A beautiful but cold winter's day and despite it being in the middle of the festive season, sixteen riders turned up at the Mansion for the 1-o-clock ride, including Wendy, who had not been out with us for a long while and a cyclist to whom I was not introduced, and did not anyway come on the ride.
Steve W was there to lead so he and I agreed to end up at the scheduled destination, the Molsesey Boat Club, by our different routes and at a different pace. We also agreed, since we were starting out in the same direction, that he would go first.
Off he set, and the majority followed him, including one or two riders I thought would have preferred to be in my group. That left me with five to lead but once they realised it was me they all started making excuses. The mysterious newcomer was there only to have his bike fixed. Roger suddenly developed chain problems. Somebody had earache and it was a cold day. The fourth just went home.
That left Nigel and me, so off we set at a pace which might enable us to catch up the others, even though I was not sure what route Steve was taking.
Sure enough, as we got to the centre of Kingston, we intercepted them. But across the bridge we were on our own again. I pondered taking a short route and get in the tea queue before them but it was at that stage glorious winter sunshine and the attraction of Cobblers Walk and the Avenue across Bushy Park on such a day and the chance to spot a deer or a snow leopard was too much; we arrived at the Boat club in time to lock up and mount the stairs with the fast group's backmarker.
We tagged on with the group on the way home but peeled off for our own route through Surbiton and Old Malden.
Thanks, Nigel, for the company on the road. Thanks, everyone else, for the company at tea.
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