Tag: cake

#365daysofbiking Sunshine after rain

June 14th – Feeling unwell but needing to go out, I slipped out late afternoon to pick something up from a friend in Barton. The heavens opened on my as I left and the rain was torrential. By the time I got to Lichfield I was soaked – I’d endured rain, hail, thunder and lightning…

But, at Lichfield, the weather cleared, the sun came out and I gently dried in the soft sun. It was actually gorgeous.

Cake, coffee, a completed mission at Barton, I enjoyed a spin back and the spectacle of flooded roads and swollen rivers.

A better than expected ride.

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#365daysofbiking English as tuppence


June 8th – Riding 20 miles in the pouring rain to visit a country fair in a village on the border of four counties may not be many folk’s idea of fun. But I loved it.

I’ve always liked Clifton Campbville Country Fair, for it’s acute Englishness, parochiality and eccentricity. And on this Saturday, it was almost, but not quite rained off.

Most of the stalls had gone. But I sat in a beer tent, had tea, strawberries, listened to Morris music and endless jokes about the weather. I had cake, met a Kookaburra and enjoyed the company of damp but faithful dogs.

An event continuing despite dreadful weather is almost as much fun as one on a blazing sunny day.

Better luck next year, folks.

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#365daysofbiking Soul food

December 23rd – Wet but happy, with a pannier full of Christmas goodies, I called in at Curborough Craft Centre to visit an old, old cake cafe stop. Mabels, a favourite of the late, greatly lamented Maurice Purser, can always be relied on for great food and the best, stodgiest deserts.

Today it was a hearty ploughman’s lunch followed by pear and almond tart and custard.

Wonderful food, and fortifying for the wet, hard ride home.

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February 25th – There’s cold weather coming in, and on this splendid day, there was a razor-sharp edge to the harsh east wind that made the journey to the cake stop at Hints hard work, made worse by the fact they mithered about serving me 40 minutes before closing time. 

Customers are such a pain in the arse.

The cake and day however, were beautiful, as was the countryside. I saw my first full size daffodils of the year on the old A5 at Hints, and lots of plants are clearly waiting for the warmth to come and spring will be on her throne.

February 16th – At last, a long ride and a day that felt like spring! This is what my heart has been hoping for.

I sneaked out of work at lunchtime on a sunny, reasonably warm day with not too much wind, called home, then left on a mission: To visit the cake stop at Abbots Bromley for the first time in 2018. And boy, was that pistachio and honey sponge worth the effort!

I delivberately pushed myself as hard as I could – I rode up through Hammerwich, Chorley, Longdon, Handsacre and Blithbury, managing a healthy average of 13.1mph over 16 miles. Not too shabby considering my recent illness. Following cake, I rote up through Abbots Bromley to Hoar Cross, and back through Hadley End, Kings Bromley, Lichfield and Wall. 48 miles in total at 12.5mph.

The day finished quite overcast, but Hoar Cross in the grey evening light with it’s huge clump of snowdrops was still a joy to the heart, as was the endless Trent at Kings Bromley.

A great, restorative ride.

December 9th – Lichfield has a little secret that I’d love to share: Melbourne Coffee.

In a passageway between Market Street and the central car park, there’s a kiosk run by a lovely Australian lady who, to put it frankly, can caffeinate me anytime. Here espressos are toe-curlingly good, and made with expert care, dedication, and the happiest, loveliest customer service you could wish for. 

On this cold day, the bar-seats at the kiosk counter had hot water bottles for customer comfort, and the brew slid down well, as no doubt would have the lovely looking cake were I not digesting my own bodyweight in marinaded goat.

The lady running this fantastic venture is the same lady behind the frankly bonkers Leomansley Snail thing, and I think she’s ace.

June 10th – I took a ride out on a dreadfully windy afternoon intent on visiting the Clifton Campville Country Fair. I’d been before a decade ago, when it was just a few stalls in a large garden, but I do love a country fete with cakes and all the usual things, and I’ve been determined to attend more this year. It was also a good way to force myself into a 40 mile plus ride in weather I’d normally swerve one for.

What I found was stunning; a large country event with big arena, loads of great stalls, a real ale bus, more cake than you could ever eat and lots of people. I wished I’d arrived earlier with more cash in my pocket!

It was a lovely, offbeat affair with a peculiarly eccentric atmosphere; a little disjointed but great fun.

All in the shadow of one of England’s finest churches.

The day was only darkened by the rain setting in on my way home; it started at Whitemoor Haye and didn’t stop. Combined with a 20mph headwind, it wasn’t a fun ride back.

But the event was well worth the battle.

May 7th – First decent ride out for a week or to, to be honest. An afternoon spin up through Lichfield, Alrewas and Cotton to Rosliston Forestry Centre for tea and cake, then back via Coton in the Elms, Netherseal, Chilcote, Honey Hill and Harlaston.

A harsh northern was challenging, but blew me home, and the sights were beautiful in the warm sun. The ducks are still about at Coton and if that one doesn’t have the spirit of Elvis in him, I’m a Dutch uncle.

Not sure what I did to offend the striped cat at Whittington, but it was well cross with me…

A lovely ride, marred only by the unwelcoming attitude, poor cake and service at Rosliston: a piece of advice to fellow cyclists – go to the Honeypot instead. Not only was I served heavy, poor cake in a polystyrene takeaway box, but was treated like an irritation at 4:30pm when advertised closing is 5pm, but staff having a break discussing how ‘cyclists shouldn’t be on the road’ made me vow never to give the place my custom ever again. 

April 2nd – Cobwebs near Abbots Bromley is a lovely little coffee and cake stop. Set in a quiet backlane, it overlooks open fields with a lovely outdoor patio area that’s shady but warm with lovely flowers… and the cake is astoundingly good.

Most importantly, it has the essential ingredient for any cycling cafe: tame local birds that come and steal crumbs you leave behind. Watching the antics of the local sparrows was endlessly fascinating.

December 30th – Middleton Hall for tea and cake on a very grey, damp afternoon was unexpectedly rewarding: the tea and cake were as excellent as ever, but I also discovered that RSPB Middleton has a feeding station with an excellent viewing platform.

A constant stream of birds visit for food. I can’t wait to get there in decent light – these were taken just before sunset. I loved the thoughtful-looking woodpecker.