Despite the soaring temperatures there was a good turnout for the Easy Riders last Wednesday, namely Helen Tovey, Karen Cochrane, Dawn Moriarty, Anne Connaughton, Sandy Bayliss, Bernard Power, Peter Tiller, Edward Cornes [a former B Group regular], Colin Lown, Sue Jong and myself. Peter Burge accompanied us in the morning and we were pleased to be joined by John Bellamy – sadly not on his bike – at elevenses.
From Kingston Market we crossed the bridge and headed north, keeping close to the Thames, via Richmond to Syon Park. Our route took us on to Osterley Lane (a track on the east and north of Osterley Park), over the M4 to join the Grand Union Canal towpath on the approach to the Hanwell flight of locks. My guidebook informs me (does that sound a bit Portillo-esque?) that the ground here rises 53 feet over one-third of a mile – any steeper and it would be a staircase rather than a flight.
Conveniently, at the end of the flight and within a few
yards of the canal, was our lunch stop, The Fox at Hanwell. The shaded garden
was really welcome, the food good and the service quick. (It was convenient on
two counts because a mile or so earlier I had a puncture and I was able to
replace the tube without holding everybody up.)
After lunch we followed the towpath to Brentford, on to Kew Bridge (where Helen discovered she had a slow puncture – so not a good day on that score) and back along the Thames Path for drinks and ice creams at Canbury Gardens.
Frank C
1 comment:
Sounds like I mist a good ride and a chance for a few words with John Bellamy Wednesday was deemed to be to hot for me to be cycling!!
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