Dennis Broughton - Funeral Arrangements

 Dennis's son Matthew has now contacted Terry with full details of the funeral arrangements. These are:

The funeral will take place on Friday 28th February at 10.20am at Kingston Crematorium. the address is:

Kingston Cemetery and Crematorium

Bonner Hill Road

Kingston Upon Thames

KT1 3EZ

Matthew has written:

"We believe Dennis would prefer people to make charitable donations in memoriam rather than flowers, but of course both are welcome and much appreciated. We have two suggestions for charitable donations that we think Dennis would approve of:

Fight for Sight - http://fightforsight.org.uk and 

Macmillan Cancer Support - http://www.macmillan.org.uk

With regard to sending flowers, they must arrive at the funeral director's office the day BEFORE the funeral, so they must arrive on Thursday the 27th of February. The funeral director's address is as follows:

Co-operative Funeralcare

10 St James' Road

Surbiton

Surrey

KT6 4QJ

Donations can also be sent via the funeral director who will package them all together and send them on to the relevant charity after allowing a period of time for donations to arrive.

All donations sent via the funeral director MUST be cheques and MUST be made payable to the charity of choice; the director was very specific as he has had problems in the past with people writing cheques payable to him and/or the Co-operative Funeralcare, rather than the chosen charity.

  

After the funeral people will be invited to gather for a drink at the Berrylands pub, which is located at the following address:

The Berrylands

107 Chiltern Drive,

Surbiton

KT5 8LS

(the pub is barely 100 yards from Berrylands train station, if that helps navigation)

Please pass on this information to anyone you think would be interested in attending, thank you."

Matthew Broughton

A Group Audax Ride - Reminder

Don't forget - next week's A Group ride from Leatherhead on the 26th February gives those who want to the option of trying an Audax ride.  We'll start from Leatherhead pretty sharp at 1100 or so, ride to the BP Garage at Dorking where the Audaxers can buy something to get a receipt to start their timing.  Then we'll ride the route until we get to the top of Box Hill.   Audaxers will return to the BP garage to get their finish receipts and the rest of us will ride direct to Annie's, where we will all meet for tea.

Audax Brevet cards can be got here for £3.00 (£3.50 Paypal), the route and route sheet are below.

If anyone would like to know more, please ask.

Mark

Audax for A Group

At the end of February I'm down to lead an A Group ride, which has traditionally been the first 'Challenging Ride' of the season and has followed the 'Hilly 50' course.  For a change, I thought it might be a good idea to try something slightly different, so I've spoken to a few people about doing an Audax ride instead.  All votes so far in favour, so here's a bit of background information.

Audax goes back to the beginnings of cycling, when a dozen Italian cyclists rode from Rome to Naples in June 1897.  That's 230 kms, and the ride was described as 'audacious', which I think it was, for the time.  As with many things in cycling, the Italians had the flair but the French wrote the rules, and Henri Desgrange, he of the Tour de France, produced the first Audax Regulations in 1904.  Early Audaxes were group rides, but in the 1920s individual rides became more popular, which remains the case.  The essence of it hasn't changed much in more than a century, and the oldest cycle race, Paris- Brest-Paris, was, and still is, an Audax.

So what's it all about?  Pretty simple, really.  For every event there is a 'Brevet Card' and a Route Sheet.  The Brevet Card has a list of 'controls' you must pass through, the Route Sheet is a suggested way of doing it.  You don't actually have to follow the Route Sheet, but it usually makes sense to do so.  But you do have to pass through all of the controls, and in time, which is the most important thing.  For every Audax there is a minimum and a maximum average speed, typically 10 mph minimum and 20 mph maximum, but it does vary.  Easy enough for a short run, but harder and harder as the distance gets longer.  There is no allowance for stops of any kind - rest, food, breakdowns, it's all up to you.

You get your proof of passage either by getting your card stamped, as you see here, or, for 'Permanent' rides, by getting receipts at garages or cafes.  Permanents, as the name suggests, you can do at any time.  10 mph is not much of an average speed for 50 kms, but longer rides such as Paris-Brest-Paris or London-Edinburgh-London are a pretty tough proposition.

Here's the Route Sheet for the ride I'm planning for us:

I'll bring some copies on the day.

If you're interested in doing the ride as an Audax, you can get a brevet card and route sheet from here; it costs £3.  There's lots of information on the Audax UK Website if you'd like to find out more.

And if all this seems just too much fuss for you, don't worry.  Forget all of the paperwork and come along for the ride!

Mark

Our favourite café

Please see this invitation on behalf of Cycle magazine:

"For the April-May issue of CTC's 'Cycle' magazine, journalist Rob Ainsley is writing a piece on cafés that cater to cyclists.

We would like to include in the feature a list of Member Groups' favourite cafés - not just the ones that cater specifically to cyclists like 'look mum no hands!', but also ordinary cafés visited by riders on a regular basis. Perhaps they have the best (and biggest!) slabs of cake? Or maybe the one which makes the group feel most welcome, and doesn't mind a few muddy footprints on the floor?

Whatever criteria you choose, we would like you to nominate just one establishment for the list, which will be published in the magazine alongside Rob's article."

So, although I have an opinion, I think it would be good to reflect a little democratic consensus when I reply. I suspect that there are at least 20 differing opinions but please send me an email to let me know what your favourite café is and why. This needs to be a café which is a favourite for groups of us when we turn up for Tea, not just your private preference.

The Dieppe Raid: 28-30 June

Each year many Wayfarers join other cyclists to attend the annual 'Dieppe Raid', an excursion to Dieppe in France with an organised ride on the Sunday. If you haven't been before, I highly recommend you ask around and find out about it. You can find more info on my 2012 blog entry here.

If you do plan to attend, then it's advisable to book soon as I understand there are already 120 entrants, and only 40 places left at the after-ride meal. More details here.

A Group, 15th January

Walton-on-Thames - Ace Corner - Richmond Park

As the gang was not inclined  to line up for a wet pic, this is the famous Ace Café at 11's on a previous Frank ride.
I'm sure that is Toni I can see through the window.

Leaving Walton Day Centre at 11-15 after tea and cakes supplied by birthday boy John Bassett, as it was my run we of course headed in a Northerly direction with a select group of 14.

Over the new Walton Bridge bearing left to Littleton, skirting the Queen Mary Reservoir, across the Staines Road to Lower Feltham, along the many lights of Feltham High Street to turn right along another Staines Road, (not sure how many Staines Roads there are), then left past Hounslow army barracks, crossing the A4 at Heston and on to Norwood Green, crossing Brunel’s 3 bridges at Windmill Lane and on to the Greenford Road, following the side road that runs parallel with this through Greenford and under the A40 via the subway, we approached the slight climb of Horsenden Hill from the North, along Bilton Road, Perivale to pick up the Grand Union Canal for the last mile to the Ace Café on the North Circular Road arriving just a little before 1 o’clock

Tables were reserved for us and as Ron & Doreen were already there that made 16 in all.

As usual service and food were excellent and we were on our way by 2-15.

The weather deteriorated slightly and we needed to cape up by Ealing Village, it was a back street route via Park Royal, North Ealing, Gunnersbury Lane, Popes Lane, Gunnersbury Park, Kew Bridge and eventually the newly decorated café by the golf course in Richmond Park. Despite my efforts we all kept together with thanks to Jeff as back marker nobody was left stranded.

Door to door for me was 51 miles; it may have been slightly more or less for some.
Frank

Photo Comp Goes Digital

Digital Entries Welcome

Faced with a yawning lack of interest in the Annual Photo Competition, the DA Committee has considered whether, if printed photos were now so old hat, would digital entries arouse more interest and excitement. One way to find out:  invite members to submit entries as email attachments.

So if you have some photographic gem in your digital archive, why not take a punt and send it to the following address: swlda.photos@gmail.com.

The rules and categories are simple:

 Competition Period: 1st October to 30th September annually.

Photographic Competition:

A photo showing a bicycle or other  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 in each category will be given to the photographer who took the picture, not to the model.  The photographer's name, CTC membership number, the category, and a short, descriptive caption should be provided - not image001.jpg! Couldn't be simpler.What have you got to lose? Give it a go.

Jeff

A Group 8th January 2014

 Cobham - Mugswell - Ashtead Park

 

Outside the Well House Inn at  Mugswell

As the rains fell and flood levels rose, I wondered if I had been wise to accept Paul's offer of the leader's silver chalice. But with blue skies, bright sunshine and the mildest of breezes, some eighteen or so were impatient and eager to set sail from Cobham Harbour, fortified by welcome birthday cakes provided  by Dave V. We were lucky that the seemingly ubiquitous flood waters of the grumpy Mole had receded enough to allow us free passage along River Hill and Mill Road all the way to Leatherhead.  Here Canute had at last managed to work his magic and we were able to pass the recently flooded Leisure Centre and cross the bridge up Bridge St without getting our feet wet. From this point on the strategy was altitude; the higher we went, the further away the water. So we passed the former Royal School for the Blind (now flats), then Headley Court (not yet flats) and topped out at the head of Pebble Hill, for the fun of swooping down past Betchworth Station, where some were rudely halted in mid-career at the level crossing.

Betchworth Bridge

Reunited, we then circumnavigated the Mole, with too little time to admire the flooded Betchworth Bridge and Wonham Lane, both possible route options that had been closed off. At Buckland, our only option was the A25 to Reigate, followed by the A242 to Wray Common, where a near riot erupted when the leader ignored Wray Lane to choose Gatton Park Rd. Disgruntlement turned to bewilderment when the leader stopped at an inconspicuous entrance to a bridleway, left the tarmac and pointed upwards. A somewhat stony track, mottled but not fully carpeted with puddles, though soft in places,  led up to the Royal Alexandra & Albert School. All that remained was to cllimb up past Fanny's Farm Shop and down White Hill to the independent 16th Century Well House Inn at Mugswell. Outside it may not look its best in the depths of winter, but can be glorious in summer. Inside a warm welcome, log fires, a cosy atmosphere, a good selection of beers (Shere Drop a favourite of mine) and food served promptly.

After lunch, a lack of time meant a shortened route to tea. A quick jaunt through Tadworth, past Epsom Grandstand (where some branched off) and down Langley Vale to the Ashtead Park Garden Centre in Pleasure Pit Road. A pleasant venue for tea and cake before, still in daylight,  all set off for home, which hopefully they reached before the faintest of drizzles turned to rain, after what for me was a distance of 44 miles and more than a half century for others. My grateful thanks to Dave and Mark for  sharing TEC duties and so efficiently keeping us all together.

Jeff

Mileage totals 1st Jan to 31 Dec 2013

While you are fumigating your wallets with Flit or DDT to reduce the moth population to find a fiver for your subscription and deposit, why not grab an envelope (or a tenner) and write down your mileage for 2013 on the back,  to give me on Wednesday. You can also email it to me at : jeff.tollerman@lineone.net

Jeff

New cycle shop/cafe in Esher

A new cycle shop/cafe opens in Esher.

http://www.girocycles.com/
 
After months of work and preparation G!RO is finally ready to open its doors for the very first time!
To mark the long awaited opening of G!RO, we will be having a champagne opening on the evening of Thursday Oct 17th // 6.30 - 9pm.

Draft Surrey Cycling Strategy

Surrey Cycling Strategy

Meeting 23 October



http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/roads-and-transport-policies-plans-and-consultations/roads-and-transport-consultations/roads-and-transport-consultations-in-surrey/surrey-cycling-strategy-consultation

A Ride Wednesady 18the Sept

 9 am Cheam 11's@Fair Oaks

I will be leading the A ride but will not be riding from North Cheam - See you at Fair Oaks!

Lunch will be the Good Intent @ Puttenham (21 miles) and Tea at Annies in Leatherhead (19 miles)
ie with the 20 mile ride out To Fair Oaks, a 60 mile day (plus your ride home)

Random fact:
The village features in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: "Puttenham was a modest little village nine stories high, with silos, a poultry farm, and a small vitamin-D factory."

Paul Kelly

Raid Dolomites

I've been wanting to do this ride for a long time. It's the longest - and the hardest - of the classic French long-distance 'Raids', going over the edge of the French Alps, through the Swiss Alps and then the Dolomites on the way from Thonon (near Geneva) to Trieste, on the Adriatic. The format is the same as all the others - it's organised by a local Audax Club - Thonon les Bains, in this case. You apply to the club for a 'carnet' and a route card, you get the 'carnet' stamped at the control points listed along the way, and they'll give you a medal if you succeed. It's 1180 km over 38 cols with 21,384 meters of climbing. Roughly Lands End to John o' Groats, but with rather more climbing. Well, a lot more.

The problem with the trip was getting van support. Baxter's had done it every few years until about 2008, but had then stopped, and for the last few years no company has done it at all. Obviously, you can set off with panniers and so on, but it would be a slow old ride, so I wasn't keen. Then, doing the Raid Alpine last year, I had a spot of luck. James Thompson, of Marmot Tours, said that he was planning to run the Raid Dolomites as a route this season. In the event it was so popular that he ran three trips. I got my carnet and booked a place.

So it was that on the 20th of August I stood by the lake in Thonon, carnet in my pocket, ready to go.

Marmot Tours weren't hanging about on this one - the trip was nine days from end to end, so we put the hammer down right from the beginning. 191 kms and over the 2000 meter Simplon Pass at the end of the run to get to our hotel for the first night. It was very hot on the Simplon, with some tedious (and quite dangerous) road works in the tunnels, but everyone made it in good time for dinner and the show was on the road.

I find it best to make an early start on these runs, to get as many miles in as I can in the cool of the day. The second day wasn't too bad - some climbing in the heat, ending at San Bernardino, but day three, going to St Moritz, was quite tough. Switzerland, then Italy, then back to Switzerland, with three big passes, the smallest of which, the Maloja, at 1815 meters I found the hardest. 30 kms up a hot valley followed by a big climb on steep hairpins. But it was followed by a blast along the lake to St Moritz and beers on the terrace of our hotel.

The next day was no easier, with four decent passes ending on the top of the Stelvio, where we spent the night. Thunder and hail in the late afternoon, which I missed by my 'do it early' policy. Not everyone did. Overnight it snowed.

In the morning, one of the vans went off early to check the road for ice (it was fine), and after another long and hard day we got to Selva Val Gardena in the Dolomites. 194 kms and a lot of climbing. Grinding up the Passo di Pinei in the late afternoon I was passed by a local woman racer, out for her evening training run. 'Salve', she said, a normal courtesy amongst cyclists. Then, taking in the situation and my Raid Alpine tag she said 'Courage'. Yes indeed. I made it in time for a beer before dinner; the last bikes were in after 2130, pitch dark and raining.

A couple of easier days - plenty of climbing, but not so long - were helpful to rest a bit. I deliberately took it easy, with decent cake and lunch stops. That left me in good shape for Day 7, which was very tough. Over the Passo di Giau, well known from the Giro, then up to the Refuge at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, again a Giro classic. The Giau was OK, and I got up it well, but the descent was wet, treacherous and freezing. I was very cold when I got to Cortina, and warmed up with hot chocolate and cream cake, before setting off up again to the Tre Cime. Another very hard climb, but I got up OK and in a decent time. A great lunch in the refuge then down again by the same road, with words of encouragement for some of the party who were still on the way up.

Although there was plenty of riding left, if you had got over the Tre Cime then you were set for Trieste. The run of the country was down, interspersed with climbs, of course, and the pace rose steadily. The last fifty miles were fast indeed, with 'Trieste Express' line-outs vying to be first into town. Under the town sign, champagne and pizza at the Bar California on the front, and that was that. Another Raid done, and great fun it was.

I know it's not about the bike, but most people paid a lot of attention to their mounts, as did I. The steed of choice was the lightest piece of carbon fibre you could find, with a good saddle and a reasonable spread of gears - you can't go too low as you won't be able to keep the speed up on the climbs. I took the Condor that I had made for the Alps last year. SRAM Rival Groupset, with the 'WiFli' Climbing Group, a Fizik Aliante carbon fibre saddle, Mavic SL wheels and Continental Grand Prix tyres. Spot on, and trouble free.

And if it's not about the bike, it is about the logistics. Marmot Tours are top at the long-distance Raiding game, with a well-established system of two custom vans carrying food, spares and clothing, good hotels and your bag in your room by the time you get there. Good people and good to deal with.

Mark

-

B Ride 17 July 2013

About 20 of us set out from Kingston, ("about" because each time I counted I got a different answer). Tony H led us to Kingston Gate of Richmond Park. Seen on the way, two wonderful shire horses:

We crossed the A3 and then across Wimbledon Common, parts of which were really hard work, a mixture of sand and loose gravel.The shade was nice though. Then a slightly complcated route through Wimbledon. I'm not sure at what point the numbers reduced but only 16 made it to lunch. It proved rather difficult to keep the group together, with so many people and so many traffic lights, often we had to stop because the group was split. We lost a couple on the way but they made it through their native good sense. 14 of the 16 were: Anna, Ed, Françoise, Frank, Lynda, Gillian, Ian, Pete C, Pete ?, Ray, Robin, Sandy, Tim and me.

Since it was the hottest day of the year it was good to be able to cool down in the pool. In several places in London it reached 32 degrees. (Françoise took some photos which I hope she'll put on the blog).

We set off again just before 3.00:

We went though Crystal Palace Park and Sydenham Woods (a fragment of the Great North Wood which was a natural oak forest that covered most of the area of raised ground starting some four miles (6 km) south of central London, covering the Sydenham Ridge and the southern reaches of the River Effra and its tributaries. At its full extent, the wood's boundaries stretched almost as far as Croydon and as far north as Camberwell).

We joined the river at Battersea Park and followed it as far as Wandsworth Bridge, on the way:

We had tea at Fulham Palace, which is really rather super. It's astonishing how much wealth the church had. The Manor of Fulham was bought by Waldhere, the Bishop of London, from Tyrhtilus, the Bishop of Hereford, about 700AD. The Manor covered the whole of what is now Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing, Acton and Finchley. The Bishops owned other manors in Middlesex, Essex and Hertfordshire.Fulham Palace was one of several bishop’s palaces within easy reach of London, essential for attendance at court and Parliament, but away from the over-crowded city. In the 16th century there were 177 homes for 21 bishops, now there are 43 for 42.

By the time I got home I'd done 45 miles from North Cheam and I guess others had done a similar distance.

Sou' Westers at the Dieppe Raid 2013

Link to photo website

Deanna Bailey

Deanna Bailey

Leaving the theatre

Nice 1999

On the road;a meeting with Deanna

Deanna's close friend, Anthony Esgate, has written an affectionate memoir of Deanna and some of their shared cycling experiences. As it is rather long to include in full on the blog, I have placed a copy on Google Docs, where it can be read using the link below. He has also provided some photos of Deanna.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzHe2x6xlnSERjREeEx4eGU2TkU/edit?usp=sharing

David Aylett has also written:
 

“Dawn and I met Deanna in the mid 1970’s when riding with the Family Section with our children. When all the children grew up and young families no longer joined our all day rides with us Deanna continued to join us on our Downland rides. When she was no longer able to ride, as part of her social life, she joined our coffee meets with us using her car.

At her funeral we learnt that in her early years of club riding Deanna enjoyed rides with the Cheam and Morden Section. More recently she enjoyed meeting the Midweek Wayfarers, particularly riding from her home to Cobham on the first Wednesday of every month. Deanna’s quiet and warm personality will be missed by the many friends she made over the years cycling with us. “

David Aylett

Jeff

Are the Roads of Surrey Blighted by cyclists?

Yet another petition - to keep the roads of Surrey open to cycling

Dear All,

Have you read the petition of Mr X Higgins, asking Surrey County Council to restrict the use of Surrey roads for cycling events?

http://www.change.org/petitions/surrey-county-council-interact-and-give-knowledge-to-those-you-represent?share_id=IRMMccfJaB&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition

Rim Wear

It's not just brake pads that wear out!

Worn Rim

Just seen this picture which is frightening. A lot of cyclist seem to be unaware that rims wear out as well!

Rim Wear Link

A Group - 24 April, 2013

Shepperton - Littleworth Common - Sunbury

We seek him here, we seek him there......

A sunny line-up after lunch at the Jolly Woodman

before setting off through Burnham Beeches.

BST GMT

Don't forget that the clocks go forward one hour at 1am this Sunday morning. If you are out for a ride, don't get left on the start line and wonder where everybody is. The Royal Museum Greenwich has some QI facts.

Jeff