B Group - 23rd November 2011

Around 26 set off from Elleray Hall, 4 almost immediately getting dropped as other groups left at the same time. However the 4 made it to the lunch stop at the Thames Court pub at Shepperton Lock via Bushy and Sunbury, the remainder heading towards Twickenham and the Crane River park. This is really a " green corridor" heading upstream to Feltham and is a pleasant 3 mile ride on good surfaces past the shot tower ( relic of an explosive past) and an island nature reserve. It is quite testing for such a large group with two low bridges to negotiate.


Tim has kindly shown the rest of the route via Feltham Airparc ( former airfield) and Littleton to the river Thames arriving at the lunch stop just past my ETA of 1230 in order to ensure we left well before it gets dark. The catering was prompt and polite and reckoned to be good quality and we left by 1.45 for a spin across the river to tea at Squires in Long Ditton. 6 stopped for tea, the remainder peeling off to beat the gathering darkness.
 
Thanks to Gill , Stephanie and Terry for back marking and the rest for being pleasant and informative company. The weather was kind with hazy sunshine and little wind and the temperature was even measured at 13c at 1.30 pm.

Harry Cole

Harry's ride from Teddington to Shepperton and back to Squires for afternoon tea
(from Elevenses to Afternoon tea: 21.2 miles)

(Please note that I won't be around next week on the 30th so if anyone can collect the route data for the B team's ride, on anything capable of recording GPS data, I would be happy to put the route onto an OS map for the blog when I return. - Tim)