Ride Report A group to Old Windsor

 For those that remember we last did this ride in December 2017. I changed it to remove the Basingstoke canal section but to include the Rhododendron ride in Windsor Great Park.

Brian's Report.

My group of seven consisted of Christina, Gill H, Sue F, Simon, Richard and Dave V. The sun came out near Ripley and we enjoyed some warmth before lunch. There was a bit of a holdup approaching Ottershaw while the workmen stopped the traffic to rearrange their cones and Steve's group caught us up. Windsor Great Park was a delight though the closure of the path from the Virginia Water gate forcing us to use the A30 does nothing for the Royal Park's Green "credentials" in my view. Lunch was fine once we had sorted out the admin!! The return ride was more challenging to lead from a gpx though my virtual "recce" on Streetview came in handy. In retrospect I think the old fashioned way of just going round the roundabout at Kempton Park would have been better. Do cycle path designers ever ride them? We had a couple of light showers but it was dry again when we got to Bushy Park. Here, with more rain forecast, we split up for home rather than stop for tea.

My thanks to the group who it was a pleasure to lead. Christina was close behind for much of the way so unknowingly became my pace maker allowing me to concentrate on the gpx. Thanks to Steve for an interesting route and a few new or nearly forgotten roads on the return and for Dave V for back marking.

Report for Neil's sub-lead group weds 1 May 2024

Our group of Hans Peter, Mike, Andy and back marker Dave (thanks) left last, I tried to lead a moderated pace. Some had not ridden the new Elm Lane so we took that liberty. Rising up to the runway it was as if we came out of mist, into sunshine. Descending towards the Ripley roundabout exit I noticed the road and cycle path has what looks like the final smooth surface. Climbing over the exit, a workman asked me (I thought) "have i seen a ball?" [You been playing football? I thought], but I checked and he said "pool or pond". Curiouser and curiouser. Then he pointed to a family of geese, who'd gone off course because of the road work barriers, ah! "Well there's a brook on this side of the road", and he gallantly stopped the traffic and gently guided them over. We all approved.

From Ripley again a nice stretch with a small hill, then mixed urban roads and eventually the liked likes of Accomodation Road and the Park, with a lovely view of the lake still in sunshine. 

The staff at the Harvester were busy, but somehow falling short. Andy related his involvement with Phoenix, and others we knew from way back when.  

With the forecast warning rain, we saw, but did not enter the War Memorial, and stuck to the route. Getting rained on briefly most of us went directly home, Andy and Pete decided to stop near the Hampton lock cafe.

Great day out, and we got off lightly with only a light shower. Thanks Steve.   

After tea and coffee kindly supplied by Ken Day to celebrate his birthday, 20 riders set off in three groups from Cobham to go north to The Bells of Ouzeley, a Harvester pub. The route took us through Ripley and then West Byfleet via the station tunnel to progress through Ottershaw to Virginia Water. Since Covid cycling has been banned around the lake and so we had to enter at Wick Road in order to enter using permitted cycle routes. On the 'Rhododendron ride' there were very few plants that remained in bloom, but we found a couple of fine examples.

Lunch at The Bells was a disjointed affair where our pre-orders were abandoned in order to take our individual requests after buying a drink from the bar. After a half hour wait for the skeleton staff to take our orders we queued yet again at the bar to order our food, which came out to the garden mercifully quickly. If visiting again it would be twice as efficient to order our drinks and food individually after noting a table number in Weatherspoons fashion. Nevertheless, everyone seemed in good spirits, probably due to the warm temperature and hint of sunshine.

So after a ninety minute lunch we set off again to climb Priest Hill.

We spent 10 minutes in the Air Forces memorial. A visit always overwhelms me with sadness at the 10 million lives lost in the second world war mostly of men and women in their twenties. The memorial, one of 23,000 in Europe is a testament to the futility of war and yet it is poignant to realise that we have enjoyed relative peace and prosperity  in the UK solely because of the sacrifice of so many.

Rain now threatened and so we set off again down Tite Hill, through Egham and Staines. This time however going north of Kempton to Hampton Hill and the entrance to Bushy Park exiting at Hampton Court where Ged and I had tea at Dish. Other riders had peeled off to go directly home. The light rain had left off by now and I had a dry ride home.

Thanks to all wayfarers for riding today and to Ged for back marking my group. Special thanks to Brian and Neil Warland for leading groups from GPX. Thanks also to Brian for help planning the route.

Steve D