29th September is not groundhog day, but it may seem like it this Sunday as we have repeated the little used routes from last week! Made famous by Bill Murray’s film, groundhog day is said to be when events happen over and over again, The real groundhog day is 2nd February and started in Pennsylvania when it’s said that the hog comes out of hibernation, if he sees his shadow, the sun is out and he slopes back for six more weeks sleep because it’s a sign that winter in not over (strange these Americans)
There are some things that 29th September is known for, it’s a Quarter day, meaning it’s one of the 4 days marking the start of a quarter of the year, in this case, Michaelmas day (25th March Lady day, 24th June Midsummer day, 25th December, Christmas day). It’s also world heart day, a global event to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease and how to keep a healthy heart. A good way to strengthen your heart is at least 30 minutes of excercise 5 times a week, so Sunday could be a good start!
The usual three route options, all starting from Ivinghoe church and finishing around the same spot.
9am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48514279
10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46550982
10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39469919
We are going to open our Bi-Yearly kit order if we have enough people wanting to order some.In order for us to fulfil an order we need to have a minimum of ten pieces of kit in the order. We will put out a post for this on the Rear Hub to see what the uptake is likely to be. Please only indicate you would like some if you are definitely going to order some.Last time the poll indicated 14 items were going to be order but when we came to place the order there were only 7 items. Details of how to order will be sent out in a separate post if we have the sufficient volume
For a bit of added ride motivation, if you are heading out as an individual or small group over the coming weeks we have a little mystery challenge you could have a go at….
Ivinghoe Velos Cheesy Chips Mystery
For this magical mystery tour you can make your own route up, ride on road or off-road and start from Pitstone, Berkhamsted, Chesham or Tring.
Following complaints regarding enhanced cycling performance within the Ivinghoe Velos the UCI have banned post ride carb snack cheesy chips for all cyclist. To enforce this ban all copies of the recipe have been destroyed, or so the UCI thinks!
One remaining copy of this magical recipe is apparently hidden on a usual Ivinghoe Velos route. The task to find the recipe will be a tough one. We have enlisted the services of some of the world’s top cycling detectives, Hercule Pinot, Felt Maulder, Dawes Scully and Bikelock Holmes, .
Sadly none of the detectives have managed to locate the recipe! We need some local knowledge for this one…. It’s time to get on your bike and use the clues provided along with your best detective abilities, come up with the location of the hidden recipe. Can you bring cheesy chips back on the menu and enhance our performance for ever more?
The recipe is hidden in a secret location. Using clues you will be able to identify the location on the “what three words” app or website.
The clues will provide letters to fill in and the numbers of the clues correspond to the position of the letters in the puzzle- it’s a bit like hangman! You never know the cheesy recipe might be closer than you think!
To make life more tricky the clues list destinations but how you get there is down to your own planning skills- road routes, off-road, hilly or flatter, the choice is yours! Start at any clue you like, as long as you find all the letters you should be able to input your words into “what three words and find the location we are after!
The puzzle and clues should fit into two sides of one piece of paper, don’t forget your pencil to mark your letters onto the puzzle.
Good luck!!!
Letter position is dictated by the clue number……The recipe is located at
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1 8 10 10 12 12 11 9 3 2 8 6 4 2 1 5 8 7 9
The clues!
1) From Pitstone roundabout turn up vicarage road and opposite the park seek out the big roller. Read about Castle cement works. In line 7 of the paragraph below the heading the second letter appears three times in total in the information provided (all in the same word). This is the first letter you need, write it in the first space!
Pitstone museum opens periodically through the year and celebrates lots of local history including the castle cement works which dominated life in Pitstone
2)Time to appreciate the old church in Pitstone, ride up and leave your bike by the gate, after peering in the door, turn round and pay your respect to Mrs Runham, wife of Jno H Hawkins.. What is the first letter of her first name?
Pitstone church dates back to 1250, while it was declared redundant in 1973 it is still a well loved local landmark.
3) Head to Tring station, The railway line through Tring was built in 1838 because the station was so far from the town a dual purpose building was built just outside the station, one use was a post office to sort mail from the trains, what was the other use for the building )first letter needed)
Robert Stevenson planned to run the railway much closer to Tring but local land owners objected, meaning modern Tring commuters have to suffer from a very remote station.
4) From Tring station we head into Berkhamsted and need to find the castle. Looking at the sign at the entrance, what is the first letter of the name of Robert of Mortain’s half brother?
berkhamsted castle was originally a timber framed motte and bailey Norman castle, important in controlling the northern approach to London. It has a rich history of occupation by key historical figures such as Thomas Becket and the black prince.
5) Now circle round through Waitrose car park and look for the dark sign by the bench which tells us about the grand union canal. From the sign what type of Chilterns stream is the Bulbourne? (first letter)
Waitrose has been in Berkhamsted since 1969, originally four small shop units, it was rebuilt into a 7,000 square foot supermarket on the highstreet, it remained in this location, providing beer money for a certain A level student, until moving to the current location 31,000 square foot location in December 1996
6) By the torch beacon on Ley Hill Green (near the pubs) there is a big seat with a sign close by. Have a look at the sign to find out more about the local area.In a boxed off paragraph talking about a form of transport from the Swan pub what is the last letter of the paragraph?
Beacons were used across the country to warn local people of approaching enemies. In more recent times the fire beacons have been used in commemoration ceremonies like the anniversary of D day in June 2024 and Queen’s jubilee in 2022.
7) Near the bottom of white hill in Chesham there is a green with a gravestone in the middle, easy to miss if you are flying down the hill! Find out who was executed close by, he was tied to a stake with a fire lit underneath him because of his beliefs. To solve this puzzle look for the first letter of the single word on row four on the stone
Chesham was known for it’s three Bs, Baptists, boots and brushes, this may have been useful for a different clue!!!
8) In Chesham park, the place with the big pond take to the cycle path, it’s part of the national cycle network, which was 12,739 miles of signposted recommended cycle routes, look for the national cycle network mile marker, Two destinations share the same first letter, what is this letter?
Chesham was named in the Saxon period Caesteles-hamm which means “the water meadow by the stone heap”. It’s still as glamorous as this in modern times.
9) While in the Park have a look at the information board close to the park road exit, what is the first letter of the name given to the cute “historic” cottages in Church Street?
The lowndes family owned the land as part of their estate, after if was requisitioned by the arm for the second world war if was gifted to the council, the top part of the land is now used for a school, while the lower grounds are a well used public par
Now we are heading for Tring, you might want to rest and refuel from all this detective work at Chiltern Velo cafe in Hawridge,there are no clues here but they do great coffee and know a thing or two about cycling nutrition.
10) You may have chosen to blast down Hastoe Lane into the back of Tring (close to the dead animal museum), as you reach the T junction there are some timber framed houses named after a lady, What is the first letter of her name?
Among the grandest Almshouses in the country, it’s believed they were named after Walter Rothschild’s mother; she had these houses built for estate workers and Tring locals.
11) now to Tring memorial garden near to the Robin Hood pub roundabout. As you enter the garden you will see a big sign board all about the Royal British legion. A lady featured on the right has the same letter three times in her name, what is that letter?
The memorial gardens were created in 1950 to commemorate those who had fallen in the second world war, with fish pond, trees and beautifully planned beds it’s a perfect place for contemplation.
12) in Wilstone we are going to pay respects to those who gave their lives in the first world war. Once again you are looking for a letter that appears three times, this time it’s in Earnest’s surname.
In 1751 Wilstone was the scene of a horrific witch ducking. A crowd of 4,000 carried a couple to their certain death at the pond and a proprietor named Colley collected money from the crowd for the “enjoyment” the ducking had provided.
So thank you, you have completed the quest, have you found the location from the three words you have found? Hopefully the answer is yes and we can retire to the Rose And Crown for a drink and that banned post ride snack!