Easter Tour 2024 to Eastbourne

The C&M Easter Tour is a fixture which marks the changing seasons, eagerly anticipated by those who attend.  The basic format is a weekend of cycle rides, based somewhere away from our regular riding territory, with options for both off- and on-road riding, and for those not riding.  Adventures were had by all.

Eastbourne

The 2024 venue was eventually set as the York House Hotel, Eastbourne,  after we were let down by an alternative location.  It proved popular, with 49 people in the hotel or staying nearby.  About half rode down to Eastbourne for Friday night.  Surprise - there were no trains to Eastbourne over Easter,  so several got trains to nearby,  or not so nearby, and rode the final miles.

Pete B, legendary ride leader, had planned the weekend's rides for the on-road contingent. For Saturday, he had organised a flat ride around the levels to the east.  Flat is of course a relative term.   We set off along the coast towards Pevensey, and then north across the levels, which I think we all agreed were flat, and lovely.

Leaving the hotel

After this, opinions were mixed about the flatness of the lanes to Herstmonceux Castle and Observatory.  At Herstmonceux village there was a minor mutiny when some wanted to stop for coffee.  Nothing that Pete couldn't handle.  After a bit of a car park viewing opportunity for the non coffee stoppers, we split into two groups.  One sped along the 11 miles to lunch, and the other group did our best to catch them up.  We pedalled through gorgeous quiet lanes, lined with spring flowers: celandine, primrose, cuckoo flower, wood anenome and hawthorn blossom; serenaded by birdsong, not motor vehicles.  But I think it's fair to say that by now serious doubts about the flatness or otherwise of the ride were emerging.  Some of the slightly less flat parts required bottom gear or even some walking.

The lunch spot at Horam was ideal.  Good food was served quickly, and we sat in the warm sunshine to enjoy it.  After lunch some took the direct route along the Cuckoo Trail, an old railway line, to Eastbourne, while the majority followed Pete along more quiet lanes, even flatter than the morning's flat ride, and back through the levels, to a surprise tea stop at a farm shop.  Then it was back along the coast and the promenade to Eastbourne for showers, refreshments, dinner and much chat.  A great day out.

 

The Short-Cutters on the promenade

Returning across the levels

 

Tea

Sunday's ride was exceptional, even for Pete.  We were forewarned that there might be no lunch, due to Easter Sunday, and tourists taking our rightful place in the pubs.  We set off like lemmings in a stiff breeze towards Beachy Head, and then onwards with a beautiful descent to Birling Gap, where most of us admired the view if the Six Sisters (the seventh was Beachy Head, now behind us).  After a bit of very busy main road, we set off north towards our lunch destination at Alfriston.  But we discovered a cycle cafe at the Long Man Brewery, so indulged in a late elevenses stop instead.

Two Petes and six sisters

Elevenses at the Long Man Brewery

 

Lunch in Chalvington

Plans had to be rearranged.  A new route, more beautiful lanes, to a pub in Chalvington, at least on the map.  But it had closed long ago,  so lunch was taken in the sunny churchyard instead.   Then things got exciting.   The obvious route back was along NCN 2 towards Polegate.  There was a short stretch of bridleway,  but how bad could it be?   Very bad, unfortunately.   It started badly with soft mud right across the track,  and got worse.  At the first real quagmire, some of the lemmings revolted and decided to take the longer way round, but a majority had already forded the mud bath and so were committed.  It was the longest short stretch of off-road ever, with the stickiest and deepest mud, and no way round it.  Shoes were nearly lost.  Keith even tried to build a bridge from logs - or was it a raft?

 

And so another legendary ride was created.  Arriving back at the hotel, filthy shoes and bicycles had to be handled carefully.  Steph went for a paddle in the sea to wash the sticky mud off her shoes.  Another rider found it necessary to use a combination of bathroom shower and toilet brush to clean his shoes.

But at dinner, everyone was buzzing about a beautiful and adventurous ride, so perhaps it was a good example of Type Two Fun - where the enjoyment comes after the activity instead of during it.

The off-road group disappeared each day into the hills, emerging once or twice to speed past us on the road, and returning with plenty of smiles and mud each evening.

Some of the off-roaders at a chance meeting in Horley

The whole event was masterminded by Steve Gordon and Ann Bath, who are stepping down after organising Easter Tours for fifteen years.  During that time thousands of miles have been ridden, many pints and cakes consumed, memories made, and lasting friendships have been built.   They are hopeful that someone will come forward to take it over for the future, and so are we.   Huge thanks to Ann and Steve from all of us on this year's trip and those dating back to 2009, for all they have done.

Ann and Steve

Many thanks also to Pete for leading the rides, and to Pete, Steph, Helen, Keith, Jen, Tony and probably others who took and shared some of these photos.

Ride Report - Sunday 31 March 2024

 

The fleshpots of Eastbourne had tempted the rest of the group away today (or perhaps they had heard I would be leading the ride) and so it was left to a skeleton crew (Martina, Tony, Sabina, Bernard, Graham, Geoff and me) to keep the flag flying at elevenses.

Elevenses over, Graham and Geoff wisely turned for home but I could not deter the rest from following me on a meander through some of the more forgettable parts of west London.   The typical Bank Holiday weather (overcast with a chill breeze) provided a perfect backdrop and the only moments of relief were provided by the odd sewage works, stately home, and new born lamb.

A light lunch was taken at that delightful oasis in the Heathrow desert which is the White Horse at Longford.   After that it was just a matter of dodging the low flying planes along the Western Perimeter Road cycle path, and we soon found ourselves at Walton Bridge where we went our separate ways.   By now, of course, we were bathed in warm sunshine!   Typical Easter!    Thanks all for your company.

Dinosaurs! 24 March

It was the best of rides, it was the worst of rides.   It was cold, it was hot.  It was flat, there was a big hill.   There were dinosaurs, there was Croydon.  But I didn't mention Croydon in the pre-ride publicity, so loads of people turned up at North Cheam.  Eighteen!   And that's just the cyclists - there were dozens of others just supping their early morning pints, as you do.

Anyway, now we know what Cheam & Morden riders like.   Dinosaurs.   It was nice to see Richard at North Cheam, and also Robert and Margaret, returned from Canada for a while, and Mark who's been busy with something called work, and a young family.  Ed, Richard and Margaret had just come for elevenses, so a group of fifteen set off on the ride.  It was loosely based on my Wayfarers London ride in 2018, a very long time ago, when dinosaurs had only just become extinct, and Covid hadn't been invented.

We followed route 75 eastwards from North Cheam, along the baby river Wandle to its source, or one of them; and then used Paul and Maggie James' latest route through Croydon, managing to dodge the tram lines and most of the traffic.  Along the Addiscombe Railway Park and then turned north to begin a gradual, and gradually steepening, climb towards the now visible transmitter tower at Crystal Palace.

The last stretch up Anerley Road was proper lung-busting stuff, but we all felt a sense of something when we arrived at *NOT* the site of the Crystal Palace exhibition, 1851 (see later).  Was it awe, or was it just exhaustion?   The exhibition had 100,000 exhibits and attracted over six million visitors.  The most popular exhibit, as judged by me, were the world's first public toilets, known as the Retiring Rooms, which cost a penny to use.  The profits (£21 million in today's money) were used to found the V&A, Natural History and Science museums.

The building had 60,000 panes of glass and a floor area of about a million square feet, which sounds quite impressive, but in metric it is only about thirteen football pitches.   Unlucky for some, since the whole structure was moved after the exhibition to a permanent location in Penge  (the cost of the move was nearly ten times the cost of the original construction), and only 80 years later it burnt down.  It came as quite a surprise since it was made of glass and cast iron, not renowned for being flammable.  Wikipedia article.   *Edit* Apparently my thorough research late last night was not thorough enough.  The Great Exhibition was in fact in Hyde Park, and the structure was re-opened on its new site at Penge  Common in 1854.  The area became known as Crystal Palace only after the building of the same name was moved there.   Confused?  I was.   Thank you to Dave Vine for pointing me in the right direction, not for the first time.

Crystal Palace viewed from Anerley Road

After relocation to Penge Common, which was
later renamed after the building to Crystal Palace.

But I digress.   So we did a bit of a tour around Crystal Palace Park, admiring the trees, the lakes, the sphinxes somehow left behind from the Great Exhibition, all the while thinking ... where are the dinosaurs?   Suddenly we saw them, luckily segregated by a moat around their island, otherwise it would have been too dangerous for the many small children wandering around.   They have been lovingly restored since my last visit in 2018, with the very latest dinosaur colour scheme, and were looking very fetching, and fierce of course, in the sunlight.   We took a few photos, actually, quite a lot of photos, and then it was lunchtime so we stopped at a nearby Wetherspoons, the Retiring Rooms, in nearby Penge.  When the sun was out, it was pretty warm, so we had lunch outside, perhaps for the first time this year?

Dinosaurs!

General excitement and milling about

Tree growing at a funny angle (?)

After lunch, we followed the river variously known as the Ravensbourne Brook, River Pool, and Dartford Creek, downstream to Greenwich, had a quick look at the Cutty Sark, where we tried and failed to decode the message being displayed by the signal flags.  We then rode along the river for a bit, admiring the sunlit views along the Thames, before joining the newly completed Cycleway 4, (Greenwich to London Bridge) for a very straighforward ride into Southwark, turning onto C14 to Waterloo.

Our fifteen had now dwindled to eleven with the loss of David W, Mark, Keith and Andy, and we had already lost two back-markers, so we stopped for tea in Lower Marsh.  We couldn't use my planned tea stop, because it had somehow ceased to exist since my recce ride, but in a perfectly acceptable nearby cafe.  Dawn caught the train home, Carolyn failed to catch a train home (they were very infrequent) so rejoined the rest of us to ride back to Richmond Park, a scenic route taking in the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, C15 and Putney Bridge, site of the Boat Race next week.

Cutty Sark and crew

What does it say?

We arrived in Richmond Park as the sun was setting in the west and a beautiful full moon was rising in the east.   A good day out.  Thanks to everyone who came along and made it such an enjoyable day, to David, Andy, Geoff, Christina for photos, and to David, Andy, Geoff and Alan for back marking.

Full list of lunch attendees: Christina, Bernard, Sabina, Geoff, Steph, Robert, Carolyn, Alan, and Lilian, David W, Mark, Keith, Dawn, Andy, myself.

letter J   or  "I am on fire and have a dangerous cargo"

letter K  or "I wish to communicate with you"

letter W or "I require medical assistance"

letter S or "I am operating astern propulsion"

The top flag is a special version of the Red Ensign for ships on the National Register of Historic Vessels.   So now you know.

Sunday 17th March 2024

Spring is here...so says the Met Office.

LAUGH OUT LOUD. 😂

I kinda expected not many would be out.....but with a combination of rain, rough stuff & hills.....what is there not to like?

If two's company, & three's a crowd...then we're having a party.🙌

The rain had stopped.

Dave, Simon & Colin joined me from café Barbera, Stoke D' Abernon across the Cobham Tilt & past the M25 services (having a quiet day, I suspect).

The main beneficiary of this weekend's closure of junc 10-11 would of been the environment & that can only be a good thing.

My tried and tested route took us to Bookham via the common (the rough stuff) but a few puddles weren't going to impede our progress.

We paused for a photo at the top of Bagden Hill.

Incidents to report:

The battery on my camera is depleted but by some miracle produced this picture. 😃

The "electric fence" here is either passing a very low current or is in fact switched off....& Simon lives to tell the tale.

After a comfort stop at Rykas.....Headley Lane/Lodgebottom Road (known locally as Little Switzerland) brought gradually up to Headley where it's not uncommon to see horses.

But I did feel a bit sad for these animals (one cart had a flat tyre)....but apparently they can easily pull a wheeled vehicle that is six times their own weight. 😲

Simon, who's recovering from a nasty chest infection, left us here for a more direct route to lunch.

We carried on Hurst Lane into Hurst Road & the unmade Motts Hill Lane to Epsom Lane North.

Across the Downs, Chalk Lane & The Assembly Rooms for lunch.

One of my least favourite 'spoons this, mainly because it's always so crowded & NOISY.

But this is where the majority of the club were to be found. 😉

Thanks to Colin & Simon for your company & Dave for backmarking (& your company also....ofc). 👍

Ride Report - Sunday 10 March 2024

 

Here was a ride that was jinxed from the very start.   Our scheduled leader had already reported sick but thoughtfully found us a substitute.  As I sat down at elevenses at the Ferry Cafe a message came through that the sub was stricken down too!   The weather forecast was terrible.   What else could possibly go right?

Well, of course, disaster follows disaster and verily the voices did come unto me and told me to shepherd the remainder of the flock (just Paula, Pam and Andy, Tony and Graham having sensibly declined to join us) unto the Cinnamon Cafe at Windsor where we would find salvation and a 10% discount for Lycra!

And lo, we set off in completely the wrong direction, not an ideal start to the ride, but wild horses couldn't keep us from reaching lunch, or so I thought!   In fact they had a very good try at it as we crossed Shortwood Common!

The horse were actually very friendly and just inquisitive and allowed us to continue after only a short delay.   Once we had reached the furthest point from home, just as you would expect, the rain, which had so far lulled us into a false sense of security by being much less worse than expected, now set in with a vengeance, and was of Biblical intensity as we crossed a strangely deserted Windsor Bridge!

(Photo credits to Andy)

We dashed for cover at the Cinnamon Cafe, hoping to emerge again after lunch and find that the rain had stopped.   Unsurprisingly, we were disappointed and this aspiration was not realised!   In fact, if anything, it was raining harder on the way home, so it was a fast,  heads down, main road aquaplane all the way to Shepperton where we went our separate ways.   Moral - next time the voices do come unto me, I'll put my hands over my ears, close my eyes and sing loudly to myself!  

Thanks all for your company and for putting up with it!

Sunday 3rd March 2024

 

So Chris Fawkes says "dry with sunny intervals".....but wait.....did I hear him right? You mean NO RAIN ?........OMG perfect for an early Spring ride in the lanes of Surrey.

I left home with four layers, a hat, & a helmet pointing the handlebars toward Headley hoping to warm up.

I didn't but enjoyed the descent down Lodgebottom Road with the sun filtering through the trees.

The café at Waitrose in Dorking was quiet...in complete contrast to Priory Farm's café. (sighs)

"Buy a drink from the café & get a scone for £1" * says the sign so recognising a bargain, I accept the offer.

My route took us to Cotmandene where we assembled for the group photo.

We headed east on gently undulating lanes with sunshine, the birds singing & I detected a sense of satisfaction.....dare I say enjoyment in the group.....if only we knew .(sighs)

The only "flood" was where I'd expected it to be in Wonham Lane but there was no dipping our feet in the water or hesitation today & we were all out the other side before Steph had managed to reach for her phone.

We've all become experts in judging water depth!

Earlswood Lakes provided a comfort stop.

NCN Route 22 took us away from East Surrey Hospital & along Hartspiece Road, a private road if you believe the signs but cycle.travel knows better. (winks)

We pulled into the (full) car park at Priory Farm, bid farewell to Dave & padlocked our bikes. (excited - a new lunch destination)

We step into the the café & it's packed. (sighs)

I observe the full tables, the long queue to order & I'm concerned. (sighs)

Whilst the group start locating tables, I join Keith outside where he's already on his phone looking for alternatives.

And quite quickly I'd decided today was not the day to sample the delights of the Priory Farm café & it didn't take much persuading the group either.

So homeward bound, we go to plan B.

The Quality Café in Merstham.

A regular for past C&M rides mainly for 11's, rarely for lunch, but I got the impression folk were satisfied.

Thanks to Dave & Simon (backmarking), Christina & Diane (for providing me with liquid refreshment) & Terry, Steph, Lilian, Sabine, Bernard, Geoff, Keith & Maddy for your valued company.

I must also thank Dave V who is a regular face at C&M elevenses, for taking the trouble to join us.

Much appreciated!

* Only with a MyWaitrose Card & purchase of a drink from the café (says the small print).

Surrey RoadSafe

 Hello,

Please spend a few minutes on this very short survey about 20mph speed limits.

Thanks.

https://visionzerosurrey.commonplace.is/

From Brian Mackie

                                                              Brian Mackie

Hi, I wish I could still do your rides? At ninety it'the electric scooter now? I enjoy reading your reports! Brings back many memories of 1950s. All a little more spartan in those days! Then we used to assemble at Ridge road school for meetings. Sunday runs started from the Grenada Nth Cheam, then later Worcester Park was start to the day! Best wishes to you all! Brian Mackie. Now live in Swaffham Norfolk.

 

This was posted on Facebook.

Sunday 25th February 2024

This February has been pretty dismal (to say the least) with rainy and/or windy weather putting many off cycling, so with another unfavourable forecast it was nice to see 16 cyclists at The Vineries.

Ed, Dave V, Maureen & Graham went their separate ways leaving Bernard, Sabine, Keith, Diane, Christina, Carolyn, Lillian, Dave W, Terry, Dawn & Simon led by myself to a new lunch venue - Ruby's café just south of Beare Green.

A number of years ago C & M rides were graded to give new members an indication to the difficulty of the ride.

80% were "2" - flat or undulating, up to 50 miles, suitable for most.

20% were "1" - either hilly and/or 70 miles (or more).

Today would of been a "1" ........no question. 👀

Dappeled sunshine made the gradual climb to the top of Chapel Lane quite enjoyable even though some may of been thinking about the stinking great climb in a few miles time (I'd posted part of the route in a blog post.......to encourage or put people off ....I'm not sure which).

The effects of recent rain caused a split in the bunch with some wanting to avoid (the possibilty) of muddy conditions on NCN Route 22 between Dorking & Westcott...so Dave W kindly took the majority via tarmac whilst Keith, Sabine, Bernard, Dawn & Simon joined my "not too bad" route.

Some confusion where the routes meet but we were soon onto the "highlight" of the day, Logmore Lane.

Just a personal view but this is why I love cycling the hills of Surrey......it starts quite steeply past the church then levels out.....even goes downhill. 

Then boom.....back on the lowest gear.....but we all made it. 👏

A sense of an achievement.........whatever the age you are.

After a photo op at the top of a chilly Anstie Lane, downhill to Ruby.

Great refreshment place this (I would say that!) with orders served efficiently......one I'm bound to use again.

I hope it doesn't go the same way as Henfold lake (closed - seeking new tenants).

We left well nourished but by now light rain had started falling.

I suffered a collapse of the rear mudguard caused by a fallen branch on the run in to Leatherhead.

Tea (& biscuits) at Spoons.........yummy!

Steady rain was to end a great day in the saddle.

Only around 40 miles for me but thanks to Logmore....it felt like more.😀

Thanks as always to my supporters, my back markers & my photographers.

Please refer to March/April rides list for next week - 3rd March (11's Waitrose Dorking NOT W'Spoons L'head).

                                        

A right royal jaunt to Maidenhead - 18 Feb

It was almost like spring today for our ride to the deep west.   We missed the overnight downpours, waking to grey skies and wet roads, but this soon improved to a warm day with patches of sunshine and a few short showers.   A few of us met at Shepperton for a pre-ride to 11s at the Royal Farm Coffee Shop in Windsor.   In total there were nine of us, not bad for such a faraway start.   We split into two groups:  Tony, Pam and Liz took a more direct route while David, Andy, Diane, Christina, Steph and myself headed in a northerly loop towards Maidenhead.   We enjoyed some of the lovelier parts of Slough, namely Herschel Park, Salt Hill Park and the Godolphin recreation grounds, before a quick visit to Burnham Beeches, freshly washed and gleaming in the sunshine.   Then it was off to Maidenhead via Taplow and Boulter's Island, home of Richard Dimbleby for many years.  

Blossoming in Bray

Viewing the castle at Windsor

We arrived at almost exactly the same time as the other group and enjoyed lunch at sunny upstairs tables.  Then it was back by a fairly direct route, through Bray, Dorney (a special treat to ride across Dorney Common with a tail wind), Windsor and Runnymede, where I managed to find a rather muddy track for a hundred yards or so (sorry everyone!) before joining the newly-surfaced riverside path.   Just as we were contemplating whether to have tea at Egham or Shepperton, standing near the Runnymede Cafe, it started to rain, so the decision was made to stop there for tea instead.  Of course the rain stopped before we had sat down with our tea.   Pam was nearly home by then but she volunteered (sort of) to lead us to Chertsey via Thorpe.

All in all, a nice day out with a taste of warm days to come, in good company and rather lucky with the weather.   Thank you to all who came along, to Tony and Pam for leading parts of the ride, and to David W and Diane for back-marking.

Sunday 11th February 2024

The day dawned damp & murky, a typical February day but with the temperature the right side of 10°.

Seven riders met at Starbucks, Hooley, a satisfactory number I thought considering the impending "hilly" ride.

Pre-ride chat dwelt on amongst other things, the merits (or otherwise) of narrowboats & Steph & Caroline's forthcoming Majorca trip.

On leaving, we immediately began climbing Dean Lane, the obvious way going East to be followed by the fast decent of Hilltop Lane.

NCN route 21 took us past Mercers farm & lake, tricky in places after all the recent rain but it's a NATIONAL CYCLE ROUTE so must be okay?....right?

This stretch is graded as "reasonable to cycle at any time of year" with "the odd pot-hole or bumpy bit" (SCC cycle map 2014).

Although Sustrans come up with the concept, it's down to indivdual landowners to maintain the paths which are left to the elements.

A surface would be nice.

Coopers Hill Road took us south from Nutfield to the track going east through the Henshaw Farm estate....a new experience for some.

Outwood has a windmill, in fact a very old windmill. 

It was constructed during the Great Fire of London & the builders it is said, watched the fire glowing in the distance 25 miles away.

It was last used commercially in 1996 & is the oldest working windmill in the UK.

Grade 1 listed building & only £800,000 (June 2018).

The Castle at Wasps Green...or Outwood as Google would have us believe was better than I'd thought ticking many boxes.

Attentive waiter, good food (not a roast in sight), comfortable surroundings & special thanks to Caroline for picking up the drinks tab.

We were away by 1.30 & 3 more climbs, Outwood Lane, Markedge Lane & Holly Lane brought us to tea at Banstead.

A pleasant day's ride with some hills to exercise the legs in the expectation of longer rides as the days lengthen.

Thanks to all for your company & Dave & Simon for backmarking.

Ride Report - Sun 4 Feb 2024 (Addlestone & Woking)

 

Several members were out of the country today and unable to join us on the ride - rumours I was leading must have got about!   Who grassed?   Anyway, Simon, Diane, Tony, Martina, Niall, Pam, Liz, Christina, Steph, Graham, Carolyn & Vic (very nice to see him out and about) joined me for elevenses at the ever-popular Golden Cafe, and more than made up for absent friends.   All except Carolyn and Vic then joined the ride towards lunch at Woking.

It had not escaped my attention that a certain mid week cycling group had also lunched at Woking very recently so I tried to come up with a different route.   This was proved to be slightly over-ambitious of me given a slightly later departure from elevenses than planned, and a stiff headwind, and so at Knaphill we diverted to a more direct route to lunch.

We had a very convivial meal at Wetherspoons and the service, as ever there, was friendly and efficient.

After lunch I decided to lure the group into a false sense of security by setting off on our traditional route back through Sheerwater, then veering off to Weybridge via Brooklands.  I managed to get away with it this time but I doubt if the trick will work again!   Anyway we made it to tea at Walton Bridge long before the somewhat fickle serving-hatch shutters had closed and neatly avoided a return through Addlestone!

Thanks all for your company and thanks to Graham for back-marking and Simon for relieving him.

Competition Deadlines

For the photo competition please submit your photos by midnight this Sunday, 4th February. This will give the judges time to deliberate and reach their verdicts in time for the engraver to do his work before our prize-giving on 6th March.

See this link to the invitation for the rules and instructions on how to upload photos.

For the mileages league table please send me your 2023 mileage score by midnight on Sunday, 4th February. I will happily update the table with any scores sent to me after Sunday but you won't be considered as a contender for any of the shiny trophies.

For anyone who won a trophy or two last year please let me know if you will be bringing it/them to Cobham for me on Wednesday. Thank you to several people who have delivered theirs already.

Thank you

~ Tim C