CTC Hut, Tweedsmuir

Tour of the Closed Down Cafes; The Curse of the FCC

2 - 3 October 1999

Riders: Debbie K, Calum M, Fiona M, Steve R, Charlie S

The meet surprisingly followed the format of previous FCC meets (approx 12 to date).

The state of the riders was very poor. Steve was dying with the cold. Debbie had been on nightshift and had had 2 hours sleep. Fiona and Calum were on their first ever cycling meet and were cowed by presence of such greatness. Charlie was still recovering from Paris-Brest - Paris followed by the previous week’s Edinburgh marathon where he had excruciated a calf muscle.

We said a tearful farewell to Cormac at 1pm, then went to Crusader (?as in tank) Crescent in Roslin to join up with Fiona and Calum.

We had the usual headwind all the way via Auchencreach Moss to West Linton.

Then the curse struck. The usual tearoom in the centre of W Linton was closed down and the fancier one in the very centre wouldn’t serve us. So we went to the Old Toll House at the SW edge instead. About 6 out of 10. Not as nice as the closed down ones. It rained at Broughton Heights so we had to stop at the Greenmantle Hotel (7.5 out of 10) to balance the outside water with inside water. On the way the cafe on the Biggar road seemed to be closed but not closed down. It was the first time we had stayed at the hut since its Golden anniversary refurbishment in 1997 - we missed 1998 due to apathy/ Great Caley Run. A very cosy place but a little too cosy if you are over 6ft long.

The Crook Inn (7.5 out of 10) was up to its usual welcoming standard. Slight query over the Steak and Kidney Pie - Debbie and Calum could supply samples. There were two Bristolettes who had cycled the Tweed cycle Path from Berwick that day and were camping and cycling back on the Sunday. Mountain bikes with knobbly tires - too taxing for the FCC I fear.

The night sky was much nicer than Edinburgh. The steak pie gave Debbie plenty of opportunity to see it.

As hoped nobody wanted to do Talla so Sunday was back into a headwind via the hill to Eddleston and then a detour back to the Horseshoe Inn (6.5 out of 10) for lunch. The Scots Pine was closed with no explanation. We felt somewhat underdressed and underwashed for the Horseshoe.

Then back into the headwind at the military medium pace of 10.4 mph and back home in time to see the All Blacks disappoint in only beating Tonga 45-9 and S Africa really stuff Bonnie Scotland 46-29.

Ornithological Note (to fill up the page). We saw 2 herons - one near Kailzie Gardens and another 2 miles S of Leadburn Hill.

Charlie S