About halfway down the Vineyard is Pedal Power the bike shop, with Mr Lee Hairdressing on one side, and a pub, converted to housing on the other.

I took my bike there last week for a new brake block. The chap went through a box of brake blocks but could not find a match. The designs change rapidly nowadays. Anyway, went back, and he had one this week. But now I need the wheel unbent. Rather stupidly, I left it locked up overnight on St Edmunds Lane and somebody has given the wheel a kick.

Pedal Power is quite traditional with a large workshop at the rear, and bikes for sale in the front, mostly Dawes and Raleigh. Then there are boxes of bike parts.

It is part of the Vineyard, a road named after the Abbey grape growing area.

Anyway, on the subjects of bikes, cycling back home tonight with the bent wheel hitting the brake blocks, I got stopped by a policeman. “Excuse me Sir? Your back lights are not showing.” True enough, the battery was getting weak.

People might be glad to know the police still do take a note of such things. Even though five minutes later I saw six young lads cycle past without a light between them, nor a policeman in sight.