Change of venue for the Beginners AGM on 21 March

The Beginners AGM on 21 March 4.30 - 6.00 will be held in The California, 267 Brighton Road, Belmont SM2 5SU. They are generously allocating a room for us and hope we will take advantage of their food and drink menu. There will be parking for bicycles at the front. The afternoon rides will aim to finish at The California.

Conspiracy! Beddington one-o-clockers to Merton Abbey Mills, 21 February

There was a conspiracy afoot on Saturday.  The Famous Five were going to see the Irish Guards Band in Epsom that night so the plan was to go on a fairly short ride so that everyone could safely get home and turn around for a night out on the tiles.  But we had a pleasant surprise in store, for we had a newcomer, Roland.  He had ridden from Nonsuch last week and wanted to try out Beddington this.

The general consensus was to go for a trip to Merton Abbey Mills, which is not our shortest ride at all, but from which we knew we could get home in time.

And so that is where we went.  A day of pleasant weather after another wet week and we had a lovely ride, even if the leader (ho had planned to go to Elmers End) made a couple of brief mistakes en route.

Perhaps becsause of the lack of snow or a named storm, M.E.D was unusually busy but it was nice enough (just) for us to sit outside, once we had mopped up the standing water from the tables and benches.

Four conspirators and Roland at M.E.D.  Maggie took the picture.

The Wandle was in full flood and apart from a particularly unpleasant glass trap on the riverside in Poulter Park we had an uneventful trip.

A pleasant afternoon for everyone and Roland seemed to enjoy his ride as much as we enjoyed his company.  Come again, Roland!

And, yes, we all made the concert in good time.

Social Media and Communications Policy

 

From Sue F

We now have a club Social Media and Communications policy approved by the Committee. More and more of our communication both for practical ride information and other cycling related issues are conveyed via social media and email. This Policy is intended to provide guidance to help understand acceptable standards of use by members and to assist everyone in understanding what the potential risks are in using social media and how these can be avoided and managed.

You can access the policy via the link above or from the Information Hub on our website.

There went the sun; Nonsuch one-o-clockers to Long Ditton on Valentine's Day

There was romance in the air and overpriced restaurants overbooked when Saturday dawned with - and you'll never believe it - sunshine in the air.

My plot was essentially a selfish one.  First time on a bike since caressing the tarmac two and a half weeks ago, see if the old joints still worked, make sure I hadn't forgotten how to ride, turn up at Nonsuch and if necessary just go home on the train.  

But it went well.  Who doesn't get the odd twinge?  The patisserie in Cheam was packed but we still got a table, Tim turned up for club business and to save me a ride, Anna and Roger were there, Nigel rolled up as we were leaving, and we all went to the rendezvous at the Mansion.

A veritable throng at Nonsuch Mansion

There a vertiable throng was waiting and Steve was there to lead a ride down south to Brockham.  I assumed, rightly, that most would want to go on his proper ride while Maggie and I decided that a modest paced pedal to Long Ditton would be as far as was sensible for me.  But Ken, A&R, Sue and Nigel (a fellow casualty, nursing a bandaged foot) slotted in behind Maggie and me, and off we went over well worn tyre tracks through the new safer route around Worcester Park Station, under the A3 tunnel at Tolworth and on to sunny Ditton.

Nice Buns

I didn't think I'd qualify and get past the quality control at the Nice Buns cafe, but there was no age or shape discrimination and they let us all in; they even had red paper roses on the table for us.  So we had a leisurely coffee and made our way back through Surbiton to Worcester Park and thence went our various ways home.

Good company, a lovely day and a problem-free ride.  But next morning the sun was just a wierd memory.  Had it been real or was I dreaming?  Is there really a dazzling orange-yellow fireball in the sky to be seen above the greyness, or is it just fake news?

Invitation to our 2026 Annual Lunch

CTC South West London Annual Lunch and Prizegiving

4th March 2026 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 £25.25. This includes a 10% service charge, but does not include any drinks, coffee or tea. This is our menu:

Click on menu to enlarge

Please book by placing your order, and pay in advance by Sunday 15th 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 (£25.25) 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 2026 club subscription please consider adding your £3 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

The Famous Four discover the NorthWest Passage; Beddington Saturday riders 17 January

It has been freezing or raining for weeks except this week for the club rides on Wednesday and Saturday.  Yet on a coldish but sunny day folk cried off.

Thus there was only the core of Beddington Park riders, the Famous Four, at the Pavilion Cafe but this meant we could go on a ride entirely of our own choosing, and with a full evening diary we decided that good old Elmers End was the place for us; the other option being Merton Abbey Mills, but that would involve slipping and sliding on the saturated banks of the mighty River Wandle.

So we stuck to the tarmac to exit Beddington Park.  The traffic seemed inordinately heavy around Purley Way but otherwise the trip through central Croydon, past the Croydon Stadium and through South Norwood Country Park was fine.  Elmers End, though, was as clogged with traffic as we have ever seen it; no matter, we got to Branching Out, where for the price of a chat with Maggie a lovely fellow vacated his table so we could sit together indoors.

The route home was familiar through Shirley Oaks and we nearly but not quite forgot to take a photo.

On Gladeside, between Elmers End and Shirley Oaks 

It was heading west out of Croydon that it got a bit interesting.  There was an horrendous traffic jam on Waddon Road with several buses in front of us on a busy but narrow road and as there were only four of us we elected to go exploring.  So we took the path by the tramway North from Waddon Park and crossed the Purley Way at the Sainsbury's lights, hoping to find a way through the industrial estate to the Asda car park and Beddington Lane.  We had nearly given up when Maggie saw a path behind the fence and our leader remembered passing the entrance, so we retraced our steps and ventured on this path, which turned and twisted between the car parks and warehouses and spewed us out in Beddington Village.  Thus we had discovered a hitherto unexplored way through territory we thought we knew like the back of our handlebars.  

We were so pleased with ourselves; why go to Majorca or Japan for cycling adventures when such excitement is awaiting discovery on your own doorstep?  We're going to be spending our Summer holiday meandering through the Beddington Park Industrial Estate to seek out any other unknown routes. 

Invitation to take part in the 2025 Photo Competition

During the year of excellent rides in  2025 I know that several of you have taken excellent photos. Therefore please feel warmly invited to take part in the 2025 Photo Competition via this link to the invitation which I have posted on the Wayfarers blog.

The invitation includes instructions on how to submit photos via my Dropbox. 

Yours in anticipation

Tim C