B ride report for Wednesday 15th April Weybridge - West End - Hampton Court

We had a good turnout of 24 riders on Wednesday for our ride to the Hare and Hounds in West End. Despite a rather mixed forecast  no one cancelled on the day and we headed out from Weybridge in three groups led by my trusty subs Gill H and Tim C.  I think there was unanimous agreement that Clive J had played a blinder in finding The Hub cafe above Weybridge Library as a new 11's venue; great baked goods, lovely service and pristine toilets! What more could a  group of Wayfarers require?

Gill H's report:

Our new venue at Weybridge was very well received with good bike parking and a lovely welcome. Coffee was acceptable but pastries a big hit! 

Our team of John, Lillian, Stephanie, Fixie, Robert, Tony, Keith and Gill started in rain which, though light, seemed to drench us and drop the temperature somewhat.  Once we hit the inclines and the sun made a comeback all was well. The route across Chobham Common was very pleasant and we arrived at the Hare and Hounds to a flurry of pink blossom! 

We avoided any further rain on our pm ride through leafy lanes and along familiar roads back to Hampton Court. Playing cat and mouse with the first group due to a combination of toilet stops, a wrong turn on my part and sadly Geoff’s dismount, we arrived at Coppernose first and found it quite a comfortable tea stop. Plenty of seats both in and out for future reference.

Thanks to my two back markers, Tony and Keith, and the rest of the group for their lovely company. Thanks Sue for a most enjoyable route. 

My report:

I don't think I have anything that can be usefully added to Gill's report apart from mentioning Geoff's tumble and the magnificent way my group responded. Initial DRABC (Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation) established and an ambulance summoned there was excellent  'outside the box' thinking.  Caroline summoned her husband to collect Geoff's bike, Chris M began work on clearing the thorny shrubs to make it easier for the paramedics to extricate Geoff and Alan collected details from the very kind couple who stopped to help.   

Thankfully, Geoff has just sustained some nasty bruising and hopefully he will be back out riding with us again soon. 

And a lovely picture of Tim's group outside the Hare and Hounds!