Report for the Easy Riders - 2nd August

The pessimistic weather forecast was uppermost in our minds setting out. So a pleasant surprise that seven gathered at North Cheam. Another surprise within a few miles was that we encountered John Bellamy. Sadly, he left us before Claygate – he wanted to continue but his knees didn’t! Get well soon, John.

We were joined by Ed Sharp and Ray Wren at the RBL. With the skies continuing to look threatening, the consensus was that lunch should be somewhere on the return route. Unfortunately this would have entailed a significant detour for Pam, Gill and Liz who might otherwise have joined us. They chose to do their own thing and ended up at The Bridge in Chertsey.

Leaving Cobham, we were hastened on our way by a bellowing dog-walker – his might have been the voice of encouragement but the tone suggested a less sympathetic opinion of cyclists! No time to respond anyway.

We headed through Downside, the Chasemore Farm complex (best known for breeding thoroughbred racehorses but also a sheep and rare-breed pig farm according to their website) and on to Bookham Common. The paths were in good shape despite the recent rain.

John Connaughton was brought to a stop by a puncture approaching Bookham. He and his wife Anne generously urged the rest of us to go on ahead.

Pressing on via Leatherhead and Ashtead Common, the group arrived – thankfully still dry - at the Jolly Coopers at Stamford Green. John and Anne weren’t so lucky as it was raining steadily by the time they arrived.

(That’s two weeks running we’ve lunched at the Jolly Coopers, though last week it was at Hampton of course.)

The rain set in while we were being fed and watered. It wasn’t as heavy as the satellite images predicted but all, individually, took the shortest route home.

Frank