The Old Crocks Race

Let's upset the Veteran Car Club by calling their annual London to Brighton Commemorative Run the "Old Crocks Race". Why would I do that you may well ask. Well those blighters have upset me!


They took the decision to change their event and not stop on Crawley High Street this year, instead they stopped at a garage on the outskirts of the town centre. THIS WAS A RUBBISH DECISION.
It appeared to have been driven by a desire to suck up to a sponsor but was hidden by a claim that the High Street was too congested. Too congested? Well you should have seen the mess at the new location - the Veteran Cars overshot the entrance, had to cross a heavy line of oncoming traffic, had very little space to park and had to recross the line of heavy traffic on exit. Couple that with spectator viewing facilities probably less than 10% of what the High Street offers and any fool can see that whoever came up with this change shot themselves well and truly in the foot.  It upset me so much that I fully intend rattling off a complaint to the guilty parties! Crawley has always provided a good level of support to this event but if the Run "organisers" persist in taking it away from the High Street and ignoring the folk of Crawley then perhaps that level of support and accommodation of the associated traffic problems will tail off over coming years and turn what has always been a popular event into an also-ran inconvenience! As a spectator event it's been cocked up so thoroughly that I didn't take a single photograph!!


Anyway, we also had a bike ride.  We met up at Three Bridges station and rode a very zig-zaggy route through Three Bridges and Northgate before bursting into a scene of utter congestion as we neared the London Road. Cars parked left right and centre, car horns being sounded, inept traffic control by RAC tabard clad amateurs and almost no view of the (few) parked Veteran Cars. We had a natter with several disgruntled potential spectators and then decided to ride on.


We headed into the town centre and then, using the same route as the Veteran Cars, headed along a pretty much deserted Boulevard and then out along Southgate Avenue. So far the weather had been overcast but dry, however as we turned south onto the A23 and approached K2, so it started to rain. We ascended Pease Pottage hill, managing to overtake a couple of the old cars and carried on along the old Brighton Road to Handcross. Here we had hoped to stop for some light refreshments but the rain was getting more intense and so we decided to turn around and head back to Gordons a little earlier than planned.


Back at Gordons, he and Jacqui treated us to a nice warming lunch before we got down to the business of drawing up the runs list for the first three months of next year. Many thanks to everyone that turned up for the ride and the runslist meeting and a big thanks to Gordon and Jacqui for hosting.


Don't forget to send in your Christmas Dinner bookings - places are filling up fast.


Our next ride on Sunday 9th November will be a 09:00 start from Horsham Pavilions in the Park We need to get to Pulborough Village Hall for 10:30 in order to attend the  DA AGM and possibly (definitely) pick up a trophy or two. Lunch will be at The Oddfellows Arms nearby and then we'll retrace our outbound route to get back to Horsham by mid afternoon. Crawley folk may well be advised to fit their lights on just in case visibility's not too good by the time we get back......

Veteran Car Run

"Easy" it said on the runs list. That, combined with dry, if cold, weather made this a popular ride - there were ten of us at the start. We headed to the High Street via the Old Three Bridges Road, the shared use path behind the College and then The Boulevard. Having locked our bikes to some railings we realised that there were some nice new bike racks just a few yards away! The High Street was full of Veteran cars and their proud owners.

Then we retrieved our bikes and rode along with the cars as they headed through the bus station and out along Southgate Avenue. At K2 we girded our loins and started up Pease Pottage Hill. I find the easiest way up is to pick a veteran car travelling at a speed you can keep up with and tuck in behind it. As they go up the hill they tend to slow down a bit and with focussing on keeping close but safe, you find you've conquered the hill without really trying. 

Click on this link to see what I mean:   http://youtu.be/7LwS4sTefNA

I'm pleased to report that all ten of us managed to ride up the hill - excellent work folks. We carried on, riding along with the Old Crocks to Handcross where JC peeled off to do a fast run to Turners Hill. The rest of us carried on to Staplefield. Here we left the crowds behind and headed west, through Slaugham to stop for lunch at The Wheatsheaf in Plummers Plain. The wisdom of timing our rides to arrive at the lunch stop at midday was well demonstrated - we managed to get a table for all nine of us  - if we'd arrived half an hour later, we'd have been scattered at different tables throughout the pub.

The weather was still clear when we got back outside making the ride home really pleasant. We headed along Hammerpond Lane and then turned up Grouse Road. Norman and Sandra then went back to Horsham via Colgate. Gordon and Ken were next to peel off followed by Pete and Marion, then Val and finally I left Narinder to ride the last few hundred yards back to Three Bridges station.

Next weeks ride starts at 09:00 from Horsham Pavilion in the Park to attend the D.A. AGM which starts at 10.30 in Pulborough Village Hall. This will be followed by lunch at The Rising Sun, Nutbourne and will be an easy/medium ride of about 35 miles.