Paul J's report from the last group
This year my usual co-leaders (and quite a few riders) were unavailable either for the ride itself or the recces, and it is not a ride most people would like to lead without riding the course first because it is complex, in order to make maximum use of parks and riversides and alleyways and, where that is not possible, of side streets.
But in my hour of need Karen and Roger'n'Anna stepped up to the plate and I am extremely grateful that they did, for they took it seriously, embarking on their own recce without me, and did the job splendidly.
We were blessed with perfect weather, a cold bright morning turning into a mild, sunny day with a bit of a breeze. Including leaders we had eighteen in all in three groups.
The start was disrupted a little when we heard that Karen had suffered a puncture coming over with the Cheam contingent, so we re-ordered the departures and got Anna & Roger's group out on the road.
A peloton awaits departure
When, thanks mainly to Tony, the three latecomers arrived with a fully restored tyre, Karen went next, and we left a five minute gap and then followed on, my group consisting of Maggie, Stuart, Paul G, Justine and Karl.
Riding in a group it is simply not possible to keep up the normal pace in a complex urban ride such as this but it did not matter much. The traffic in Croydon was relatively light, there were a few dog walkers and children on their bikes along the Railway Park but the big event of the first leg was that outside Croydon Arena we came across Matthew and Thomas, and they rode with us to elevenses at Kent House Coffee and Flowers and then went about their birthday present buying business.
Roger'n'Anna's group, the Brunels, at elevenses
Old friends
A coffee clatch of cyclists at Kent House
The Pool and the Ravensbourne rivers were their usual selves as we made our way through parks and across Lewisham town centre (where the traffic lights are mere suggestions) and up on the Blackheath.
Greenwich was at its most royal in the sunshine; Wordsworth might have thought that Earth had not anything to show more fair than the view from Westminster Bridge in 1802 but he should have come up here.
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by a sight so touching in its majesty
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Paul J's group, the Newtons close to the Meridian
Apart from getting poor Stuart's order wrong, the Dog and Bell was its usual earthy self and we had a new route through the Russia Dock woodlands to the Angel at Bermondsey Beach, with brief history lessons along the way about Brunel and the naval gibbet and Turner and King Edward 3rd. and Doctor Salter's moving daydream.
Southwark Park was quiet but there were crowds in Burgess Park because of a festival, the upside of which was that Brixton Windmill was open for tea. And that was the last time all eighteen of us saw each other, as we made our several ways through Tooting Common, Merton Abbey and Morden Hall Park to home.
Thanks to everyone for the splendid company and especially to the leaders for going the extra mile (!)
Roger's report from the first group
Let them eat cake
It was a perfect day for a ride and we got to Beddington in plenty of time, only to discover that, despite Paul trying to contact them, there was doubt that the message that sixteen riders might be arriving for elevenses at Kent House had got through to them. Planning, however, is Paul J's middle name and he had conducted a risk analysis on the most important aspect of the ride and bought cakes and plastic knife; Maggie asked Anna to carry them to Kent House just in case.
We - Rob, Ken, Paul, Sharon, Anna and Roger - were the first group and we set off on time taking the usual route from Beddington to Croydon, Roger relying on memory and Anna on Beeline. We encountered dog walkers and strollers as we made our way alongside the railway and by the time we were approaching Kent house we were more than willing to let Beeline take the strain.
Just as we were leaving elevenses Paul J and Maggie arrived with their group so the cakes were handed over and with a lighter load we set off, depending increasingly on Beeline, which was remarkably reliable considering such a complex route. Complexity aside, it turned out to be a lovely ride alongside the rivers and through the parks, and this time not encountering too many sleeping “Lime” hire bikes blocking the path, or deaf strollers who wondered in astonishment at the source of the ringing in their ears.
Having ridden to Greenwich several times before, the one constant on the route had always been the steep hill leading to Blackheath. Today, though, we tried the revised route and a slightly less daunting hill that still left us gasping and wondering if it was really true that the highest point on the ride had been at Croydon.
The view did not disappoint as we stood there in a mass of tourists taking selfies. Rob was active with his GoPro – if only to prove we had all survived the climb - and then it was the swift descent down to the river, dodging the wandering tourist and dog ambling across the road and negotiating the excavations and diversions, to arrive alongside the Cutty Sark.
Roger'n'Anna's group at the Dog & Bell
The route around and along the Queens Path was complex and again we would have been lost without Beeline, which, just to see if we were paying attention, occasionally switched to "telling the time" mode when one desperately wanted to know turn left or right, but ultimately did identify the next move in time. Burgess Park was very busy with bike riders seeing just how fast a hire bike could go and having no particular regard for the convention of riding on one side of the road or the other and slowing for pedestrians. Drums thundered and music played, and the park filled with wandering groups just out to enjoy a walk and listen to the music. We tried several ways out of Southwark Park until we hit on the right one and even Beeline got confused, commanding Anna to “KEEP STILL” while it calibrated its giro – but in the end we made it to Brixton and the Windmill and, mindful of the no cycling rule, pushed our bikes to the green by the windmill ready for another injection of coffee and cake. Paul B left us there and Tony joined us for the final leg through Tooting Common and on down into Morden Hall Park.
It was a lovely ride on a route that was convoluted and impossible to memorise but was always interesting
Karen's report from the middle group
Mishaps and Malfunctions:
My day didn’t start on a positive note, incurring a puncture before we’d even left Sutton. Thanks to Tony and Karl for coming to my aid.
Things could only get better….
So it was a somewhat delayed departure for my group, consisting of Dawn, Frank, Alice, Helen and Tony. Paul’s group was chomping at the bit so we set a healthy pace to and through Croydon. Thereafter we made our way via fairly quiet residential streets and parks, reaching Kent House elevenses in good time (and well in advance of Paul’s group!)
Beeline started (intermittently) giving me the silent treatment, acting as a timepiece rather than a navigation device. So there were a few minor (soon remedied) deviations en route to Greenwich. The fine weather had drawn throngs of tourists to the Royal Observatory viewpoint, competing for photo opportunities!
Our lunch at the Dog & Bell was served fairly promptly, although Tony’s selection took a little longer for some reason. We managed to get a head start on Paul as one of his group also experienced order difficulties.
Karen's group, the Pepys, at the Dog and Bell in Deptford
At this point Beeline failed to reactivate, so I had to rely on my phone screen (not ideal with my poor eyesight!). The afternoon was a mixed bag, which included delightful riverside paths and parks, taking us through Rotherhithe and Bermondsey, with (for Blackadder aficionados) more twists and turns than a twisty turny thing.
Alas, approaching Camberwell, my phone battery was dying and, to make matters worse, my mobile charger wasn’t working! Tony consulted his 30-page route planner but I was fairly optimistic we were close to the familiar territory of Camberwell and Brixton. I was extremely relieved when St Giles’ Church hoved into view.
Just enough phone battery helped to navigate the maze of streets leading to the Brixton Windmill where my reliable back marker Tony had to leave us. After some liquid refreshment and comfort breaks we powered through Clapham and Tooting. Thereafter, Helen offered to take the helm and led us through quieter sections of Colliers Wood towards Morden Park, where Frank left us. We said our goodbyes to Alice and Worcester Park, leaving the remaining tres amigas to make our way home.
Thanks to my group for your support, especially when the gadgets were conspiring against me!
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