Windmill day

Hello Normaneers.I am sorry to say that I shall miss the Windmill day on Sunday.I am meeting up with the National Autocycle and Cyclemotor club for a ride on my Nippy.They are gathering at Headcorn Airfield for a social ride on Saturday and a longer run,on Sunday, to a pub lunch and hopefully home again.I have never ridden the Nippy further than to the village and back so this weekend will be a real test of man and machine.I shall be thinking of you at the Mill and of a Windmill breakfast.Bye for now Paul

Hello again.We did it,I looked at the weather forecast early on Sunday morning and it said that we would get wet.I nearly didn't take the Nippy on the NACC run,as it turned out that would have been a mistake.About 30 of us on assorted small engined machines,just one Nippy,set of from Headcorn airfield at 11 0clock.Our leader was driving an amazing French invalid carriage fitted with a tiny two stroke engine that managed to propel it at nearly 30 MPH.After about 15 miles through the lanes we stopped at The Chequers at Goudhurst for lunch,we had to wait for a few of the slower machines but even though there were a couple of minor breakdowns we all made it.I had never ridden the Nippy for more than 2 or 3 miles in one go before,so 15 miles non stop was an adventure,I was surprised at how fast it would go,a couple of more modern bikes had speedos and their riders thought I passed them doing about 35 MPH and with it's 2 gears I did not have to pedal once.The bike did not miss a beat and I was very pleased with the way it performed.Lots of people showed interest in the Nippy with the usual sort of comment"my brother had one of them"one man told me that he had 4 of them but had never ridden one(foolish chap)In the afternoon we rode to Cranbrook and visited the windmill so even though I could not go to Norman day at Willesborough I did spend some time at a mill.We then rode back to Headcorn,damp but happy,Altogether we rode about 25 miles and with the road test on Friday and the ride out on Saturday I did about 45 miles on the Nippy and it seemed to use about 2 litres of fuel.Now I have more confidence in the little bike I think I might use it more often.Great fun,bye for now Paul