Annual Lunch - the Order Book is closed

Please note that we can't take any more orders. We will have a full house on 5th March.

Thank you

Tim

Get me to the church on time; Beddington 1-o-clockers around the Webb Estate, 15 February

We had a cunning plan.  One of our number wanted to see the Cillian Murphy film at the Methodist Church in Carshalton, which started at three.  So we devised a route up to and around the Webb Estate, past John Fisher and west to the Telegraph Track, meandering around Carshalton a bit and delivering our cinephile to the church at Carshalton.  The ride was calculated to take ninety minutes and the plan was to have a coffee at Spilt Milk and ride for another hour, to Brighton or somewhere.

Ken, Jackie and Maggie on the Webb Estate with three new riders.  

They didn't say much and insisted on vegan cakes.

It was, as usual, cold, and the turnout was below par; Jackie, Ken, Maggie and me.  But the ride worked a treat and the timing was well nigh perfect.  But Jackie dropped out and went home after she got her hill practice (she had been reading Simon's article in Sou'Wester).  And Ken had somewhere to go that evening so he went home from Carshalton.  Which left me to my own devices and, not feeling too good, I went home too.  We can do Brighton later in the year, in the warm.

Annual Lunch and competitions deadlines

Annual Lunch

Bookings for the Annual Lunch are going very well and we almost have a full house for 5th March. So please get in touch with me as soon as possible if you are intending to come but have yet to pay and advise me of your choices from the menu.

See this invitation for full details.

Last Orders will be taken up to 6 p.m. on Tuesday 18th Feb.

Mileage Competition

Mileages submitted for 2024 will no longer count in the competition but if you wish to send us your mileage for 2024 (and any preceding years) please do so. Your scores will be added to the League Table.

Thank you

~ Tim C

The Wombles aren't so daft; Nonsuch 1-o-clockers, 8 February 2025

The BBC weather report was pellucid, and I have recorded it for legal purposes.  Mainly dry on Saturday morning, maybe the occasional light shower, and sunshine and roses after midday.  Instead, it rained.  It was raining when we got up, it was raining harder as we tried to get the bikes ready and it was still raining when we set off for Nonsuch Park.  With the rain came that damp coldness that gets through to your bones much more than it should at these temperatures.  I drew up a new route for getting to Wimbledon and then seriously considered not even leaving the house.

It wasn't particularly heavy, the rain at lunchtime, but it felt as if it was here to stay.  Had nobody turned up at Nonsuch I should not have been surprised and we would simply have cycled home.

But Nigel met us in Cheam, on the way, and Ribble Rob was already at the Mansion and then Stuart turned up.

We had convinced ourselves that if the weather got silly, then my new route, past the crematorium and the old village parts of Morden and then Merton Abbey Mills and up the Wandle Trail to Earlsfield, offered places for possible decisions about cutting for home.

But we didn't.  We made Earlsfield by 2.15, when one of our gang of five wanted to have our coffee and turn around.  But the others thought we could easily make it to Wimbledon Windmill and home in the light, so on we all soldiered.

Haydons Road, Wimbledon Park and up the steep bit to Inner Park Road, we emerged on Wimbledon Parkside and decided to risk a path we had not ridden before through the woods in the vague direction of the windmill.  There were no Wombles to be seen; I couldn't remember if they hibernate or not but if they don't then they would not have been as stupid as cyclists by venturing out and about in this sticky mud and insidious drizzle.  I hope their underground home has efficient damp proofing and heating.

The path at ground level, though, was muddy only in bits and soon the buildings around the windmill could be discerned ahead; we homed in on the Windmill Cafe where we sat indoors.  I have never seen it so empty; there was no difficulty finding a table!

Four fellas soaking up the sun on the top of Wimbledon Common.  Note the handily placed bench!

Maggie took the photo.

Back home we crossed the waterlogged common in a southerly direction, stopping only for a photo on our way to West Side, down Wright's Alley to The Downs and from our vantage point on the brow of the hill there from where you can see over Sutton and Croydon to the North Downs, you could look at the vanishing point on the dismal South West horizon and (if you then closed your eyes) imagine that there might be just a chink of a break in the cloud signalling the BBC's sunny weather, five hours too late.

Lower Morden, Morden Park, Rose Hill, Carshalton Green.  The rain had nearly stopped when we got in and, d'you know what?  It had been a really enjoyable ride, five companions trying out a new way round, keeping up a steady pace, no moaning on the hills, nice chat over coffee.  What on earth possessed me even to consider wimping out and slinking home for a wet day on the computer assembling Sou'Wester Shorts?  Forget the admin, the bike and the friends is what it is about.

National Leave-your-car-in-the-middle-of-the-road Day; Nonsuch 1-o-clockers to Leatherhead 1 February

Dull, grey, cold; anybody would think it was early February as we gathered at the Mansion on Saturday.  The schedule had us riding to Box Hill and Walton but with Roger still not match fit after the installation of his pacemaker I felt that we might end up with a fatality on Box Hill.  Other options were to go up the back way, over Epsom Racecourse and Tadworth, or to take everyone to Rykas and give people the option of continuing or returning via Leatherhead.

There were eight of us, and initially we agreed the Rykas option.  Off we set through the traffic jam to Ewell.  But we all felt cold waiting for Roger to catch us up at the top of Wilmerhatch Lane, above Epsom Hospital.  It was no colder than it has been, on and off, for weeks, but it just felt colder and. frankly, the thought of sitting on the wooden tables outside Rykas was deeply unappealing.

So, once Roger and Anna had joined us, and Roger had got back his breath, I put it to the rest that we might just look for a coffee somewhere warm in Leatherhead and come back over the common.  It was good of them to agree, because this is their weekly chance of a decent group ride.

So we went only as far as Leatherhead, where we split into two for coffee preferences, some to Charlie and Ginger's, some to Lucio's.  At C&G's, Rob discovered he had mislaid his credit card, so he and Stuart shot off home leaving Nigel, Maggie, Roger, Anna, Ken and me to complete the return leg together.

Roger adjusting his pacemaker

Our group on Ashtead Common, headed by "Two Bikes" Ken.

both photos by Maggie

And I don't know if anybody else was aware, but apparently 1 February has been declared National I'll-Leave-your-car-in-the middle-of-the road-and-block-everyone-else Day.  We came across five such instances.

Thanks to everyone for your co-operation and your company.   

The 2024 Photo Competition has closed

Please note that the photo competition is now closed to new entries. Thank you to numerous people who have sent in their photos.

~ Tim

Invitation to our 2025 Annual Lunch

CTC SWL Annual Lunch and Prizegiving

5th March 2025 at 12:30 for lunch at 1 p.m.

We are delighted to tell you that Jennie has booked the Ristorante Sorrento (379 Ewell Road, Tolworth, KT6 7DE) for our annual lunch.

This has proved to be a most popular venue for the occasion since our first visit in 2018 and we are pleased to be able to hold the event there again.

The set price for our three-course lunch will be £23.45. This includes a 10% service charge, but does not include any drinks, coffee or tea. This is our menu:

click on the menu to enlarge

Please book by placing your order, and pay in advance by Sunday 16th February.

We expect the occasion will be attended by over 60 members, as it has been in recent years.

Please send an email message to Tim Court with your order for (i) a starter and (ii) a main meal. The waiters will take your orders for dessert after the main course on the day.

The preferred method of payment (£23.45) is a direct transfer via your online banking facility, but we can also accept cash or a cheque. For online payment please ask Tim C for our bank details if you don’t already have them. For a cash or cheque payment please check with Tim or your section representative. For anyone who has yet to pay their 2025 club subscription please consider adding your £2 when you pay for your lunch.

Any food allergies, dietary disorders or Vegan requirements must be notified to Tim when you advise your order so that these details can be noted and passed to the restaurant staff.

All ride leaders please note that your teams should be delivered to the restaurant by 12.30 p.m. so that everyone will have time to buy drinks, chat, and browse the photography exhibition, and settle down ready to confirm orders with the waiting staff.

Thank you

Tim C