The Wombles aren't so daft; Nonsuch 1-o-clockers, 8 February 2025

The BBC weather report was pellucid, and I have recorded it for legal purposes.  Mainly dry on Saturday morning, maybe the occasional light shower, and sunshine and roses after midday.  Instead, it rained.  It was raining when we got up, it was raining harder as we tried to get the bikes ready and it was still raining when we set off for Nonsuch Park.  With the rain came that damp coldness that gets through to your bones much more than it should at these temperatures.  I drew up a new route for getting to Wimbledon and then seriously considered not even leaving the house.

It wasn't particularly heavy, the rain at lunchtime, but it felt as if it was here to stay.  Had nobody turned up at Nonsuch I should not have been surprised and we would simply have cycled home.

But Nigel met us in Cheam, on the way, and Ribble Rob was already at the Mansion and then Stuart turned up.

We had convinced ourselves that if the weather got silly, then my new route, past the crematorium and the old village parts of Morden and then Merton Abbey Mills and up the Wandle Trail to Earlsfield, offered places for possible decisions about cutting for home.

But we didn't.  We made Earlsfield by 2.15, when one of our gang of five wanted to have our coffee and turn around.  But the others thought we could easily make it to Wimbledon Windmill and home in the light, so on we all soldiered.

Haydons Road, Wimbledon Park and up the steep bit to Inner Park Road, we emerged on Wimbledon Parkside and decided to risk a path we had not ridden before through the woods in the vague direction of the windmill.  There were no Wombles to be seen; I couldn't remember if they hibernate or not but if they don't then they would not have been as stupid as cyclists by venturing out and about in this sticky mud and insidious drizzle.  I hope their underground home has efficient damp proofing and heating.

The path at ground level, though, was muddy only in bits and soon the buildings around the windmill could be discerned ahead; we homed in on the Windmill Cafe where we sat indoors.  I have never seen it so empty; there was no difficulty finding a table!

Four fellas soaking up the sun on the top of Wimbledon Common.  Note the handily placed bench!

Maggie took the photo.

Back home we crossed the waterlogged common in a southerly direction, stopping only for a photo on our way to West Side, down Wright's Alley to The Downs and from our vantage point on the brow of the hill there from where you can see over Sutton and Croydon to the North Downs, you could look at the vanishing point on the dismal South West horizon and (if you then closed your eyes) imagine that there might be just a chink of a break in the cloud signalling the BBC's sunny weather, five hours too late.

Lower Morden, Morden Park, Rose Hill, Carshalton Green.  The rain had nearly stopped when we got in and, d'you know what?  It had been a really enjoyable ride, five companions trying out a new way round, keeping up a steady pace, no moaning on the hills, nice chat over coffee.  What on earth possessed me even to consider wimping out and slinking home for a wet day on the computer assembling Sou'Wester Shorts?  Forget the admin, the bike and the friends is what it is about.

National Leave-your-car-in-the-middle-of-the-road Day; Nonsuch 1-o-clockers to Leatherhead 1 February

Dull, grey, cold; anybody would think it was early February as we gathered at the Mansion on Saturday.  The schedule had us riding to Box Hill and Walton but with Roger still not match fit after the installation of his pacemaker I felt that we might end up with a fatality on Box Hill.  Other options were to go up the back way, over Epsom Racecourse and Tadworth, or to take everyone to Rykas and give people the option of continuing or returning via Leatherhead.

There were eight of us, and initially we agreed the Rykas option.  Off we set through the traffic jam to Ewell.  But we all felt cold waiting for Roger to catch us up at the top of Wilmerhatch Lane, above Epsom Hospital.  It was no colder than it has been, on and off, for weeks, but it just felt colder and. frankly, the thought of sitting on the wooden tables outside Rykas was deeply unappealing.

So, once Roger and Anna had joined us, and Roger had got back his breath, I put it to the rest that we might just look for a coffee somewhere warm in Leatherhead and come back over the common.  It was good of them to agree, because this is their weekly chance of a decent group ride.

So we went only as far as Leatherhead, where we split into two for coffee preferences, some to Charlie and Ginger's, some to Lucio's.  At C&G's, Rob discovered he had mislaid his credit card, so he and Stuart shot off home leaving Nigel, Maggie, Roger, Anna, Ken and me to complete the return leg together.

Roger adjusting his pacemaker

Our group on Ashtead Common, headed by "Two Bikes" Ken.

both photos by Maggie

And I don't know if anybody else was aware, but apparently 1 February has been declared National I'll-Leave-your-car-in-the middle-of-the road-and-block-everyone-else Day.  We came across five such instances.

Thanks to everyone for your co-operation and your company.   

The 2024 Photo Competition has closed

Please note that the photo competition is now closed to new entries. Thank you to numerous people who have sent in their photos.

~ Tim