Cycle Ride

I haven't been out my new 'go-faster' bike for three weeks and the weather was fine and the temperature looked OK so off I went.

I had decided to head for where I used to live from about the age of eleven years and I knew there were also some hills, but these hold no fear for me now.

I rode through Yelden, that in my childhood had a blacksmith where we took our horse to be shod.  This does sound grand but we only had her for the summer months and when we returned to school in the autumn, she was returned to the local hunt who owned her.  Very importantly my sister and I had got horse ownership out of our systems and this pleased our parents!!

There is a very steep hill to go up out of Yelden and as I was starting to climb an older man of about mid 50, clad in Lycra, overtook me slowly. He was going so slowly that I HAD to pass him so with a shout of 'Electric bikes are great, especially the boost button' I shot past him!!!!  He caught up with me later and had a chat about an electric bike for his wife.  Maybe a convert?

Passed  through this village which held many memories for me, and the pub that is still open.  My sister and I used to catch the bus to school from this village but we had to cycle there first so I was re-tracing my footsteps so to speak.

Past the windmill that was falling down when we were children and looks good now it is restored and so to

where we lived and where my mother died in 1968 and though a long time ago I have missed her so much, especially today on Mother's Day.  Shelton is a small hamlet and when we first moved there did have a pub now long closed.  I saw a field with ....

.... Guinea Fowl in it

They must be owned by someone as the fence was electrified!!  So into the village

This was the first house we lived in - behind the trees

 Then my parents bought two farm workers cottages and converted them into one house. 

 

Our house on the right behind the trees. 

The pub is straight ahead and was called the Cat and Custard Pot and was kept by a little old lady who brought the beer from a back room.   Now a family home.

I could not resist taking these photos

 

This hill was very important in our childhood as we used to ride our 'soap box cart' down here and if we couldn't make the corner would career straight across the road into the field which was behind me!!  Very little traffic in those days thank goodness!!

Who remembers these (not my picture)

Anyway I cycled on and the next village was

We didn't know the people who lived here at all but it gave me a circuit and so home again through Yelden.  Before I got there I stopped at the top of the hill and took a photo of the village.

When we were children there was an American Air Force base on the top of the hill in the distance and the planes made such a noise as they took off and landed, which usually seemed to happen on bank holidays and the weekend when we were in the garden!!

In all I had cycled 19.5 miles but it was so enjoyable and brought back so many memories, both happy and sad.