Wednesday 4th September Club Ride to the Serendipity Cafe at Shoebury Garrison or was it the Bucket & Spade Run, as we travelled along the seafront past Thorpe Bay Yacht Club after lunch!
My original route for the ride was about 47 miles to lunch. Too far for aching bones and weak bladders said SWMBO my favourite pillion. So using the pruning shears the route sheet was reduced to 40 miles to lunch. Still seems too far said SWMBO so with a little bit more pruning we ended up with 37 miles. But favourite pillion stilled said “are we nearly there yet” when we were in Rochford!
Sixteen bikes and riders and four lady pillion passengers (Pam, Nicki, Carol and Mandy) left Tesco's just after 10.15am and headed uphill to Maldon High Street where we were met by Jim going in the wrong direction! He was a late arrival, being delayed due to miles of traffic chaos on the A127. The chaos was due to the A130 being closed after an accident and traffic wanting to leave the A127 to join the A130 to Chelmsford was not able to do so. The ride progressed smoothly enough with no traffic problems on our route and fifteen riders and two pillions arrived at the Serendipity for Brunch/Lunch. So where were the other two? Rex the tail ender reported they were on the Garrison site a couple of hundred yards from the lunch stop. Dave Coatsworth's Suzuki Kettle had stopped, boiled over maybe? No the volts had gone AWOL. Simon stopped to assist and Rex asked if anyone had a voltmeter for Dave to use, but today I had left mine at home! Simon then ferried Carol and Mandy to the Cafe to join us for lunch and then returned to the broken Kettle intending to take Dave home to collect Dave's trailer to recover his bike. Now that's a first as Dave usually has to bring his trailer to recover Simon's Triumph or Velocette!!! All turned out well though as meanwhile Dave found the Kettle was not plugged in. A multi plug in the headlamp had come undone (too fast over the Garrison road humps?) and the volts had been unable to reach their destination to boil the Kettle! So a good roadside fix and Dave & Simon were able to join the rest of us for lunch.
The Serendipity was originally a wagon shed dating back to the early days of the garrison and within the cafe area there is a display/museum area of the history of Shoebury Garrison. If you took the chance to view the museum area you may have noticed that a VC was won during the First World War by a chaplain serving on the front line who rescued a badly injured soldier whilst under heavy enemy fire.
Some riders went home from the Serendipity and with lunch and the museum done and dusted twelve bikes, riders and four pillions set off to deal with tea and cake at a new venue for most of us, the Haybarn Tea Rooms at Battlesbridge Antiques Centre. After crossing the river at Battlesbridge the Haybarn entrance and car park is on the right just past the duck pond. Ten riders and two pillions duly arrived for afternoon tea & cake, there should have been twelve, however Dave and Simon arrived ten minutes later after riding round in circles somewhere along the route!
What's not to like, a good day out, good company, excellent food at both the Serendipity and Haybarn plus a variety of good roads.
Happy days, Dave & Pam
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