Autumn Ride with the B's to Rokers Park, 17th November

 

Magnificent weather, great company and the leaves changing colour all made Wednesday’s ride special, but it didn’t start of like that. We arrived at Walton Bridge to discover that the café was closed for the day in order to carryout some building work, so no coffee and no cakes. After some late reshuffling of groups we then set out with John Austin taking the first group at 10.15 followed by, Tim Gibbons, Tim Court and myself.

 

Tim Gibbons report: -

We could not have wished for a better day in November to be out on an autumn ride.

Having met at Walton, only to find the cafe closed, the consensus of opinion was to call at Weybridge for coffee. This did little to upset our schedule and we were still on the road in good time to follow the planned route.

Having cycled past the station we soon got to Brooklands via a short stretch along the river Wey. A brief stop to look at Concord also provided a good photo opportunity.

 

 

Picking up part of the Venus trail took us along a very attractive off-road section that connected with the Wey Navigation and on to West Byfleet.                                                              

 Later groups were gathering ground so we hastened our pace through Sheerwater and on to Woking Park. The remaining ride to Rokers went smoothly and we arrived on schedule.

Service was prompt and efficient and we were lucky to be able to sit outside and enjoy a welcome break in warm sunshine.

Our group number increased a little in the afternoon as Pam, Liz and Madeleine joined us for part of the return trip towards Burpham where we followed a familiar route alongside the A3 to Ockham and our final Destination at Cobham. Five of us decided to have a tea stop before making our way home.

Thanks to Sue, Jackie, Tony H, Bob and Dave for being an 'uncomplicated' group to lead and to Ray Y for devising the route.

 

A  good day had by all 

 

Tim G 

 

Tim Court’s report:-

Our team (Christina, Anne, Martin, Paula, Brian B, Colin) managed to leave ahead of the appointed time with Colin agreeing to be back-marker. Mildly discombobulated about the Wilde Brunch café being closed for building work and therefore depriving us of our customary refreshments we set off for Weybridge. Those who had needed it had already been to the café by the Walton marina.

In Weybridge our group deviated from Ray's prescribed route, crossing the High Street into Monument Green by the Pizza Express then Springfield Meadows to join the path alongside the Churchfields Recreation Ground through to Melrose Road and The Waverley.

 The full grandeur of this Autumn day unfolded after we had passed through the Weybridge Station car park and took the various paths until crossing the River Wey and following it through to the former Brooklands Aerodrome runway. We crossed Parvis Road and soon picked up the Venus trail on Murray's Lane and a stretch along the Wey Navigation from Murray's Bridge through to Dodd's Bridge and on to West Byfleet.

We had a quick toilet stop in Woking Park before completing our ride to Rokers Farmhouse Café where Florent and his team of happy helpers were already serving those who had arrived before us. It was good to be back there, last visited by us in June. The food is rather good and actually cheaper than many of the pubs we visit.

 After lunch we headed to Cobham via Jacob's Well and Ripley for Tea at Caffè Capital.

Ray had planned a very good route including numerous cycle paths of variable quality alongside the busy main roads but we'll remember all the Autumn colours and dappled sunshine along the off-road paths. For anyone who didn't linger too long over afternoon tea it was possible to reach home before serious darkness had descended.

Thanks to my cheerful team and to Ray for a splendid day.

~ Tim C

Rays Report

We headed off, Ken Pam Liz Grant Andrew Madeline, without any issues through Weybridge, took the cycle path up Heath Road to Weybridge station and down the path into Brooklands where we found the 2^nd group admiring the VC 10. After a brief rest to let them get some distance away, followed on through to Byfleet, down Murry Lane, the Wey Navigation and across the bridge n to Dodd’s Lane.

 

A series of quiet minor roads lead us to Woking Park where we joined NCR 223 until Mayford where we left the NCR and headed to Worplsdon and onto Rokers Farm Café. Florent greeted us on arrival and all the groups sat outside in perfect autumn weather looking out at the farmland. Lunch was served quickly, efficiently, good value for money and enjoyed by all.

After lunch we started with a depleted group of four as the girls had left early to make back home for another appointment. The four of us left along Aldershot Road and then left into Gravetts Lane and onto Jacobs Well and the A3 path to Cobham. At Cobham the other three went up Hogshill Lane where Ken left and the other three, now joined by Christina, on to Esher and home. I waited for Tim Court’s group, that we overtook on the way out of Ripley while being entertained by the A Group, who had chosen the same café for their tea stop.

Thank you to all who helped, sub leaders John Austin, Tim Gibbons and Tim Court plus Andrew Newton who back marked.

 

Ray Youlden