Rod Collins

In an effort to make the most of the weather and acquaint myself better with some of the surrounding area I found myself, after visiting Irby, in the small village of Hatcliffe - spooky !

Having visited St Mary’s Church I enjoyed a glorious walk along a designated footpath crossing the fields and wooded areas right inside the Lincolnshire Wolds.

St Mary’s Church

Click Here to Enlarge Image

The saying ‘could be anywhere’ well and truly applied here. Absolute peace and quiet punctuated only by the occasional pheasant and rook. Houses that make you think (well momentarily anyway) about taking that job on the oil rigs and rejoining the mortgage rat race in a big way.

Only the odd person about and being odd myself I can’t complain about that - all of whom say hello or good afternoon. I was wandering about well and truly alone both physically and in my thoughts when all of a sudden …
Hello Rodney !
A racing cyclist pulls up alongside me !
Somebody I’ve known all my life - incredible.
What makes it worse is I’ve been thinking of taking cycling up properly again and considering a dispersal of funds on a racing bike.
These thoughts, once the symptoms of spending a considerable sum subsided, took me back to the first racing bike I built.
It was a fabulous machine, an early testament to my promise as an engineer , but what made it was a professional was a racing weight frame and Campagnolo alloy wheels - a dream to a boy on a £1 or so a week pocket money - Campanolo wheels unimaginably beyond my reach !

How did I get them then - well you guessed it - they were a gift from the gentleman who just cycled up to me !
How could this happen after I was recalling the above only last night ?
The surprise guest certainly looked the part and was proof positive, if proof were needed, of the benefits of regular exercise. Now retired but regularly cycling 30 miles plus !

We bade our farewells and I wandered on, returning to the property theme I saw a fabulous house, river running across the front - the full monty - stunning.
I wouldn’t mind that thought I - then I saw the number plate on the car in the drive.
We used to work together many years ago - he was, and I’m sure still is, a real gentleman - I haven’t seen him for many a year yet here I sit on a bench typing this and can see his house !

This brief foray into the Lincolnshire countryside but a few miles from my billet reminds me just how fortunate I am living here it’s hard to imagine, unless funds were vastly greater than they are, anywhere better.
I intend you visit much more of this county in the future and see what other jewels lay quickly hidden away.
This post, as the Irby on Humber one did will continue with full details of my latest craze !
Regards
A Fulfilled Rod