B Group - 23rd July

The map shows the morning ride to Old Windsor (16.1 miles) and the afternoon leg to the Walled garden (13.3 miles)

It was one of the few days in the year when rain coats, arm warmers, gillets and gloves, and all the other layers could be left at home, a proper Summer's day.

21 of us took off from Shepperton but Pete B left us mid-morning to go home and watch the Tour de France from the comfort of his armchair. We rode through Chertsey and Lyne to Virginia Water. We followed the southern shore to Blacknest then headed northwest towards the Polo Grounds where very large marquees were being erected for some forthcoming event. We were halfway across Smith's Lawn when I realised that I had been following the Vic White breakaway group rather than the blue line on my gps unit. An ad-hoc committee convened to argue the merits of carrying on in that direction versus turning back to follow the intended route. As leader I excercised my casting vote and we turned back in order to pass to the south of the Polo Grounds and then the Obelisk Pond. On the Rhododendron Ride we passed vast displays of multi-hued hydrangeas before breaking out through a car park into Wick lane. We zoomed down Crimp Hill and arrived for lunch just after 1 p.m.

We had a very pleasant lunch in the garden at the Fox and Castle. The very friendly and accomodating staff pandered to our every wish and once Bernard had taken the obligatory panoramic photo of the group we dawdled off down Burfield Road afterwards feeling very satisfied with life. I had another reason to be satisfied; Pam had volunteered to lead us to the Walled Garden via Thorpe and Laleham Reach. This was great until Robin punctured. I stopped with him and learned from Pam later that Tony Hooker was attending to his puncture a little way ahead of Robin and I. Ray Wren was dealing with his puncture somewhere further on. And by this stage Pam was outside the Shepperton Post Office dealing with her own puncture. So instead of a fleeting visit by the pesky and almost likeable Puncture Fairy who makes occasional mischief with the A Group, this was one of those rare but utterly malevolent fairys which can strike multiple times. Robin's was a double, front and back and on the front at least it had been caused by a very small thorn. There was broad agreement at Tea that the cause of all this mayhem was all the thorny shrubbery which had been pruned along the Laleham Reach path and left on the path for our benefit. Sadly, Ray was never seen again.

We all enjoyed our refreshment at the Walled Garden before fanning out in all directions to go home.

Leading this ride was a joint effort. Thank you Pam for the afternoon ride. And a really big thankyou to Gill who allowed me to recycle the route she had designed for her ride on the 23rd of April. It was a great route and only occasionally was it noticed that I hadn't done a recce of my own. Thanks also to John Austin for being a very efficient back-marker.

Tim