Christmas Dinner 2012

Fifteen of us turned up at the Dragon in Colgate for this years Christmas Dinner - but only four on bikes! Barbara and Pete rode from Horsham, Frank and Pat from Crawley.  The rest of us arrived by car or taxi. 

We started in the Lounge Bar and enjoyed our pre-dinner drinks, conversation and Barbara's speech prior to awarding the Mick Horley trophy to Pat and Frank for their sterling support for the club in our successful delivery of the Two Weald Ride.

We then sat down for dinner and the wine, conversation and jokes started to flow. We suspected that fifteen people in one group was a little too much for the pub to handle as there was quite a spread in time between the first plate and last plate arriving at the table. On top of that, my initial dessert spoon was more suited to the depths of a Knickerbocker Glory than the shallow joys of Christmas Pudding and Custard! Meanwhile, the variety of different shaped pudding bowls caused some raised eyebrows as well!

Eventually, some three or four hours after arriving, and having gained an inch or two around the waist, it was time for us to head home through the rapidly approaching gloom of  a fairly mild mid-December afternoon.

Next weeks ride will start from Three Bridges Station at 10:00 hrs with Anton leading a gentle morning loop out to the northwest of Crawley and back.

CTC beginners ride - Woodhatch garden centre

We always seem to get a good turn-out for our monthly ‘introductory’ rides for some reason.  Maybe we should be able to figure that out?!  So it was, that this Sunday we had seven riders – Sandra, Sandy, John C, John V, Norman, Bob.  

My stoker was still tucked-up ‘al la duvet’, so I was on my hack bike in case we went along the Worth Way.  But she had suggested Woodhatch garden centre and so we set off in that direction as everyone else thought that this was a good idea.  

The route 21 took us to Horley on a bright but chilly morning and there we carried straight on through the town centre to the cross roads with the A23.  Once over we arrived at Lonesome Lane.  Well it’s not as Lonesome as it used to be when I commuted daily down it in the 70’s, but it is still very pleasant and the light traffic was well behaved.  Arriving at Woodhatch we found that the garden centre had some kind of seasonal fund-raising event on, but fortunately we were able to get in to the café.  

After refreshments and a natter we crossed Woodhatch to the west of the A217 by a diverse route through the back doubles, courtesy of John V.  Although I lived in Woodhatch for several years John still manages to know routes that I don’t!  I don’t know how he does it.  Arriving at the A217 we turned right to the south and hurried along for about 500 metres to the right turn for Irons Bottom at Sidlow Bridge.  I don’t think that I will speculate how this village/hamlet got it’s name!  This road was lightly trafficked and we had a quiet ride through pleasant countryside, to Povey Cross where we said goodbye to Norman as he headed back directly to Horsham, and we headed through the back entrance to Gatwick.  

After retracing our steps through the terminal we arrived back at Three Bridges.  Total ride duration about 4 hours including long coffee break.  Distance about 25 miles and average speed around 8 mph.  Anyone can ride at this speed and we’d love to see you at the next one – Sunday 10^th Feb, 10.00 at Three Bridges Station.  Go-on, put it in your new 2013 diary now!

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Peter Smith

CTC Crawley/Horsham

South of Horsham

Anton led this ride from Horsham Park Pavilion. He took us along Depot Road to Doomsday Green and across the A281 onto Sedgwick (formerly Magpie) Lane. We carried on down to Copsale then used the Downs Link to cross under the A24 and arrive in Southwater, from there we headed towards Shipley but turned right onto the A272 for a short while before going through Dragons Green and on into Barns Green where we stopped for elevenses at Sumners Ponds. From there it was straight back along Two Mile Ash Road past Bax Castle and up to Tower Hill and back into Horsham.

Wineham Royal Oak

A Three Bridges start, led by Bob.

We went to Handcross then Staplefield, used the small lanes down to Hickstead where we crossed the A23. Then used Bob Lane to get to the pub where we had a short break before trying to beat the rain home - we just failed and got a little wet for the last few miles of the ride.

The Plough at Leigh

Anton lead us from Horsham via Oakwoodhill and Weare Street to The Plough at Leigh. It was cold and bright.

DA AGM, Pulborough

 

Could I get across to Horsham for 09:00hrs?      No!      I phoned Barbara and she took on the leadership role, I concentrated on trying to get to Pulborough for 10:30. As it was, I was 15 minutes late getting there!!

 

The AGM proceeded pretty much in the usual fashion and when it came to dishing out the prizes, we (Horsham and Crawley) were on the receiving end of most of them. The picture shows Ros who, with Anne, attended the most DA Events:

 

 

At the conclusion of business, most of us rode the short distance to The Sun at Nutbourne for lunch. After some good food, good ale and good company, we all headed off home before the sun got too low.



Our next ride, on Sunday 18th November, will be led by Anton and head North and West from Horsham. It will start from Horsham Park Pavilion at 10:00 hrs and will be a medium ride of about 35 miles.  Remember, 35 miles is only 3.5 hours cycling.  See you Sunday.

Veteran Car Run 2012