Thinking of Peter Tiller prompted memories of a ride he led a couple of years ago, from Molesey to Thorpe. With elevenses at the Riverhouse Barn in Walton, today's route was a variation on that theme. The destination was outside the Easy Riders' familiar territory and all the better for that.
From Walton, 11 of us followed "Bellamy" path to Weybridge then on towards Chertsey where we crossed the Abbey River and picked up Ferry Lane. It was like a different world once we had left the M3 behind, so quiet and with the road/track to ourselves albeit for a relatively short distance. There was a glimpse, looking north, of an impressive stretch of the Thames but that quickly gave way to the rear view of a succession of uninspiring riverside properties off Laleham Reach.
Our objective was the Red Lion in Thorpe and everyone enjoyed their lunch although, as we were sitting in the garden area, it was difficult to ignore the noise from M25. It seems as though the centrally placed international school has a greater impact on village life, with students constantly on the move from one part of the campus to another, than Thorpe Park which is situated on its fringe.
The return journey took us back through Chertsey, Shepperton, Sunbury, Hampton (where the traffic was grid-locked), Bushey Park and Kingston. A total of 45-50 miles. Dark clouds threatened for much of the day but, thankfully, the rain held off and the day ended with sunshine.
The Easy Riders were great company as usual. Thank you Maureen for back-marking and thank you Peter for passing on the knowledge.
Frank C
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