Another Blue Plaque

Easy Riders ride report - 24th June

We left Walton in two separate groups and went along the Broad Water track to Weybridge and then taking the back roads via Ham Moor to Addlestone level crossing. Just after the day centre in Station Road we turned right into Crouch Oak Lane then left and right into Green Lane as far as the bridge carrying the A317. Just after the bridge we turned right onto the track across Addlestone Moor to be confronted at the end by a bridge over the railway line. As we thought we had little alternative we summoned all our reserves to carry our bikes over the bridge and had a deserved rest on the other side. The second group was advised by a local to take a track alongside the railway to Chertsey station so missed out on a testing workout. Both groups knew that we were aiming for Chertsey Bridge and turning left to follow the Thames to Laleham where we turned right into Ferry Lane and right again into Abbey Drive.

Along Abbey Drive you arrive at Laleham Abbey which is a bit of a misnomer as the original Palladian building was built by the second Earl of Lucan at the beginning of the nineteenth century and named Laleham House. It was only when nuns took up residence there for about fifty years at the beginning of the twentieth century that it earned the name "Abbey" by the locals and the name stuck.

We turned right along the B376 to the roundabout where we took Littleton Lane down to the next roundabout and then along Chertsey Road to Dockett Eddy Lane to arrive for our lunch break of sandwiches, etc. at Thames Court. We had hoped to sit at the tables there but the entrance was blocked. After lunch we followed the roads to Sunbury and Hampton Court via Bushy Park and home. Just Helen Tovey and Maureen Gallichan decided to stop for tea at Hampton Court. It was straight home for the rest of us.

John B

B Group ride from Cobham - 1st July

Pete Beyer has designed an adventurous ride for B Group. In the manner to which we are starting to become accustomed several small teams of six will depart at staggered time intervals to minimise the risk of any of us transmitting COVID-19 to more than five of our colleagues.

Riding guidelines which apply at this stage of emergence from lockdown are the same as last week and can be read here:
https://midweekwayfarers.blogspot.com/2020/06/planning-to-resume-group-rides.html

In Cobham there are a couple of cafés (Fego and The Bakery and possibly others) for anyone wanting refreshment before take-off  but we will gather in the Leg of Mutton Car Park, opposite the British Legion in time for our departures. The bad news is that the toilet behind the British Legion is mostly closed at present. (We could have met at the Medicine Garden for elevenses and use of their facilities but A Group will be there.)

The route can be studied and downloaded from RideWithGPS using this web link:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33143069

Once you are viewing this route (in a web browser) you have numerous options to export the route for use in your Garmin GPS unit or in your phone, including with the RideWithGPS app which is free to install on your phone. There are also several options for the map type which you can select to suit your own viewing preference.

The route will take us into the Surrey Hills for a fairly typical experience of this terrain. Through Effingham, up and over Ranmore Common, down White Down then up to Abinger Common, down to Friday Street then up to Coldharbour for our lunch stop. The Farm Shop there is open for tea, coffee and snacks but it's best to bring a packed lunch.

Please reply as soon as possible to Pete and myself to confirm that you intend to come. Preferred option is via the B Group WhatsApp group. Otherwise please send a text or WhatsApp message to either of us or an email to me, timcourt50@gmail.com.

We will advise you on Tuesday via this blog about the composition of the riding groups and departure times. Your leaders will be Pete, Christina, Dave Cullen and myself so we have space for 20 riders in addition to the leaders.

Looking forward to your replies

Pete and Tim

A Group Ride from Cobham on 1st July.

We'll be meeting for elevenses at the Medicine Garden cafe, Downside Bridge Road, Cobham.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/The+Medicine+Garden/@51.3211288,-0.4144042,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x4875dfa37436253f:0xa5793fac9b33a4d6!8m2!3d51.3211288!4d-0.4122102

The route will take us to Albury Heath Cricket Ground, via Effingham, Holmbury St. Mary, Peaslake, and Farley Green for our picnic lunch.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Albury+Heath+Cricket+Ground/@51.2120723,-0.4879528,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x4875db723ba2c59b:0x95675842d6ca2d74!8m2!3d51.2120723!4d-0.4857588

From lunch we'll return to the Medicine Garden, via Albury, Newlands Corner, Effingham and Great Bookham Common. 20miles from elevenses to lunch, 13 to tea.

Should you wish, the routes are downloadable in both Garmin and Ride with GPS.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/35696616

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33070552


We will be riding in the customary groups of up to six, decided before the ride, and operating pre-booking as in previous weeks. As before, spaces will be allocated on first-come, first served basis. Please ensure you tell me you wish to ride:-  gedlawrenson150@gmail.com, or mob. 07986 254073. Please respond by Monday 29th June.

Cobham is a popular start location, so there will be up to 3 sub-leaders to share the leading. Riders should bring their packed lunch. Riding guidelines remain the same as last week, which can be found here:- https://midweekwayfarers.blogspot.com/2020/06/planning-to-resume-group-rides.html

Our route is short, but quite hilly, with a similar climb up Guildford Lane as last week's Halfpenny Lane. There are two off-road sections - the Old Drove Road on Albury Downs leading to Newlands Corner, and the familiar path across Bookham Commons.

Facilities on the route - (subject to update).
The Medicine Garden cafe has toilets, but the PCs adjacent to the British Legion are closed. There's a village store at Peaslake. There are no toilets, nor water tap at the cricket ground, but a smattering of benches. The cafe at Newlands Corner is open, but only the Disabled persons toilet. There are no toilets at Squires West Horsley, but those at Effingham Vineries are accessible.

Details of the composition of riding groups, leaders, and departure times will be announced on Tuesday 30th June. Please tell me if you no longer wish to join the ride.

Finally, look out for a small stone plinth with an inscription hidden in the bushes at the cricket ground  (near New Road) commemorating an event here 76 years ago!

I look forward to receiving your booking at gedlawrenson150@gmail.com - and seeing you on the ride.

Paul Kelly - Hack update

What an effin nightmare.

Earlier today all my email contacts received an enigmatic email from me and some at least received a follow up asking them to make a Amazon purchase on my behalf.

The reply address on those mails was a spoof and I have not seen any replies, only contacts through other media.

All my contacts have been deleted! As have my  Sent items folder and many other archive folders. so I cannot email warnings hence this method of contacting Wayfarers who may have received emails.

The spoof address used by the hacker was p.g.kelly@outlook.com take care if contacting me by email.

Sorry for any inconvenience!

paul

Box Hill

This morning I did 12 gentle miles (Dr. orders) down Little Switzerland and up Box Hill.  is alsoNever seen Box Hill so quiet! The good news is the cafe at the top is open but not sure about toilet as I did not stop. I expect Sat & Sun will be manic though I gather that the Police/Council have put no parking signs out on all approach roads according to Destination Bike.

On the subject of bike books that I mentioned yesterday, I need to clarify. The first book called Misspent Youth by Brian Jones is about himself. The second book to be published on 12 July called  "Misspent Dotage" is also about himself. A third book aimed to be launched in time for Christmas will be called "NO ORDINARY JOE". That is the book that my chapter will be in once I have finalised it all!

Fake message from 'Paul Kelly'

Paul's email account has been hacked and the hacker is sending out messages to people in his contact list. DO NOT REPLY to these messages. I've received one and Paul has confirmed that his account has indeed been hacked.

The messages are set up so any reply will not go to Paul's own email but rather to another false address which sounds a bit like his real one but isn't.

Please be vigilant at all times.

Tim

New Cycling Book

Hello all SWL members of the CTC. Brian Jones is writing a sequel to his first book "Misspent Youth. I was put in touch with him by Epsom CC and went to visit him and his wife Liz in Capel where he lives! He has asked a number of well known cyclists to contribute including me!

He sent out a format to fill in which I have done! Some of you might like to buy his book. Each author of his or her chapter are given the opportunity to donate a small portion of the cover price to their chosen charity which I will do! 

I look forward to getting my copy. Stephany I am sure that being a book worm you will enjoy it!

Hello Cycling Book Readers!

Brian Stuart Jones Publishing is delighted to announce that my second book ‘MISSPENT DOTAGE’ which chronicles my adventures on a bicycle is due for self-publication on Tuesday July 14^th.  Written in the same self-deprecating style as my first book ‘MISSPENT YOUTH’ I lay bare my relationship with the greatest invention in transport history.

The author Brian Jones is a member of Horsham CC and a regular competitor at the Morden CRC series of Time Trials.

A proof of the cover is attached to this email.

The RRP is again £9.99 and anyone who pre-orders before publication day can take advantage of my offer of ONE PENNY postage.

Please respond positively to this email to pre-order your copy.

Yours in literature

Brian Jones

Ride Report - A Group 24 June

I thought my administrative days were over when I handed the Ride Secretaries job to Ged. However leading a ride in these strange times requires no small amount of organisation and then there is the job of collating and editing several ride reports.

As expected, fine weather and a Walton start brought out a good number of riders. Firstly thank you to all who emailed me by Sunday evening which allowed me to plan four groups for the 19 booked. Also to Hans, Dave B, Dave V and Simon who had all come on one of my recce trips and were thus confident of the off-road section.

                                                       "Straight on" is to the left of the tree!

Note to the Bs: someone has their eye on this for you!

Hans' report:

Group 1 were assembled and ready to roll by 10.10 so an early start meant climbing Staple Lane before the midday heat. A good pace throughout the morning meant that we arrived at Blackheath cricket ground at 12 and enjoyed a leisurely lunch in the shade. We took a small but rewarding detour to see the village church, as recommended by Ged.

The drag up Half-Penny lane achieved in the afternoon we arrived at the Medicine Garden cafe at 1.45pm. Despite a fruitless search there was no calypso but plenty of Jamaican Ginger beer on offer. Well done to all for maintaining the pace and to Dave for back marking.

A well planned and interesting route, my thanks to Brian, Dave and Simon for organising the event.

Dave V's report

Our group followed Hans' lead by leaving 10 minutes early and apart from one (leader, not Garmin) navigational error all went well. Staple Lane was a bit of a challenge in the heat, and we stopped in Shere to top up on water. The offroad bit went well, and I only fell off once in the deep sand; the photographic clues to navigational way-points helped to interpret the arrow on the Garmin screen, and I think we all agreed this was our first trip down Green Lane.



Ged had researched the fascinating history of St Martin's Church Blackheath, so a group visit provided cultural depth to the ride, as well as welcome respite from the heat in the cool interior.
It was good to meet briefly your and Simon's groups at lunch. Had I known there were adders about I might not have ventured so deeply into the undergrowth in search of comfort. Something else to add to the risk assessment, perhaps.

On the return Garmin suggested an adventurous off-road variation on the ascent of Halfpenny Lane, which I found easy to resist; on-road was hard enough.

Thereafter it was downhill, almost literally, all the way to tea @ The Medicine Garden, where it was good to meet up again, giving the ride a proper Wayfarer character.

As we are approaching Dieppe Weekend it's appropriate to compare today to last year's ride to Veules les Roses. The main similarity is temperature; I recorded
40° in the sun, which is where we were riding for most of today. The main disappointment was not rehydrating on pints of Leffe in the Cafe des Tribuneaux.


A couple of photos of our group,attached, courtesy of Janice & Simon. And finally thanks to Mike Reynell for back marking, and to everyone for their company.

Simon's report 

Dave ‘Fixie’ Cullen radioed the control tower at short notice to request a flyby of one of the B groups. “I’m sorry, Dave, the pattern is full” said Admiral Ward. So Dave (Fixie) dropped into formation with one of the A groups, and the scene was set for Brian’s Day Out In The Country.

I was leading a group of five, including new (to the As) rider Gina. Welcome, Gina! Flat for the first ten miles or so, to Ripley, where a toilet stop was offered but not needed. Then the fun started. We toiled up Staple Lane in full sun, and were thankful of the shade at the top. Shere, Little London and Farley Green led us to Brian’s rather nice off-road track, which had varied over the past several days from perfectly rideable to deep mud to deep sand. Today it was pretty rideable, a hint of sand and a few patches of mud to avoid. It was here that The Incident happened. Back in Addlestone, my shoe had connected with the front mudguard, and ping! The mudguard stay had pinged free from my front mudguard. Still rideable, so we carried on. At the track, I dismounted and felt a bit of a scratch on my knee, from the mudguard stay, as it turned out. There was blood running down my leg! Enough for a cuddle from Mummy, but that wasn’t on offer: Dave offered to stitch it up (with what I don’t like to think); Steve offered a plaster from his first aid kit (top marks that man), but in the end a pre-sanitized and licked finger seemed to do the job, and we continued to lunch at Blackheath Cricket Ground.

The previous group hadn’t been there long, we were secretly pleased to discover. But they had been to visit the lovely Blackheath Church, a 1920s Arts & Crafts masterpiece, whereas we had prioritised food over culture. A cricket pitch is a big place, so we sat diagonally opposite. Benches, trees and shade were all provided, and also a most welcome water tap – which was used by nearly all to fill their bottles. Keith joined us for lunch, having cycled mostly off-road from Sutton way(!)

Our church visit was a bit overshadowed by a local almost running over Gina’s bike, and then the exciting discovery of a baby Adder basking at the foot of the church wall. Until we came, and then it scarpered fairly quickly, at one time heading straight towards Gina, but we were all too fascinated to be worried, also a bit too fascinated to remember about good social distancing.

Back on the road and Halfpenny Lane greeted us at a very hot part of the day. We made it to the top by thinking about Dave Fixie. Merrow Park & Ride toilets came & went (well, nobody went) and we were on the home straight: West Clandon, a bit more of Hungry Hill Lane, and those little undulations along past Ockham and Martyr’s Green, which felt like mountains to me, although the four eager & strong riders behind me didn’t seem to notice. It must have been the heat. Cobham Medicine Garden was a very welcome stop, with cold drinks and a bit of shade, again socially distanced from the groups before and after, who found other bits of shade. Another couple of pints of water on the way home, and I was still thirsty when I got home.

Brian's report

All of the above doesn't leave me much to add. Alan Imeson joined us at Walton and Dave Cullen was being bumped off the B ride so we became a group of 6. Once sure that he had enough sustenance for this longer and less well supplied trip we set off at 1120. A decision was made early on that there were to no heroics in the heat but Dave's feats on his fixie up Staple Lane and Halfpenny Lane left us in awe. I think Dave's legs knew all about it by Cobham! 

Sadly someone had locked the church by the time we tried to visit after lunch.

A most enjoyable ride in good company. Many thanks to David for back marking. 

Ride Report - 'B' Group 24 June 2020

I am indebted to John Austin, Terry Lowe, and Tony Hooker for kindly agreeing to lead sub-groups (John's Jets, Terry's Tornados and Tony's Thunderbolts) on this ride and to Tim Court for acting as ultimate back marker.

My own group, Dave's Dynamos, was due off first at 10.30 am, and I was very pleased that everyone was ready to set off on time.   Tim Gibbons kindly volunteered to be our back stop just in case, but, in fact, we kept together very well, in a properly spaced out sort of way, and n'er a corner needing marking on the whole ride.  It was a shortish and quite well-shaded route to lunch with just a few ups, and I thought we kept up a pretty steady pace, and kept stops to a minimum, keeping to the allotted hour and a half, so I was just a little irritated when John's Jets rolled up to lunch at Horsell scarcely ten minutes after us!    Then, to add to the humiliation, Terry's Tornados pitched up well before my group were ready to leave.  But of Tony's Thunderbolts I saw not a trace after elevenses, and I began to wonder if that had been a mirage!

Everyone who wanted it had managed to find a bit of shade over lunch, but the heat hit hard as Dave's Dynamos set off on a (thankfully) shorter, uneventful ride back to Walton.   We arrived well before 2.00 pm but had barely cleared the queue for soft drinks and ice cream before the second and third groups once again rolled in right behind us  (I suspect they cut the corners), but it all was good fun, and everyone seemed to have enjoyed their ride, the sunshine, and the pleasant company.   It was great to be back on something approaching a normal club ride again, and thanks to everyone for your support.