Thursday, June 02, 2011

Easy Riders June 1st


First Wednesday in June, sunshine and blue sky a very promising start to
the day.

I found myself with nine takers for my ride, all male as the girls had
once again decided to go with the “Bs” to hone their cycling skills ready for the Dieppe Raid. So it was that I left RBLwith Fuzz, Mark, Roger, Ron, Phil, John C, Nev, Malcolm and Bill Mathews.
We set off along Downside Road, over the River Mole and turned right into
Plough Lane. Plough Lane later joins Ockham Lane and we continued past the Black Swan and through Ockham passing the boarded-up Hautboy. Crossing Ockham Road we climbed up Guileshill Lane and then turned left on to Rose Lane. A little way along Rose Lane, we turned into Fox Way, a bridle path, which took us through fields and woodland to Jury Farm. Prior to the last foot and mouth outbreak this was a big dairy farm, now they have gone over to sheep farming, much of the accommodation for the dairy herd not needed now looks empty and semi-derelict. Leaving the
farm-yard we emerged on to Ripley Lane and turned right to head for West
Horsley. At Pincotts Lane we turned left and then left again along The Street, West Horsley for lunch at The Barley Mow.

We enjoyed lunch at The Barley Mow sitting outside under umbrellas to
shield ourselves from the sun.. Phil had taken himself off to eat his sandwiches as had Ron but they went in different directions and we
did not see either of them again. Roger decided that he ought to get attention for a bulge in his rear tyre so he headed for home by the most direct route.
Mark and Nev decided that they also should make tracks for home and skip
tea, as did Bill Mathews. I was beginning to think it was something I had said as my party was now down to three plus me.

The four of us took the road for Effingham Junction via East Lane, Ockham Road North and The Drift. It was then that John announced that he had a
puncture and insisted that we left him to it.
So it was that three of us made our way across Banks Common to the
tunnel car park on Bookham Common. From there we rode through the leafy avenues of Fetcham into Leatherhead for welcome cups of tea at the day centre.

After this short break we parted company and made our separate ways
home. Ron phoned me at home later unable to understand how we all missed each other but quite amused by the whole incident.

Mike W

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