New Year's Day 2023

Cycling UK Louth New Year’s Day Ride 2023

Happy New Year everyone.

For our first ride of the year this would be a gentle, short ride before retiring for hot drinks and mince pies (yes, more mince pies) at Tim’s.

Unsure of who would be venturing out on this festive day, Tim would be delighted to have the company of Keith Roberts, Paul Linder, John Rickett and Reg Bagshaw.

Amongst jovial chat, Tim would lead members along the lanes through Stewton and Legbourne Furze. The sun was shining brightly and we were greeted warmly by a number of walkers (with and without dogs). Happy New Year greetings were exchanged.

Furze Hill lane would take us to the Queens Head Inn and Legbourne before taking Mill Lane to the ruins of Legbourne Priory. Founded by Robert Fitz Gilbert around 1150, the Priory was originally for the nuns of Keddington.

Cycling alongside the Long Eau we soon reached the ‘Splash’ where John demonstrated his skills in riding through a ford without getting wet shoes. We had plenty of time to view the ‘Watering Stone’, a large Greywacke boulder, transported to the village from Scotland by a glacier some 20,000 years ago. For many years it rested in the Seven Springs situated below St Helen’s church, where countless generations of villagers stood on it to draw their water as it bubbled out of the ground.

A return to Louth via Planting Side soon had us back at Tim’s by 5 minutes to 11 am, just in case other members had arrived early for the mince pies. We were in due course joined by Mike Gray and Rob Cook. Great to sit and relax and catch up on everyone’s news.

Alan Hockham sadly couldn’t be with us today but we all wished him a Happy 80th Birthday over the phone. Many Happy Returns Alan. We also raised our glasses (mugs of tea and coffee!) to others who couldn’t be with us today, including John Ambler, Barry Jordan, Chris Owen, Neil Parnham and Steve Croton.

Thanks to all for their company and here’s wishing for some super rides together in 2023.