Central London CTC blog

In Kent With Roy Watson was what had been planned and he did manage to make lunch, but…..

Many of you know that Roy was unable to lead his ride so it fell to me as I was planning to do the ride anyway. Before starting there are plenty of thanks to be made to other people without whom the ride would not have gone ahead.  The principal characters, Roy apart, were David Kurtz and Richard Philpott who worked out what the route was as David had ridden the route the previous time and managed to get a Google Maps plot so I had some idea of where the ride was scheduled to go. more »

On a perfect sunny May morning, a disparate bunch gathered at Chelmsford for Michael Belcher’s two-star ride through the Essex lanes - two-star stalwarts, newcomers and a handful of three-star regulars who had ridden out to keep up their weekly mileage quota. The day’s 80km featured two fords (one ridable by all but the most timid, the other a long murky stream of indeterminate depth that no-one dare try…) , a relaxed lunch at the White Hart in Stebbing and the ever-welcoming Jericho tea-rooms in Blackmore …

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My own stupidity amazes even myself sometimes! Although I’ve caught the train to Box Hill many times before, always from Victoria, on this occasion my autopilot took me to Waterloo! Fortunately I noticed a missed call on my mobile, rang back and spoke to Charlie at Victoria who was wondering where I was. Jumped on the next train to Clapham Junction in the hope of meeting the Box Hill train but at Clapham there are too many platforms and not enough information (and I’d probably missed it anyway!) so I caught one to Leatherhead and cycled the last couple of miles to Box Hill. Only 20 minutes late in the end, half of which would probably have been lost to faffing anyway!

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Sunday and we’re off to Flitwick. That is only part of the story, so where shall we start.

The Beginning

Rides list compilation time and I have submitted a ride in the northern part of Hertfordshire. A week before the list is due out a flurry of emails as Richard has spotted that on the day of the ride there will be no trains to/from Hitchin. OK says I lets do the ride but we can start from Flitwick, but where to have lunch. Paul Krebs suggests Cottered so that leaves me to work out a route with those parameters. Eventually, Microsoft Autoroute allows me to plan a ride that hits those requirements.

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I shall start with a thank you to my hosts for dinner on Saturday and the ride leader on Sunday. That is, therefore a big thank you to Ann and Roy Watson.

Now to the ride.

It should have been something else but trains meant a late change so instead of Headcorn we started at Tonbridge. David Kurtz was waiting to greet the early arrivals as he had ridden out and had already occupied a table in the café by the station. I say he had occupied but most of the table was covered by his array of electronic gizmos. Eventually after coffee we met the train borne contingent and got underway.

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Six set out from Woking station pausing first to see H G Wells’ house near the railway, then to admire a sculpture of a Martian Tripod of War of the Worlds fame.Half an hour after leaving Woking the threatened rain materialised and became heavier and heavier until Robin kindly invited us to coffee and shelter (”I’m afraid I only have chocolate biscuits”!) at his house nearby. Consensus was reached on abandoning the ride and eventually we prised ourselves out of the comfy chairs and out again into the rain to cycle damply and lunchless to the station. Didn’t check but we probably did about 15 miles or so. Later on at home I found I had to dry out all my paper money on the radiator!

Due to the usual train problems with Hertford, we had to start this ride from Enfield Town, a station with no attributes other allowing an escape from Enfield. The early morning had been quite wet, but the skies cleared for quite a few to ride out, and some had already found their first tea stop, opposite the station.

Once assembled, we made our way down some bland back streets, cut through a muddy lane, head down briefly along an A road, then into the back of the Hertford lanes. Speed picked up as we could sense an upcoming Garden Centre (by Hertingfordbury), were we stopped for the first official tea stop.

After a short route plotting discussion, we continued on to Datchworth for lunch. An early arrival allowed us to miss a shower, have a relaxed meal, and leave in time for the next short shower. Through Watton and Dane End, up through Nasty and on to Westmill - more tea.

The route to Hertford rolls gently down, and allowed a good blast back. Trains were back to normal, and groups gradually peeled off at their local stops. Once again, despite the forecasts, we hardly got wet and had a great day - highly social, but with some good riding country.

Map of the route by Richard.

Sunday 17th December - an Ugley ride with Phil Cordingley (**)

I’ve got lulled into a false season, so although I and a few others felt chill on arrival at Broxbourne, the fact that I was still exposing flesh in mid-December was more surprising - nor, as it turned out, was I particularly cold all day. Some of us had ridden out to meet the train, making 14 all told. Train problems had already diverted the ride from Bishops Stortford, so Phil was planning the route as we rode. Just as well, as this was a day punctuated by deflations. First in Bayford, then another before the Hertingfordbury turn. On through Hertford and Bengeo, then a quick discussion and on to Bennington for lunch, via a rather nasty bit of A road. Except we didn’t all get to Bennington together, Phil having to do his border collie imitation to find the flock. The Bell was very welcoming - a good, no-nonsense pub, to be recommended. Outside to another puncture, a mile later yet another. As 3 of the 4 punctures were on one wheel, and another on a partner wheel, said pair retired, somewhat hurt, to Watton for a train home. The rest pressed on, through Buntingford and Furneaux to Manuden and, in failing light, to Stortford.

The above might sound somewhat a catalogue of despair, but somehow it wasn’t. It was a very nice cycle ride, the sun shone, the company was good.

To quote the BBC, ‘It’s what we do’.