Ride report: 11 March 2007

North Cardiff Treasure Hunt

Organizer: Nick Canham

Despite what the weather forecast said, the Millennium Bridge was 
bathed with the first smatterings of spring sunshine. There was to 
be a Treasure Hunt: the three teams set off to circumnavigate 
Cardiff and answer questions as we went. First stop was the Remembrance 
Gardens in Cathay’s Park, starting to blossom with pinks and 
greens. I worked in the area for six months and it was interesting 
to be back to see its seasonal transformation. We then cycled 
through various rat runs to Roath and negotiated the congested 
streets. Off then at full speed ahead to Roath Park where large 
crowds were promenading in a way our Edwardian forebears would 
be proud of. The question involved a lighthouse and a dedication 
to Captain Scott who sailed from Cardiff early last century to his 
sad demise. The next part of the ride/quiz was problematic for us 
with the quiz taking a backseat to the question: ‘Where are we 
now?’ although I have to admit I’m always pleasantly surprised 
when I find parts of Cardiff that I’ve only seen on maps before 
‘come to life’ especially on mellow Sunday mornings. Having 
effectively given up on two of the questions, the sight of various 
landmarks negated the need for the dreaded Satnav and my fellow 
team member recalled his shortcut home from a former employment 
making sure we were back on track! The next set of questions 
involved the Taff Trail, familiar ground for Sunday ride veterans. 
Then it was back to the Mochen Du pub for lunch and the 
results. Suffice to say my team didn’t win … Thanks to Nigel Canterbury 
for making our team function and to Nick Canham for organizing the ride.

Nigel Baker

PS: the winners were Marion and Jane with 15.5 out of 18.