B Group - 27th November

Liz S. started out with about 25 of us, first heading North up Waldegrave Road and Cross Deep to Twickenham where we turned down Wharf Lane to enjoy the quiet route along the embankment past Orleans House and Marble Hill Park. After the Warren Footpath we crossed the road which leads up to Richmond Bridge and followed the river around through Isleworth and into Syon Park.

The main road through Brentford brought us out at Kew Bridge which we crossed before looping around and taking the river path for the rest of the ride to The Ship in Mortlake. The service was friendly and brisk despite the time it took to take all our orders and serve drinks to so many of us. Nice pub food, freshly prepared and a hearty vegetable soup-of-the-day set us up nicely for the ever so arduous 5.7 mile ride to Tea at the YMCA Hawker Centre. To get there we made our way up Sheen Lane and into Richmond Park. We took the Ham Gate exit and carried on into Lock Road to Teddington Lock where we turned left onto the river path for the last short stretch to the YMCA.

This was an unusually short ride but with the weather being so mild it was a thoroughly enjoyable and sociable day out.

This was the second time out with us for a new rider, Geoff Gregory so we are pleased to welcome him into the group. Last week Mick Furnival-Adams came out with us for the first time and today, learning that the A group were not going to be riding up any big hills, he went out with them, as did at least two other regular B Group riders. Perhaps there is a load balancing mechanism starting to kick in, with people who have been appalled at the large numbers turning out to ride with B Group promoting themselves into the A Group. The Elleray Hall was certainly jam-packed this morning.

Thank you Liz for a lovely day out and please consider leading us from time to time in the future.