A ride through the woods; Nonsuch 1-o-clockers shorter ride 1 November

Glory be to God for dappled things.

Gerald Manley Hopkins wrote these lines in 1877, sixty years after the invention of the bicycle, and they came to me today riding through the trees but I decided that the poet could not have experienced the ocular challenge of the dappled road in winter sun, the brilliance temporarily blinding me like a paparazzo's flashbulb a dozen times a minute.

We had a debutante today in the form of Saddaf, Navaid's wife.  Having been persuaded to come to the meeting at the Mansion, she had shied away from coming on the ride itself but we let Stuart lead the speedos out on what sounded like a really intriguing ride to Putney and promised her a modest ride at a modest pace and she came.  I think she was glad she did.  We were glad.

I set out with Anna, Roger, Ken, Jasmine, Navaid, Saddaf, and John B with Maggie backmarking and we used the standard route to Ashtead, modified slightly in the light of John A's Wednesday route, which I rather liked.  Sadly John B's knee caused him to turn home before we climbed by Epsom Hospital, and Jasmine left for home after tea because Walton was in the opposite direction to that we were taking.  And we were blessed with sunny weather, enjoying our afternoon tea and coffee and cake al fresco on Ashtead High Street; I wonder if we will get to do that again before the Spring.

Afternoon tea at Handley's on Ashstead High Street

It was in Ashtead just after the photo was taken that the skies took on a more threatening aspect but a few specks of rain seemed only to add to the charm of the densely leafed autumnal forest paths on John's route through Ashtead and Epsom Commons and we sauntered along exchanging politenesses with the several walkers out in their rain gear.  What a splendid way to spend a Saturday. 

We used the paths behind the old mental hospitals in Horton and returned to Nonsuch through Ewell, and what a relaxing and pleasant ride it turned out to be, what congenial company.  

It was only nearing home that the rain really started and in the cold and dank of another grey evening I regretted my negative attitude to the earlier sunlight.  

Indeed, Glory be to God for dappled things.