Well, I went, and what an excellent weekend it was!
My departure was inevitably delayed as I had a man coming to take a pin out of the piano (!) and the district nurse was coming to see Phyllis. I finally got under way around midday, but that was after the Clariflies had arrived in Dullingham! I got there about 3pm, got the tent pitched and my bed made, but then was interrupted by the necessity of going for a bike ride. Butterfly and I rode out on my tandem, with Clarion and the Clariduck on theirs. After a while, dross kicked up by a combine harvester got the better of Clarion's lungs, which were wheezing like a train, and he joined me on the back of my Circe Helios electric assist whilst Butterfly piloted the Butterduck. It was a very pleasant route in tranquil countryside and seemed to me that most of the time we were going downhill. Maybe that's the effect of electric assist...
When we returned, I collected the rest of my clothes and bedding from the car and walked up the hill to my tent. Then it was Food Time. That has to rank as one of the best barbecues I have ever had. Sausage, burgers and chicken legs, all excellently cooked, with some very fine veggie side bits in the form of salad, and something with apricots in it which I was told was giant couscous. There was also a barrel of beer - Tandemmer's Tipple - which was very good indeed. Light, hoppy and not too strong, it was just right for a summer's evening. We then had a musical interlude with a couple who crooned above their combined double bass and acoustic guitar. I knew hardly any of the songs that they sang, and no-one else seemed to want to join in, but they were respectfully received. After that, there was the Outdoor Cinema. As I have mentioned elsewhere, this ran from bicycle-generated electrons and the film shown was Belleville Rendezvous, which I had seen before. I really enjoyed the fact that a film about a cycling obsession should be powered by people on bicycles. Whether Circe's management had that amusing irony in mind when they chose it I don't know.
There was then a camp fire and more beer, and more songs from the crooners. Some time after midnight I retired to my tent and slept very well, not emerging until soon after 7am.
Breakfast was a help-yourself to croissants, brioche, rolls, tea, coffee, orange juice... Then there was another ride. Clarion was disinclined to spend more time on an aluminium bike, and Butterfly wanted to try an electric tandem, since she always struggles to keep up on their acoustic one. That left me at a loose end so I borrowed an Airnimal Joey from The Management and used that. To begin with I thought I might well be in pain as a result of, firstly, the saddle, and secondly, the thumb shifter for changing down. When it comes to arthritic attacks my right thumb is one of my most vulnerable bits. I injured it about 40 years ago when playing rugby, and it has always been a bit duff, and of course in the past 12 years or so it has been subject to the tender mercies of my delinquent immune system. We rode out to the Lode Cricket Pavilion where someone had thoughtfully left a large quantity of cake. Over lunch, many people rode many bicycles in a "what have we here?" kind of way, and I would hope that Circe will receive some lucrative orders. I should stress that the entire weekend was provided free, so must be regarded as them casting their bread/sausage/burgers/ale etc. upon the waters. After we returned to Dullingham (a lovely village, despite the name) we packed up and said our farewells. It was a shame it wasn't two nights, but it was very good and I would certainly do my best to take part in any similar events.
What of the Airnimal? Well, it's a folding bike. It's not so easy to fold as a Brompton, but it's a much nicer ride and I was in no more pain after 20-odd miles than I would normally expect to be. I suppose the key question is, will I buy one? Well, I have to say that I'm not in the right frame of mind yet, but I do keep looking at their website. Hmmm...
Oh, I should add that the 230 or so kilograms that Clarion and I subjected my tandem to are regarded as a record by Circe themselves. I have to say that having someone almost of my mass and an inch or so taller than I am did affect the handling rather, but I haven't seen anything wrong with the bike.