Sou'Westers club kit consultation

See details below........

there has been a healthy response to the consultation about the kit, but in case there are those who want to comment but have not done so yet, the deadline is extended to Sunday 6 March.  

Latecomers breeze; Nonsuch Beginners 26 February

Paul writes....

It was the Beginners AGM on Saturday so rides were tailored to ensure the few, the lucky few who were planning to attend, got back to the Prince of Wales in Cheam in time for the big event.

Maggie and I were delayed by a succession of minor incidents involving motor vehicles on National Don't Tell Other Road Users What You're Doing Day and we arrived at Nonsuch to catch a glimpse of the rear of the main party disappearing down the path on a short trip to Epsom.

Nigel, who wanted to get back even earlier to sort out the papers for the meeting, and Colin, who was not coming on the ride, and we were joined by Ian on his Brompton, another latecomer, so we all persuaded Nigel that the four of us could make it as far as Ashtead, have a quick coffee and then get back in time for Nigel to sort out his business, and off we set.

The three musketeers and Madame D'Artagnan in Ashtead Village 

This is very familiar territory and we made good time but chatted too much over coffee, so Nigel went the quick way back through Pleasure Pit Lane while the three of us returned via Ashtead and Epsom Commons.

Had Nigel not had a nasty fall while getting on a bus on his way from home to the AGM, the plan would have worked a treat, but as it was the AGM started the best part of an hour late.  The consolation for everyone except a bruised and grazed Nigel was that since we only had use of the back room until 6.30, proceedings were completed in record time. 

Sou'Westers Club Kit Consultation - Tell Us What You Think

 

Our current blue and yellow Sou'Westers outfit has been around for quite a while now and has done us good service over the years.   Some like it, some don't, and some members have asked us to consider changing it, so we are consulting you as a member.  What are your views?  Would you pay more in the future or is it already too pricey*?   Do we need our own club kit anyway?

Please tell us what you think by completing a short online survey about Sou'Westers' club kit.

Whatever the outcome, club kit will still remain strictly optional on rides, and, if we do make changes, there will be nothing at all to prevent anyone continuing to wear the present design.

Responses are completely anonymous and we'll share a summary of the results in due course.  The survey will be open until 28 February 2022.

Please note that when you open the survey you may be invited to sign in to Google but you don't need to sign in to Google to do the survey.

Anyone without internet access can get a paper copy of the survey from any committee member to complete anonymously - please help spread the word.

*(Just as a reminder, Sou'Westers current kit costs about £35 for a short-sleeved jersey, £40 for a long-sleeved jersey, and £65 for a heavyweight long-sleeved jersey).

Sou'Westers Committee

Did the Earth move for you? Beddington Beginners, 19th February

Report by Paul on the shortest Beddington Park ride in living memory

Storm Eunice had done its worst on Friday and the world was still a very windy place in which to be cycling at Saturday lunchtime when the latest weather front was sweeping in from the Atlantic.

Still, it was Beddington Park Saturday and a promise is a promise, so Maggie and I saddled up in the expectation of finding Colin on his own, clinging on to a lamp post, and the three of us agreeing that a ride was unwise, supping a coffee in the Pavilion Cafe and going home.

After circumnavigating the fallen tree branches and feeling the first of the horizontal drizzle we approached Beddington Park Pavilion and, lo and behold, there was Colin, sheltering near the wall.  But what was this?  The cafe was shut; alleged power cut, so no coffee there.  And, amazingly, we had a new first timer, Henna, walking her bicycle towards the rendezvous.  We could not refuse to offer a ride but she was a real Beginner, unsure of her balance in the wind and a bit rusty on timely gear shifts, so Colin suggested Carshalton, where Dotty's offered the nearest decent coffee and that was where we went.

Dotty people who had cycled to Dotty's

The damage was nothing compared to the 1987 hurricane but the River Wandle was a foaming torrent and there were at least a dozen trees either uprooted or, literally, torn in two by the storm.  The wind gusts were interesting for experienced riders, so must have been challenging for someone so long off a bike, but we made Dotty's Tea House in Carshalton without mishap, spent a lot more time in there than on the road, and went back to Henna's car near the Pavilion, once we had worked our way around the only tree which had fallen so that we could not cycle round it.

An obstacle, one of many in Beddington Park

 

Nonsuch beginners at Rykas 5th February

 

Selfie by Inder of the long ride on Saturday; most members enjoying a cuppa courtesy of Nigel, at Rykas