Report for B Group London Ride - 23rd March

Monday's recce

Paul and Maggie with Steph, Dave and Ann

Dave's ride with the Early Birds

The first group out, we vacated Richmond Park at about 10.25am.
This group was composed of eight happy Wayfarers. We were blessed with warm sunshine today, a far cry from last week's inclement weather.

The three planned groups became just two, since two of our original leaders became inflicted with covid. Condolences to them, and to others who were unable to join the ride today, for one reason or another.

With Ada Salter at the memorial to the Salter family

The Salter's family cat

We stopped for Lunch at a cafe in Burgess Park, which was the mid-way point of our ride. Commiserations to anybody (Bob!) who couldn't get their prefered dietary requirements. [Note: Dave is mischievously alluding to his ordering the last portion of fish and chips.]

Thank you to all who took part in the ride and to the grand designer for compiling an interesting route along by the Thames, and through many Parks.

Five of our eight riders made it back to Richmond Park, with the other three peeling off near to the end of the ride.

Also thank you to the sub-navigators, who saved us cycling extra miles, since the group leader's iPhone/Strava was being recalcitrant on today's ride while his Garmin seemed to be operating in a parallel universe.  

Dave C (Fixie)
___________________________________

Tim's ride with the Keas

It was great to arrive at the Roehampton Gate Café for Elevenses to find that nearly everyone was there already. Paul had planned the route meticulously and done several recces for the benefit of Steph, Dave and I who were to lead in his absence. On Tuesday evening we learnt that Steph wasn't well after testing +ve and wouldn't be able to lead but with the modest numbers signed up to ride it wasn't going to be a problem for Dave and I to accomodate her riders, the Cockney Sparrows, in our groups.

At the Peace Pagoda in Battersea Park

So we set off up Priory Lane and headed through some quiet suburban streets to Putney and started our journey along the river in Wandsworth Park. We were soon in Battersea Park for a photo opportunity in front of the pagoda and a comfort stop, then over Chelsea Bridge to pick up the C8 blue route which we took as far as Lambeth Bridge and crossed back to the South side. We meandered along the back roads under several bridges then Tooley St and into Bermonsey using the Jubilee Greenway whenever we could. We stopped at the small garden with the memorial statues of Ada and Alfred Salter, and their daughter Joyce who died or scarlet fever when she was eight. The Salters are remembered for their lives of service among the poor in the local community where they lived and worked. We headed South through Southwark Park and were soon in Burgess Park for lunch.

Dave's team were sitting out in the sunshine and settling into their lunches when we arrived. The staff at the Fuorvito Café went into overdrive to cater for us, probably feeling a bit overwhelmed as we weren't their only customers. The food is good there and a few of us enjoyed a large bowl of their excellent vegetable soup.

We passed through Camberwell and skirted around Brixton then made a detour for a quick look at the Brixton Windmill. On through the Tooting Commons and Earlsfield then Wimbledon Park where a photographer sprang out of the shrubbery to take our photo. It dawned on us that it was Ged, warming down after his ride with A group.

WW1 stretchers as fencing in Benhill Rd, Camberwell

Mural in Glenelg Rd, Brixton

 

The Brixton Windmill

 

Memorial plaque for Terrence MacSwiney, HMP Brixton

A few of our group left the ride at Tibbet's Corner and the rest of us joined the remnants of Dave's team at the Roehampton Café which was still quite lively with their lycra clad clientele enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.

Thanks to the team, Gill, Bob, Robert, Ian and Paula for your chirpy company, to Gill especially for helping me out in the city where my GPS signal and fading memory of fine detail from the recce were too hazy. Thanks to Dave, Brenda and Bob for additional photos and to Paul for setting the whole day up for us, sunshine and all.

~ Tim