Ipswich Town Hall

Please note the lights! 

Which Switch is the Ipswich Switch.

Never leave the blog undone for more than a day.  My memory always fails to go back further than twenty four hours. Catching up is a challenge. Friday morning Ed gave us another lift,this time back to Halesworth to return to the bikes and the route south to Ipswich.   We were going to return to the Bicycle Shop to pick up the front bike spot light.  Time was not on our side.  We arranged that I would pick it up next week.  Richard had arranged to meet with a friend at The Cut for a chat before the ride. This was just the start of what is our longest weekend of the tour.  Distance matched by variety of concerts. At 11.00 Stuart arrived in time for the off.  He was accompanying us for ten miles of the ride before making his way back to Nottingham.  What a determination he has and at his age! Stuart had spent the night wild camping. I do not do wild and I certainly do not do camping in tents. I prefer the luxury of country house hotels with good service and fine dining.  It has happened on this tour but more by luck and chance than judgement.  I have have been able to put my Speedos on twice so far! Not a pretty site and best done in private. I do not like to scare the other guests.  Whilst the legs are perfectly formed and swelling by the day there is no sign of a six pack developing sometime soon no matter how far we peddle. Too many cakes perhaps. That reminds me, it has been a while since I have sniffed out a caramel slice. We need to remedy that.   Ipswich from Halesworth was around the thirty mile mark. Well within our ride capacity.    Weather was grand and progress in the undulating environs of Suffolk was rapid along the peaceful undulating  byways.  As usual we were up against a deadline.  We were visiting the BBC studios in Ipswich for a recorded interview with Steve Foster. This would be the second with this most generous of presenters.  This would be followed by an ISDN interview in the same studios with Jo from BBC Radio London.   We dropped down through Peasenhall to Cransford and thence to Wickham Market and through to Grundisburgh and on the Tuddenham road into Ipswich, home of the Tractor Boys!   We found the studios with ease and just for once we had plenty of time.  Our speed was  certainly picking up. No thanks to the weight more like the muscle power in the legs, especially Richard's.  The trailer has become the cross he has to bear. I have suggested he offers it all up as a penance.   He was not impressed with that concept.  I have had better.  It does not reduce the pain. We freewheeled down to the Town Hall for the set up in the Council Chamber in the old Town Hall.   A strange building now as it is used for various activities, some of which have nothing to do with municipal administration.    A new town hall was built leaving this a white elephant.  A great welcome though with a piece of cake and a drink handy.   The old council chamber is a wonderful space and would have been grander if sometime ago the person who covered it in a dusty purple paint had resisted  the temptation.  A crime.  Jay the technician for the evening was so helpful and having discussed our requirements for the show they were in place without fuss before you could say Jack Robinson.   The best yet and I am speaking as an experienced lighting and stage engineer now. I know about these things!   My opinion is valid and reliable.    Really? I have to say this was to be the best looking show of the tour. Pillars either side of the stage were lit up and washed with the colours of our basic lighting rig to great effect. I was most impressed with myself!!    Please excuse me blowing my own trumpet! A good crowd in. Walk up was encouraging and a few more chairs were required. We don't mind dealing with that problem.   I think the artiste was pleased with the evening and as usual the performance was well received.   The challenge was on for a quick pack up. We had a fifteen to twenty mile ride to complete before we got anywhere near a drink or a bed.  By 11.45 we were on the right road heading out of the town on back roads which run parallel to the main A12 heading towards Colchester.   Bike trailer and rider were not in harmony tonight and the chain was coming off at regular intervals.  The moon was out and the air was cool. Conditions were ideal in many ways.   The missing headlight was not making things easy and picking out the smallest of cross country lanes was difficult  for yours truly, now operating in Navigation Officer capacity.  Captain T. Kirk was not a happy bunny.   We passed La Tolboothe restaurant and up a tricky little hill when a blue episode rang out across the peaceful night spoiling this idyllic country scene. A passing drunken stranger got the  shock of his life The bike was not his favourite toy at that point.  I was not the favourite guide.    With grim determination and strength we made it to the Holiday Inn Express three miles north of Colchester at 0.45  fifteen minutes before the bar closed.  In time for a drink and a bag of Nobby's Nuts.    Josh the duty manager was a star and locked the bikes in the conference room.  All this to the sounds of a riotous party being held in an adjacent room. Or was it prayer meeting? We will never know.    We got to bed for a short sleep, in no more than five hours and we would be on the road again. Willie Nelson comes to mind. 1,245 miles. 

Collage

With Naomi at Norwich concert

Richard in concert at Bicycle Shop

The supporters club!!

Richard at The Cut. Halesworth

Bikes and Biker well lit!!

Norwich Photographs

My main supporters club!

All together!!

What a great daughter, Mother and supporter she truly is! 

Fully loaded  Norco at Big. C 

Halesworth - The Cut

Back at the Bicycle Shop to pick up our trusty bikes in good time.    First appointment was to visit the Big C drop in centre at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital on the south west side of the city.  The big bike was not playing the game needed the attention of the rider.   Some fiddling and screw turning and we set off out of the city centre.  We arrived at Big C a couple of minutes after 10.30.  A great welcome at the centre from Diane and all the staff there.    Also there to welcome us were Naomi. Lisa and the Grandchildren; Ruby June, Elsie and Jude.   It was so good to see them after so many weeks.  We were invited into the centre which was busy with patients and families.  We gathered in the private garden area  and were joined by  three well behaved little ones!  No running around here.  Richard played his guitar  in the garden and the peaceful music drifted on the air into the building.    Time for some pictures and chatting.  I went off with Naomi and family to seek out a rewarding and distracting  ice cream for them. RD had a tour around the centre with Jill,  the manager.    Richard was moved by all  the work being carried out by Big C.  Currently there are 1,000 patients per month accessing the resources of this vital charity.    It made the miles, the hills, the weather, the breakdowns, the heat and the rain seem so worthwhile.     No time to waste we hit the trail at 12.30 and headed back through the city to pick up the road to Bungay and on to Halesworth.     The artiste was complaining about his bike.  Sluggish and holding up progress.  Was it  bike or the biker?  We attempted to locate a convenient shop to check things out.   Nothing on our route.    Fairly quiet road out to Bungay.  Weather set fair.  At Bungay we visited MC Cycles where I had purchased my Schwinn bicycle two years ago after having to leave the Norco in St. Bonnet in the Auvergne  after my ride from England.    The proprietor looked carefully at the bike after some pleading from the  suffering cyclist.    A little tweaking of the brakes and checking of the freewheeling and things seemed to feel better.   Pulling that much weight on a bike and any lose of performance and it drags down the average speed considerably.    After a delightful light snack at the  Jester's Cafe near the Castle we commenced the last leg of the days journey.   We opted to risk the main road through to Halesworth and apart from a couple of large lorries it was relatively peaceful and we were in good time when we arrived at The Cut Arts Centre.   The Maestro's  bike had behaved and no complaints from the jockey!  Located in an old warehouse building it has a large purpose built performance area and a grand foyer and cafe.     The gig had been well advertised but we were up against the opening of the World Cup.  No contest!    With a large stage to play with tonight the artiste decided, in his wisdom, to change the presentation of the show. All looked well after the new set up.  Dropped a clanger myself and therefore lost a few lighting manager points by leaving our front bike spot  light at the last venue. This is the most important spot  of all as it lights the face of the artiste in performance.   I make no excuses it was a mistake on pack up.  So nice we are still not assigning blame for errors made whilst on tour. Not a sell out but a warm and welcoming reception from a new audience.  This was the first appearance by concert guitarist Richard in this market town. Hopefully the first of many.  I think we behaved ourselves.  No black marks apart from my own.    Our great friend John Rigden came to the show and had volunteered to drive us home post performance.  Sadly Anne was not well and was much missed. It would therefore be men behaving badly later.     It was a pleasant surprise to see  Pippa from school at the performance along with her Sister and Mother.  She has kindly been holding the fort for me on my extended skive.   One or two familiar faces attended including Stuart, a fellow cyclist, from Aslockton near Nottingham who had finally managed to catch us up!  He had enjoyed the show so much in Aslockton he had to ride to see  another.  Now that is way beyond the call of duty.   He will be joining us on our ride to Ipswich tomorrow.    Pack up was a little tardy as the guitarist was checking out some handmade guitars brought in by a former pupil of his.   We eventually got packed away and left for home shortly after 10.30     A fine moonlit summer drive home.      A light snack and debrief before bed.   A busy and long distance weekend awaits.  Brighton by Sunday!!!   We could be breaking a few tour records.  Total mileage. 1207 and plenty to go. 

Photographs Norwich

The good Doctor and his Assistant!!

Venue 

No Bikes Sold 

The show goes on!!!

BBC Interview Chrissy Jackson RD and Diane from Big C