B Group - 7th March

Ed's route from Cobham to Prezzo in Cheam

Prezzo Voucher

I've just received an email with the new Prezzo Voucher - 25% off all food.

www.prezzorestaurants.co.uk

Mark

Annual Lunch at Prezzo - 7 March and T shirts

Refund of Deposits (and T shirts)

Dear All,

As Julian, Treasurer and Keeper of the Flattened Marzipan Tin, may not be able to join us next Wednesday, he has asked if we would please pay our bills in full and assures us that he will refund our deposits as soon as he can. The usual drill is that he refunds at Prezzo the £2 deposit that we have already paid, to everyone who is there and catches up with those who couldn't make it after the event. Either way, bills are paid to Prezzo in full. However, he is a tough negotiator and I have not been able to agree any interest on the £2 deposits held beyond next Wednesday.

Linda tells me that the last Prezzo voucher deal ends on 5th March, but there might be another early next week, so keep your eyes peeled.

Also, if you have lost your shirt, Linda has got the printed T shirts. She can bring them with her on Wednesday; hopefully, some can collect at North Cheam. Cost is £6.50 inc vat per shirt.

Jeff

B Ride 29 February 2012

It was a bit of a wild-life safari after 500 feet of ascent. Our esteemed leader, Liz.

Easy Riders - 29th February

The Easy Riders' route from Leatherhead to Leigh for lunch and then to Denbies for afternoon tea

Click on this map then click again to zoom in a bit more

B Group - 29th February

Today's route from Leatherhead to Brockham for lunch and then back to Nonsuch Park via Leatherhead for Tea. Thank you Liz.

The main part of the ride, a loop from Leatherhead...

...and since a bit of climbing was involved this looks nice rendered in rainbow colours

The last bit from Leatherhead to Nonsuch Park

A Group 29 February

Leatherhead - Ewhurst - Leatherhead

A Group 29th February

Today, the A Group declared the end of Winter. This may have been slightly premature, but so far, so good. We left Leatherhead intending to do a few more miles than we usually would at this time of year, and to do them a little quicker. By and large we succeeded, and the value of the exercise was emphasised by the statistics - this would have been an easy ride in June, but today we had to work a bit.

Sixteen of us set off along Lower Road, braving the Gypsies' dogs in Calvert Road before turning into Green Dene and beginning the first climb. No real problems, but we took a short breather at the junction with Staple Lane before a cautious descent around Agony Corner - slippery - and fast down Combe Bottom to Shere.

Through the village and climbing again up Sandy Lane, right through Albury Heath and Farley Green, climbing steadily through the Winterfold Forest until we got to the corner of the Greensand Lane. After a brief discussion we decided against the interesting possibility of going down the steep hill through Lapscombe Close in order to come up again by Barhatch Lane, which is one of the harder hills hereabouts. Instead we stuck to the crest and descended a benign Barhatch Road until we got to Ride Way, leading to the top of Pitch Hill. Fast down - more than 40 mph - and we were at the Bull's Head in Ewhurst just before one.

The landlord had asked that we telephone our lunch orders through at elevenses, so that the staff would have time to prepare our meals. After a brief hiatus, while we wondered if this had in fact been a good idea, the food duly appeared and we were all well and promptly served. We were in and fed within forty minutes, so this was indeed a good idea, as an hour is often tight for a pub lunch.

So, a stroll out and then the easier part of our ride. The sun was out, with a temperature of 14.5ºC as we headed South to Honeywood Lane, picking up Weare Street heading towards Capel. As we passed through the aptly named Spring Copse there were indeed signs of spring - many snowdrops, some crocuses, many daffodils just about to bloom and even a few primroses. This all seems a bit premature for February, but no complaints.

Familiar roads from Capel, heading North to Newdigate then up Henfold Lane, where, unusually for the A Group, the pace began to climb and a bit of a line-out began to form. By the time we got to Annie's it was head down, devil-take-the-hindmost ... I think that it's important that these great traditions are maintained.

My apologies to my fellow riders for the lack of a cultural interlude this week, but at least it kept us out of the graveyards. 39.52 miles at just over 12 mph (computer glitch prevents greater precision); 2388 feet of ascent and a best speed of 40.1 mph. And we were in to Annies just after 1530, so we could have done more. As the year unfolds, I'm sure we will.

Mark

Olympic Folly - the Euro

Art or Artifice? - The €

Yesterday, the Cheam and Morden visited Stratford to inspect progress on construction of the Olympic stadium. This photo shows what I thought at first to be a giant concrete mixer. Then Neil told me that it is an 'art installation', the misshapen progeny of an alliance between Anish Kapoor and an engineer called Cecil Balmond/Arup. I hereby name it: The Euro. It looks like a fairground ride that has been hit by a tsunami. Cost:£19m of which £16m has been provided by a steel magnate and £3m by the Olympic Delivery Authority. A fitting reminder perhaps of Olympian profligacy and philistinism. It will be owned and operated by the Olympic Park Legacy Company, who will charge the public to visit the observation platform. To find out more, follow this link which I have called a poke in the eye. Read all about it and add a comment to say what you think.

Jeff

A Group 29th February - Lunch Menu

Lunch will be at the Bull's Head, Ewhurst next Wednesday, and the pub has said that they will be able to serve us quicker if we phone our order ahead. It's not essential, but it will help.

If you could take a look at these I'll collect orders at elevenses.

Mark

Sheepcote 2009

Just to show that Sheepcote Lane holds no fears for some

Ray in October 2009 cresting Sheepcote while chatting away quite happily

Vic's Point to Point - Leatherhead to Friday Street

Vic seems to think that we may be getting a bit soft. He has recalled this little Point to Point from Leatherhead to Friday Street to test our mettle.

Vic in 1950 at the top of Sheepcote Lane. Note the gears – he hasn’t got any, well one!

On 29th January 1950 some local clubs got together to run a point-to-point from Leatherhead to Friday Street. I don’t know if it was intended to be competitive, but it would probably turn out to be. I was too young to take part in the main event but I followed on with a club mate.

In January 2012 I went out to retrace that ride. From notes and photographs made at the time I got fairly close, but some of the terrain is no longer as friendly as it was then, so I skipped it. If you want to try it, it’s best to go on a weekday morning with not too many people, and take some food. It’s mostly rideable on a touring machine except perhaps at one point indicated in these directions. My reconnaissance took me 3 hours, but without the map-reading, wrong turns, and photography it would probably be closer to 2 hours.

From Leatherhead set out on the Dorking road; use the painted cycle path on the carriageway. Take the second turning left (Givons Grove, No Through Road). Follow Mickleham Drive uphill until it doubles back as a hairpin. Go straight on along the footpath (panoramic views) to a gateway into Dell Close. Drop down to Box Hill School, turn left. At “The Running Horses” pub turn right (Swanworth Lane). At the main road turn left on the permanent cycle path. At Burford Bridge cross over through the subway, turn left. Within a few hundred yards turn right through a gate with heraldic medallions on the ironwork (North Downs Way). Go up this cobbly lane until it merges into a smooth road with gates. Go through two (narrow) gates (more panorama). At the third gate (locked) change smartly into your granny gear and turn sharp right. This path leads shortly to Ranmore Common Road. Turn left, pass the church, and at the T-junction turn right. At about one mile turn left into the public byway (SP Dorking Scouts Ranmore Campsite). Follow this all the way downhill to the railway.

Some of this is white-knuckle country; you are allowed to dismount, as did some of the original riders (but not all!). Cross the railway by the gates provided. A short length of path (the last) leads into Holehill Lane. At T-junction go into Balchins Lane. Look out for the blue plaque on the left. At the main road turn right up Coast Hill. At Wotton Hatch turn left into Sheephouse Lane. Follow the sign to Friday Street to finish at the “Stephan Langton”. Read their menu. Break out your sandwiches. This route is 18km. long; if you have time and energy to spare you might like to retrace a short way to Broadmoor and photograph each other in front of the waterfall at TQ136459.

Vic White

A Group 29th February - The Leap Year Proposal

Spring is evidently on the way, and may even last until next Wednesday, so I thought it might be time to stretch our legs a little. Here's the Leap Year Proposal - the proposal being that we do a few miles more than we usually do at this time of the year, but easy miles. The ride is designed in accordance with Dr Kelly's rules; there are a couple of hills before lunch but nothing much afterwards.

The plan is to get away from Leatherhead just after eleven and to be back in Annie's about four.

If Winter should return I'll shorten the route.

Mark

Ash Wednesday Ride

A dull day which turned out to be quite wet! Graham led the way almost along the Wey but down the Basingstoke and here the troops are seen traversing the canal!

B Ride 22 Bebruary 2012

We had a nice lunch at the rather attractive pub.

Surrey Cycle Maps - availability

As you probably know these were recently reprinted and are being sold for £2 each. I was disappointed to find that Surrey Council Offices in Kingston don't stock them any more, and Leatherhead library only sold the local ones (Nos. 3 and 5). However if anyone else is looking to buy the full set, I'm pleased to say that I found all eight in stock in Staines library. If you know other libraries that stock the full set, perhaps you could comment to this blog article or email me for a future Sou'westers article?

A Group 22 February

So much for careful planning! The forecasts were gusty followed by rush hour rain (heavy in places) so I clipped the curlicues from my intended route. Now this ran along a roadworked Sidney Road to Walton and Weybridge stations, popped in and out of Brooklands and used Woking's planet(Venus?) trail from Byfleet to West Byfleet. Halfway we paused on the bridge across the Navigation for the photo shoot and a chance to phone the intended lunch stop. The answer was a blank stare, "What group of cyclists?" Hastily I changed venue and direction now heading towards Woking via Maybury rather than Mayford – a shorter ride so an earlier stop at the Herbert Wells aka Wetherspoon’s. Once seated, I looked up to see passers-by unfurling umbrellas – it was 1230 (rush hour according to BBC/Met Office).

On the restart a steady drizzle patterned the Basingstoke as we tackled the towpath. In West Byfleet part of the outward route was retraced before the turn into Lock Lane closed (but not to us) for tree surgery. Here Ray and Jeff went AWOL heading towards Ripley and could not be recalled. Nevertheless Ray beat us to a drying Sainsbury's Cobham; we having taken in Wisley’s Gardens and Airfield. I made it 20 for lunch and 13 for tea. Home just after four and a meagre 45 miles.

Graham

B Group 22 February

‘B’ ride Wednesday 22nd February 2012. 18 left Walton D.C. on a dry cloudy day to cycle to ‘The Fox & Castle at Old Windsor via Chertsey , Hurst Lane, Middle Hill then whoosh down Crimp Hill to Pub arriving at 12.45pm. service was very good with everybody being served very promptly. After lunch with rain now falling steadily we left via:- Runnymedes, Laleham to the Shepperton bakery where 6 very brave souls stayed to munch on doughnuts & iced buns etc. Thank you everyone and thanks to Tim for the route map.

Irene.

B Group - 22nd February

Irene's ride (clockwise) from the Walton Day Centre to the Fox and Castle

 in Old Windsor and on to the bakery in Shepperton for tea

(21.5 miles)

Easy Riders 22nd February

My day began by leading an innocent wayfarer astray en route to Walton He had caught sight of the fluorescent jacket and followed as he thought I was heading to Walton but I was actually doing a quick reccy of Burwood Park as I’d heard they were gating it. I sent him backwards in a general direction and continued to find that the Burwood Park Estate is to have barriers operated by residents pass but not gated so shouldn’t be an obstacle to cyclists. I then had to ask three people directions to the day centre as I could not find it myself. However this was not to be an omen for the ride which proceeded as planned, cutting through the pedestrian only passageway to Sainsbury’s thence through Ashley Park/Burwood Park/Burwood Golf Club x R.Mole and devious route through Norwood Farm, exiting on Elvedon Road. So many “private” places. What a lovely route but marred by notices telling me trespassers will be prosecuted in the Norwood Farm area. For those interested in prosecution the route down Norwood Farm Lane ends in a large gate that can only be opened by combination number (which Ron tells me is 0 for milkmen and postmen). However as a pedestrian one can still walk round the end of the fence and proceed to Sainsbury’s in Cobham. Safely in the public spaces of Cobham we took usual route to Cricketers at Downside. New management and menu, drinks and food served at the table, a little pricier than it used to be but still soup and flatbreads (sandwiches) on the menu so something for everyone. Rain commenced so we went back past the ever expanding “little” chapel onto Fairmile/Water/Littleheath/Oxshott Heath/Claygate for tea and home. Ten sat down to lunch and eleven at tea where we picked up Ron again – Lynda Malcolm David and Wendy Alan Norman Roger John and Sandy.

Steph