News 2015

The Peak District by Willie Gall

A pictorial account of Willie's trip to the Peak District.

Monsal Dale and Viaduct.

Dieppe Raid by Andy Bebington

The tale of the missing baguettes, the missing tarmac and the missed junction!

Croydon CTC had the fewest members attending the Dieppe Raid in recent memory - there were 6 of us. The Three Must-get-Beers (Messrs Nolan, Robertson & Bebington) met at Brighton Pier, pedaled to Newhaven for breakfast and met D'Artagnan (Mr Coan) in the ferry queue.

After a bad night's sleep (for some) we set out on what promised to be - and was - a scorching day. The only café we found on the morning session was heaving with cyclists so we didn't stop. The usual lunch stop, at the Parc Guy Weber, was running out of food and Greg was reduced to only an apple - not a lot of lunch when there's another 40-odd miles to ride in the afternoon heat.

It transpires that earlier riders had been known to have two baguettes, thus creating the shortage. As we left the Parc, fresh supplies appeared to be arriving - or were they coming for a private picnic? "Never mind", we thought, "there'll be a café at the north-easternmost point of the return journey, we can top up there". There wasn't, and we couldn't.

Ascent Above Envermeu.

Fortunately, and unbeknownst to us, there was an official refreshment point half-way home from there, where water was available in quantity and (for the first arrivals in our mini-peloton) a slice of cake too. We did find a café, as expected, in Envermeu where more liquid was acquired, some of it containing alcohol.

On the Monday we set out for another shorter ride, heading for Mesnières-en-Bray where it was known that lunch would be available. It was, but to get there Andy decided to take the Must-get-Beers up onto the Aliermont ridge via the woods. As (elsewhere) in 2014, his chosen route peeled off the main road and when enough work had been done climbing up the slope the tarmac ceased. No point going back, plough on, gravel track or not, until a metalled surface was met again.

St Ouen-sous-Bailly

Having joined the ridge on a road parallel to the ridgeway, we intended to join the ridgeway and drop down the other side of the hill to Mesnières… but we met a main road, failed to recognise it as not the ridgeway, turned left and found ourselves on that glorious descent into Envermeu. Where liquid was again acquired and where we met the Dodds en route (allegedly) for Calais.

Lunch was eventually enjoyed as expected in Mesnières - we shall possibly make that a regular stop, €12.50 for three courses was very good value - and then it was full steam ahead along the Avenue Vert to Dieppe and a cuppa in the hotel.

Andy, Kevin and Greg Relaxing.

The heat on Sunday was perhaps a little too much ('tho much nicer than the rain of other years), but the weekend was otherwise mostly enjoyable (memo to self - avoid evening meals in La Louisiane, especially if you want to order wine part-way through; they'll forget, even if you don't).

Back in 2016, methinks…

Aramis

Bluebell Time - Here's a couple of pictures that Andy took at Staffhurst Wood.

Easter Tour to Hampshire

East Grimstead

Salisbury Cathedral

Monxton

Preparing to leave the Dovecote, Capel, Kent