CHRISTMAS LUNCH RIDE TO RICHMOND

No new faces at the library so five regulars set off towards Morden Hall to
pick up our sixth rider. The ride hit a sour note after a couple of miles
when we were faced with some brand new barriers blocking the route in
Ravensbury Park. The path through the park is part of the Wandle Trail and
is also part of Sustrans National Cycle Network. There should not be any
barriers on NCN routes yet someone is obsessed with blocking this route as
it travels through Merton and Sutton.

Morden Hall was bathed in early morning sunlight streaming through the
trees. We enjoyed some festive mince pies at the tearooms before continuing
along the Wandle Trail to Earlsfield where we cut through to Wimbledon Park.
At this point we were doing well on time so we looped around the outside of
the park, going past the All England tennis stadiums and up to the
roundabout on the A3.

There's a nice traffic-free cut through towards Roehampton which took us
down towards Richmond Park. We were still making good time so we opted for
the slightly longer but considerably more scenic cycle path around the
park's perimeter.

Lunch was busy. We met cyclists from Kingston CC, Central London CTC and
Wandsworth CC. It's not often London cyclists get the opportunity to gather
on such a large scale and it was nice to put a few faces to email addresses.

Winter afternoons can be icy cold after 2pm so we took the most direct route
home using the A3 parallel cycle track to Raynes Park and then back via
Merton Abbey and Myrna Close nature reserve.

28 miles. Out for 6.5 hours.

See the photos:
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/pollardshillcyclists/sets/1556886/>

Two rides next weekend. On Saturday we are meeting up at 08:30 on the
platform at Streatham Common to get the train up to Southwark Cyclist's
Locks N Docks East End ride. Buy a 1-4 Travelcard.
Then, on Sunday, it's quiet back roads to Chiselhurst Caves. Take a tour
(£4.00) or look at the pictures in the café and giftshop and have a bite to
eat in the tea room. Check our website for the details.

Must find out who put those barriers in Ravensbury Park and have them
removed..


Mark
PHC Co-ordinator
http://www.pollardshillcyclists.org.uk
07711 688189