2016-09 September

FGCC rides in September

Saturday 3rd September 08.00am ride.
PT, JR, CB, MA, RK, RT, NW and son Stephen
Morning after an EPM the night before to discuss the fast approaching Go West ride. A welcome back for Mr Budd from earthquake-hit Italy, with his pass for the morning in spite of his forthcoming sister-in-law’s wedding that afternoon.
Ride to Henfield. Cissbury, towards Chanctonbury, SDW, the Bostal into Steyning, Kings Barn Lane and onto the Downslink to Truffles in Henfield, though with some getting lost in the streets of Henfield.
An entertaining breakfast with a proposal (from JR naturally) that, due to the use of 3 letter acronyms becoming a bit passé we should change from use of “EPM” to “ETAB’ (Evening Talking Absolute B******S). Other subjects followed and consequently it turned out to be an excellent BTAB at Truffles.
Return via Downslink, SDW and Stable Lane.
Total 24 miles.

Saturday 10th September 08.00am ride
RT solo ride due to Findon Sheep fair. Short ride up Stable Lane and round to Chanctonbury, down towards the A24 and left turn for the route back to the village via Stable Lane Farm.
Total a massive 6.5 miles.

Friday 16th/Saturday 17th September. The now renamed Not Go West Ride.
TK (PM), PT, JR, RK, RT.
Met at World HQ for the Malaysian Tea Company, it being Malaysian day and loaded bikes, with TK setting off ahead to collect RK from Sompting (well eventually due to his getting lost). A great day to be going for a ride, with the Met Office issuing an amber warning for our region and with us heading in the same direction of the primary weather front.
A tea/coffee stop taken in Alfriston, during which it that instead of cycling up to Battle from Pevensey, we would take trains to Battle instead. Aiming for the 11.50 train from Pevensey and Westham, we were just too late partly due to a diversion via the wrong station. Arriving at Battle we cycled to the centre and, having cycled the huge distance of 0.4 miles we decided that it was time for our second break of the day and took lunch at a pub in the high street.
The weather front had thankfully passed over and so we started off down the 1066 trail and a route via tracks and country lanes to Pevensey Bay with TK occasionally turning continental and following from in front requiring the retracing of steps a couple of times. At Normans bay (appropriately) a perfect location was found for the celebratory (950th anniversary of the Battle of Senlac Hill aka Hastings) joust, a moment of fun fully justifying the FGCC motto and first line of the eulogy.

Joust to celebrate 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings
Joust to celebrate 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings
Jousting - the FGCC in action
Jousting – the FGCC in action
FGCC joust salute
FGCC joust salute

Returned to the cars along the sea front and then drove to the Afton Hotel, the grindingly slow pace of the lift reminding us that we had arrived in Eastbourne. Met in the bar where JR and RK had been counting the number of hotel guests that they reckoned were on warfarin, we left for a walk on the pier (bar closed), a pint at the Crown and Anchor and then we went on a long search for the Tripadvisor-recommended Katmandu Restaurant that turned out to not be in existence, with TK charging off like a man on a mission for the nearest curry house. Conversation developed from the subject of celebrities who are not ones favourites to a proposal for a Findon dog cull of 30% due to the excessive number in the village – the name of the proposer not being publicised as he lives in Findon and fears that he might be culled instead. RT returned to his old ways by falling asleep in his soup (curry), a further visit to the Crown and Anchor (as it seemed to be the only safe place for a decent pint) before returning to the hotel where JR completed his mission of the golden gallon accompanied by TK and RK.

Saturday and at breakfast we agreed that rather than riding the SDW westwards and having to return to collect the cars, we would park and ride a circular route round/through Friston forest. Found a suitable parking spot at Jevington and headed off westerly up the hill and over to the South East corner by the Cuckmere river for tea/coffee and cakes at the Seven Sisters Country park centre, before returning to Jevington via a northerly route. Lunch in the Eight Bells Pub in Jevington having cycled even shorter a distance than the previous day, concluding an overnight ride event with the shortest total milage and the highest number of eating and drinking stops.
Total probably not more than 24 miles, ha ha, but picture below to prove that we did actually do some cycling.

Group shot above Jevington looking in an easterly direction
Group shot above Jevington looking in an easterly direction

Saturday 24th September 08.00am ride
RK, JR
Report from RK: “I had the pleasure of Mr Roche’s company on Saturday. We set off with the intention of the tank and then Lees farm, but due to the fact that my car had to be returned to the garage after updating the software on Friday, due to a recall and me not being able to contact the garage at the tank, we decided to return for an early brek at Julia’s. So our ride was a 20 year ago long ride to the tank and back.