Grovel Friday 20 July 2018

Excuse me Mark for making some observations on your suggestion of a welcome and anticipated scenic short-cut to Arundel. I managed to find the path, starting at an old bridge over the Arun. See pic.1. I made it along dry grass to the first kissing gate which was a challenge. The next field I could not believe it was water logged full of cow dung and my cycling shoes almost departed my foot more that once by being sucked into the mud! The next challenge was a bridge with a bar across it which I had a struggle to lift my Cube over being now in a more depleted state. See pic.2. the way forward seemed to be through Jungle see pic.3. Then to cap it all the roots appeared see pic.5. Then there was a series of elevated wooden tracks with a hand rail on one side but very tricky to ride on an MTB with wide bars. Furthermore the gaps between the planks were too dangerous for narrow road wheels but OK for MTB slicks. See Pic.4. These were ideal for walkers but very tricky for cyclists.
The challenge then continued as I carried on towards Arundel. The path was completely root infested and I found it impossible to stay mounted fearing a fall and further damage to my right hip complete with 3 long screws. I have to say Mark I must congratulate you for riding this path but I would caution others to be very wary before trying. You definitely in my mind need nobly wide tyres at a softer pressure.

Gravel Friday 20 July 18

Thanks to Mark for a fantastic ride though I suffered more than one death, out of breath and overweight. I do not know how Ken Day did it on his road bike but he did. Those Borstals were horrific and I nearly chickened out!
In my case I made it a two day trip staying in the YHA Thrs. night. this gave me the chance to go to a concert in St Pauls Church for a Venice night out. It was very interesting with a senior entry of £5 with a glass of wine. Picture 1 below shows one of the artists.
The Gravel ride overall I did not enjoy but maybe that was the ending along the Arun to Arundel. Today I feel that I did achieve something and would like to thank my fellow Borstalers for being so patient in waiting for me as I delayed their arrival at the Moon by probably an hour! Normally mean and tight Morley decided that it was the least I could do to try and compensate with a complimentary drink. Picture 2 includes Mark before we set off from Devil's Dyke.
One of my aims of this ride was to go to an ordination at Arundel Cathederal, my first. The ceremony almost two hours was almost a Crucifixion for me as I arrived just in time all sweaty and dusty. Picture 3 refers. It was compensated however afterwards, by a splendid celebration in the Barons' Hall courtesy of Their Graces, the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk in Arundel Castle with canopies and wine. Pic 4.
In conclusion I have to thank Mark for his suggestion that I take a short cut along the banks of the Arun from Storrington. I found this one of the most challenging rides of my life. Sure in my younger days I may have found it a cape walk on my MTB but as it turned out it was a root infested walk. At the risk of boring everyone I will post more pics on sep blog.

Gravel Friday

Today, we learned a new word.  Bostal.  A bostal is a short, steep hill from the agricultural land at the bottom of the South Downs to the agricultural land at the top.  Some are surfaced,  and some are not.  The road up Ditching Beacon is a bostal, for example. Bostals played a big part in today's ride.

We met at Bystanders Cafe in Brighton, as arranged, and some took advantage of the ample breakfasts on offer.  A good plan, as it was a fair pull to lunch.  We left the cafe just before eleven, rode up out of town and up again along the long drag that leads to Devils Dyke.  A brief pause here for photography, then off along the trackway on the crest of the Downs.

Bostal Boys

Good riding for several miles, rolling country with varying surfaces, but nothing difficult.  Cresting a rise, we encountered heavy traffic - a very large tractor.  The farmer waved.  Then it was time for the first bostal, which took us down to Upper Beeding.  Unsurfaced, it needed a bit of care for a safe descent, but no problems and we were soon rolling through the pretty village past Bramber Castle.  Up towards Steyning, then left on to Steyning Bostal.  This gets an entry in Simon Warren's '100 Greatest Climbs ' book, and he gives it 5/10.   Scores varied from our group by the time we had done two 17% pitches, but, at least, it was surfaced.

We were now back on the top and rolled along nicely to the Chanctonbury Ring, with Leith Hill just visible in one direction and the sea in the other.  Mike M was blowing a bit at this point, so we agreed that having descended the next bostal, Washington Bostal, he would take the road to the pub while the rest of us went up one more bostal, and then back down another.  This worked swimmingly, and, having got to the pub first, Mike generously bought beer for all of us.

A good lunch, eaten in the Secret Garden, then it was Ten Green Bottles on the way home.  Mike M waved us goodbye from the pub, as he was going on to Arundel to meet friends; Steve turned off at Barns Green to take the Downs Link to Lancing, also to meet friends; Mike R and Ray left at Horsham heading for Gatwick and their cars, and Ken and I parted company at Rusper, making our separate ways home.

A good ride for a dry summer,  plenty of entertainment, good views and good company.  Thank you all.

Mark

A ride 18th July

Here are some of us at Cranleigh. Thanks to everyone for a lovely day out and especially the corner markers and Brian for back marking.

B Group - 18th July

 

The Vineries - Mayford - Walton-on-Thames

We may have lost certain bike parking places but it didn't seem to make a problem!  It was good being able to sit outside in the sun with our morning coffees and teas.   To continue.....nineteen B riders left The Vineries for lunch at the Mayford Arms.  When I planned my route, I had been up Green Dene three times on various club rides, hence I chose to go in the opposite direction!   BUT....Before I continue I must welcome Dave Ferrett to our group.  It was Dave's first ride with the Wayfarers yesterday and we hope to see much more of him.

Down past Effingham Junction station to turn left into Forest Road, then right at the T.  East Lane, Ripley Lane, Hungry Hill and then Tithebarns Lane towards Send.  Woodhill and Potters Lane to Old Woking following the A247 to join up with a very good cycle path along side the A320 to Mayford, arriving approximately 12.45.

As the food was all pre-ordered we expected to sit down with a short wait before it arrived.  It didn't happen!!  The food was extremely good, but, we were still waiting for orders an hour later!   Sunshine and good company took the sting out of the waiting.

Upon leaving the pub two members took off for Woking station whilst the rest of us headed for St. John's to pick up the Basingstoke canal.  As we 'per chance' rode the Basingstoke and took tea at the same place as I had reccied last week,  I was going to change my return route but the general consensus was to carry out plan A - which we did!! The canal to Woodham/New Haw, Addlestone, Weybridge to the Walton River Barn for tea.

At the scene of the crime, standing on the hard shoulder

This was not such a good plan for Liz B for whilst the group stopped to say goodbye to Terry, Dave and Liz N at the Byfleet exit, we noticed three people missing.  We waited, and we waited.  Brian very kindly cycled back to find out if there was any thing wrong; I phoned Liz, Tim and Vic but no replies!   Then a text from Tim.  Brian returned and said they were on their way - thankfully.   Well!!!!  Liz  and bike had been in the canal!!   A cyclist going towards Liz, swerved to avoid a 'parked' bike, rode into Liz who landed up in the canal!   The best bit is that Liz appeared to be unharmed or fazed by the incident.  I do hope you are still feeling as good Liz :) :)

Soooo, at The Barn we were served several large pots of tea to share, each paying for a cuppa with only one or two sampling the cakes.  As usual, we left in dribs and drabs, going in various directions home.

Inspecting Liz to confirm that she hadn't entirely dried out

Whew, what a day!   Thank you Liz and Tim for back marking and all those who cornered.  Photos and route courtesy of Tim, but the one of us all watching Liz dry out was taken by me!

Thank you all for your company - happy cycling Pam :) :) 


More photos HERE

A Group 18th July

Today, Steve gave us a proper ride on a proper Summer's day.  Pleasant roads, shady tracks, a good lunch and ice-creams at Pilgrims.

Perfect.

Mark

Pam's ride to the Mayford arms.

Great food.....eventually.

Gravel Friday - Trip Notes

The forecast is good for Friday, so here are the arrangements.  

Elevenses will be at the Bystander Cafe, 1 Terminus Road, Brighton BN1 3PD.  It's just on the right as you come out of the station.  It's covered with scaffolding at the moment, but the sign is just about visible.

We'll ride along the edge of the Downs to Storrington, lunch at the Moon, then quiet lanes to Horsham and familiar lanes from there.  

Here's the route, the gravel is mostly in good condition and the riding is easy, with great views all along the ridge.  There are two tricky descents, which you can walk if you don't fancy them, and one climb from Simon Warren's '100 Greatest Cycling Climbs' - Steyning Bostal, 5/10.  

Get some while it's hot!

Mark

Bike parking at Effingham

Good news:  the Vineries have a new outdoor eating area.
Bad news: it's where we used to park our bikes. 

There is space for a few bikes round the back of the cafe building, as before, but we have been asked PLEASE don't block the access for servers with trays to get to the new outdoor area.   The best place to park bikes is at the end of the car park nearest the cafe (not the display area for the garden furniture shop).   Please pass the message around.   Thank you.

B Group - 11th July

Claygate is a starting venue that offers the chance of numerous opportunities for our rides, I decided to head off in a north westerly direction.  20 of us left the elevenses meeting point and we passed through Esher, Cobham, Ockley and on to Ripley. Here we turned right and made our way along the country roads, Papercourt Lane and Tannery Lane to Send. Again, turning right, we made our way to the outskirts of Woking by way of Old Woking and on to the Cricketers pub at Horsell Birch, arriving at 12:50.

The pub knew we were coming, however unfortunately they didn’t get the lunch orders right and this resulted in one of us having to wait so long for their food to arrive that he decided to forgo eating it, rather snacking on chips, at least he didn’t have to pay for anything! Unfortunate as I say as in the past the pub has served us well.

We left the pub, took Brewery Road and went down the path onto the Basingstoke Canal. Along the very familiar track, leaving it at Scotland Bridge Road. Through Addlestone and onto Weybridge, here Pam kindly showed me a safer, better route along to Walton, well known by the B group riders.
Again, unfortunately, Jennie suffered a double puncture just short of our tea stop, the Theatre, but was able to push the bike to the car park, we had tea and cake and then replaced the inner tubes.       

A very enjoyable ride, good company and great weather.

Thanks to those that marked corners that enabled the ride to keep moving along, and also to Jennie for back marking.

David

A Ride Wednesday 18th

I have planned a strait forward, quiet route from Effingham to Cranleigh for lunch at The Richard Onslow where there will be tables and bike storage at the rear. The route includes two miles of the Downs Link (flat). After lunch we'll do another two miles of the Downs Link (flat) and then on to finish at West Humble station for tea. To download the .GPX routes click on the link below


https://1drv.ms/f/s!AjuQql-aFKiyadT1PYJFA_YRnlQ

LGW en-route to meet East Sussex

Unlike my shots of the RAF flypast I too missed the plane taking of at LGW. I tried to be clever and get the guys and gals in the same shot as a plane took off but the angle on my camera was not wide enough. If we do it again the trick will be to have you all lining up under the flight-path, not to one side. Anyway after the plane had flown I took the photo below with worthy leader Mark on the left.
A hard day for me but good practice for the Pru 100.
Thanks very much Ged for being such a patient and helpful back-marker.

Meeting East Sussex CTC

Relive Video by Janice:   https://www.relive.cc/view/1695851711

Arriving at the Tesco store at Hookwood there was a gratifying number of bicycles outside, and we made a brisk start by a different route from normal.  Heading south through Gatwick Airport we stopped for a moment to see a plane pass, as we have before.  And, as before, it proved more difficult to get a photograph than might be expected, as the planes are reluctant to put themselves in the right place.  So here's one from another ride - you get the drift, just imagine a group of cyclists on the track.

On to the Worth Way, passing through the car-park of yet another enormous Tesco, and then sun-dappled gravel for six or seven miles until the outskirts of East Grinstead.  This Sustrans route serves us well, avoiding some pretty busy and uncongenial roads, but the trouble with all of these rail-trails is that they're a bit samey, with not a lot to see.

Anyway, off the track and on to the road - the rest of the route to Horsted Keynes is very pretty indeed, fine rolling country which was looking at its best.  We were at the pub just before one, just before our East Sussex friends, and John was there too, having missed us at Hookwood.

The pub was a mixed success.  Despite warning, they struggled a bit with the very large group that presented itself, and poor old Brian was last to be served again this year, despite an early order, as last.  But the event itself was a considerable success, with the cheerful conversation and reminiscences that flow easily enough with any group of cyclists.  A token of the success is the growing numbers - seventeen of us, and more than twenty from East Sussex.  The most I have seen in my time.

As ever, we were slow to leave, and it was well after half past two before we were back on the road.

Over lunch, there had been loose talk of a bonus hill, Cob Lane, a 25% Sussex classic.  Glass in hand, it had looked attractive, but we didn't do it and I don't think anyone thought we were short of hills, in the end.

Road all the way back, with tea at Tanhouse Farm at half past four.  From here we went our various ways, many keen to be home for the footy.

Not everything goes as well as a Wayfarers' ride on a sunny day.

My thanks to Ged for sterling work as a back marker, to all of the corner markers who helped to manage a complex route, and to our friends from East Sussex CTC for a grand day out at the height of summer.

Mark

Adlestone Level Crossing

Level crossings make a perfect opportunity for a group photo.

Who is that?

What a useless chunk of meat!

Facial recognition being so powerful, I am guessing that the algorithms of Facebook will immediately identify this useless slab of leg. (I'm sure number 2 Son will).

 Unfortunately,  it will not so readily be recognized by Wayfarers, to most of whom it's owner will not be so familiar. I present it merely as a rather inadequate excuse for absence from all the exciting rides that I am now missing. I rather thought that my son's wedding would be quite painless. However, an innocuous seeming and enticing cocktail followed by a dark pathway into the unknown led to an all too common lateral malleolus fracture. I'm sure that you understand.
I would much rather be posting an exciting ride report. Instead it is another medical report.
May I soon be with you.

My thanks to Jeff for posting this for me.

Nemo

Congratulations to the RAF 100 Years

My Dad was a Spitfire Pilot in WW2 but perhaps fortunately was invalided out with a duodenal ulcer and confined to ARP in Nottingham where I was born in 1941. I don't remember the war and I never took to flying myself (except as a fly by night). Any way today I could not resist taking my newly acquired Brompton on the train to London to watch the flypast up the Mal. It was far more difficult negotiating the crowds on a new bike that is taking some getting used to. The seat pillar is not quite long enough and maybe Mark you can give me some advice on that.
Any way in honor of the RAF and any members with association I took many photo's of the fly past but I guess that the most spectacular was the Red Arrows.
Here are some finishing off on the train home where I could help but be attracted to a wholesome lady cyclist from Kent decked out in Red White & Blue. I also hesitate to show but with mum's permission, she took the photo, I had a lovely chat to a young lass less fortunate than most of us, she was fascinated by my feather.

Gravel Friday 20th July - Advance Notice

The plan is to meet for elevenses on the seafront at Brighton, to ride along the edge of the South Downs until lunch, then ride home on roads we all know pretty well.  Plenty of trains to Brighton, possibility of a train back from Horsham or Dorking if you want, otherwise tea on the way to Leatherhead.

Any bike suitable but fatter tyres will give you an easier time.

Full details next week - rain stops play.

Be there, or be a banana...

Mark

Meeting East Sussex CTC

Next Wednesday's ride is our annual meeting with our friends from the East Sussex CTC.  We'll be going to the Green Man, at Horsted Keynes, as usual, and I'll try to help the pub to serve us a bit more quickly, for those that remember last year.

Start at Hookwood Tesco at 1100 sharp, some cycleway and Sustrans gravel on the way out, but, by popular request, I've dropped the bridleway through the forest from the return leg.  It's road all the way back, with tea somewhere on the usual run back to Leatherhead.  With all the chatting we tend to leave Horsted Keynes a bit late, so we'll take tea as we can - Tanhouse or Denbies, probably.

Mark

B Group ride - Wednesday 11th

Wednesday’s ride will take us to The Cricketers, Horsell Birch. The route is Cobham, Ripley and to the outskirts of Woking. From Claygate to the pub is just under 18 miles, the route back will be along the Basingstoke canal from Woking, then Weybridge and onto Walton for tea at the Theatre, only about 12 miles.  Not a hilly ride, but not a completely flat one either.

Everyone should be back well in time for those that wish to watch the football.

Look forward to seeing you all.

David

David’s Birthday ride

Just to say thanks to those that joined us on Sunday morning for the birthday ride, and also to Pam and David V who just turned up to say happy birthday before they went on to other things
 
A good, safe ride and wonderful company.

~ Jennie Jackson.

Update about Robin from John Scott

I rang Robin last night. The line was bad so I do not know whether it was this or that Robin was quiet. He explained that he now has his wheelchair assembled and has been in the Garden at the home he is in and also manages to get to the canteen etc. It is a manual chair so I assume someone may need to assist him at times. He tells me that he has also visited his house by using the services of a Taxi with ramps to help him get out and in. However he explained that moving back to the house was not a possibility and that his godson was looking in from time to time to see if all was ok.
 
I said that I had not been cycling for a while due partially to the heat we are experiencing at present. He said that heat in the home was unbearable at the moment so I assume any air conditioning is practically non existent.
 
I will not be able to join you next Wednesday due to an important meeting with lawyers down in Reading concerning my Grandson's school situation. I will be in France until early September so if you would like further updates on Robin could I suggest people either visit him or call him on his mobile. I gather he can receive e-mails via his i-phone.



Kind regards

John Scott

Easy Riders - 4th July

The Easy Riders Luncheon Club left Cobham on a meandering route up to the Fortified Gate at East Horsley which included a traffic jam along The Drift - never seen that before. Along the Guildford Road to Dirtham Lane through to Lower Road, Effingham, down to Bookham train station and back roads for lunch at The Bell in Bell Lane, Fetcham. Only Lizzie and I had been there before some decades ago and, of course, it is much improved. I gained the impression that we all enjoyed the food and would probably go again although we would probably sit further away from the traffic noise in the lane.

After lunch we left Fetcham and went along River Lane to Randalls Road, round Leatherhead towards Lower Ashtead and then turned left round some back roads until we came to a dead end. Here there is a pedestrian crossing over the railway lines where you just have to look both ways. The path on the other side leads to a very pleasant residential area where the road leads to the main rail crossing at Ashtead station. Thereafter it was the usual route over the common to Chads at Epsom for tea and home.

My thanks to Sue Chasty for her good work as backmarker. I understand that she didn't have to draw her whip once as everyone was so well behaved.

John Bellamy

Dieppe Raid Ride???

I have had photos sent to me that may be of interest to all those that put in the effort to do the 140k ride, it would seem that some who said they enjoyed the ride were in fact drinking coffee, hanging about in bars or buying mementos of their stay.
You know who you are and the pictures are hear to prove it. It has been suggested that you should be buying a drink for someone called Geoff each time you ride on a Wednesday, don't know who this is but it seems a good way of easing your conscience. Just hacked his account to send these.

 You may look guilty Simon

 Yes David you also

 Drinking that early in the day, obviously had room left after coffee and before lunch.

ANON
Geoff

B group lunch at The Red Lion, Shamley Green

        Happy Eaters and Drinkers (person trying to hide behind pole is Tony Hooker).

Map for Terry's ride

Many thanks to Terry for leading this ride:

~ Tim

'A' Group ride Wednesday 4th July

What a good ride Ken gave us today, riding out of Cobham to Ockley and then heading for Staples Lane for the first 'up' of the day and many more to come, but first a down to Shere then an 'up' to Winterfold Heath a dash to Cranleigh and out to Tismans, (The Mucky Duck) and Roundstreet Common and soon approaching The Cricketers Arms at Wisborough Green. The preordered food soon served and enjoyed in the sun.

Lunch duly finished it was time to get the lunch time legs moving, our homeward route led us through to The Haven, (The Blue Ship) Bucks Green and the climb up through Rudgewick (The Kings Head) through to Walliswood (The Kings Head) Holmbury St Mary (The Volunteer) followed by another 'up'. Our final climb took us 'up' White Downs, at last the last of the ups, so we thought. As we approached Cobham and headed for Kens house there was one final 'up' to Kens place, this was were we were served with cakes and tea provided by his wife Maggie, many thanks to her, so nice to be able to sit in the garden at the end of a very satisfying days ride.
Thanks of course go to Ken for a well recced ride, there seems to be a lot of pubs I wonder if it had been a way of getting a round or two, back marking was carried out by Brian and corner marking by many, thanks go to all for making it a smooth ride.
We look forward to other riders to come forward and offer to lead a ride, there are many of us that would be pleased to offer advise if it was needed, it would not have to be a marathon for the first effort.
Geoff and Ken

B group 4th July

With Tim being unavoidably absent, I collected everybody's menu choices, phoned them through and led sixteen Wayfarers to Effingham. I took a slight risk in riding up Dog Alley but the two specimens we saw obviously haven't been trained yet - they ignored us. Briefly westwards on the A246 before turning into Greendene and passing the end of Honeysuckle Bottom. The late Bob Symes lived here for many years and had a GWR based gauge 1 model railway in his extensive garden. When I passed by last week 'works' were occurring so I guess the railway is no more - or maybe he took it with him when he moved to Wales. At the top of Greendene Liz, Gill, Maureen and Ed left us and we descended to the A25 shortly turning into Upper Street then Rectory Lane but ignoring the ford. After the climb out of Shere we turned into Brook Lane, leading to Brook Hill and Farley Green. From here some of the going was downhill to our lunch venue at The Red Lion, Shamley Green. Here we enjoyed splendid meals, good service and had our own reserved tables alfresco round the back. A very pleasant stop.

After lunch Vic and Ian chose to make their own ways, and after discussion we decided to retrace our tyremarks to Shere. We headed for Dorking via Hook Lane, Burrows Cross, Hoe Lane, Water Lane and Sutton Lane. It was agreed to keep to the undulating lanes rather than shorten the journey by risking the A25, so we carried on along Abinger Lane, Leith Hill Lane then forking left onto Abinger Road leading to Coldharbour. For a change we sampled the delights of Logmore Lane - not to be repeated - your eyes are peeled for potholes you can't admire the view. Fifty five years ago I used to motorcycle along this lane before it was surfaced - it was in better condition then. Near the end of the lane we passed a horse drawn vehicle with the driver engaged in a chat on his mobile. Soon we were in Westcott, quickly crossed the A25 into Westcott Street before turning into Springfield Road and joining N22 to Dorking. By using backstreets we avoided rush hour traffic and soon arrived at The Musette cafe where the cakes were very popular. We then went our separate ways.

Thanks to all for company on a quite warm day and backmarker Colin - fortunately much of the ride was in the shade and there was negligible adverse wind.

Terry

Message from the Hotel de la Plage, Dieppe

Geoff (and several others) wrote to thank Isabelle and the staff of the hotel for looking after us so well at Dieppe, and received this reply:

From: Hôtel de la PLAGE
Date: 4 July 2018 at 16:06:45 BST
To: "'Geoff Gregory'"
Subject: RE: Sou'westers Dieppe 2018

You made the whole team’s day !!


Thank you



It’s such a great pleasure to welcome you every year.


Best regards,

Isabelle.

EIGHT IN A GITE

On Monday, 18^th June 2018, in the week before the Dieppe Raid, eight members of the Midweek Wayfarers, Pam, Liz, Maureen & Gill, Tim, Terry, Tony (Hopkins) & Colin, crossed the English Channel & landed in Calais at approx. 12 noon.  Tim had found a gite in the tiny hamlet of Campigneulles-les-Petites near Montreuil which could accommodate all of us.

 Under cloudy skies and with a strong SW headwind, we set off southwards. We stopped in Guines to find some lunch, fortifying ourselves for the long, straight climb of Le Mont Fiennes.  There were other hills too.  We stopped again in Desvres.  After two more hills and now in sunshine, we followed the lovely valley of the R. Course, with the last climb of the day being up a steep hill into the cobbled streets of Montreuil.  It was 7 p.m.  All weary after the hard ride, we stopped and had a meal here, eventually arriving at the gite just on dusk.  It had been a hard (45-mile) ride.

 Day 2 was much easier.  We woke to grey skies with dampness in the air.  Tony was our leader and he had selected a valley route, following the R. Canche, up on one side from Montreuil and back on the other, crossing the river and having lunch in Hesdin. Back in Montreuil, coinciding with a sunny break, a bar was found before returning to the gite.

 Disappointingly, we woke to another cloudy morning the next day but the wind had changed direction and was now a tail-wind as we headed south on a joint Terry & Tim route to the town of Rue for coffee and to Le Crotoy, on the Bay of Somme, for lunch.  People were now able to indulge their passions for seafood – fish soup, moules, whelks (Tony).  The sun was out, we were by the sea - this was the life!  Our return route took us past the station, the starting point of the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme – a little steam engine.  By a sheer stroke of luck, the train steamed in at that very moment.  Train enthusiast, Terry, was delighted!  

A sunny day at last!  On Thursday we headed to the coast at Berck-Plage and had coffee at a cafe on the beach, hunkering down into sun-warmed cushions to find shelter from the wind.  The group split here with four returning to the gite and Montreuil and four pushing on to L’Abbaye de Valloires in the Authie valley.  We had a meal in Montreuil that evening.

Friday morning saw six of us heading off on the ride to Dieppe, keen to have a rest day after the 65-mile ride before doing the 100km ride in the Raid on Sunday, leaving Tim & Terry to follow the next day.  We set off in glorious sunshine, led by Tony who was following Tim’s route.  The coffee stop was in Rue again and after what seemed a very long way through a number of villages on the D63, we eventually reached Eu for lunch.  It was after this that the hills really began.  A welcome tea stop was found and we arrived at La Plage Hotel in Dieppe, approx. 6.30 pm.  The next day was our layday and included visiting the Saturday market and going on a short boat trip, not to mention meeting up with all the other Wayfarers coming to the Raid.  It had been a great week.  (Gill Finlay)

B Group ride 4th July

Above is the latest menu for The Red Lion, Shamley Green, our lunch stop on Wednesday. Ignore the on-line menu. Please make your choice and let me know, I have to phone them through from Cobham. The morning route goes UP Greendene  but due to ongoing gas mains replacement the open roads in the Albury area are somewhat tricky to predict hence threes will be decided on the day.Hope to see you at Cobham.

Terry

A group ride to Winchester Wed 27th June - report

A beautiful day, a beautiful route (thanks to Simon!), a following wind and a great ride. Check out this "Relive" video https://www.relive.cc/view/1665957410 which is quite amusing as it shows my own track (all the way to Winchester), plus Janice's track (meeting me and the others in Walton at elevenses, riding to the Bat & Ball near Farnham for lunch, then turning for home) and Hans's track (delayed by a front tyre blowout near home, missed elevenses and still beat us all to the pub! Hans is the one with no thumbnail pic! :)  [Apologies for the completely unrelated picture which got into the video somehow]

We had a few problems around lunchtime, with a very long puncture delay leading to an abandoned corner mark leading to some riders having to find their own way to the pub, but thankfully everybody got their lunch in the end!

Thanks to MarkG for leading Christina and Frances on to the train station when we stopped for tea at Alresford (I gather Christina just caught her train), and thanks to Peter for backmarking.

'A' group ride on Wednesday 4th July

On Wednesday it will be a co-lead ride with myself and Ken Day who will be leading for the first time with the Wayfarers.
Ken has checked out the ride to The Cricketers Arms pub at Wisbourough Green and if you would care to look online to make your choice for lunch as we need to preorder, I will have a copy with me on Wednesday.
Tea will be provided by Ken and his wife at their home in Cobham.
It going to be another hot day on Wednesday so I am sure you will remember your drinks and sun screen
We shall need to leave sharp at 11.00 if possible a few minutes before, it is approx 27 to lunch so we shall have time to build up an appetite.

Ken and Geoff

Birthday ride for David Jackson

Birthday ride - REMINDER

Next Sunday, July 8th 2018 to celebrate David becoming a septuagenarian, we are doing a ride starting and finishing at The Weir public house, Walton on Thames. About 40 miles including Box Hill. Start at 10;00 am, a drink at the end of it.

Great if you could join us.

Jennie Jackson