Seventeen gathered at Reigate Hill car park in bright sunshine and everyone wanted to know where we were going.
There was some mild bafflement as we left the car park via the entrance and not over the bridge, followed half an hour later by “but we’re only half a mile from the start!” when we emerged on to the A217 on the way to Mogador. Onwards through Kingswood Warren towards Hooley. We had just stopped for a regroup at the crossroads with Hogscross Lane when realisation dawned that we had lost three riders somewhere. Phil, Sue and Robert were nowhere to be found and there were at least three different versions of where they had last been seen. Eventually we managed to contact them by phone and discovered that they were in Langley Vale (?!) so we agreed that they would continue with their own ride. It turned out have been due to be a combination of them stopping to chat to a dog owner, confused messages between the back markers and my inability to count to 17. As we set off there was a cry of “Hope you’re not going down to Hooley, we’ll never get through!” but we were, and we did, despite mega road works on the A23. Up not very pretty Pretty Lane and Drive Lane and we emerged on to Farthing Downs. We crossed the road and enjoyed a hurtle down the ever popular Badger Tabletops and on to the tea stop at the Poppy Café in Coulsdon Memorial Ground. Tea, coffee, cakes (not bad), sandwiches (huge) appeared and disappeared as we sat on the terrace in the warm sunshine. Thanks to Mike for prompting me to find and try out this new tea stop which got everyone’s approval. Suitably refreshed, we followed what will always be known to me as Colin’s Way back through Chaldon to the North Downs Way passing some curly coated pigs. A right turn and a left took us down Browntrousers and under the M23 then up Harps Oak Lane, past Fanny’s Farm, under the M25 and up back to Reigate Hill car park. About 21 miles of dry, dusty trails.
Gwyn