Sunday April 5th 2009

This was a fine spring day though only the brave sported shorts. Six (including the rarely seen this far west Mike F) became eight by the time we reached Long Ditton. We threaded a usual course through Hersham, Walton, Weybridge and Addlestone to reach crowded Fairoaks Airport where our numbers had soared to twenty plus the Scottish rider. So a long thin line of riders stretched down Philpot Lane into Horsell and onto the Basingstoke in Woking. At St Johns we paused before the A324 to regroup. I'd stopped in the exact same spot on the recce but for the life of me I couldn't remember the continuation. Once again the mist lifted about 200 yards further on - we should have crossed to the opposite bank! Only pride plunged us into Woking's western suburbs where a local builder got us back on course.

Fox Corner led on past the Merial plant where still there's no blue plaque "F&M born here July 2007". Along the A324 greetings were exchanged with the homeward Hounslow. A left into Cobbett Hill Road soon delivered us beside Wood Street's green; BYOs headed for the benches, the rest settled for surprisingly the White Hart's garden. This has gone even more upmarket - few punters but loos worth a visit! Whilst Terry fixed a puncture, Anne arrived without maps after a morning spent running. The shortest route home took us past Guildford's old barracks, along the Wey Navigation (where Vic lurked in the bushes) and beside the A3 to tea at Ockham Bites. A breakaway group headed to Wisley Airfield for Cobham Bus Museum's Open Day whilst the lazy contented themselves with the passing Routemasters. My journey home included an Asiatic festival at Boldermere and divers buses well off route. And so another ride was over - around 55 miles door to door.