Author: RDMCC

27/05/2025 Coalhouse Fort, East Tilbury.

Hi All,

This weeks ride out will be to Coalhouse Fort, East Tilbury.

Meet at Silver Ball, 09:00 onwards for 09:30 departure.

The lunch stop will be at The Engine House Café, Coalhouse Fort, East Tilbury.

A halfway coffee stop is planned at Snug Café, High Easter.

Routes as shown on attached map and gpx files. Outbound trip is approx. 70 miles. Return 60 miles.

Small group of riders for Coalhouse Fort probably because the weather forecast for rain all day was fulfilled!

Small café with limited menu but daily specials are offered.

20/05/2025 The Waterside Bar Hunstanton

Hi All,

This weeks ride out will be to Heacham Beach, Hunstanton.

Meet at Silver Ball, 09:00 onwards for 09:30 departure.

The lunch stop will be at Heacham Halt Café, South Beach, Heacham.

A halfway coffee stop is planned at Little Barns Coffee Shop, Northwold.

Routes as shown on attached map and gpx files. Outbound trip is approx. 90 miles. Return following the A10 is approx. 70 miles.

We have been to this venue before but I can’t remember what it was like!

Heacham Halt Café did not have food service as the kitchen was under maintenance for a couple of days.

Also be aware that parking is operated by the local council and fees apply to motorcycles.

Instead we moved on to The Waterside Bar, Hunstanton.

A good selection of dishes are available and service was super quick.

Food quality good.

13/05/2025 Maybush Inn, Waldringfield

Hi All,

This weeks ride out will be to Waldringfield.

Meet at Silver Ball, 09:00 onwards for 09:30 departure.

The lunch stop will be at Maybush Inn, Waldringfield.

A halfway coffee stop is planned at Wally’s Café, Long Melford.

Routes as shown on attached map and gpx files. Outbound trip is approx. 70 miles, return also 70 miles.

An alternative quick return trip (1hr 20mins approx.) is available by taking the A14 towards Bury St Edmunds after crossing the Orwell Bridge.

Very picturesque location overlooking the River Deben.

Seating inside and outside and plenty of parking space.

Food excellent quality, order at bar and delivered to table.

06/05/2025 What’s Cooking, Thame

Hi All,

This weeks ride out will be to Thame.

Meet at Silver Ball, 09:00 onwards for 09:30 departure.

The lunch stop will be at What’s Cooking, Thame.

A halfway coffee stop is planned at Base 1 Café, Bovingdon.

Routes as shown on attached map and gpx files. Outbound trip is approx. 70 miles, return approx. 58 miles.

A lovely, sunny day and we sat out front at three tables that had been reserved for us.

Very friendly, helpful staff and excellent food.

Parking on the High Street where available.

Gasoline Juice Sunday 27/04/2025

Twelve riders in total enjoyed a great ride on a beautiful, warm sunny day to Weedon Bec near Northampton.

Ride organised by Simon Whybrow.

A bit of history for the site of Gasoline Juice from Historic England website: https://historicengland.org.uk/

An ordnance depot at Weedon Bec was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1803. This was mainly built between 1804 and 1816. It was built for the Board of Ordnance to provide a secure inland store for gunpowder, firearms and other military stores. These could be transported by the nearby Grand Junction Canal. The original buildings included eight storehouses, four magazines, two lodges, accommodation for the Board’s officials and a canal basin. Four storehouses were converted to a barracks and two into a military prison. The outbreak of the First World War saw several new storehouses and workshops added to the depot and the prison was closed. The depot was gradually emptied after World War Two and closed in 1965.

29/04/2025. Dunwich Beach

Hi All,

This weeks ride out will be to Dunwich Beach.

Meet at Silver Ball, 09:00 onwards for 09:30 departure.

The lunch stop will be at The Café on Dunwich Beach.

A halfway coffee stop is planned at Wally’s, Long Melford.

Routes as shown on attached map and gpx files. Outbound trip is approx. 94 miles, return approx. 84 miles.

Ride organised by Keith Barrell.

22/04/2025. Rose & Crown, Wivenhoe

Hi All,

This weeks ride out will be to Wivenhoe, on the bank of the River Colne.

Meet at Silver Ball, 09:30 onwards for 10:00 departure.

The lunch stop will be at the Rose & Crown Wivenhoe, followed by a short walk along The West Quay.

A halfway coffee stop is planned at Finchingfield.

Routes as shown on attached map and gpx files. Outbound trip is approx. 60 miles, return also approx. 60 miles.

Fuel for 120+ miles please.

Telephoned from halfway coffee stop to book table.

Pub has limited seating but they arranged tables so we all sat together.

Good basic pub food.

Tide was out and the river was very low. Very picturesque location well worth a revisit when tide is high.

15/04/2025. The Waterfront, Market Harborough

Hi All,

This weeks ride out will be weather dependent but is planned for Market Harborough.

Meet at Silver Ball, 09:30 onwards for 10:00 departure.

The lunch stop will be at The Waterfront, Market Harborough.

A halfway coffee stop is planned at Olivers, Kimbolton.

Routes as shown on attached map and gpx files. Outbound trip is approx. 77 miles, return approx. 60 miles.

The return shown is a quick route using A14 & A1198 (approx.1 hour) however there is an option to leave the A14 after 7 miles and head for Finedon and then Kimbolton and St Neots (approx. 1.5 hours)

Very popular location.

Should book if the weather is good.

View over the canal basin. Good quality food and very attentive staff.

08/04/2025. Serendipity Café, Shoeburyness

Hi All,

This weeks ride out will be to Serendipity Café, Shoeburyness (Southend).

Meet at Silver Ball, 09:30 onwards for 10:00 departure.

The lunch stop will be at Serendipity Café, Shoeburyness.

A halfway coffee stop is planned at Snak Shak, A120 Eastbound, Great Dunmow.

Routes as shown on attached map and gpx files. Outbound trip is approx. 72 miles, return approx. 63 miles.

A short walk from the parking area to the beach with view out to the English Channel.

The café has plenty of seating and limitation is the ability of the staff to keep up with demand rather than seating.

After a short wait the staff rearranged tables so that we were all seated together and another delay before the food arrived.

The food was excellent and worth the wait.