Invitation to All Day Ride to Newdigate on Saturday 10 September at 9.45am from Nonsuch Mansion.
Elevenses at Walton on the Hill and lunch at a pub in Leigh/Newdigate area.
And for those in need of further sustenance, tea at Leatherhead.
Those who wish to join please email karen.cochrane@live.co.uk
Report by Paul
We were missing one or two familiar faces on Saturday and with Roger performing at the Edinburgh Festival and newcomers failing to show there were six of us at the Pavilion.
Colin led the short trip to Coombe Woods but there was a wedding, complete with Routemaster bus at St Mary's Beddington so we chose the northerly path out of the park to Beddington Village, rather than interfere with the wedding photos getting to Church Lane.
It was a fine day without being too hot and despite the broken glass and cycle lane parking, even Croydon seemed pleasant enough.
The rest of the group are unconcerned at the sudden disappearance
of one of their number in Lloyd Park
Lloyd Park is not the best bit of off-road in South London and in the dry (the much heralded rain on Wednesday never reached here!) the surface provided a test for the saddle-to-bum interface.
But for whom did we have to pull over on Coombe Farm Lane? The very same wedding party, laughing and cheering in their Routemaster bus.
They have reorganised the cafe at Coombe Woods but the gents loo is still permanently locked.
A tricky ride home for Beginners, the short, dusty descent off Conduit Lane and the steep climb up Haling Park Road, but none of it it very long and overall it is a leisurely ride with a few breathless bits.
Thanks for leading, Colin.
by Paul
By nine or so, when folk across South London were in various stages of preparation for the traditional annual ride to Greenwich, it was seriously warm out there. A number of riders had called off, some citing the heat, but the Magnificent Seventeen turned up and we had ourselves a convoy; two convoys, in fact!
For the journey north we used the familiar route. Maggie and I are thinking of trying to plan a bit of a change next year, maybe involving Crystal Palace and Dulwich parks, but we were too busy this time around. We have also experimented with different routes through Croydon but the one past the the Parish Church, the Town Hall and East Croydon Station presents the fewest high-risk spots. Coffee at Kent House Station is not cheap but it is the only practical option and at eleven in the morning we found some shade and the coffee and cakes were good.
Kent House coffees. The proprietor brought in extra cake (seriously!)
As the years go by the bridges across the Pool and Ravensbourne rivers become increasingly worn but the ride through South East London parks, weaving over the rivers, remains a relaxing one with little reference to the busy urban traffic or the cares of life off a bicycle.
The mazy trek through Lewisham went smoothly; the traffic was light; many people must have been on holiday or hiding from the sun, and the only real hill of the day was the climb up to Blackheath. On the parched top of the Heath the lack of cover was mitigated by a welcome easterly breeze.
General Wolfe still looks out across Wren's astonishing demonstration of imperial power (and amid the gherkins and walkie-talkies you can make out his dome at St Paul's).
The following few miles are a history lesson; Hawksmoor, the nineteenth century wool trade, Peter the Great, Brunel, Turner, Judge Jeffries and Edward III, not to mention the lightermen and stevedores and the rest who slaved in the dockyards and the immigrants who arrived there.
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Dockers? Immigrants? Dave shows off his private yacht
Paul's group at the Dog & Bell
The Dog and Bell remains the best pub in Greenwich; the Red Thai Curry was as good as the Green had been on the Thursday recce. The sadness was having to eschew all those East London ales and sit with a pint of Coca-Cola! The volunteers at the Brixton Windmill could not have been more welcoming for a much needed tea stop and their tea seemed like the elixir of life itself. Those strawberries on top of the cake were delicious.
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Brixton Windmill on a scorching afternoon. The volunteers there had home made cakes for us.
And MED at Merton Abbey Mills was still open for a farewell coffee and ginger beer when my group got there at around 5.30; Dave's had already left for a cool drink in the garden at home. Not Coca-Cola, I presume!
A warm day out, but a splendid one. Thanks especially to Dave Vine and Helen for helping with the leading, and to everyone else for the company. See you next year, when there will be a special reduction in price for those mad enough to cycle in the sun this year.
The ride itself will start from the Pavilion Cafe in Beddington Park. It is an urban/park/riverside ride through some busy places and to make things easier and avoid annoying drivers and residents, we will go in three groups.
At 09.30, from the crossroads at North Cheam (eastern corner of junction between Malden Road and London Road), Helen Tovey and Steph Wyatt will lead those who said they would prefer to meet there to Beddington Park. These we know of are Mayuri Patel, Jen Carmichael, Debbie Sands, Maggie Gibson, Kasumi and John Brooker.
Morning tea/coffee is at the Kent House station cafe. They should be ordering extra cake for us, though be prepared to take out a small mortgage if you want two cakes! There is a loo; only one, but very smart.
Lunch is at the Dog and Bell, Prince Street, Deptford. Thai curry recommended, plenty of loos.
Tea is at the Brixton Windmill. Unbelievably reasonable in price (to make up for the morning) and splendid home made cakes. One loo.
The ride formally ends at Merton Abbey Mills. We will ensure that those who are not sure of the way will be led back to Morden Hall Park and/or Beddington Park, though you may have to wait for the final group to get in if you require that service.
Group 1 will depart the Pavilion Cafe at 10.00.
Leader, Dave Vine.
John & Anne Connaughton, Alan Clark, Sharon Smith, Anna and Roger Parsley, Ken Jones.
Group 2 will depart at 10.15 or as soon as Helen arrives with the Cheam contingent (allowing for a comfort break if necessary), whichever is the later.
Leader Helen Tovey
Mayuri Patel, Jen Carmichael, Debbie Sands, Maggie Gibson, Sue Bellamy, Kasumi and John Brooker
Group 3 will depart at 10.30, or if Helen is late off, ten minutes after her group.
Leader Paul James
Maggie James, Steph Wyatt, Madeleine Shearer, Justine Hawkins, Paul Guiste, Kamaljit kaur heer, plus any late applicants.
Please remember to bring plenty of water (we recommend freezing it overnight), a spare inner tube, a bike lock (though at all the stops the bikes can be parked within sight of some of the group), and some spare energy of your own choice (eg banana, cereal bar, etc.). Despite the hot weather, there is a fair amount of shade along the way and much of the ride is along waterways.
The ride will be conducted at Beginners pace and the leaders will ensure no-one is left behind. If you are split from the group, remember that the rule is to carry straight on because the leader will be waiting for you before or at the next turn. Dave rode it yesterday and Helen, Maggie and I rode it today. Just to give some idea of timings we left at 10.30 and in no hurry we were at morning coffee by 11.30, at lunch by 1.15, at the tea stop in Brixton by 4 and at coffee at Merton Abbey Mills by 5.15, home by 6.30.
For those with electronic mapping the route can be found on Ride with GPS or on Strava, though leaders may deviate if the circumstances require it.
Paul's mobile number is 07718 753 234. He promises to pay attention to it between 10 and 10.30 on Saturday!
Paul is looking for a couple more group leaders to assist in the All Day ride to Greenwich on Saturday next, 13 August.
He will be riding the route for the final recce on Thursday 11 August, starting from the Pavilion Cafe in Beddington Park at 10.30am.
Anyone welcome; if you are on the list of insured club leaders and available to lead on Saturday and free on Thursday, just turn up for a 10.30 departure on Thursday.
Otherwise, if you are able to lead a complicated urban route just using the electronic map, let him know and he will publish the final route on Thursday night.
paulandrewjames1949@yahoo.co.uk
If you are on the way to Beddington Park on Thursday morning and a few minutes behind schedule, ring or text him on 07718 753 234 so he doesn't go without you.
By Paul
A decent number tuned up at a warm Nonsuch on Saturday and there was not really a short ride; Lynda took one group to Teddington Lock and I took the other to Molesey. Bereft of the sea, the river seemed the only sensible thing.
The ferns were huge and richly green in Bushy Park, a reminder that they have been around for five hundred million years and will long survive mankind, let alone this drought. But with the wide swathes of brown grass and the clutches of young deer gathered at the watering places it felt like we were riding through the Serengeti; you half expected a lean lioness to be stalking in the undergrowth.
There were twelve of us in my group including Rob'n'Ruth on the tandem and, attacked by no predators we had a pleasant ride to take tea at Eight on the River.
We meandered back past the lovely pondside church at Weston Green, designed by Edward Maufe, who designed Guildford Cathedral; the only hitch was a puncture for Alan on the way home on South Lane in Old Malden when at the roadworks there he ran over a screw big enough to hold the Forth Bridge together, which made a mess of his tyre and his mudguard. Oh, and I ran over a huge rat in The Grove at Carshalton.
Otherwise, another good, relaxing day out. Thanks everyone for the company.
