Vermulens

A long time unused tea stop, had a coffee an donut this morning, and only £4

Tony..

Please Note - Plans for Sunday 6 October

We were planning to slip in an unscheduled, train-assisted ride led by Andy on Sunday, to get it in before winter began, but as it already has we're reverting to the ride originally planned, and the train-assisted ride will happen later!

So our ride on Sunday 6 October will actually be largely unchanged from the rides list (elevenses at Staines, lunch at Cinnamon Cafe, Windsor, tea at Shepperton) except that elevenses will be at our usual venue (The George) instead of Greggs as published.

Attendance - Scores on the doors thus far

 

Sunday 29th September - Ride Report

Café Barbera in Stoke D'Abernon is always a popular elevenses venue and today was no different, with twenty cyclists arriving for the ride or just for coffee and perhaps a little something. There was quite some confusion over the availability of the one toilet which led us to leave later than planned, but eventually we were on our way with fifteen riders - good to have David W back with us post holidays and to see Helen and Paul, Geoff and Carolyn.

Out-of-date out-of-service notice! 

The route took us over Bookham Common (where Audrey and David B and Tony left us), through Effingham and up to Ranmore Common via Hogden Lane. We were soon pausing on the downhill through Denbies Vineyard for a photo with dramatic skies and a sweeping vista below us. I count ten in the photo plus myself and Andy. 

Note to self: You have to travel by land train if you want bubbles with your view

The next challenge was Little Switzerland and Slough Lane, which all took in their stride but by the time we arrived at the top it was getting late. Graham, Keith and Brian peeled off at different points leaving nine to sail down into Epsom for lunch at The Assembly Rooms, where Tony was waiting with Ed and Colin Q - lovely to see them both. 

We ate outside as it was so busy, and so got to see some of the cars arriving for the Horse Power event (marking the end of the racing season in Epsom) in the market place today. 

Holy cyclists Batman! 

Maddie, Julie (on her first C&M ride), Linda and Andy being so close to their respective homes could not be tempted on to afternoon tea, and as such avoided the off-road and muddy sections through Prince's Coverts and beyond, but the rest of us - Sabina and Bernard, Martina, Simon and Tony (who sensibly went around) landed up in Claygate for tea at Laz Cafe. 

Simon looking remarkably clean despite
what he'd just cycled through

Thanks everyone for your company, good humour and sense of adventure! To Simon for back-marking all day and to everyone who helped to make it a lovely day of cycling. 

About 19miles to lunch and 7 miles to tea.  

Photo credits to Simon and Linda.

Info - Sunday 29th Sept

Once again the Café Barbera, Stoke D'Abernon to The Assembly Rooms, Epsom ride has come around and it is my pleasure to invite you to join me.

Before lunch, we will complete a 19 mile route with 2 climbs - Hogden Lane to Ranmore and Little Switzerland to Headley. All on-road apart from the stony stretches across Cobham Park and Bookham Common, and the descent from Ranmore through Denbies Wine Estate. 

Those wishing to take in only one climb may deviate at Westhumble, and those not looking for any climbs may deviate at Bookham Common. We'll also keep one eye on the ever-changing weather forecasts in case we all need to deviate! All are welcome in Epsom via whatever manner you choose to get there.

After lunch I'm planning a further 7 miles with some stony off-road to tea in Claygate - again, weather-permitting. Other options exist. 

Hope to see you on Sunday.

Sunday the 22nd September

Penny Farthing Racing

11's at the Pheasantry, Bushy park, Lunch at the Bothwell Inn, Hayes.

 

 Then onto Hayes track to watch the Penny Farthing racing. It's a great event to watch. There will also be a cycle jumble at the track.

Afternoon tea TBD

Tony

Sunday 15th September 2024

Tanhouse the farm, bustling with bikers.

All without motors unlike at Rykas.

We totalled seven in all, outside we sat.

You know what we're like, havin' a chat.

Goodbye Terry, Brian & Steph.

Caroline too, just three of us left.

So bikes at the ready, southwards we rode.

Up Tower Road where some of us slowed.

Keith turned up just after we left.

Something about him having overslept.

Southwater Lake, we chose our table.

Lucky we did, some were unable.

Sunny & warm, very agreeable.

West Surrey CC were there, that's unforeseeable.

Capel & cakes tempted us away.

It's their speciality, being a Sunday.

View from Grouse Road, St Leonards Forest (credit to Eric)

Thanks to Diane, Eric (dining at his parents in Christs Hospital) & Keith for your company.

Info - Sunday 15th September 2024

Hi all,

Sunday's ride will leave Tanhurst Farm slightly later than usual at 11.15am.

On route to lunch, one significant hill (Tower Road), thereafter undulating to Southwater.

Hope it's as sunny as it was in 2012 !

Returning includes a mile of Downs Link, requires a dash across the busy A264 (care required) then undulating to our last visit of 2024 - Capel for tea.

I hope you're able to join me.

Ripley Cycle Jumble returns to Ripley.......

 

Security Warning!

Please note that our friend Jeff Tollerman's email account has been hacked and as a result numerous people in his contact list have received bogus messages which look like they have been sent by him.

The messages are not from him at all. Please don't reply to them.

Thanks 

Tim 

West End September 8 2024

The Addlestone start didn't start well - a (tiny) thorn in my rear tyre. It was a 30 minute struggle despite many hands and tools (mainly Dave's). Wisely he headed home; the remaining seven (GFH, Andy, Diane, Martina, Pam, Simon, Tony) stayed south of the Basingstoke Canal used by the previous week's ride from the same 11s.

We blame the Met Office when they get it wrong. Today they were cursed when they got it right! (3 hours of heavy but intermittent rain). Within two miles we struggled into "waterproofs" which would stay in place until lunch. Green trees offered little shelter so on we pedalled. 

After dry Pyrford Common and Maybury a second downpour trapped us on Arthur's Bridge west of Woking's town centre. It was the last downpour though we had no way of knowing that.

Ever optimistic we dismissed thoughts of Spoons or where ever and continued to Goldsworth Park and a three-quarter circuit of the lake. With time pressing the main road (A322) was pressed into service for the last mile or so to the Hare and Hounds in West End. We were 45 minutes late but the garden was nearly empty and had a heated smokers shelter. 

The return was quickly plotted. Pennypot Lane led us to Chobham. Here the Ottershaw road (A319) is currently one way so we continued on Red Lion and Gracious Pond roads. Approaching Holloway Hill Tony suggested Squires (opposite St Peters) where we dined alfresco until closing time (1630).

I was home after 1815 and 40 miles. 

 

September 8th - Changes Of Venues

Please ignore the incomplete details in the Sep/Oct newsletter (paper and electronic). 

I've devised a 25-miler replacement. I've not completed a full scale recce! but much will be familiar. The route omits the Basingstoke (more or less) but includes Goldsworth Park which I've never visited on a C&M ride. 

11s:        Golden Cafe Addlestone (last visited 01/09/24 by C&M)

Lunch:    Hare And Hounds hareandhounds-westend.co.uk (last visited 21/08/24 by Bs) 

Tea:         as 11s (closes 1500), or usual suspects.

A Near-Death Experience - Sunday 1 Sept

Don't worry, nobody was harmed.    But today's planned jolly ride to Farnborough accidentally developed a rather macabre character, at least in the morning, as you will see.

A happy bunch of riders turned up quite early at Addlestone for 11s, and surprisingly everyone was itching to go a bit before 11am, so after the usual faffing, we got away more or less on time, leaving Geoff to make his own way back.   My route was made up from ideas stolen from David W, Graham and Diane, but everyone seemed to like the ride along the Basingstoke canal in dappled sunlight.   

This is when the trouble began.    We passed Woking Crematorium, identified by DW as the site of the world's first crematorium, and later visited Brookwood Cemetery, the worlds first lawn cemetery, stopping to pay our respects and also use the conveniences in the chapel.   There is a civilian cemetery, conceived by the London Necropolis Corporation as the solution to the lack of burial space in the capital.   It even had its own dedicated* station, the London Necropolis station, right next to Waterloo station, but later damaged and demolished in WW2.  Trains had different carriages for 1st, 2nd, 3rd class and Hearse Carriages for the deceased, also with different classes.  I imagine that you could only get a single ticket for the Hearse Carriages.

London Necropolis Station

After touring the civilian cemetery, we visited the military cemetery with extensive graves for several nationalities from both world wars, before returning to the road to Mytchett and Farnborough.

Military Cemetery

The hungry riders were made to climb a bonus hill in order to view the impressive Mausoleum of the emperor Napoleon III Bonaparte, last emperor of France before his exile to England, his wife Empress Eugenie who built the monument, and their son Napoleon Louis, who was tragically killed fighting in the Boer War, where he was supposed to be assigned to a 'safe' role.  The mausoleum, also known as St Michael's Abbey, still functions as a Benedictine monastery, and not many people will be interested to know that it houses an organ by the famous French organ builder Cavaillé-Coll, who built many famous Franch organs including that of the Notre Dame Cathedral, and whose organs were admired by the famous French composers Cesar Franck and Charles-Marie Widor.   At least one person will be interested to know that he (Cavaillé-Coll) was born in Montpellier.  

But I digress.   The abbey is only open to visitors on Saturdays, so we had to have lunch in Wetherspoons instead.

Part of St Michael's Abbey

Graham had left us after riding along the canal with us, and David left at the sight of Wetherspoons, having claimed his two points.   Thank you David for providing not just a large part of the route, but also much of the morbid and interesting cultural content of the ride.

The morning was mostly ridden in shade, but the afternoon started in full sun as we climbed the hill at Deepcut to admire the distant views of Woking, looking beautiful through the haze.  Someone (Tony?) thought he spotted the Eiffel Tower as well.   Then it was downhill nearly all the way through Windlesham and Longcross, anxiously looking at watches, to try to arrive before the (unknown) closing time at the Great Cockrow Railway.  In our haste to get there, we passed Colin Q coming the other way, having visited Cockrow but given up all hope of seeing us.  I'm sorry we missed you, Colin!  You could say we were dead lucky to get there just in time to bag the last of the cakes, and sit in the shade watching the trains and waving at their young and not so young passengers as we put the world to rights.

 

At Great Cockrow (train in background)

Who ate all the cakes?

It was a very enjoyable day out in summery weather and good company who took my improvisations (i.e. mistakes) in good spirit.   Thank you to the many people whose routes I plundered, to Jennie for back-marking, and to David W, Niall, Andy, and Ruth for the photos.

* or should that be deadicated?

Sunday 1 Sept - a Traditional Ride

This Sunday we are heading from Addlestone to Farnborough, as advertised in the ride list, and then back to Great Cockrow Railway at Lyne for tea.   A traditional ride, following a (mostly) traditional route.   17 miles to lunch, and, er, 17 back to Lyne too.   Extra miles are available if you go on the steam train.  I hope you can join us.

Sunday 25th August 2024

According to Louise Lear, the South East of England has had only 19% of average rainful for August this year.

Nice, unless you're a gardener/allotment owner.

But today felt unseasonably cool for late August as I climbed up to Walton on the Hill & the village café.

Ten of us assembled including Cecilia joining us for the first time (collecting her bike from her car at the time of this pic taken by Pete B returning from a early morning TFB off-road ride).

Geoff, Dave S & Marilyn went no further. 

For the route see the next post.

Brian returned at the Seven Stars pub, Dave & Keith left us at Horley.

Negotiating Crawley is a breeze with a Garmin & Simon took this pic in Goffs Park.

Nice to see Terry at Capel.

A couple of punctures to report, Cecilia just north of Capel & Simon in Leatherhead.

Thanks to Simon for backmarking & everyone else for their company.

Ride info - Sunday 25th August

 Hi all,

There's gas main work in Walton on the Hill, but access for pedestrians/cyclists has been maintained.

The café opens at 9am & I plan to leave at 11am sharp.

The planned lunch stop is Waitrose, Horley.

The coffee is better than you know where......& probably the food as well.

Horley BR station is a stones throw away, so folk could bail out/join us there.

Expected departure from lunch - 2.00pm.

The afternoon's ride includes some off-road, which despite the rain forecast for Saturday, should be okay..

I look forward to your company.

Ride Report - 18th August 2024 (Clandon and Shalford)

For some time I had wanted to re-visit the lanes south of Blackheath and Bramley, and finally the opportunity arose. You know what they say when you want something doing - I did, so I did. 

Clandon Park Garden Centre is a great venue for elevenses, you can park your bike safely round the corner from the outdoor seating area and they serve the best cheese scones ever. Ten of us gathered to join the ride, one gathered with us but came no further, one appeared mysteriously somewhat later and then three more turned up, as they had planned, after the ride had left. Curious but I think that's points to everyone?!  

The gathered

The ten riders took in a little shortcut over Merrow Downs before turning south through Chilworth, Blackheath and Shamley Green. After that it was a lot flatter and a lot of Commons with several high-lights - rolling fields, tree-shaded lanes, pretty cottages and of course, the horse heads visible from along Thorncombe Street ( https://www.nicfiddiangreen.com/artwork/trojan-head/ - if you'd like your own, the price is available on request)! 

Obligatory sign-post photo

 

Lilian and horse head #1

Niall and Christina passing horse head #2

Eventually we came back to the Downs Link at Bramley, and followed that along to Shalford where we stopped for lunch at The Snooty Fox (not cheap but they have a proper deli counter for build-your-own sandwiches, and a village shop a couple of doors away providing alternative options). 

Obligatory station sign photo
(without Andy's oversight, taking photos was like trying to herd cats)

Here was the point of great departure - David and Graham had not stopped for lunch, Christina and Keith decided to head for the hills, and Lilian for the train. So it was Martina, Niall, Eric and Simon who carried on with me towards Guildford, using the cycle track into Guildford before getting onto the canal path in nearly the right place. Niall and Eric left us at Stoke Lock (apparently the oldest lock in Surrey, thanks for the intel Simon!) for more off-roading while the remaining three made a beeline for Pinnock's. And that was a very good decision, as we were no sooner ordering our cakes than we were joined by Colin Q. 

My thanks to David and Simon for back-marking before and after lunch, to Graham for introducing me to these lanes nearly 2 years ago, and photo credits to Simon, Niall, Christina and Steph.  

P.S. Kudos to the late-comers....sorry we missed you! 

Thorncombe Sculptures 18/08/24

 by Nic Fiddian-Green 

Plans for Sunday 18th August

Sunday's ride will be from Clandon Park Garden Centre as published, heading to Shalford for lunch. We initially head towards Guildford on busy main roads (with cycle lane) before turning off towards Blackheath, then with two short climbs under our belt, our route gives way to a couple of undulations before becoming flat. The country lanes are delightful and not too pot-holey, but there will be some central sand / gravel to be avoided and a mile of off-road on one of our favourite disused railway lines. 

It's likely to be a late lunch at The Snooty Fox, Shalford. Other options here include the Village Store which sells pre-packaged sandwiches, hot and cold drinks or bring your own and sit on the green. 

After lunch we'll use an off-road route into Guildford (a bit more Downs Link / NCN22) and then pick up the canal path for a couple of miles. Tea will be at Pinnock's Ripley or Gail's Cobham, depending on how we are getting on. So a total of 29 miles or 34.5 miles. GPX available on request. 

I will be heading to Clandon via Epsom, Ashtead, Leatherhead and Effingham - please WhatsApp me if you would like to meet en route. 

The current weather forecast is looking good, not too hot or cold or wet or windy.

I do hope you can join me - please message if any questions.  

Thanks

Diane 

Ride Report - Sunday 4 August (North Cheam and Putney)

 

Elevenses today was at the spiritual home of the Cheam and Morden (Wetherspoons), where formerly stood the Granada cinema, starting point for our rides way back when!   Our pater familias, Richard D, remembers those days and  was one of fourteen of us who gathered for coffee.

Two made their own ways home, while the rest of us continued to lunch at Putney.    Recent rides have been relatively long and hilly, but this one was short and mainly!  We took in the unexpected sights of Mayflower Park, Worcester Park before heading for Cannon Hill Common.    At Raynes Park we made a beeline for the Beeline, then veered off alongside the A3 towards Richmond Park.   After the Roehampton Estate it was all downhill, mainly via quiet backroads, into the centre of Putney.

The Rocket was quieter than usual and we had our choice of outdoor tables with a refreshing breeze off the river.   Service was quick and efficient, but we got settled in and, as ever, it was an effort to get going for the ride home!

We dodged most of the usual traffic congestion to Priory Lane then re-entered Richmond Park and made a diagonal for Teddington Lock and tea.

Thanks to Andy for back-marking, Graham, Tony and Geoff for navigational advice (!), and to everyone else for your company!   It was particularly nice to have Niall, Gina and Ray W with us on the ride.

Sunday the 11th August

We are heading to Velolife at Warren Row.

11's at Windsor Farm Shop, Old Windsor. About 19 Miles to Lunch at VeloLife.

Afternoon tea will be at Liberto Lounge, Egham. Around 19 miles from Lunch

No real hills but some good off road.

Tony..

04/08/24 Somewhere on this map methinks

 

Plans for Sunday 4 August 2024

Sunday's ride will be as published (elevenses at the Nonsuch Inn (North Cheam), lunch at the Rocket (Putney), tea at Teddington Lock (or Hampton Court if preferred).   It will be a lot shorter and a lot less hilly than recent Sunday rides, just to ring the changes!

There will be a changed outbound route from October last year when we last did something similar, and, in particular, Wimbledon Common (and, in particular, the badly-eroded track leading up to it) will be completely avoided, but we still re-visit Worcester Park amphitheatre (if we can find it, it seemingly having disappeared from all my maps)!

Ride Report - Sunday 28 July 2024

 

The annual Cheam & Morden coast ride, hitherto a longstanding fixture, hasn't actually taken place for quite a few years now.   Recent attempts to reinstate a ride to Climping have only met with difficulties and floundered on the rocks, so the only answer was to surprise the English Channel by an unexpected approach from its left flank and take it by storm!

This was a complex operation in several waves (as it were)!    Simon, Chris, Diane and I set off from West Byfleet at 8.30 am and were backed up by a second wave (Andy and Christina) who followed up in the vanguard an hour behind us after various technical problems!

At Little Latte, Tilford we were bolstered by reinforcements (Madeleine and Lilian).  Lilian was somewhat 'deflated', but a good coffee and the loan of someone else's pump soon restored her to fighting fitness!

We duly set off across the old Hampshire military areas around Longmoor and Bordon towards the advance camp at Hillier Garden Centre, Liss, where, after a short wait, full rations were supplied!

At this point I had to resign my command and return home (nothing, I can assure you, to do with the looming threat of the South Downs as manifested in the rather unpleasant climb up Kiln Lane, Buriton awaiting the rest of the group).   Anyway, from here Simon takes over the narrative.

It was like one of those Outward Bound courses ... we were transported to somewhere far away from home, given an objective (reach Hayling Island) and several slightly incompatible individual objectives (different modes of transport or train times to get home), and left to sort it out.

I didn't have a ready excuse, so I had to lead the group, following David's excellent route.  At Petersfield we bumped into my brother Peter, who lives there, which was a nice surprise.   Andy and Christina had to leave us soon afterwards to catch trains home, leaving six.   We struggled up the aptly named Kiln Lane into the heart of the South Downs, but were then rewarded by a never-ending descent, through leafy shade, until it ended at Rowlands Castle, where ice creams were bought by Maddie.   From there it was a short hop to Havant.   We joined the scenic old railway line along the sea, which took us to the beach at the south of Hayling Island.   There was paddling, swimming and some very conveniently located public conveniences, before Steph set off to ride back to Liss, and most of us returned to Havant for the train home.   

It was an enjoyable and memorable day out on the bike.   Many thanks to David for organising the route and ride, to all who came along for their good company, and to Andy and Diane for back-marking.

Far too kind, Simon, I'm sure, but I thank both you and Andy - without you help our mission could never have been accomplished and the sea finally reconquered!

Thanks to everyone else for your company, and for putting up with it all with good humour!   Until next year.....