OD Ride to Wickenby Airfield - Alan Riddington - 16th March 2019

It was the 'YAM AGM' Today with a planned 10am start, so it was a delayed start for the T5 ride, it was a Wet & Windy forecast for the day, especially the North York moors & Dales areas, so with only 6 hardy people ( some say foolish – the naysayers, also with Paul Rushton, Pete Tidball & Chris Otter all on 4 Wheels today) electing to take part in the ride, it was decided that I was to lead, so I decided to head into Lincolnshire as the weather forecast showed it being least likely to get heavy rain, ( having seen the News the following Morning and the floods in and around Yorkshire it was a good choice) and Wickenby Air Field has a good Cafe, so why not.

A quick decider on the walk around brief saw Tim Andrews volunteering for back marker if needed as we were a small group, and off we go ( Making up the route as I went along ) with a left out of Squires and onto the old A1 heading for Brotherton and the Left to Birkin and Right over the Hump Bridges into Beal, a Right out of Beal toward the A645 and a quick Right / Left for Wormersley, Little Smeaton and onto Campsall and then a Right onto the A19 for Doncaster and using a route around the outskirts of Doncaster, a good pace was kept by the group, and very little marking had been needed as we cleared Doncaster and headed in the general direction of Thorne,

Picking up the A18 heading for Scunthorpe, riding along the straight, but with a good lean on to counter the effects of the wind ( not the Baked Beans type ) we arrived at the much used ( in the last few weeks ) Girder Bridge in Gunness, over the Bridge and a Right onto the B1450 toward Yaddlethorpe ( a district of Scunthorpe apparently with a zillion roundabouts ), I think the route in Yaddlethorpe may count as a 'U TURN' looking at the pink trail, eventually escaping the Saturday shoppers we headed off to Messingham before a Left onto the B1400 and a decent twisty route, wide open views (but the wind again keeping you on your toes especially in corners), to kirton Lyndsey and on toward the A15.

A quick Right / Left at the A15 took us onto the B1250, a nice twisty open road with good views for overtakes and some pretty villages ( Waddingham, Brandy Warf, South Kelsey to name a few ) eventually led us to join the A46 into Market Rasen, for a Left / Right onto the B1202, a typical Lincolnshire road with a straight then sharp bend followed by a straight and another sharp bend ( see the Highlighted route ) for Lissington and Holton cum Beckering before a Right turn onto the B1399 and the final run into the Airfield access road and car park.

It was a longish ride to the Cafe ( 90 minutes ish ) but as we had a late start the usual 2 part ride was dismissed, a healthy choice of food soon arrived at the table and all enjoyed their lunch, and after lunch had a look around the small RAF museum upstairs as it was an airfield used as part of Bomber Command during the war, prior to heading back to Squires as a part 2 ride, Lawrence was heading back to Alan Jefferies to return his ( much liked ) Demo Bike ( did he buy a new one I wonder????), John & Tim saying they would be dropping off during the return route to head toward the various homes, while the remaining 3 of us returned to Squires for a coffee stop before we too headed for home.

Dave Hardcastle led the group home using a more direct route back toward Brigg & Scunthorpe, back over the Bridge at Gunness, then heading onto the A161 for Crowel to Swinefleet and Goole Fields ( again doing plenty of leaning due to the cross winds), around Goole and over the M62 toward Drax and eventually the Selby bypass, Hambleton, Monk Fryston and South Milford then into Squires, 2 other bikes were in the car park and plenty of cars due to the people playing games with funny shaped balls on the telly.

Thanks to everyone who decided to ride today in windy conditions, but on mainly dry roads once clear of the Doncaster / Thorne area, at a good pace on some new routes, For Tim Andrews for keeping the back clear, oh and Me for leading :):):)