The Echo has an interesting item here:
A POPULAR bike ride across a mysterious Ministry of Defence island in south Essex is back after an absence of three years.
For nine years, up to 2,000 cyclists took part in the charity ride around Foulness, raising more than ?175,000.
But after the 2005 event, the Ministry of Defence put the brakes on the fundraiser. Since then, organisers Thorpe Bay Rotary Club have worked tirelessly to negotiate access to the island with the MoD.
Now the ride will return on Sunday, September 13…..
…… Riders of all ages and abilities can reach Churchend, the island?s quiet main village. The four-mile circuit beyond the village is suitable only for touring cycles or mountain bikes. Participants can cycle the circuit as many times as they like and will reach the most isolated part of the island rich in wildlife and a haven for birds.
Get an entry form by e-mailing rotary.ride@virgin.net, downloading it from www.thorpebay rotaryclub.org.uk or by calling 01702 525514.
The entry fee is ?10 for adults and ?5 for under-16s, who must be accompanied by an adult.
Foulness is certainly an intriguing place to visit. There’s a Quartermass/ Doctor Who feel to things. You begin to wonder if a field with cows in it… has some kind of secret laboratory hidden underneath it