News from the Dieppe Cycling Club: Michel Lefebvre has died

Michel (pictured left), who will be known to most Dieppe Raid participants as the President of the Club des Cyclotouristes Dieppois, leading the presentation after the Sunday rides, died last week according to a post on the Dieppe Raid Facebook page, which has more information.    Our sympathies go to his club mates and his family.

Invitation to A group ride from Cobham Feb 1st.

Unusually I'm giving the Surrey Hills a miss this week and we're off to the Royal Oak at (or more accurately near) Pirbright. The route is rather indirect in order to add enough miles while avoiding the A3 path. So outward via Ripley, Old Woking, Jacobs Well and Wood St village - shortly after which the observant may see some snowdrops. Return via Fox Corner, Knaphill and Chobham to Walton for tea.  

19 miles to lunch with a further 16 to tea. All on road.

Email me by 6pm Monday please. No need to pre-order. Note the the sandwiches are the four "lunch club" items on the menu.

Invitation to a B Group ride on 1st February

Wednesday's morning ride from Cobham will be short at 14 miles but will take us up a big hill, Green Dene so that we can plummet down Staple Lane on our way to lunch at The Barley Mow in West Horsley. The only off-road will be on the trails through Bookham Common. We anticipate stopping for Tea at Garsons Farm.

For anyone who doesn't want to ride up Green Dene the route lends itself to alteration to avoid the climbing.

This is our route:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41676726

We've been to The Barley Mow a couple of times before. Its big attraction is a good menu of Thai food at most reasonable prices. They don't require us to pre-order but you may wish to peruse the menu and decide what you'd like, taking the 'hotness' advice into account.

(click on each menu to enlarge)

Three groups will ride, leaving at 10:40 (Francis), 10:50 (Alan C), 11:00 (Stephen)

After planning the route I was advised of a hospital appointment on Wednesday but this has been converted into a phone appointment so I will probably come as far as the pub then catch a train home.

Please send me an email or a private WhatsApp message to confirm that you'd like to come and mention any preferences you may have for start time.

Tim

Report for Easy Riders - 25th January

Outsiders might have thought only those with a masochistic streak would opt for a day’s cycling on such a cold and miserable day, but, perhaps encouraged by what ultimately turned out to be an over-optimistic weather forecast, ten Easy Riders took to the road.

Those who made it to elevenses might have lost feeling in their extremities but, even after a restorative hot drink, proved that their senses were operating normally by ruling out any thought of extending the ride beyond Walton in favour of a bolt for lunch at The Angel at Thames Ditton (taking the most direct route via Molesey).

The pub lived up to its reputation by providing good value food and efficient service. Unfortunately, the cosiest spot nearest the bar was already occupied by the time of our arrival. While in no hurry to leave, we were back in the saddle again early enough to stay ahead of the advancing rain belt.

Hopefully, the start of a new month next week will bring more inviting conditions with it.

~ Frank C

One misty, moisty morning when cloudy was the weather......

....there I met some old  (don't blame me it's in the poem) men and women all clad in, no not leather but lycra. Yes, it was B group leaving Walton Day Centre. 

It feels like the weather gods have been all over the place this week: minus 4 degrees early on Monday morning, glorious sunshine and almost 10 degrees warmer on Tuesday and then the ice- cold drizzle served up on Wednesday. Finding many icy patches on the roads south of Cobham on Monday, I decided that we would have to disappoint the lovely hosts at The Drift golf club and opt for an urban route closer to home. A few understandably ( and probably very sensibly!) dropped out but we set off in two groups of 10 or so riders after a warming coffee at Walton. Not a bad number at all on such a miserable day.

Our route took us to Hampton Court and along the towpath where we could double up and chat for a few kilometres before hitting Kingston and then into Richmond Park. A quick loop up to Richmond Gate, a nod to the ballet school and off towards Teddington Lock.  A slight navigational error (probably due to my brain being totally focussed on the approaching warm sanctuary of The Pheasantry) caused my group to suffer the traffic in Teddington  town centre but we were soon in Bushy Park. By this stage I can truly say  that I have never been so cold on a ride. I gather that the cafe is closing for refurbishment at the end of this month so it my sincere hope that they install some efficient heating to thaw out frozen cyclists! Well done to those who took in a tea stop at Horton Café.

Thanks to Gill H  - whose report is below –for sub-leading  and all those who braved the elements yesterday!

With all the freezing weather we’ve had recently it was nice to at last be able to get out on a Weds ride together. Our group of 10 set off at 11 with 15ish flatish miles ahead of us til lunch, with a bit of rerouting around Richmond Park to avoid a potentially icy hill.  Gill F unfortunately had a mechanical issue in RP, but made it to lunch. Hope you get it properly sorted soon Gill.

Despite the actual lack of ice it was still bitterly cold in the dampness and the difficulty was generating enough heat to keep the cold out! Sight of the Pheasantry for lunch was never more welcome.

Thanks to Dave and Tim for backmarking and Sue for sorting out a good route in the uncertain weather conditions.

 

 

Through the gloom…

 Fourteen hardy souls braved the gloom & damp to join the ride to Rayners Lane. A cold outing warmed up a little by climbing over Horsenden Hill and up to Harrow on the Hill. A successful visit to The Village Inn at Rayners Lane for Haggis and more and a swift return to Richmond via Osterley Park meant that most riders avoided the late afternoon rain. 

My thanks to Dave B and Dave W for their help on the recce and on the day.

First Aid Training

Would you be able to help if someone needed basic emergency treatment while out on one of our rides?  

At the last Committee Meeting we discussed this and so we are intending to arrange a first aid training course run by St John’s Ambulance who are aware that we are a cycling club, so we can all be more confident if one of those very rare emergencies does ever happen.  

Let us know if this would be of interest to you. The course would be held locally and the likely cost will be around £30.00 per person and it will be 3½ hours in duration.

Please reply by email to Jennie Jackson if this is of interest to you and you would like to attend the course.

Yours

Jennie

Cycling in Andalucia

Please see this message from Sandy, something to dream about? 

"My son and his wife are living in Spain and have started a business doing cycling tours in Andalucía.  The first one is a 5 night tour of Andalucía, Sea and Mountains.

https://baylissmultisport.com/training-camps/tour-of-andalucia-october-10th-15th-2023/

Regards

Sandy Bayliss

NEW ROUTE FOR B GROUP RIDE ON WEDNESDAY 25TH JAN

 After finding quite a lot of ice on the roads south of Cobham on a  car recce  this morning and the impending weather forecast for Wednesday, I have sadly decided to change the route for this week's ride. The golf club fortunately hadn't ordered any food and have said that they would be delighted to accommodate us another time. 

Our revised ride will be 15 miles from Walton, along the river to Kingston, into Richmond Park looping back over the Thames to Teddington and into Bushy park for lunch at The Pheasantry. This is the route. 

Sorry to have to make this change at the last minute and hope to see you on Wednesday at Walton Day Centre. Please  email me if you would like to  come on the ride and I will sort out groups and timings tomorrow.

Best wishes

Sue

A Group contact for Walton ride

 hansformella@gmail.com

Don’t forget, Walton or Bushy Park.

A Group ride to Harrow- Rayners Lane from Walton

 Hi, our ride next Wednesday is a mostly urban outing to lunch at The Village Inn (Wetherspoons, with Haggis on the menu). Because we will becoming back on ourselves (most of us) and the heavy traffic from Shepperton due to roadworks on the original route, I’m giving you the option of meeting the ride at the Pheasantry cafe in Bushy Park. 

Please let me know by Monday, 6pm if you want to join the ride and if you will be riding from Walton or Bushy Park.

Invitation to B group ride from Walton - 25th Jan

You are invited to the ride next Wednesday which will start at Walton Day Centre. We will be cycling  through the outskirts of Walton, through Whiteley Village, Cobham and on to The Drift Golf Club at East Horsley for lunch. Tea will be at  Garsons Farm. I am hoping that the weather will have warmed up a bit by 25th but in any event it is a flat undemanding route so should be fine. We need to pre-order at The Drift  - menu below - so if you could  email me to let me know that you will be coming and your choice of lunch by COP on Sunday please. 

I will be doing a final recce on Monday with your lovely subleaders for the day Christina and Gill, so will update this post with the route then. 

Hope you can make it

Sue F

Report for Easy Riders - 19th January

Near zero temperatures but five hardy – some might say foolhardy - souls braved the cold. It was bitter en route to elevenses at Molesey but we soon ascertained that the roads were ice-free and presented no problem. Traffic seemed relatively light, too.

Thanks are due to Madeleine Shearer who chose the route (which she readily admitted she had borrowed from the B group) and was our leader for the day.

Having crossed the river at Hampton Court, we went through Bushy Park and on to Teddington where there was plenty of noisy support for striking nurses outside the hospital. We soon turned north and after a mile or two joined the path alongside the River Crane. The only slight cause for concern was the flooded railway underpass but, fortunately, the raised curb meant we did not get wet feet.

Following a brief photo op outside Twickenham Stadium, we were glad to put the stench of the West Middlesex Drainage Works behind us. From there on to Osterley Park where the lake by the house was still iced over. We exited the park at the gate close to the M4 and made our way via Wyke Green to lunch (a drink and a sandwich fair value at £12 on the fixed-price menu) at the welcoming Hare and Hounds.

The little warmth we were thankful for in the middle of the day began to fade as we made our way homeward. Our route followed the A4 for a while before joining the Grand Union Canal towpath. Thence to Syon Park and on to Kingston, staying as close to the river as possible.

We might have set out with limited expectations but it was a thoroughly enjoyable ride, including some parts of west London that were new to most of us.

Madeleine was joined by Anne Connaughton, Frank Barnsley, Bernard Power and myself.

Regards,

Frank C

(Photos by Madeleine)

(ride recorded by Madeleine)

Invitation to the 2023 Annual Lunch

CTC SWL Annual Lunch and Prizegiving

1st March 2023 at 12:30 for lunch at 1 p.m.

We are delighted to tell you that Jennie has booked the Ristorante Sorrento (379 Ewell Road, Tolworth, KT6 7DE) for our annual lunch. This has proved to be a most popular venue for the occasion since our first visit in 2018 and we are pleased to be able to hold the event there again.

The set price for a three-course lunch will be £19.00, as it was last year. This includes a service charge, but does not include any drinks, coffee or tea. This is the menu:

(click to enlarge)

Please book by placing your order, and pay in advance by 15th February.

We expect the occasion will be as well attended as it has been in recent years. Please send an email message to Tim Court with your order for (i) a starter and (ii) a main meal. The waiters will take your orders for dessert after the main course on the day.

The preferred method of payment (£19.00) is via your online banking facility, but we can also accept cash or a cheque. For online payment please ask Tim for our bank details if you don’t already have them.

If you wish to pay cash please give the correct amount to one of the Membership Representatives, Patrick Watmough (A), Christina Berkley (B), Helen Tovey (C).

Any food allergies or Vegan requirements must be notified to Tim so that these details can be noted and passed to the restaurant staff.

All ride leaders please note that your teams should be delivered to the restaurant by 12.30 p.m. so that everyone will have time to buy drinks, chat, and browse the photography exhibition, and settle down ready to confirm orders with the waiting staff.

Thank you

Tim C

B Group Ride - 18th January '23 - Cancelled !

Following a number of concerns about tomorrow's cold weather I have decided to cancel our B group ride from Dorking.

I'm very aware of safety issues when cycling in icy conditions.

The A group have also cancelled and I think it best if we collectively follow the same example.

Very sorry for any inconvenience caused and hope that normal service can be resumed next week.

Best wishes,

TimG

A GROUP 18 JAN RIDE CANCELLED!

 Dear All,

With regret, I have decided to cancel the ride on Wednesday. The temperature forecast in Dorking on Tuesday night is -8°C, and although the daytime temperature is forecast to climb (just) above zero there is still a high probability of icy patches remaining, especially on the higher sections of the ride. Both my sub-leaders have already dropped out for safety reasons. See you all next week I hope. Better safe than sorry!

Kind regards, Mike 

In Memoriam - Brian Starey

                                             Brian Starey

It was with great sadness that I read today of the recent death of Brian Starey. Few may remember him, but all current members owe to him a great debt of gratitude. I knew him and his wife Jill before I learned  that we shared a love of cycling and  of his commitment to the Wayfarers and CTC SW London. It was at great personal cost that he undertook all the social and organisational roles and responsibilities now shared by many on the Committee. It was no doubt this cumulative stress that took its toll on his health.  The time came when all these duties had to be shared, as they now are. We send our warmest sympathies to his wife Jill and his brother Bob, whom some of us know for his adventurous club riding.

Jeff Tollerman 

Tales From The Riverbank - East Enders

 Rotherhithe was a good start point for this section of the ride, or London Bridge might suit some better.  Rotherhithe is one of the old bits of London, fancily made over in parts, but still pretty good.  Take the Mayflower pub, for example.

It's a handsome old pub, the place from which the Pilgrim Fathers set off for America.  It still trades on this history, and if you can demonstrate a relationship with the Pilgrim Fathers you get a free pint and can sign a book.  It seems that about 35 million people can claim this relationship (I don't know how you do it), and while I was there some Australians were signing the book ...

Interesting to note that the Mayflower was such a fine ship that, on return to Rotherhithe, it was abandoned in the creek and left to rot.

Anyway, the pub's the real deal, and you can get a good meal there.  Sets you up for the ride.

The next few miles, down to Greenwich, are pretty, with good views over Canary Wharf and some attractive riverside scenery.

Passing the busy tourist centre that is Greenwich, after a mile or so you come to Anchor Iron Wharf, where there is another good pub - the Cutty Sark.  A bit beyond the normal tourist traffic it's a very nice place, with a grand upstairs dining room which has fine views down the river.

Tempting though it is, it is not compulsory to stop at both pubs.

Northwards now for a short distance, passing the O2, to the Millennium Milepost that Sustrans has placed on the meridian, then on to the Thames Barrier and the Woolwich Ferry.

This is the end of some of the plusher bits of the Thames, and the beginning of the more utilitarian parts.  The change is gradual, but windswept marshes, abandoned wharves, sewerage plants and refuse transfer jetties become more frequent.  The star of these must be Bazalgette's Crossness Pumping Station, which I passed.  Unfortunately it wasn't open that day, as I would have liked to go in.  Described as 'a victorian cathedral of ironwork' I will go back for a proper visit.  

One of the four huge steam engines still runs, and can be seen working on a few days of the year.

Passing Erith, which gives a pretty threadbare impression from the river, the tarmac path ends, and you're out in the marshes again, with the occasional scrap-yard in case you get lonely.  But the river's always there, sparkling on the right day, with shipping large and and small going about its business.

The track is gravel now, not too bad a surface, but a gravel bike is a better choice here.  As the Dartford Crossing becomes visible you know that the end of the ride is in sight, and the cycleway takes you all the way to Dartford station.  Given the heavy industrial traffic on the busy roads, this is a good thing.

Lots of trains to London, Freedom Pass accepted, so a very pleasant ride for a bright day in winter - about 24 miles, no hills.

Mark

B Group Ride - Wednesday 18th January '23

Our ride from Dorking will take us south towards Rusper via Henfold and Newdigate then back to Westhumble via Parkgate and Brockham.

Lunch is at 'The Stepping Stones'.

There is no afternoon ride planned but those who wish may like to head back for tea at 'The Old Moat' or 'Horton Cafe'.

Please reply by Monday evening to be included on the ride list.

Email - timgibbons1@virginmedia.com

WhatsApp - 07756961505

Look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday.

TimG

Brian Starey has died

Bob Starey has advised me that his brother Brian Starey died just before Christmas (he had been poorly for some time). Older members may remember how much effort Brian put in to helping make the Wayfarers a success.

Pete Barnard

A winter tootle down the river; B Group 11 January

Ride report by Paul J

Full morning route, afternoon cut short in the rain at Teddington Lock 

I don't know whether it was the promise of "A ride as flat as a steamrollered pancake", or the weather forecast of half a day of sunshine in an otherwise pretty miserable January, but we had thirty two riders and I was very grateful to Mick, Stephen, Steph and Madeleine for turning up on a similarly fine morning on Monday to ride with me over the greater part of the route and thereby, wittingly or otherwise, to be appointed as leaders.

We would have had more riders had Ken not felt up to it on the day and had Tony Hopkins not had a problem on the way to elevenses.  Francis had a puncture, too, on the way, but he made it in time to have a coffee and join the last group.  It was good to have Brian, who usually rides with the A Group, along.  He had returned from Queensland only the day before; I'm pretty sure I would not have managed a fifty mile door-to-door ride, however flat, after flying from the other side of the world.  It was even better to see Colin out riding again.  We all hope that a beautiful, sunny ride along the river will have helped him in his bereavement, however temporarily.

And it was a beautiful winter's morning for the ride, just as it had been for the recce on Monday.  On the streets the wind was cold, and fierce enough to add ten minutes and a few hundred Calories to our trip to elevenses, but we weren't aware of it on the towpath.  We split into five groups, deliberately kept small because of the interaction with pedestrians on the narrow paths.  There was a little bit of overtaking.  Many had not ridden "John Bellamy's Path" before between Weybridge and Walton, certainly not in that direction.  Some discovered that the public loos at Molesey were closed.  Some went under, some went over Kingston Bridge.  The route to Twickenham went well.  

The Sussex Arms had been helpful and accommodating but they (and we) were working on the assumption that nobody would be there in a Wednesday lunchtime and we would have the place to ourselves and that proved not to be the case.  Service was a bit slow for the later groups but you certainly could not complain about the value for money.  During lunch the weather changed, as forecast, so that the backstreet route back to Teddington Lock was conducted in a light, blustery drizzle.  The afternoon route was designed so that people could turn off and get home fairly easily at any point and to my knowledge only four of us chose to carry on the entire distance over Richmond Park to the cafe at Roehampton Gate, the official end.  We four got rather wet.  

A satisfying day out, though, on a ride you can't really do in the better weather because of the numbers of people who want to stroll along the riverbank.  My most memorable moment of the ride occurred during the final recce, when the temperature was a bit colder and the wind a bit fiercer, and I felt like a wimp riding along in my four layers past two ladies of a certain age wearing only summer swimsuits and walking into the river at Molesey.  I'll be sticking to winter cycling!

The Lechlades Group report, by Mick

The ‘Lechlades’; Mick, Dave C., Paul D., John A., Sue B., and Arwyn enjoyed our ride down the Thames planned by Paul J.

There was lots to see although the mystery of how the Engine River got its name remains, as yet, unsolved.  

The weather was kind, even some sun in the morning.

A navigation error by Mick allowed the ‘Oxfords’ chance to slip into the pub first!

The Sussex Arms pub staff were pleasant and the service good.

After lunch it was back to Teddington and into Richmond Park, although half the team filtered off so that they could get home before the pending rain.

The Oxfords, Stephen Hickey

The ‘Oxford' group assembled on time and in good order, but ran into an immediate hitch when sub-leader Stephen’s Garmin decided to show solidarity with the current wave of strikes by declining to offer directions.  To be fair, it probably felt it had done its bit by working perfectly on the recce a couple of days previously;  and it did offer to fulfil several functions - just not ‘Ride’.  Fortunately Tim G had the route on his phone and kindly agreed to take over navigation for the first sections. So we set off and made good progress. 

The sun shone, the Thames (or Isis, as it's known to the denizens of Oxford) was lovely, and  Ian regaled us with some local history. Having had a good rest, even Stephen’s Garmin decided to play ball after all, so he was able to resume his role. We made good time - so good indeed that we managed to temporarily lose Christina in the wilds of Twickenham - and were surprised to be the first group to arrive at the Sussex Arms. Lunch was good (though Chris felt we should drink a little more beer from the keg), and we set off for the final leg with the aim of getting to tea - or in some cases home - before the threatened rain arrived.  

How to get a beer when the service is slow

Many thanks to Paul for an excellent route (and arranging some untypically good weather), to all in the group for their company and good spirits, and especially to Tim G for stepping in at the start. 

The Hungerford Gaps report by Steph

Don't have anything much to add.  A good route though I had to retrace a little as overlooked the Grotto cycle path .  The Hungerford Gappers were a jolly crowd and we reached lunch with no mishaps.  I joined Maddy after lunch as Gill Liz and Pam routed westwards for home.  Lovely chats at 11 s and lunch more than made up for a bit of drizzle on return.

The Ell Pie Islanders were led by Paul J

The Craven Cottagers were led by Madeleine

Ride Report - Wednesday 11 Jan – A Group to Lightwater

A welcome respite from daily deluges encouraged no less than 27 riders to sign up for today’s ride to Lightwater. We were three groups of 9 with enthusiastic group leaders Frances and NeilC.

Neil writes:-

Dave had organised the ride with military precision. Start times, ride times, lunch arrival times and menu choices. But organising the weather in January is a bit more problematic. We knew there would be wind but the big question was whether we could avoid the rain.

My formation of nine lined up at the appointed hour and we set off into the wind to follow Dave's intricately planned route. Past a couple of stations, across the airfield, down the Muddy Lane, and along a flooded road or two before arriving at The Red Lion in Lightwater at precisely 12.15.

Here Dave had enlisted all the staff to expedite his plan. As soon as we entered the carpark the landlord appeared to open the side gate, act as bike-park attendant, and direct us to our tables and the bar. At the bar the staff had been briefed of our requirements and as soon as we sat down (and sometimes sooner) the food started to arrive. All the food was very good and it would have been nice to have stayed a little longer but we could see the approaching clouds through the conservatory roof.

After a quick photo outside, by Janice, we set off for the return journey. We had been at the pub for only 40 minutes, which must be some kind of record.
    
                                   

With the wind behind we flew back towards home with no sign of "lunch legs". There were a few spots of rain occasionally but we were doing our best to outrun the approaching black clouds. As we neared Addlestone there was a call to stop for waterproofs as the light rain was getting heavier. But this stop seemed to appease the weather gods and by the time we reached Walton we were once again ahead of the rain.

Here most pushed on for home rather than wait for the rain to catch up.

Thanks to all my group for a faultless team effort into the wind and a swift return.

Frances' group of 9 were second away.

We promptly departed Hersham but had a few hiccups so reloaded Garmin whilst Neil's group past us by. Muddy Lane did not disappoint and we made good progress after it to arrive at pub just after 12.30.
I was so keen to avoid rain forecast we left without a photo and quicker pace with wind behind got us back to Walton for 2.30pm.

4 stayed for tea and then we headed for Hampton when first drops of rain arrived.

Thanks to NeilW for backmarking and all for patience with navigator.

Finally my "full value" group, first away and last to finish: -

Despite today’s sun the recent deluges had taken their toll. Muddy Lane was awash, and many of the roads littered with debris. Jennie punctured in Woking and generously instructed us to continue, while she and David, unable to sort the puncture, returned home by train. Paula’s puncture was repaired over lunch with assistance from Simon and NeilW.

Lunch at the Red Lion, recently “discovered” by Ged, was excellent, served enthusiastically, and the pre-ordering meant we were away in under an hour.




Over lunch the weather was deteriorating. On our return over Chobham Common the view over the spires of Woking to the North Downs was becoming murky. However we were fortunate to have a strengthening tailwind for the return to Walton. Before that there was a parting of the ways in Weybridge where those headed further south left us to go home directly.

Arriving at Walton Riverhouse we met up with Frances’ group who were enjoying tea.

Simon’s prediction that the forecast afternoon rain would pass us by proved accurate for all but a select few who decided to linger over the Riverhouse’s giant teapot.

Thanks to Keith in my group for back marking, and to everyone who joined me, especially Frances and NeilC for making it all possible.