The heat continues but not as hot as a week ago. I took a ride to Oxted and when I left home it was around 14 degrees; in fact as I rode off I considered going back to get a fleece, but it wasn't THAT cold, just a cool breeze, which you might expect at around 0730hrs. I was on the Rockhopper and it needs a clean, but as we all know, it takes a while to get it together and actually CLEAN it. There's a power hose at the Esso garage and one day, yes, one day, I'll remember and stop by and get it done.
The outward ride was simplicity itself, it is, a straight ride along the 269 to Botley Hill and then down Titsey, brakes covered. I reached Limpsfield Village hung a right and then a left and rode into town, turning right and riding up the high street. It was a beautiful day and it was good to be on the bike again. I'd been planning on leaving the house earlier than the usual 0800hrs, in an effort to get back to what I used to do: ride off at 0700hrs, but in the end I left around 0730hrs. I've even been thinking about buying myself a small flask and getting back to some of NVL's old haunts like the Tatsfield Bus Stop and the Tatsfield Churchyard. But today I didn't have a flask or biscuits, although, on the latter and trying to give up cake and biscuits and all the shit that's around and, to be fair, I've been succeeding. I've stopped almond croissants and this and that, I simply order tea, English Breakfast with a dab of milk. It's amazing how much milk is wasted. I only need a dab of the stuff but the cafes always fill a small jug and half the milk then goes to waste.
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| Couldn't find a Bobber so here's a tank instead! |
I sat outside in the sunshine. By the time I reached the Caffe Nero it was around 0850hrs, which was fine, I was in no hurry, had nowhere to go and it was going to be too hot to do anything. I'm reading Dark Luminosity (Memoirs of a Geezer) by Jah Wobble and I love it, so I sat there in the sunshine, doing a bit of people watching here and there but mainly reading and sipping from a large mug of English Breakfast tea. There was no way I could indulge a second cup (although later in the day I would do just that). When my Nero tea had been finished I stopped reading and checked out (as I always do) the charity shop next door. I wasn't in there long because there was nothing I needed. I checked the books in case something decent had been left but there was nothing I fancied reading and, let's face it, Jah Wobble's book was all I needed.
Riding to Oxted is always blighted by the hill on the return ride and I start thinking about the journey as soon as I ride away from the Nero and head down the high street. Actually, I started thinking about the hill on the outward journey and considered riding to the Velobarn instead, but when I reached the roundabout just past Botley Hill I decided to ride down Titsey Hill. I always forget that it's not as bad I think it will be; once I crank the bike down into the lowest gear and once I've passed the turning for White Lane the effort remains at a bearable level right the way to the top. I can't remember what I was fretting about as I rode up but whatever it was it kept my mind off the hill and, as I say, it's not anywhere near as bad as I think it is and soon I was at Botley Hill. I decided not to branch off on Beech Farm Lane as the heat was beginning to rise and instead rode straight down towards Warlingham Sainsbury's and beyond, following the Limpsfield Road into Sanderstead High Street and then down Church way and home.
Sooner or later I'm going to buy that flask and start stopping at places like the churchyard and the bus stop again.
Later, in the heat of the afternoon when I think it was around 26 to 27 degrees I drove to Westerham and the bells were ringing out from the church. A wedding was in full swing and by the time I reached the doors there were people togged out for a wedding flooding out of the church ahead of the bride and groom who eventually emerged themselves and were sprinkled with confetti by some of the guests. The bell ringing was fantastic and continued for some time after the bride and groom had left the church. I sat on the green in the sunshine uncertain as to what I was going to do. The heat was pleasant and eventually I decided to have an English Breakfast tea in the Tudor Rose. The temptation to eat cake was resisted and I simply sat outside enjoying the sunshine and basically chilling, which, as always, was much needed.
There was a Triumph Bobber parked up on the green and for a while I watched it just parked there because I love the design. To my right were two seats and on one of them there was a crash helmet. On the other a mand with sunglasses and a white Ace Cafe tee-shirt.
"Is that your Bobber," I asked and he said it was so a conversation was initiated. I said that it was a good-looking bike and he said he agreed. I didn't realise that it had a 1200cc engine, but it does and he told me how he used to have bikes when he was younger and used to be a bit of tearaway, riding fast and such like he even rode the Isle of Man TT route and scared himself in places, but now, like everybody I suppose, he'd mellowed somewhat and only takes the bike out when the weather's fine. I told him how I once yearned for a motorcycle but how I was put off when I visited my son's then school and met somebody I used to chat to outside. He was limping and I thought (wrongly) that he'd broken his leg skiiing, but no, his leg had been amputated after a motorcycle accident. From that day on I decided not to pursue the fantasy, which involved buying a Harley Davidson 883 Hugger with buckhorn bars and I'm so glad about that as the last thing I want is to have a leg amputated. The Bobber is a nice bike and I did feel slightly envious; it set the guy back £10,000, which is a lot, I thought, but probably about right. I was mindful that I had the car in the car park and that the ticket ran out of 1653hrs, but there was plenty of time, so much so that I did order that second cup of tea (£2.70 per mug). It was good tea and just what the doctor ordered for a hot day like today.
Soon it was time to go and I drove home, aircon on.
