to Ellesmere down a very pleasant lane that we had not ridden before. 

Plan A was afternoonsies in Overton but because of the leisurely breakfast stop and the headwind on the route out we were never going to make the cafe in time, Plan B was Bangor but we weren’t going to make that one either so a Plan C was called for and we stopped at The White Horse in Overton who provided tea and coffee for those that wanted it and a pint or a glass of wine for those that fancied something a bit stronger (well it would have been rude not to!!) 

The last leg took us through Bangor, Worthenbury, Tilston, Farndon and Rossett  back to Kinnerton where we got caught in the only rain of the day about a mile and a half before the end of the ride, the upside being the beautiful double rainbow we saw to our right looking towards Chester. The rain had stopped again by the time we got to Kinnerton so it was into the unusually busy Swan, probably because it was Saturday and the Champions League final was on TV, for a quick celebratory and well deserved pint or two.