B Group - 4th December

On a frosty but brilliantly sunny morning, 17 (or was it 18?) members of B Group set off at 10.40 a.m. along Plough Lane, crossed the Wisley airstrip and emerged on to the busy A3 which was crossed using the footbridge.  From a quick look at the car park for Wisley Gardens, it seemed we weren't the only people out & about, enjoying the sunshine.  We crossed the Wey Navigation at Pyrford Lock and after a series of right & left turns, had a nice run downhill on Pyrford Common Road to join the Old Woking Road.  It's always a bit of a climb up to Maybury but then downhill to join the Basingstoke Canal on Monument Road.  The canal had been drained, presumably for winter maintenance work, so was looking rather muddy & empty right up to the centre of Woking, as well as requiring us to leave the towpath for a short stretch.  We rejoined it after the Brewery Road car park and were soon cycling alongside a canal full of glassy water, reflecting the autumn colours of the trees on either side.  We came off the canal at St Johns, followed Hermitage Road to the first roundabout then took Amstel Way to the next roundabout.  From here Robin Hood Road led us straight to the Royal Oak pub on Anchor Hill, Knaphill.  It was 12.15 p.m. and somehow we had lost Grant on the way.  Sorry, Grant!

With only one person on the bar and one in the kitchen, the pub handled the numbers pretty well with no pre-ordering having been required.  However, there's always someone to be served last and today it was Tim's turn.  With a full meal and only two others still eating, he managed to clear the plate (very impressive!) and we were still able to depart at 1.30 p.m.!  (Ann Bath had joined us at the pub, so our numbers were back up again.)  The sun was now behind us as we headed along Littlewick Road.  Turning off at Horsell Common Road, it wasn't until we reached Philpot Lane, off Chobham Road, that we realised we were three short - namely the back-marker and two corner-markers! Concerned at what had gone wrong, we tried in vain to make contact and eventually decided to continue on the homeward route - skirting Fairoaks Airport, Stonehill Road, Holloway Hill, Addlestone, Chertsey Meads, Shepperton and so to tea at Riverhouse Barn, Walton, by 3.00 p.m..  Amazingly, the three missing riders turned up here, so it was a happy ending to the ride after all and nine of us enjoyed tea and cakes, while discussing the issue of how long corner-markers should wait when there are big gaps in time & they could be left waiting in limbo.  Food for thought! 

Many thanks to all for coming, to Tim C. & Tony Hooker as back-markers and to all the corner-markers.  It was generally felt that the earlier start time had been worthwhile.

Gill Finlay

photo by Davey Cullen