Harold Fifield

Pat Matthews received a message saying Harold Fifield (former Midweek Wayfarer and expert photographer who moved to Scotland a few years ago) has Parkinson's Disease and recently moved into a Residential Care Home. She is unsure which, but Harold's wife can be contacted on:        01899 220026

Terry

Bar Bags for Sale

 Peter Whiting is a long standing CTC member who has just rediscovered the Midweek Wayfarers.  He has a couple of Carradice bar bags  for sale, which he wonders if  any member might be interested in buying. He has sent me a small photo of each bag.

Carradice Overlander - used £20

Caracice Super C - new £35

He says:

(1)The first picture is a Carradice 'Overlander' bar bag which has been used and is in good condition. The white frame in front of the bag is the bracket which loops onto the handlebar and is secured by the strap at the front of the bag around the cycle frame head. £20

(2) The second is a Carradice Super C bar bag and has not been fitted; it is unused and has the fittings and instructions inside the bag. £35

If you are interested, please contact Peter direct:

• landline: 02083933328 or

• mobile: 07932 572819 or

• email: the.pod105@ntlworld.com

• Address: 105 Elmwood Drive, Ewell, EPSOM, Surrey KT17 2NL

Jeff 

B Ride - 18th December 2013 - Hammersmith Bridge

Fourteen of us left Leatherhead heading to Raynes Park, up Cottenham Park road, crossing Wimbledon Common and skirting Richmond Park to Barnes. We then followed the cycle signs to Hammersmith Bridge to reach the Blue Anchor pub.

Along the way we had some discombobulation - firstly, a newcomer Jeffrey, punctured in Epsom. Neil and David kindly agreed to assist him whilst the rest of the group pressed on. After three new inner `tubes Jeffrey decided to head for the nearest cycle shop which unfortunately is closed on Wednesdays. We never saw Jeffrey again.

Meanwhile, my back-marker, Francoise, punctured in Motspur Park. The chain became tangled. Thank goodness the mechanically-minded Stephanie and James managed to unravel the chain. In the meantime Dave and Neil caught up with us and we swiftly headed to the pub where a nice table had been led out on the first floor for 20 people with views of Hammersmith Bridge and the Thames.

The Blue Anchor pub was licensed in 1722 (which for the historians amongst you is approximately half a century before the French Revolution) and is one of the oldest Public Houses in London. Thankfully the food was not from that period; in fact it was better than average pub food and we were all served promptly and at the same time.

After lunch we crossed the bridge and turned left onto the tow path heading towards Putney. We turned right to return to Richmond Park via Barnes. At this stage Bernard left us to catch a train. We went round Richmond Park against a strong head wind and turned left exiting through Kingston Gate. We then made our way up to Combe Lane and through New Malden, to Claremont Avenue, where 5 of us had a Christmas Tea in our home - a total mileage of 42 miles.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Cycling New Year,
Frank

Bike shops in Epsom

Geoff, Sorry to learn of your tussle with the puncture fairy and the Wednesday closing of Pound Lane Cycle Service. Of no use to you now, but for future reference, alternative cycling emporia in Epsom are:

Fudges in Upper High Street
Halfords in Kiln Lane
Even Wilkinsons in the High Street, opposite the clock tower, sells bike bits including inner tubes.

A port in any storm is always welcome.

Jeff

from Geoff...

a note of thanks from Geoff:

Hello, just a quick note regarding the puncture repair I had to make, could not get any tubes to hold, the bike shop I was directed to does not open on a Wednesday, caught the train home, fitted a new tube in Evans in Wimbledon and all is well, if you are in contact directly or through the blog please thank all those that stopped to assist, a Happy Christmas and New Year to one and all.

Geoff Gregory

Easy Riders, 18th December

From Leatherhead centre, we went back via Ashtead Park, back of Epsom to Ewell Court (where the fire was last week) - Ewell Court House, a listed building.  It started in the roof - so it is believed, was an electrical fault.  Luckily, the firemen managed to get enough water from the near-by pond to put the fire out. 

After going through Nonsuch Park, we made our way to Prezzo in Cheam where Norman, Jane, Sandy, Clive, Sonia, Liz and myself enjoyed our C group Christmas lunch.  It was nice to see Liz, who has progressed to using one crutch.

Lynda.  

B Ride 18 December 2013

This nice chap ...

 ... took us to a nice pub (the Blue Anchor) with a good view (from the first floor) of the river at Hammersmith. There was a serious boat race:

 A panoramic view:

A pleasant lunch:

... and we didn't have to pay in old money!

A Group, 18 December

Leatherhead to Hook for Xmas Lunch

It's only five miles to lunch

 Christmas lunch at the Cap in Hand

In no particular order...

Leatherhead to Hook is just over 5 miles as the crow flies, which is not very much to work up an appetite or thirst, more a sedative to lull the brain and bones into a soporific state of fluffy inertia. We therefore shot the crow, turned our back on Hook and headed south, with a swoop down to Mickelham before a fairly steady upward angle of inclination, starting at Box Hill School. With a glimpse of the Broadwood Folly above Juniper Hall, former home of the Broadwood family, we started the climb of Little Switzerland, which is so much more attractive than the zig-zags, with an intimate and  changing spectacle of woodland, farms, fields and hillside, yet without the constant, irritable buzz of the impatient combustion engine.

 At the top we enjoyed the newly resurfaced section of the Cycleway Link that is Tumber Street and Slough Lane to emerge at Headley, with another long swoop behind Headley Court down Headley Lane to the City of London Freeman's School in Ashtead Park and the evocatively named Pleasure Pit Road. Past the RAC Club, we skirted Epsom town to Stamford Green. Surrounded now by suburbia, Manor Green Road took us to Hook Road. A final improvisation led us to the light-controlled pedestrian crossing that enabled us to cross the A243 without having to report anybody MIA and the final few hundred yards to the Cap in Hand, to arrive at 12.29 pm. for our well earned lunch.

Good food, good beer, even if a bit strong for me, and good company provided a fitting conclusion to the last Midweek Wayfarers' ride of 2013. Our warmest thanks go to the irrepressible Pam for organising our lunch and, as always, keeping us smiling with her infectious laugh.

Here's to a happy, healthy, accident-free and exciting year of new cycling adventures in 2014.

Jeff

B Group - 18th December

Maps for Frank's route showing the morning ride in red and the afternoon ride in turquoise:

Xmas Lunches

Xmas is well underway for me so far with a lunch at Smallfield yesterday - the 40+ organised by Derek Hanson the retiring secretary of SY/SX  40+ and today another well organised lunch by Pam. The food was very good at both Lunches.
The Photo shows Mark and Maggie at Smallfield, sorry i did not get one of our assembly today.

Wayfarers Contact list

I've just emailed the contact list to all paid-up members.  If you didn't receive it, please email me and I can send you a copy. For those without email, apologies but as I'm not riding at the moment I can't offer to bring paper copies to elevenses - perhaps you could ask someone else to print one for you?

Wayfarers locations

Please note that the Pubs Register now includes a layer which shows Wayfarers' home locations on the map. The data, which has been taken from Simon's new list, is anonymous which means that names and other personal details are not associated with the markers. The locations are determined by postcodes.

So, as with the A and B Group pubs information, the "Home postcodes" layer can be selected or deselected for viewing by clicking in the appropriate tick box.

Annual Photo Comp and Annual Mileages

The Jan/Feb issue of the Sou'Wester contained a reminder about the annual photographic competition and also the submission of annual mileages.
Everybody is invited to submit the total mileage they have cycled in the 12 months from 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2013. That is not just on CTC rides but everything, including shopping and wobbling back from the pub. There is no obligation, but it is interesting for the Club to be able to say how many miles our members ride each year. The link on the website also enables you to see how your annual mileage may vary from year to year. Mileages, however modest, can be sent to me at or after midnight on New Year's Eve. The rider with the greatest increase over the previous year will even get a gong.
The simple rules are: 
2. The highest annual mileage (Jan 1st - Dec 3lst)
 2.1. by a male rider.
 2.2. by a female rider.
A chart showing mileages reliably recorded by a meter or map measurer on a weekly basis will be required as proof for an award winning entry. Estimates may be given and accepted if it can be shown to the Section or DA Secretary and the Awards Sub-Committee that the basis for an estimate is reliable.
 I think that a Garmin or Cateye would count as a 'meter'.

The annual photographic competition is for photos taken within the year from 1st October 2012 to 30th September 2013. The rules for the photo competition are set out below. Please note that the photos must be real and not virtual, despite it now being so easy to send them by email, Twitter, Facebook etc. They will be displayed at the annual lunch and prize presentation at Prezzo on 5 March 2014. 
6. Photographic Competition:
A print or slide showing bicycle or other indication of cycling association.

• 6.1. Person (male) or people
• 6.2. Person (female) or people
• 6.3. Action
• 6.4. Scenery/landscape
• 6.5. Building/buildings
• 6.6. Humorous or funny
  The award for a winning photograph will be given to the photographer who took the picture, not to the model. Prints, in black and white or colour, may he up to 7" x 5" maximum or in any APS format. The photographer's name, the category, and a short caption should be provided.

Judging: A Sub-Committee of three will be appointed annually from the members of the DA Committee.
For all parts of the Competition the Sub-Committee's decision will be final
 The judging panel has not yet been appointed, but you are welcome to send entries to me to pass on to the  panel.
Jeff

B Group 11th December

Claygate to King's Tun

 Fogbound in the departure lounge at Claygate

 Xmas lunch at the Kings Tun. All things come.....

B Ride Wednesday 11 December 2013

A belated report owing to an internet connection problem. The Virgin man has now been and set me up with a new router.

On our way from North Cheam Lynda took us to ? House where there had been a serious fire a few days ago. We admired the damage and then carried on. The paths in the park were icy in places and poor old Liz took a tumble. She got back on her bike but during lunch it started to really hurt. So she hobbled off to A & E in considerable pain. After 5 hours she was X-rayed, nothing broken and equipped with crutches. She reckons she'll be out of action for some time.

It was the day of the Christmas lunch so there were a host of B riders. So many I didn't attempt a roll call as I usually do. We set off from Claygate retracing our steps due north along Red Lane. A short hiatus when we got to a no-entry sign to cross the M25, which I proposed to ignore but wiser heads prevailed. So we crossed via a sub-way. The fog was quite thick at this stage, there was one place to cross quite a fast road where one hesitated because it was not obvious whether one could see far enough.

Along some side streets and the on a main-ish road to Hampton Court Bridge and on to the tow-path along the north side of the river. We passed the ice-rink in Hampton Court garden. Even in the fog it was nice to cycle along the river, the path is pretty good and, of course, no traffic and few walkers. Over Kingston Bridge and on the the Weatherspoon pub, the Kings Tun (not very funny and incorrect punctuation!)

I had deliberately chosen a direct route so that there was plenty of time for lunch. There was! We got there at about 12.15 and finished about 3.30. The service was so slow several people gave up before their desert.

Easy Riders - 11th December

Lynda's route with the Easy Riders from Claygate to Stamford Greren for lunch then to Cheam for Tea

The bit from Ewell to Cheam has been made up so please let me know if this wasn't the route actually taken so that I can fix it.

- Tim

B group Christmas lunch 11/12/13

B Group - 11th December (Christmas Lunch)

Bernard led us out of the fog and into Kingston for Christmas Lunch:

Someone left a map on the pavement outside the DC in Claygate. There is an envelope containing a card tucked into it. Please claim it from me. I can bring it to elevenses on the 18th.

A Group 11th December

A foggy day in London Town …

Bright sunshine as I left the house, but I was soon in the fog as I went down the hill.  Foggy in Ewell, foggy in Claygate.  Never mind, it would soon clear.

We were in no rush to leave our elevenses, but, in the end, seventeen of us set off North towards Hampton Court Bridge.  There was a slight issue in this, as the pub had agreed to squeeze in twelve of us, and didn't seem overjoyed when I rang to give them the good news.  Oh well.

Some sunshine in Bushey Park, and quite bright at Kingston Bridge, but foggy again by Ham Common  and it didn't really clear as we went over the top of Richmond Park and down again to Roehampton Gate.  Up again to the Telegraph, and it was noticeably brighter, so we trooped in for our lunch in good spirits.

Despite the slightly gloomy telephone call everything was fine -  a big table for us, and plenty of room in the dining area.  It looked as if their concern was around a couple of large parties that were following us, but we were gone long before them, so nothing to worry about really.  Good food, good value and a good choice of beers, so a happy crew was back on the road before two o'clock.

Some of the Wimbledon dwellers peeled off at this point, the rest of us swooped down Putney Hill in the sunshine, slipping back into the fog on the towpath.  There were some pretty spectacular sights as we rode along - fog on the river, but buildings in the sunshine above it, and some very Turner-esque lighting at times.

Leaving the river we climbed back into Richmond Park by Sheen Gate, very foggy indeed here, but as we climbed Sawyer's Hill we got above it again.  Excellent views once more, and the deer close at hand giving a genuinely rural feel.  Hazy sunshine as we went down Richmond Hill, becoming fog again as we got to the river.  But we were in for tea by three, and while most would not be home before dark we didn't do too badly for a short day out.

23.2 miles elevenses to tea; rolling average 10.5 mph.  Not far, and not fast, but about right for the conditions.

Mark

Good News

Roger Mitchell is now back at home after his brief stay in Kingston Hospital.