Retro Dining by Bike

I haven't done much pleasure cycling this year; cricket and the perpetual fear of punctures seems to have kept me off it. I've been trying to run instead and doing pretty well at that, but now this back niggle I've developed has kind of meant I've had to ease down on that.

So today I set off with on my bike with the vague idea of finding the retro styled "OK Diner" American diner on the A1 at Cromwell village.

I had no intention of cycling on the A1 - I like living - but I'd been told about a cycle path that leads to it from North Muskham. I wasn't in any hurry, so I had a lovely ride through Kelham, Little Carlton and Bathley, the little villages where old style housing and barns means that house martins and swallows fill the air with their forked tails and twitterings.

I made it to Muskham, and did indeed find the cycle path, which ran actually alongside the A1 which was a bit kind of weird, and to actually get to the diner I had to ride along the A1 sliproad for a short way.

The diner itself looks very much as you'd expect from any 50s set US movie or TV show - a low silver building with lots of neon illuminations, although the genuine article probably wouldn't have a cardboard cutout of a cop holding a stop sign just inside the door.

I was guided to a corner seat, and now felt rather stupid - I hadn't actually thought about going in the place, just wanted to take pictures. And now I was ordering something, I didn't want to be all cheapskate and just have a cup of tea. So I rather daftly ended up having a diet coke and a bloody great artery clogging milkshake for £6.50.

It was a mint choc chip milk shake, and I loved eating the choc chips with  a spoon! Very thick. Very American. Lots of folk seemed to be having them - it was surprisingly busy for 330pm on a Monday.

I will go back - it's a nice 25km bike ride, all told.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 10.07.16