Report for B Group - 2nd April

Robert called me from Canada a couple of weeks ago to say that Margaret wasn't well enough to take their planned flight back to the UK in time for his lead from Cobham. We agreed that there was barely enough time to plan and recce a ride and decided to run the same ride as his popular one last year which had been attended by 31 riders. He confirmed that The Ashley Park would be a good choice for another visit.

Margaret is now well enough to fly again and they will return to the UK on the 14th.

~ Tim C

Steph writes:

What a glorious day and a lovely run through to Cobham on the first Wednesday after the clocks had sprung forward.  My group were waiting to depart, Bernard, Sabina, Christina, John Austin and Tim Gibbons, who kindly offered to backmark.  It was a beautiful route through to Ripley to join the Wey Navigation at Pyrford Lock.  Here there was much to see as waterfowl and barges moved along the water.  We stopped for a photo before coming off the canal at Weybridge and taking a direct route to Walton for lunch.  Here we lost John Austin as he had to return home and after lunch Christina made her own way back.

Team Steph on Dodds Bridge

The remaining four set off brightly to cross Walton Bridge and more riverside views as we turned right before Chertsey Bridge to cycle up Thameside.   We were soon heading for Ashford but it was as we veered eastwards that the wind began to strengthen and we faced a headwind for most of the return to Hampton.

At one point I spotted 3 cyclists ahead and spurred on by the thought that they must be Wayfarers and we could shelter in their wake and rest a bit from the wind we caught up with them.  Alas the tail end Charlie with a marmite top admitted that they were Uxbridge Loiterers and were misleading us in a northerly direction.  We turned sharply and returned to our easterly battle with the beasterly wind.  To our relief the surrounding architecture began to take on a more Hamptonish air and Green Lane lifted our spirits a little and very soon we were in the Pheasantry with electric Ray and others soon arriving looking also suitably wind bashed.

Another great day out.

~ Steph

A big thankyou to Julie who volunteered at very short notice to lead a group if we were still short of a sub-leader:

A lovely sunny Spring day was perfect for Robert’s pretty route through Ripley and along the river Wey. I was joined by Bob, Jane, Terry, and Peter - lovely lunch at the Ashley Park pub in Walton on Thames. During the afternoon ride we met a strong headwind - which didn’t deter us from a cup of tea in Bushy park. A lovely day despite the leader riding on only one gear all day!

~ Julie

Tim writes:

On a most beautiful day our small team (Pam, Liz, Grant, Anne, Patrick, Tony Hop. and myself) headed off down Plough Lane. Most of us haven't seen Patrick Ryan for years so were pleased that he could join us until we reached Ripley where he succumbed to an urge to visit Pinnocks. Tony rode a slightly different route from the rest of us but was there at the pub when we arrived

It was easy going to Pyrford Lock where we ducked through the car park and onto the Wey Navigation canal for a splendid ride all the way through to Weybridge. Apart from the hazard of tree roots protruding among the dappled shadows it was a blissful ride with the canalside trees, the reeds, the ducks and the geese looking their very best in the Spring sunshine.

At New Haw Lock

At Coxes Lock

4½ riders

The staff at The Ashley Park welcomed us and provided good food. We crossed Walton Bridge after lunch where Pam peeled off to head home. Due to my limited range at the moment I had planned a (6 miles) shorter afternoon route for our team so we rode through Shepperton and picked up the Halliford Road through to Hampton then Bushy Park. Having battled with forceful easterly headwind for most of the afternoon we were tiring fast we split and didn't call in at The Pheasantry.

Thanks to all for cheerful company and especially to Steph and Julie for sub-leading.

~ Tim C

Artwork under the M25 at the junction with the Basingstoke Canal

Your Suggestions Please – A New Club Event

Your ideas are needed to help shape an exciting new event, to attract new riders and raise the profile of the club. The aim is to create another annual event, similar but different to the long standing and much-loved Downhill competition, aka Freewheel Competition.

The Background

Several years ago the committee quietly formed a Marketing and Development subcommittee to look at ways to attract new members. The MaD subcommittee discovered that the Sou’Westers only serve one small segment of the market, which they describe as “cycling-mad people of a certain age”, and they have identified an opportunity to gain a foothold in a new market segment - younger adult riders. These riders are time-poor, affluent risk-takers, and they are primarily motivated by thrill-seeking and Instagrammable moments (in other words, taking selfies to put on social media).

The Plan

As a result, a new event is under development. In addition to the long-standing Downhill competition, there is a plan to hold a Slalom competition, where riders compete to be fastest down a course with various obstacles: gravel, sharp bends, wet drain covers, as well as the usual moving obstacles such as cars, pedestrians and tractors. To add a little spice to events, riders will be allowed to pedal but will not be allowed to use the brakes. The commissaires will disable the brakes at the pre-race inspection, possibly by removing brake pads.

The event will be held early in the season, balancing the late-season Downhill Competition – perhaps at the start of April. An attractive prize will be offered, such as a year’s entitlement to free hot beverages at our monthly elevenses at RBL Cobham.

We think this event could attract a lot of publicity for the club. It may even become as famous as the annual cheese-rolling competition in Gloucester, with lucrative worldwide TV rights. A subcommittee has been appointed to develop the idea, the Committee for Redevelopment And Sporting Heritage (CRASH), and they need your input.

Your Ideas Please

We need your suggestions about a suitable course. Routes so far considered include White Down (not enough hazards), Root Hill (too flat), and Bagden Hill, which has already proved how exciting it is on several occasions.  But an urban route might have more dynamic hazards, and also better access for ambulances. Do you have any suggestions that might help make this the standout event of the year?

Also, we need some volunteers to test-ride the course. If you, or someone you know, would be interested, then please do get in touch. You’d be foolish to miss this opportunity!

The B’s Ride from Molesey Boat Club to the Rocket at Putney, 26th March 2025

 

On the 26^th of March I planned a route to the Rocket at Putney Bridge, trying to take roads that I didn’t know. The weather was good with no clouds in the sky and the use of the Molesey Boat Club House was good as a new venue for eleven’s. The day started with the promise of a great day out cycling and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

Here is how each of the groups found it.

Tony’s Report

Molesey Boat club is a brilliant 11's. Great to see so many Wayfarer’s there. Ray had put my group as first away a1 10.40. We were soon cycling along the towpath to Kingston bridge, back roads to Richmond Park where the second group got in front of us by dubious means . Through the park to Sheen  and a brief stop to glimpse the  Wembley Arch in the distance.

We turned right just before Hammersmith Bridge and past the edge of Barnes before heading towards Putney, a left turned took us to a dead end, so back onto the Lower Richmond road to Putney Bridge, and no, not to the lunch stop to the  dismay of some of the group! But over Putney bridge and along the  roads adjacent to the river to Wandsworth bridge and back along river paths to lunch at the Rocket. We were still the first group to arrive (apart from Keith & Grant who got there by?) and we sat outside.

The other groups soon arrived and food was served in typical spoons manner. Lots of banter and double coffee's but it was soon time to head for tea. Back roads South took us to the edge of Wimbledon and down through Roehampton to Richmond Park, Bushy Park and onto tea at Dish, Hampton Court. It was great sitting, chatting in the Sun and soon other groups arrived, but they had all diminished in numbers by then as some had headed directly home. A lovely day on the bike. Thank you, Ray, for the route and to Tim G for back marking and too my groups for their patience.

Tony..

Bernard’s Report

…and in we swooshed and parked our bikes on that bit of green opposite ‘Dish’ café by Hampton Court.  It had been a great ride superbly planned and executed by Ray.  It was officially Spring and with the sun out and the birds twittering…well, it was just like that song, ‘Perfect Day’.  And then the ding went on my phone… a WhatsApp from high on above… the editor; “we need to talk…asap…9 pm. today…the office”.  Few had ever met the editor… he or she dwelt in some distant but all watchful universe.  A GPS route was attached. 

 

It was to the editor that all writers were ultimately responsible to… our pieces were submitted via the global net… where to exactly no one knew… and then (if approved by the editor) as if by magic they popped up in blogs, shorts and in print.  The editor was all powerful and I pondered on this as I stood outside the front door to the Office; the plastic Timsons plaque simply read ‘Editor, Head Office’. 

Bernard's Group on the Road to Putney

 

I stood inside a dark office.  I could just make out shelves full of books on café’s, cakes, treats, and the whole 24 volume set of the Encyclopaedia Britannica’s ‘Delicious Cakes of the World’.  On the wall was a poster of the film ‘Citizen Kane’.  The editor sipped a coffee and then very carefully and slowly said, “I took you and your no belee knees on when no one else would, when it was all over for you… you were washed up and you came to me… failing to see who had passed the finish line first on the Tour de France because a butterfly had caught your attention was the death knell of your career or would have been…”  more cake munching and then what I had been fearing all along, “…and how do you repay this kindness… with musings on birds, a litany of map reading failures, not understanding Garmin or ride with GPS, asking strangers on the street for directions, pushing your bike up Sa Calobra and your coup de grass; failing to find the Angliru in the Asturian mountains because you said there were so many and they all looked the same!” Another sip of coffee.  The Editor’s final words still haunt me, “This is your last chance… you bring me a quality, competent and cycling focused write up for Ray’s ride or you're out of here… you’ll never write again…never”. 

Putney Common

 

What to do.  I needed to get some advice and quick.  My life was riding and without it I was nothing.  Yes… exactly… I pinged a fellow writer, a legend in their own lifetime, years of experience and a mantel piece full of literary prizes.  We met later that evening in a pub famous for its pork pies.  “You need to know your audience… understand who you are writing for”.  “Hmm…hmm hmm” I said not having anything coherent to offer.  “Write with passion! Feeling! Courage!”  “Hmm hmm” I replied. 

Bernard and Co at Wimbledon Common

 

The next morning, I got up early and cycled to a café where I could settle down to a productive morning of writing.  For good measure I ordered two double espressos.  I admired the décor around me and then took out my pad …opened it to a blank page and immediately looked away.  How to fill that page?  I looked around for inspiration and noticed the clock on the wall… “the clock is ticking” Barnier had said, and it was… ticking away.  I started to think of Brexit and all the characters popped into my head, Farage, Cameron, Johnson and so on.  I remembered all the arguments for and against and on this went until when I looked at the clock again, I had rerun the whole Brexit debate in my head and two hours had passed and the page was still blank.   

 

I felt a slight twinge of panic that I hadn’t managed to get one word down.  I ordered another two double espressos.   I told myself to focus but the more I implored myself the less my brain complied and instead did its own thing.  It wasn’t in the mood for writing about a cycle ride, instead it wanted to guess what my fellow café clientele did for a living.  There was a young man in a suit sat alone and it wondered if he might be some spy and which of the other clientele he might be spying on.  My brain then decided to debate with itself the moral maze of espionage and how fun it would be to be like James Bond.  It then focused on the baristas and found it amusing (which I didn’t) how the word sounded like barristers and then drifted onto musing about the failings of our legal system.  I looked up at the clicking clock and its face took on the look of Barnier’s… tick, tick, tick… it was now 5 pm and still the page was blank.  I had half an hour before closing…a flat white this time to dampen the caffeine and encourage the writing spirit but this was dashed when I realized I hadn’t eaten and was hungry… very hungry. Now my stomach was demanding attention like an overexcited unruly toddler. 

 

At home in the evening, I settled down in the spare room and thought of how all the great writers must have struggled to produce their masterpieces.  I felt a kinship…Dickens, Orwell, Hemingway, Steinbeck and so on.  I daydreamed about blue plaques and what design I would like and what colour for the letters.  I debated with myself at length whether it would be pompous of me to add a quote from one of my works or whether just having my name was enough.  I felt good and positive… things were coming together at last.  I looked at my ticking watch and laughed jovially.  So, I hadn’t written anything today… but there was tomorrow… let’s not forget tomorrow! 

 

That night as I lay in bed, I willed myself to sleep but sleep was nowhere in sight.  And then for no reason I started to think about typewriters and how all the great writers of the past must have had typewriters.  Yes…that was it… all I needed was a decent typewriter.  No wonder I hadn’t managed to write anything; I had been struggling along with a measly pen (a chewed blue Bic with the cap missing) and paper; they were not up to the task.  I dashed out of bed and grabbed my computer… it was typewriter searching time, something classical but not too old.  I scoured the internet.  Methodically.  I would go through all the authors I thought would have used typewriters in alphabetical order and research what typewriters they would have used to write their classics.  After a couple of hours of this I felt my brain starting to ache a little and thought it wise to take a break.  My ticking watch told me it was 3 am.  Perhaps if I laid down now, I would fall asleep. 

 

As I stared at the blank ceiling, I could not help but think of my blank page.  I drifted in and out of sleep until some horrendous, awful ringing belted out.  It was the alarm clock.  I had diligently set it early for a day of tidying up my work from the day before. 

 

A different approach was needed.  Meditative tea instead of coffee inducing nerve jangling.  I filled the flask and trundled off to the local library where there are some very comfy couches.  And there I settled determined to seize the day and produce a write up worthy of Ray’s ride. 

 

It was library closing time when I was gently prodded by the nice librarian… 8 pm.  Sleep had come unexpectedly and taken over.  My brain instead of warning me had been happy to comply. 

 

That evening I sat at the kitchen table with my ever loyal companions… the blank page and ticking clock.  I was on the verge of texting Ray that no write up would be forthcoming when it came to me… a moment of genius inspiration.  I remembered that ride leader had put rides together by taking bits of other rides to be found by searching the club’s web resources indeed I had even done it myself… well, couldn’t I by jolly do with historical ride reports.  I uploaded a dozen or so reports and cut and pasted from all of them some good sounding pieces.  I stuck it altogether and hey presto… a masterpiece was produced.  I felt good, proud and top of the world… the blue plaque was in production.  I laughed joyfully. 

 

By the time Sabina had finished reading my masterpiece she was looking decidedly unhappy or was it cross… something not quite positive… I couldn’t put my finger on it.  She looked at me and simply said “This doesn’t make any sense, it’s completely incoherent… you can’t forward this for publication.  You need to gather yourself and start all over again.” 

 

It was a hard piece of criticism… honest perhaps… but hard.  I thought of the writers I had gone over in my mind the night before in my quest to find my dream typewriter. The last name I remembered before delirium took over was Jack Kerouac…Kerouac… and my mind wondered over to his most famous book, ‘On The Road’.  Wasn’t that the one where he just blurted everything out… whatever was in his head was simply spilled onto the page.  The style is called “stream of consciousness.”  Yes, I can do that… just spill out whatever comes into my head.  Add an appropriate title and write up here it comes. 

 

Many thanks for the company of my fellow riders, Julie, Mary, Anne (W), Sabina, Keith, Dave (Fixie), Grant and Bob.  Thanks to Ray for producing a superb ride and to Bob for brilliantly back marking. 

 

 

Ray’s Group

We set off at 11.00 from the Boat Club and went along the embankment to Hampton Court Bridge before riding along the Thames Towpath to Kingston Bridge. The group consisted of Pam, Pat, Maggie, Anne, Paul and Tim who had volunteered to back mark. Riding along next to Hampton Court the place looked stunning with sun in the right position reflecting off the gold paint. On reaching the bridge, we crossed on the right-hand side and doubled bank to ride under the bridge and then though Canbury Gardens to Bank Lane and on towards Ham Gate, Richmond Park. We left Richmond Park at Sheen Gate and enjoyed a nice downhill run along Fife Road before heading towards the level crossing at Mortlake. Here we carried out our first U turn as I missed the path that takes us along, next to the railway line, thus avoiding the main road. We then rode along the side of the Thames before turning right into Bolleau Road / Ferry Road before emerging at the traffic lights at Rocks Lane, Barnes. At Lower Richmond Road we turned left and used an off-road path that took us down to the Embankment at Putney that passed numerus rowing clubs before reaching Putney Bridge. Here we crossed the bridge and turned right down Gonville Street, past Putney station and onto Wandsworth Bridge, across the bridge and along the embankment to the Rocket.

Ray's Group at Putney Common

Lunch was served promptly with Weatherspoon’s normal efficiency, and we were ready to start the journey home but before leaving Paul and Tim agreed that they, along with Maggie, Pat and Anne would leave us at Wrights Alley, just past Wimbledon Common with Pam and I completing the ride back to Dish at Hampton Court.

Putney Bridge

The day was glorious with excellent company and fantastic weather.

Ray Y