From Tim G, Ride Leader
Despite a gloomy start early on the weather brightened to provide us with a dry and sunny day especially in the afternoon.
Twenty-one cyclists signed up for today's ride and twenty took part in the planned route. We were fortunate to have two new riders join us today and I was pleased to welcome Neil Paterson who rode with my group.
The first part of our morning ride was familiar to many through Weybridge and Chertsey then on via Lyne, Cobham Common, Windlesham to Ascot and finally lunch at 'The Duke of Edinburgh' at Woodend, a popular venue where we were all well catered for.
Our afternoon ride took us though Ascot Gate into Windsor Great Park and along to the Jubilee statue of our late Queen Elizabeth II. We thought it appropriate to stop and admire the floral tributes that had been layed at the foot of the plinth. We continued past the village, up Gravel Hill, past the Guards Polo Club and on to the Totem pole.
At this point I could not resist pointing out that the Totem pole has stood on its present site for over sixty-five years and was formally installed in June 1958. It was given as a gift to Queen Elizabeth II from the people of Canada to mark the centenary of the proclamation of British Columbia as a Crown Colony which had been founded in November 1858. The Totem pole stands at 100ft tall with one foot equaling a year since the proclamation. An identical pole stands outside the National Maritime Museum in Vancouver. Both poles were carved by Chief Mungo Martin, a renowned First Nations artist and a member of the Kwakiuti tribe. They are both made of Western Red Cedar fashioned from trees over 600 yrs old when felled.
Lecture over, we cycled down past Virginia Water and out through the main south entrance. We continued on via Thorpe Green, Thorpe and Chertsey to our tea stop at Shepperton Lock for a welcome break.
Many thanks to all who participated in the ride and especially to my sub-leaders (Tim C, Christina and Steph) who kindly guided us all along the way.
A good day had by all.
Tim G.
Tim C writes:
By the time we reached the Day Centre in Walton it looked very likely that we were going to have our day without getting wet at all. By Teatime the sun was blazing down after perfect ambient temperatures all day.
Tim G had learnt that two new riders were to join us and it was our pleasure in the second group to have the company of Chris Hyde. Brian Bent rode with us too, as far as Ascot.
We departed from the DC very close to our scheduled time and followed familiar routes out though Weybridge and Chertsey and an hour later we were trundling along Longcross Road and through Chobham Common towards Windlesham. After meandering through some very posh residential streets we reached Ascot and skirted around to the West of the racecourse and soon, after nearly 22 miles we found ourselves in the big tent at the Duke of Edinburgh with Tim's group.
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| New rider Chris |
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| Christina's team |
The highlight of the afternoon was inevitably the dreamy half-hour ride through a very green Great Park though I did manage, unintentionally, to miss out part of Tim's prescribed route, a square loop passing the QE2 Jubilee Statue and The Village. Once inside the M25 we made a pleasant detour through Thorpe Village. Thanks to Pam for pointing out the cycle path alongside the A320 and how to get onto it. Chertsey and Dockett Eddy Lane brought us to The Ferry Coffee Shop (Nauticalia) for some very decent refreshments.
Not having done a recce I had pictured the ride as fairly flat but we kept coming upon various hills to remind us that the route was in fact quite undulating.
One of the pleasures of the ride was that four of the Nor'Westers joined us, thanks to the territory all being within their customary orbit. Thanks to all for your good company and to Tim G for planning a good route and arranging proper cycling weather.
~ Tim C
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