Recycled ride to Huggate, Warter and Goodmanham via Burnby/Nunburnholme Hill
Friday March 29th
Present: Alison, Bob, Bodman (to Huggate), French John, George, Helen, Ian, Keith, Nick, Steve, Tenor Chris, Trevor
Miles: c 40 (not as far as it felt)
I liked French John’s poem last week so, being competitive, and after my humiliating failure on Nunburnholme Hill, which Alison tells me is known, among cyclists, as ‘Numbum Hill’, I had to have a go myself at descending into doggerel (coggerel?)
Ode to Numbum Hill
‘Beware the rides of March’ said Martin
After our last attempt went west
And we ended up in Wetherspoons
It’s always second best.
So Huggate beckoned yet again
And the dreaded Numbum Hill
But we’re stout-hearted folk of course
And the day was calm and still.
The larks they sang, the kestrels hovered,
We heard a lone chiffchaff,
As on we blithely rode and laughed
Along our primrose path.
At Rachel’s winsome tearoom
Fine scones and cake we ate,
And dallied for a sunny hour,
Heedless of our fate.
1
At Huggate three wise men did choose
To give Numbum the swerve
So gently off through Burnby,
Those three wise souls did curve.
The rest rode on, so full of steel,
Bravado and good cheer,
We did not notice round a bend
The object of our fear.
Oh no, it was upon us!
We didn’t have a clue.
Our gears all wrong we faced ahead
East Yorkshire’s own K2.
The others they all clanked their cogs
In a frenzy of decision
But mine had locked, my chain was off
Oh no, I faced derision.
I couldn’t get it on again,
I tried and tried in vain
I had to walk half up the hill
For a flat bit of terrain.
Reaching the top, I faced the crowd,
French John had the widest grin
‘Say nothing’ I yelled, full of spleen,
Before he got a word in.
2
At Goodmanham we all met up
The Burnby lot serene,
As we launched into piles of grub
The Numbum crew did preen.
But as for me, the classic hill
I’d tackled all in vain.
So next time, folks, that it’s my ride
We’ll do it all again!
HK
South Dalton, familiar photo stop. Bodders showing off his lecci bike !
3
No decision needed, just carry on!
Tea and scones at Huggate, lovely place and first visit.
4
Conquerors of Numbum Hill.
Photos by Trevor.
5