After the 'Beast' we head east – to the Tatsfield Bus Stop...

No through road – Hesiers Hill

I might have mentioned what the media has been calling the 'beast from the east'. Well, after a week of biting cold weather, it's finally gone. The biting cold weather and the snow is known collectively as 'the beast from the east'. All of last week there were cold winds and a dusting of snow everywhere; in some places there was a lot of snow, but down here in Greater London, it was only a sprinkling. Every morning I walked 20 minutes to the station (and then 20 minutes back in the evening). Trains were running fine too and my life was barely disrupted. It was cold enough to wear the balaclava to work, much to the amusement of my colleagues.

Elsewhere in the country people weren't so lucky. There were pictures in the papers and on the television of drifting snow and blizzard conditions both 'up north' and down in the South West of the country, not forgetting Kent, which is always badly hit. The weather came from Siberia, so we're told, and there have been fatalities, but I can honestly say that my experience of 'the beast' has been pretty good.

By Friday evening the temperatures began to warm up a little. It's been minus one, minus two around here but today (Sunday) it's now eight degrees. We didn't go out yesterday because it was still pretty bad, both in terms of the snow and ice on the ground and the temperatures, but today it's warmed up considerably and the roads are clear – clear enough for a ride, so I met Andy at the green and off we went to the Tatsfield Bus Stop (the slow way). When we reached the top of Hesiers Hill we were greeted with piles and piles of snow. The road was thick snow and so were the embankments so we diverted and rode west along Beech Road towards the 269 and then headed south towards Botley Hill. While the road was clear, the off-road path was nothing but piled-up snow, drifted snow, you name it, there was no way that anybody could use it let alone ride on it.

Snowed up – the off-road path on the 269

The bus stop was fine, nothing to report. We sat there drinking tea and munching biscuits occasionally greeting the odd Lycra monkey that passed by. It was nice to be out and about. Most of the week it's been too cold to venture out even for a walk.

The roads were wet with melting snow and as we rode back there was a stretch of tarmac where puddles on either side of the 269 joined in the middle. Andy was ahead of me and at one point a black 4x4 roared past straight down the middle in a reckless manner. Andy narrowly escaped a soaking.

We parted at the green, but vowed to be back next week for more cycling – weather permitting. The ride along the Limpsfield Road was fine. When I reached Sanderstead Pond it was still iced over and there seagulls walking on it and a few noisy ducks on the adjacent green. I sailed down Church Way 'no hands' and was soon home.

The 269's off-road path was truly out of bounds...

Looking down Beddlestead Lane from Clarks Lane...