Diss was my base for a weeks holiday. I arrived on Sunday after completing the Dunwich Dynamo.

On Monday Ivo arrived, and after lunch we went for a walk starting and ending in Bungay. It was a good introduction to the local area.

Tuesday it was back on the bikes. Ivo had a plan to ride two routes from a book - Lost Lanes - which had us weaving around the countryside on very quiet roads. Lunch was at Buttercross in the centre of Bungay.

Traffic was light on the main roads; we rarely saw any cars on most of this route. Lost lanes indeed.

On Wednesday we split up. I went for a ride with Godric CC and Ivo drove to a walk he’d planned.

I met the club at Bungay which meant an 18 mile ride from the cottage.

I needed to recalibrate how long it takes to get to places. I arrived very early because of the small amount of elevation I encountered. We rode a loop with a stop at the RSPB reserve at Carlton Marshes. Then just another 18 miles back from Bungay to Diss. It was a social ride, a good thing considering how far I rode to get there. They were a freindly bunch, very old school. Metal frames, rim brakes and quiet free hubs. I felt more than a little conspicuous every time mine screamed out.

Thursday’s ride was with Diss CC, it would be more correct to say; a member of the club. My only companion was Mick. He was however the perfect ride buddy if there was a mechanical issue. Being the owner of Madgetts cycles. 

He is the latest descendant of Albert Madgett the founder, his grandfather. The shop opened in 1924. It’s on the same road as my abode, so no big distance this morning to get to the start. This was an uptempo and longer ride, we still stopped at a cafe for lunch though. There was even a flyby from the Red Arrows. Very good of Mike to arrange that I thought.

Then on Friday as a good idea to end a great week Ivo took us to Dunwich to ride another lost lanes loop.

It was also an opportunity to don our Wheeling is Healing jerseys for a second club ride.

The route once again included many rarely used byways. Including a path along the Blythe river from Walberswick.

We visited the small hamlet of Blythburgh. In common with most habitation in the area it had a church. A big one considering the small number of houses locally.

And a war memorial.

Our final stop was Leiston Abbey.

According to the website it’s one of Suffolk’s most impressive monastic ruins and has some spectacular architectural features. It was founded in 1182 by Ranulf de Glanville.

The non ruined part is the Pro Corda music school.

A last word about our accommodation. It was an old cottage. Low ceilings and small doors. I hit my head a few times, Ivo being over six feet tall did so much more often and painfully.

The living room servered as bike storage, there being no secure outbuilding.