Three riders met at Cheam Station Southside. Mick Curtis, Chris Messett and myself leading. We all immediately admired the lovely metallic blue of Mick’s new ‘leccy’ bike and his three new friends, Messrs Volts, Ohms and Watts!
We set off over the south west corner of Nonsuch Park and onto the Hogsmill River heading for Kingston. Once over Kingston Bridge it was through the gates of Hampton Court Park, onto Hampton Court bridge and the tea stop at East Molesey Cricket Club.
Barry Gregory had already staked a claim on a table and so all was well with the world, apart from the weather! We’d already been caught in a minor shower crossing Nonsuch, and the clouds were once again threatening to dampen our spirits as we left the cricket club.
We decided to avoid Kingston, taking the shorter way back and heading across the north side of Walton on Thames. Mick Curtis was unusually enthusiastic about the route back. Could it have been something to do with the assistance of Messrs Volts, Ohms and Watts? As we traversed a bridle way near the Queen Elizabeth Reservoir the heavens opened upon us, so we stopped under the trees and donned our waterproofs. At this point Barry left for home in Hersham and we headed across the River Ember to Thames Ditton and Esher. Arbrook Common was our next destination before climbing gently to Claygate. At the hump back bridge over the railway I waited for Mick to catch up, I turned around and there he was right behind me with a very smug look on his face. Curse the electric bike, no more rest stops for the rest of us now we have Mick ‘Rolling Thunder’ Curtis.
I decided not to test how amphibious Mick’s new bike was by taking him through the ‘flood of doom’ at Barwell Farm, Chessington South and instead used the bridleway south of it. The clouds were looking ominous over Sutton as we crossed Horton Park and back into Ewell, and so the quickest route possible was used back to Cheam to avoid another soaking.
Miles: 30.
Paul White