After yesterday's rain, plan B was put into operation so that B Group's route avoided the Thames Towpath, normally a favourite of mine but I knew its puddles and mud would not be appreciated! At the beginning there were 18 of us - Judy, Liz, Stephanie, Carol, Johns G and M, Terry, Norman, Roger, Les, Bernard, Robin, Mick, Nev, 2 Phils, recumbent Ed (feeling better but still not 100% - welcome back!) and me, Gill. However numbers fluctuated during the ride. Ed left us in Bushy Park, then at lunchtime we lost three more - the 2 Phils and Nev - but gained one, namely Ian who had started off with A Group but dropped off after a puncture and knew where we were heading for lunch. Others left us at different times during the afternoon.
From Hersham we headed north, then cut across on a sealed path to the River Mole and wound our way east and then north again to Molesey and Hampton Court Bridge, the scene of a puncture for Terry. With puncture fixed, we went into Bushy Park to pick up the path leading westwards off the Diana Pond. Then it was back to the road again through Hampton, Lower Sunbury, Upper Halliford, past the Charlton Tip to Littleton, Shepperton Green and the edge of Laleham, turning off at Abbey Lane and heading down to the River Thames. The last lap to the Kingfisher Pub at Chertsey Bridge was alongside the Thames where we felt the full force of the wind on some stretches. The pub did us well, opening up a section to accommodate us. For some reason John M. had rather a long wait for his meal but once it arrived he demolished it pretty quickly and we were on our way home. Our route was fairly direct - back to Shepperton, over Walton Bridge and across to Molesey. We crossed the Mole and Ember Rivers, coming out on to Summer Road and the Hampton Court Way. From here everyone knew their way and in a very short time we were through Thames Ditton and at Squires in Long Ditton for tea, spurred on by the first drops of rain. Six of us had tea, with Robert from A Group joining us as we were about to leave and head homewards, the rain having stopped by now. A lovely sunny day for most of the time, we felt we had been very lucky.
On the subject of punctures, B Group seems to be well up the ladder. Since the New Year Terry has had 4 punctures, John Gould 3, Carol had one on New Year's Day and Judy had one last week!
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