Tulips in 'ampton Court, Nonsuch Saturday ride 27 April

A dozen and a half good eggs turned up at Nonsuch Park on a miserably dank, cold Saturday.  Nigel was down to lead the short ride to Telegraph Track and the destination for the longer one was unspecified in the rides list, so many were resigned to a long, rambling, indecisive discussion in the cold.  Maggie focused our minds because she wanted to go and see the spring flowers at the Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park.  The nasty wind nearly overcame her resolve but what did overcome it was Sue B's revelation that there was a tulip festival at Hampton Court and this was only one of four weekends in the year when entry to the gardens there was free.  Who would miss out on a free offer? So we elected to go there, and then elected Tony as our leader.

Steve, however, had not come out on his bike in the cold to look at some flowers, and offered an alternative ride to Bocketts Farm.  I had some sympathy with this view but knew where my best interests lay.  There was no-one wanting to go on a short ride, so Nigel and Carolyn, who had come along with that in mind, joined us. 

So while Steve went Southwest to the outskirts of Leatherhead and (according to his Strava) ended up climbing Box Hill (as usual) and setting a few PBs (also as usual), eleven of us headed Northwest on Tony's route through Kingston and Bushy Park to Hampton Court.  Sharon was having mechanical problems and she and back marker Nigel, assisting her, first fell behind and then went in search of a bicycle repairer.

The rest of us reached Hampton Court, where entry was indeed free, even if the man made us get off and walk, and there were, indeed, many tulips, looking a bit bedraggled in the wind and cold, and some wicker sculptures.

What happens to you if you do too much gardening.

 Nine survivors at Hampton Court blissfully unaware that mortal combat is unfolding behind them.

After a brief tour of the tulips seven of us repaired across the river and up it a little to have coffee and cake at the Molesey Rowing Club while Sue and Lorraine stayed behind to look at more tulips.

When the two tuliphiles rejoined, Tony led us back up the hilliest of the various options.  At least that warmed us up, though some of us failed to get home before the rain came in.  Nigel and Sharon were last seen having coffee elsewhere along the river.

Thank you to Tony for leading, to Nigel for back marking, and to Cardinal Wolsley, for having the wall built ideally for our photograph.  Or was it King Williamanmary who had that one built?  Certainly it was some rich dude from long ago when, apparently, they had no bicycles and no coffee.  Imagine that!