B Group Jan 2nd

Nineteen of us set of from Cobham. I'll admit that it was a relief that the numbers were not higher given the B group tendency to exceed 20. We made steady progress south over Bookham Common and up Dorking Road to Chapel Lane followed by a swift descent to Westhumble. After taking the Coach Road to Brockham we stopped on the green for Pete Beyer to take a group photo. There was some surprise here that we were turning left over the river and not going direct to Dawes Green but as I had hoped there was time for a loop through Betchworth to approach the pub from Flanchford Bridge. Ordering food and drink took a while but it was served promptly and we were away soon after 2. We returned more directly to Pixham and then up Lodgebottom Lane to Headley and on to Epsom. By this time we were shedding those who wished to go home rather than to tea and just five of us stopped at the Old Moat Garden Centre. About 30 miles from Cobham to tea. Thanks to Tim for the route map and back marking, and to those who corner marked - particularly Dave Ferrett and Steph.

A Group Ride to Englefield Green 2nd January

Fourteen souls ventured out under a grey blanket of cloud, which kept the temperature to a balmy six degrees and no rain! It was obvious that my planned ride was going to be a success when after the Woking section of the Basingstoke Canal, 14 out of 13 wayfarers voted it the best ride of 2019! I suppose the lack of big hills and the urgent need for everyone to get some miles in, after languishing about over Christmas, contibuted to us arriving at 'The Rose and Olive Branch' at 12.30am. Look how happy Simon is!

After lunch, having gone through Staines in sales fever, we finished at 'Dish' cafe. Simon says I have a natural ability to choose routes no other leader would even consider taking, despite familiar ways being open to me.. or something like that. So that's nice.

Thanks go as usual to all the professionals for corner marking and David Jackson for back marking. Santa would be very impressed with the teamwork.

New Years Day 2019

A good turnout for the first day of 2019. People arrived in dribs and drabs over a 2 hour period. Around 25 plus all told.

Great chat and banter. Nice to see Jeff T, Ray Wren and Daniel. Ed led a few from the Spring Tavern and Helen T arrived with some of the easy riders.

Eventually it was time to leave and a small group headed to the Bell at Molesey for lunch. I accompanied them as far as Teddington and headed home after delivering a newsletter to Alan Anderson. A very Happy New Year to you all.

Tony..

New Years Day Social

10.30 at the cafe in Richmond park for a Southwest London CTC social new years day coffee and chat.

 

Click for location

Emirates Cable Car

Many of you I know have already done this but it was a first for me and I think our Chairman too! Photo below of Dave V next to a R-R Trent jet engine which powers the A380 Airbus. There are four of these each producing 110,000 lbs of thrust at max power. The four engines combined produce approx 200MW of power at takeoff enough to supply a large town.
Other photo's are KPRC MTB riders in the Gondola, they allowed 3 of us per car with bikes. A good days ride just 40 miles including train assist from London Bridge to Tadworth on way back.

Where did B Group go in 2018?

Publishing the heat maps for A and B Group rides now seems to be an annual event so here it is for B Group:

This represents 40 rides, Elevenses to Lunch to Tea, the ones which I attended. Of the other 12 Wednesdays, there were no rides on 2 of them and I didn't ride with B Group on the days of the annual lunch or the AGM. So that leaves 8 full rides missing.

One thing that is clear from this map is that it is quite difficult to plan routes for our group which don't cover quite a lot of familiar territory, although it is a challenge we all enjoy and we do seem to find the odd pub which we have never visited before.

Happy and Safe Cycling in 2019

~ Tim

B Group Jan 2nd

We'll be heading to the Seven Stars at Dawes Green but ( you will be glad to hear) not exactly the way we did it with the A's from Claygate. We will head to Bookham but then over to Chapel Lane, Brockham and, maybe a little indirectly if time, to Leigh. We can take a vote on whether to stop for tea but I will be leading back to the Ashtead/Epsom area.

Christmas Eve 2014

Wayfarers Christmas eve 2014, lunch at the Seven Stars Ripley.

Wayfarers Subscriptions 2019 now due

Happy New Year everyone!

Top tip for cycling in snow

A new year brings another opportunity to pay the still-reduced rate of £1 annual subscription.  In addition you can book your place at the Sou'Westers Annual Lunch, which is booked for Weds 6 March, at Ristorante Sorrento in Tolworth - the same as last year's very successful lunch.  I'm taking pre-payment for the three-course meal, £15 including service but excluding drinks.

It would really help if you can bring correct change: that's £1 subscription + £15 for the lunch.
See you at Cobham.

Data Protection notice:  If you have previously consented to your details appearing on the Contact List, by paying your subscription you are continuing to consent, unless you tell me otherwise.

Competitions: Please see below for other important posts about competitions:

• Attendance competition
• Mileage competition
• Photo competition

A Group Ride 2nd January 2019

I have planned a leisurely ride with only a few undulations, starting at Cobham and striking North in a loop, taking in Ripley and then Woking, along the Basingstoke canal for a short distance, then through Horsell Common, past Virginia Water to 'The Rose and Olive Branch' pub for lunch. I'll be sending your lunch requests through at 10.55am on the day. The afternoon ride will strike East through Thorpe and the friendly environs of Staines, then Ashford, Kempton Park ending up at Hampton Hill with a circular route through Bushey Park to 'Dish' cafe over Hampton Court bridge. 18 miles in the morning and 15 miles in the afternoon. Well, I want to ease you all back into the new year without too much stress. I suffered my ninth puncture in three weeks today, but Santa brought me some more CO2 cartridges for Christmas, so that's OK. No new bike though! I sometimes wonder if he reads my letters at all.

A Wayfarers' Festive Teaser - from 'Living History'!

Yesterday I felt the need for potentially embarrassing snaps of my close relatives in younger days when they might have sported inadvisable hairstyles such as mullets, or ill-judged clothing such as extremely flared, maroon trousers.   Naturally I turned to my sophisticated photographic archive, but a quick rummage in the old biscuit tins didn't turn up quite what I wanted, although, next best thing, it did produce some photos of SWLDA activities from way back when!

There is no metadata here (as I forgot to write on the back of the photos), but I think these must date from the late '80's (before you ask, we can tell it's the 1980's rather than the 1880's because there are no 'high ordinaries' visible)!    In those days, as well as the Cheam & Morden, the SWLDA boasted two other Sunday sections, the Mitcham & Tooting ('Mitoots') and the Family Section (later renamed the Downlands Section).   This picture shows a Family Section ride sometime before 1990. 

Cameras were rarely touted on club runs in those pre-digital days, so I imagine this was taken in a December or January when I was desperately exploiting the weather conditions in the vain hope of taking a winning, last minute shot for the DA photo competition!   I'm pretty sure the locale is a regroup somewhere on the way up Pitch Hill (or may be, the top of White Down).   My, but, doesn't that road surface look dodgy!    Anyway, I think that grim day we rode from Epsom to elevenses at Shere and, if the leader was merciful given the cold and ice, then headed on only as far as the Scarlett Arms, Walliswood, in its heyday at that time as a King & Barnes house, and a very popular lunch destination with us, always with a blazing log fire in the winter.   You could huddle by it and watch your Tudor Sport longs (which were de rigeur then) start to steam, and dry you damp gloves (if you bothered with them in those hardy days) on the fender.

I am out of shot behind the lens of my trusty Olympus Trip.   In the pictures I can recognise Andrew Bouchier, Stuart Downie, Di Suckling, and (I think), Derek & Sheila Monkhouse.   But there are also two others in shot who are still Wayfarers members, although, not through choice, both now only make rare appearances at our meets/rides.

No prizes, just for fun, but please leave a comment if you think you can name one or both mystery riders (another clue - one had a different name at the time of the photo, but their present name will be fine)!  And be warned (you know who you are) - I have a few other 'historic gems' which I will post in due course unless my demands are met in full!!!  (Only joking).

Festive greetings and a Happy Cycling New Year!

'Living History'

Merry Christmas

A very merry Christmas to you all and a very happy and safe cycling for 2019.

Tony

Wayfarers attendance log sheet for 2018

If you want to submit your attendance scores for 2018 Wayfarers rides please download this log sheet and print it out. Write a '1' under '11's' if you cycled to elevenses. Enter another '1' under 'Lunch' if you rode with the group to Lunch.

If you ride with A or B group Simon and I keep records as we go, on a best endeavours basis but, if you wish, please download the log sheet, fill it in, and pass it to me at the end of January.

~ Tim

Message from Tony Ashford

Dear Sou'westers and Midweek Wayfarers, 

Just wanted to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and all the best for 2019. As always, we intend to come for the Tour des Trois Vallees in Dieppe, so maybe we can meet again then. I look forward to that. Our son Alec is now quite a keen cyclist, and for next year's event he will have a bigger bike with gears. We'll have to think carefully which route we enter him in. And we are expecting a baby girl in February, so our days cycling with a cycle trailer are definitely not over!

I wish you all the Seasons Greetings, and of course happy cycling in 2019.

Warmest Regards
 
Anthony, Annett and Alec

Annual Mileages Jan 1st - Dec 31st 2018

Member Mileages 2018

Old hands will know that, at this time of year, we request members to submit their mileage record for the past 12 months: that is, from Jan 1st to 31 Dec 2018. We keep a running total on the MWW blog under the tab 'mileage'. Perhaps you have never noticed it. 

 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MII1T_mRI2kgw34FQDojN-LiQwr48vRImUGYaQH0Fzs/edit#gid=0

It is of individual interest to see one's annual and cumulative mileage and it is of value to the Group to be able to report how many miles our members have ridden.

Please therefore take the trouble to remind yourself to take note of your annual mileage for 2018 before the witching hour of 59.59.23 on 31 December and then to send it to me by whatever communication method you feel most comfortable with. Apologies to W. Churchill for ending that sentence with a preposition, up with which he would not put. Pigeon post most welcome.

email: jeff.tollerman@lineone.net

Otherwise, a grubby piece of paper will suffice, if identifiable.

For the male and female member (those are at present the only categories that we recognise), who clocks up the greatest annual mileage, your achievement will be recognised at our annual lunch. There will also be recognition for the member who has cycled more miles in 2018 than any other member.

Please note that entries will only be eligible for a prize from members who are regular riders with at least one section of the club.

I look forward to receiving your mileage, however modest. It is unlikely to be less than mine.

Jeff

The 2018 Brian Bent Christmas Card

B Group - 19th December

Eighteen of us departed from the Walton DC. Twelve hours before just nine had committed to the ride with their lunch orders, obviously waiting to see if the weather would improve, which it did. I was chuffed. The route was put together with a sequence of standard elements but with a couple of interesting variations.

A few months ago John Bellamy informed me that he had discovered an interesting route and from his excited tone I assumed he was talking about the North West Passage. But it transpired that he had found a scenic route from Walton to Weybridge. It was utterly new to me and today for the first time on any B Group ride I have ever been on we turned off from the back of the Cowey Sale car park, over the foot bridge and took this most enjoyable and well paved foot path through the trees, alongside the Broad Water, eventually popping out in Weybridge.

John Bellamy's Passage - it's on the map so it must be true!

Through Addlestone, and New Haw where remembering that Vic had mentioned a cunning route through to Scotland Bridge we branched off down the Common Lane cul de sac then by a muddy track to pass under the M25 and around the Heatherfield Recreation Ground.

It was plain sailing after West Byfleet, through Pyrford and Ripley to arrive at the Barley Mow in West Horsley. Though it shouldn't have come as a surprise the gentle gradient in Ripley Lane seemed like hard work today. 14.7 miles to lunch.

The Barley Mow serves very nice Thai food and several of us enjoyed it while many went for the safer options of soup, sandwiches and omelettes etc.

It was just five miles to Cobham and knowing that we would all like to scatter and get home before dark it was just Tony and myself who stopped for our flat whites at Giro in Esher.

It was Ray Youlden's first go at being back marker. With all our concern about recruiting new leaders we sometimes forget that an expanded gene pool of TECs is healthy for the club. So thank you Ray. Thank you too to numerous corner markers. It made me realize how many opportunities for missing essential turns we had. Also, it's lovely to know that Irene hasn't forgotten us; good to see her again.

Have a great Christmas and take good care on the roads.

~ Tim

A Group ride, 19th December: Walton on Thames

Those with long memories - who were on my 'shortest day ride' from Walton on 20th December last year, may have noticed some similarities with today's ride. In fact the routes were identical; it was only the lunch and tea venues that had changed. Even the backmarker was the same, which I'm sure Simon may have spotted? Does this prove we are all creatures of habit, or merely indicate lazy route planning? (No comments please).

Here we are on the bridge at Eton, ready for an early lunch at the Watermans Arms having already lost Geoffrey and Ken, before Windsor, and Dave W. earlier on, with a puncture. (Neil tried to loose some others coming into the town centre but was out-smarted by Janice). Still an early lunch meant a swift departure for our tea stop at the Walled Garden, Sunbury.

Our progress was only slightly delayed by Janice's puncture before we had reached Staines, but it wasn't long after 3pm that eleven of us were sitting down - some outside, for tea and cakes at the Walled Garden.

30 miles, split evenly between morning and afternoon, was just about right for almost the shortest day. Thanks to Simon (again) for backmarking, and ever-willing corner markers. I can't promise I won't lead next year's Walton ride, but if someone else does please choose a different route.

Spot the robin?

The Journal of J Foxley Norris

It's the end of the season, and I'm doing as much reading as riding.  However, a recent ride in Kent directed my reading to cycling in the early part of the 20th Century -  a long standing interest of mine.

The Bicycle Arms closed in 2003, but a number of other hotels and inns in Kent and Sussex with cycling associations from the very early 1900s still survive.  I would guess that cycling was as popular then as it is now, and I am gradually finding out about it.  That's a story for another day, but what I have discovered along the way is the Journal of J Foxley Norris.  Norris was a cyclist from the late 1890s to 1910, he lived in London and rode where we ride, in some cases taking lunch at the same pubs.

The Journal is available in digital format from the University of Warwick:  https://mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk/records/CTC/13/1/3 , and it's a delightful read.  Here are a couple of snippets.

Norris rode to Winchester, did a tour near Salisbury and obviously had many enjoyable days out in places that we recognise.  And, as many of us understand, there is an end to the road.  For Norris, it was in 1910:

He gave his faithful tricycle to charity, a decision which I applaud.

Mark

A Group - 19th December, from Walton on Thames

We'll be heading to the Watermans Arms, Eton riverside for lunch, http://www.watermans-eton.com

and The Walled Garden, Sunbury, for tea, https://www.sunburygallery.org

All on road - and modest mileage for this time of year.