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