Recycled ride to , 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.

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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 ’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.

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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 !

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No decision needed, just carry on!

Tea and scones at Huggate, lovely place and first visit.

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Conquerors of Numbum Hill.

Photos by Trevor.

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