The unpredictable weather continued on Saturday; sometimes cold, sometimes wet, sometimes both, and the riders who met up at Beddington Pavilion were not all dead keen to go on a long one. We had a decent gathering, considering the weather; Roger and Anna, Ken and Colin, Paul and Maggie, their grandson Hector (just completed his GCSEs) and Ray, ostensibly making a social visit. Looking at the threatening skies Colin proposed a short one to meet up with Tony's Nonsuch short riders at Oaks Park.
There were complaints because, although short, the ride is continually uphill, whichever way you do it, and because Oaks Park Cafe used to prefer dogs as customers to humans, though it has improved hugely since Lockdown. But nobody suggested any alternatives and at least two riders, having taken the trouble to kit out and turn up, wanted some kind of proper ride, uphill making up for lack of mileage.
By the time we rolled off the wind had whipped up, the sky had turned battleship grey and a helpful man in a parked car told us we were going to get drowned. Pessimist! We made nearly eight hundred yards before it began raining pumas and dingoes and we scuttled for shelter in the trees to the south of the park, emerging some time later as the monsoon turned to drizzle and the thunder kicked in.
We debated whether to shorten the ride to Flitton's and decided that we would take a decision at the point where the two routes bifurcated, and onward we pressed. The wind was cold and the sky still dubious and the overall enthusiasm factor had dwindled but the really good bit was that Ray was coming along, his first ride in the group since his major heart surgery.
As we passed Tom Brake's house it was clear that Ray and back marker Maggie were trailing, and he announced himself incapable of the climb through Oaks Park and unwilling for the one up Buckingham Way, so he and Maggie went the more direct route to Flitton's, thus resolving our dilemma on final destination, for we were delighted to have him back, he was keen on a social coffee and we advertise ourselves as always tailoring our ride for the weakest member; it is the core of what Beginners is supposed to be.
So Flitton's it was and the sun came out as we arrived for tea and cake. As we left it began raining again.
Hurtling down the hill to complete a very short ride three of us opted to call in on the Wallington music festival, where a sizable crowd had gathered in the Library Gardens and we arrived in time to hear a terrific rendition of Fleetwood Mac's The Chain. But it was cold standing around in cycling gear and the beer was expensive and the music turned to Taylor Swift covers and the rain started again so even we went home early. Not much cycling done there, then, but what does that really matter if Ray is getting better?
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