Friday, November 16, 2007

Sunday 11th November 2007

The e-mail said something like "I'll probably arrive a bit late at 11's, going around the houses to avoid the main roads".
11:23am the drowned rats turned up with new leader Ian at the helm.
Something about a beefy shower in the Croydon area. So much for the "mainly dry" day as promised (BBC News 24) although www.metcheck.com was pretty much bang on.
Midday departure for everyone (Ian, me, Keith, Ed, Steve, Ann, new girl-Emma) leaving Bob & Pete/Daphne.
Before that, my pronunciation of "cafetiere" caused the Waitrose lad to serve up a coffee & tea (cafe-tea), Oh dear!
We left Bromley due SE to Petts Wood via the agreeable Jubilee Country Park, then east past the vast and smelly Allied Bakery factory performing the "Chorleywood process".
Green fields were in abundance as we went through Crockenhill, the delightful Farningham (shame about the M20 noise) to lunch at Horton Kirby.
"The Bull" appears in both 2007 & 2008 CAMRA guides and although quite small inside, the beer garden affords fine views across the Darenth Valley.
After leaving the pub, Ian chose to retrace back to Farningham then Eynsford and the rough road past Lullingstone Villa/Castle/Park and Visitor's Centre to a stonker of a climb up to Well Hill.
We sped past Chelsfield BR, the (always) heavy A21 at Green St Green, High Elms GC to a cracking tea at Downe.
A popular establishment, with a good tea/cake menu and reasonable prices. Hard to come by on a darkening night in early November, anyhow they were £18 richer by the time we had left.
Blinking lights were necessary for the remainder of the ride,which took the familiar Jackass Lane to Coney Hall, then West Wickham, Croydon, etc.
A potentially hilly ride which wasn't too bad mainly due to avoiding Halstead, Knockholt, Shellys Lane & Cudham.
Thanks Ian, you passed with flying colours.

Blog of the week:
Read about Seattle cyclist, Peter Mackay, being shot at whilst riding his bike.........astonishing!
http://petermckay.blogspot.com/
Click on "Not a typical commute home" under archive.

(Or direct link here, Lisa)

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