Matthew and Fred at the Crown Lodge in Outwell
The BSCC Cycling Weekender, Outwell, West Norfolk - 7th May 2016
Given that the Fens can be flat, bleak and unforgiving, where the occasional tree grows at 45°, the land is dark and everything smells of cabbages, a bike-club weekend to the middle of it might not have appeared too promising. However, the hotel is very good, the weather is the best for years and it turns out that riding around the flat fenland landscape offers plenty of nice-enough scenery, even though drainage canals like the "hundred foot drain" can appear a little alien as they disappear in a straight line to a vanishing point on the horizon. As usual, the thirty-mile route involves several pubs and a lunch stop - this time at the community-rescued Kings Arms in Shouldham. Harry doesn't do the ride this year as he's getting over a bout of Chicken Pox, so he and Isobel do their own thing before meeting us at the lunch pub.
next album: A Trip to Grime's Graves, Thetford, Norfolk - 8th May 2016
previous album: The BSCC at the Hoxne Swan, and Mint Street Hula, Suffolk and London - 4th May 2016
Fred at dinner time
In the hotel restaurant
Gaz and Paul at the bar
The (relatively) late-night gang at the bar
It's breakfast o'clock
The River Nene's old course through Outwell
Fred inspect a skeleton called 'Steve'
Fred and the derelict shop
Fred by the derelict shop's window
There's a tree growing out of a window frame
Riverview Cottages sign
The nave window of St. Clement
Outwell's church of St. Clement
Cherry blossom in the churchyard
The traditional BSCC bike club photo
Alan and Matthew wait around
A couple of swans float up the drain
The bike club turns right onto Gravel Bank
Colin, Spam, Jill and John Willy cycle past
Pippa fiddles around with something
Cyclists disappear into the Fens
Fred gets a real stomp on
Paul checks the map
Matthew and Alan in a lane
The Cock Inn at Wiggenhall St. Mary Magdalen
Paul walks back from the bridge
Alan stomps up the middle of the road
An old brick building
Paul gets a beer as Marc waits
Fred and Matthew mess around on the pool table
Marc looks surprised
Paul reads the paper
Amusing pub sign
Marc and DH's his'n'hers tee-shirts
We make it to the Kings Arms at Shouldham
Matthew and Alan do some sort of gurning
The bike group assembles for lunch
Harry - Pox Boy - and Fred
The BSCC does lunch
Fred's got a paper serviette on his face
More bike-club mingling
Apple and Pippa at the bar
Fred does some drawing
The back of the pub
Shouldham's village green
The Kings Arms, Shouldham, and a K6 phone box
The Kings Arms
Isobel and Harry have joined for lunch
Fred and Harry interact with Pippa and Apple
Fred pretends to sleep on a red-leather sofa
DH and Gaz at The Heron
Another stop: The Heron at Stowbridge
Marc and The Boy Phil watch the sheep
A lamb by the river
The eponymous Stow Bridge
Gaz, DH and Marc
Gaz takes a photo
We head off from The Heron
The boys are dressed for dinner
Suey chats to Harry and Fred
The Saga side of the dinner table
Gaz gets head of the table
The Boy Phil waits for dinner
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Matthew and Fred at the Crown Lodge in Outwell
Matthew and Fred at the Crown Lodge in Outwell
Fred at dinner time
In the hotel restaurant
Gaz and Paul at the bar
The (relatively) late-night gang at the bar
It's breakfast o'clock
The River Nene's old course through Outwell
Fred inspect a skeleton called 'Steve'
Fred and the derelict shop
Fred by the derelict shop's window
There's a tree growing out of a window frame
Riverview Cottages sign
The nave window of St. Clement
Outwell's church of St. Clement
Cherry blossom in the churchyard
The traditional BSCC bike club photo
Alan and Matthew wait around
A couple of swans float up the drain
The bike club turns right onto Gravel Bank
Colin, Spam, Jill and John Willy cycle past
Pippa fiddles around with something
Cyclists disappear into the Fens
Fred gets a real stomp on
Paul checks the map
Matthew and Alan in a lane
The Cock Inn at Wiggenhall St. Mary Magdalen
Paul walks back from the bridge
Alan stomps up the middle of the road
An old brick building
Paul gets a beer as Marc waits
Fred and Matthew mess around on the pool table
Marc looks surprised
Paul reads the paper
Amusing pub sign
Marc and DH's his'n'hers tee-shirts
We make it to the Kings Arms at Shouldham
Matthew and Alan do some sort of gurning
The bike group assembles for lunch
Harry - Pox Boy - and Fred
The BSCC does lunch
Fred's got a paper serviette on his face
More bike-club mingling
Apple and Pippa at the bar
Fred does some drawing
The back of the pub
Shouldham's village green
The Kings Arms, Shouldham, and a K6 phone box
The Kings Arms
Isobel and Harry have joined for lunch
Fred and Harry interact with Pippa and Apple
Fred pretends to sleep on a red-leather sofa
DH and Gaz at The Heron
Another stop: The Heron at Stowbridge
Marc and The Boy Phil watch the sheep
A lamb by the river
The eponymous Stow Bridge
Gaz, DH and Marc
Gaz takes a photo
We head off from The Heron
The boys are dressed for dinner
Suey chats to Harry and Fred
The Saga side of the dinner table
Gaz gets head of the table
The Boy Phil waits for dinner