Andy goes it alone...to Botley Hill

Andy's Kona Blast at Botley Hill this morning.

I had a broken night, waking virtually on the hour, so at around 0500hrs I texted Andy to abort. I must have fell asleep as I awoke at 0800hrs and the sun was shining through the curtains: it was a nice day, even if there was a frost on the grass. I sent Jon a simple text saying, 'cycle?' but he didn't respond and sent one to Andy to see if he went out – he did.

Jon never responded and because I had to check-in online for a flight to Qatar, I ended up not going out, although even now, at 1214hrs, I feel the need to get out there. We'll see.

Andy did go out and here's an image to prove it.

Tatsfield Village – and we get a soaking

The weathermen were warning of rain today, a bit like last week. Tomorrow will be clear, sunny...and cold, again like last week.

When I looked out around 6am there was no sign of any rain, although a dampness presented itself, thanks to the misty air. When I left the house at just gone 7am it was fine. There was a very mild rain, but nothing to prompt a return home. In fact, it was typical NoVisibleLycra weather: grey and overcast, mist here and there and a mild bite to the air, just as I like it.

Tatsfield Village Green in sunnier times.

Warlingham Green was looking wet when I arrived, but then, so did everything else – except Andy who, like me, was still relatively dry considering the mild drizzle. I bought some milk from the shop as we'd run out at home and then we headed off for Tatsfield Village. Neither of us fancied travelling too far and now that I'm home and dry, I'm glad we didn't.

I think the last time we visited Tatsfield Village was Christmas Eve 2011 – see the post entitled Let's Talk About Dogs in the side panel to the right of the page.

Today, there were a few dogs around. One was tethered to a post and kept barking at us. Another was wearing a coat and then we saw a woman with two dogs. Tatsfield must have a fair amount of dog owners.

It's mid-November so we didn't expect to see the Tatsfield Village Green Christmas Tree, although I'm assuming it will appear soon and perhaps this time there might be some decent lights on it. Last year it looked a bit miserable so we didn't take any photographs.

On the way home, Andy branched off and took the track through Woldingham and towards Wapses Roundabout. I carried on along the B269 and, as I circumnavigated Warlingham Green, it began to rain.

I got home, wet but not too cold, showered and had some Weetabix. I would have made porridge, but all of the saucepans had been used and I didn't fancy washing up somebody else's dried porridge or dried tomato soup from the day before, so I made do with a couple of cold Weetabix and a cup of tea, plus a few slices of bread and marmalade.

We're meeting at the normal time tomorrow on the Green for a run to somewhere. The weather will be cold but dry and sunny – and no rain, so hopefully all will be well.

In the news:-

• Dave Lee Travis, DLT, aka 'the hairy cornflake' was questioned by police last week as part of investigations surrounding the whole Jimmy Savile affair. He's denying any wrongdoing, quite vehemently and I don't think he has any case to answer.
• Israel's throwing it's weight around in Gaza and looks as if it's planning a ground offensive.
• Voting for Police Commissioners has been and gone and nobody knew much about it, hence a very low turn-out at the polling booths. Having police commissioners means that everything will be like a scene from Batman. "Okay, Commissioner Gordon...". It also means that the Government can distance itself from police cuts and refer people to their police commissioner. Clever! But we're not stupid.
• The BBC's Children in Need Appeal raised just under £27 million, although I found it all a bit hypocritical after the Savile scandal.
• A meningitis jab has been given the go-ahead in the UK.

Remembrance Sunday 2012: to Westerham

Churchill on Remembrance Sunday 2012. Wearing a hat for some reason

Remembrance Sunday to be precise as many signs pointed out en route. Saturday had been a complete wash-out but, as predicted by the weathermen, Sunday was lovely. Not a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining, but it wasn't warm. In fact, when out of the sun it was cold, but bearable cold.

We opted for flapjacks rather than the Full English

We met at the Green at 0730hrs and noted that somebody – the council – had been busy tending the flowerbeds and mowing the lawns.

There were a few riders out and some runners and, as we headed out onto the B269, beyond the bus stop that signifies the end of the climb from Knight's Garden Centre, we saw low mists in the valley.

We'd decided to aim for Westerham, having not been there for a while and, if we're honest, we were getting a little fed up with the Tatsfield Bus Stop, which has played host for the last few weeks. The fact that we hadn't gone riding at all last week also meant that a longer ride was needed to balance the books.

When we got there, Churchill was wearing a hat and there was a lot of dew on the benches, so we stood up to drink our tea. I'd suggested the Tudor Tea Rooms, which was open for breakfast (now, that's pretty good considering it was Sunday) and there was a brief flirtation with a Full English, but having made (and carried) the flask of hot water all the way from Sanderstead, we decided to drink our own tea. And besides, Andy had the cereal bars too and my initial thought was powered by the closeness of a cashpoint machine – until I realised that I didn't have my cards on me.

In the end Andy stumped up for two flapjacks (giving me an excuse to 'use the facilities') and we munched them in the sun, watching a rather nice Harley Davidson park up. Our 'bike shop' was still up for rent, ever since Barclays vacated the premises some months ago (you'll find reference to this in past posts).

Andy just prior to heading home

Suitably refreshed, we packed up our stuff and headed for home, up Westerham Hill, past the Tatsfield Bus Stop and down the B269. Andy branched off on the track halfway along and I carried on towards the green, then the Limpsfield Road and home. I got back around 1015hrs.

Later in the day I took the family to Kingston for a wander around town. We bought some Cath Kidson mugs and came home. Very busy in Kingston and the car parks cost a fortune, but it's a nice enough place. We went down to the river, bought some wine for evening meal and then watched the Strictly Come Dancing results show.

Way to go, Obama!

How nice when commonsense prevails! Obama wins a second term! How nice to wake up and hear the   phrase, "...it's been a disappointing night for the Republicans." Thank God we don't have Mitt in the White House. How the hell could he hope of winning the prize on the ticket of repealing Obama's healthcare plans? Imagine a Tory over here going into a General Election on the ticket of closing down the NHS?

But it's more than that; Mitt Romney would have ushered back that George 'Dubya' Bush thing: throwing his weight around in the Middle East, he's already had a go at the Palestinians. This world just don't need that square-jawed, National Rifle Association gung-ho! thing any more, nobody wants it.

Now, how about a cool leader over here in the UK? If it's not Clegg and it's DEFINITELY not Cameron, then who is it? Is it the mild-mannered janitor? Nope. Is it Grant Shapps? No way!!!! Just because he's related to Mick Jones, former lead guitarist of The Clash, doesn't mean he's cool. Far from it! I'm amazed that Mick hasn't run off and hidden in the woods. Being linked to Shapps takes away any 'cool' he might have possessed. What about Michael Gove? Nope! They're all horrible! And let's be fair here, it's not Ed Miliband either...but it could be his brother David.

Anyway, enough politics. It's good news all round for the Americans.

Heavy rain means no ride...

Well, yesterday was a bit of a strange one. It was raining over Caterham way but didn't really happen over here. Having said that, when it rains in Caterham, it normally hits here half an hour later, so the ride was aborted and guess what? It turned out to be a really pleasant, albeit cold, day.

So, Andy and I vowed to go today and head out to Chevening early. But when I woke up at just gone five in the morning, ready to spring out of bed at five thirty, I heard rain. Heavy rain. And then it stopped and when I peered out around six, all was dry. I was keeping in radio contact with Andy via text and the general feeling was to see how it developed. The rain stopped. Then it started again and I've just sent a 'definitely abort' text, meaning the ride is off. It's raining now. Heavily. Its thirteen past seven and there's no chance of a ride now.

Photograph of the Week

Is a caption necessary?

This shot was taken on last week's ride along the Sanderstead end of the Limpsfield Road.

Rain stops ride...

Well, I say rain, looking out now it's grey and overcast and looks a bit threatening, but I can't see any rain. Earlier this morning, it was too dark to see anything, although when I checked one of the streetlights out front, I couldn't see even a speck of rain. Hold on while I check the birdbath (it's nearly 7am and fairly light out there)...no, I think we've missed a trick, it looks quite pleasant. The skies were grey but the clouds are moving fast in a westerly direction, there's a mild breeze, but no, not a sign of rain. It was wet out there, though, and then, of course, there's always that Caterham/Sanderstead thing where it rains in Caterham and then it starts over here too, so I might be acting a little 'previous', if you get my drift.

I'm dressed and ready to go as I write this, having agreed to an 'abort' about half an hour ago, so I guess I could just nip out there and take a run round the block on the bike, but no, it's cosy here and there's always the chance that it will rain. And besides, there are things to do this morning. We've agreed to head out to Westerham tomorrow, weather permitting, so let's see what develops.

Time for a quick update on the news here in the UK.

Come on, Obama, we don't want some square
jawed Republican in the White House.

• In the ongoing investigations into child abuse surrounding the late Jimmy Savile, comedian Freddy Starr has been hauled in by the police. He protests his innocence, but if he's found guilty, he'll bring a whole new meaning to the headline, 'Freddy Starr ate my hamster'.
• There's a lot of child abuse around at the moment. Now there's a case in North Wales. Apparently two people have contacted Newsnight (the programme at the centre of the Jimmy Savile scandal with the BBC) and said that a Thatcher-era Tory politician is involved in something seedy. I wonder who that is? Mind you, Wales is a bit of a dodgy place. Lots of things have been happening there of late.
• After Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast of the USA, crashing into New York City, the death toll mounts and they've had to cancel the New York Marathon.
• We're getting to the moment when America votes on a new president: Obama or Romney. Surely we can't have a President Mitt? Here's hoping Obama wins a second term.
• Over here in the UK, the electrical goods retailer Comet has called in the administrators.

And, as I gaze out the window again, no sign of rain. Yes, it's one of those mornings when I feel a bit disappointed that I haven't got out there and taken a ride. I still could, but I just know that I won't. Here's hoping tomorrow will be rain-free.

Tatsfield Bus Stop...

Andy at the top of White Lane last Sunday. Note the Tatsfield Bus Stop

in the background.

Sunday - it's got to be the Tatsfield Bus Stop!

A general fatigue appears to have fallen on the NoVisibleLycra team, although I hate to use the word 'team' as it implies we might be Lycra Monkeys – we're not.

Yours truly in the pre-blog days, standing outside the Co-op.

Anyway, we met at the green early (7am instead of 7.30am, it's becoming a habit) and while we had discussed the possibility of going to Westerham, I don't think either of us wanted to go so far. It was cold, but not as cold as on Saturday, but still, the very idea of going 'all that way' put us both off. We ended up at the Tatsfield Bus Stop having debated a trip to the village and Godstone (although the hill coming out of Godstone was enough to put us both off).

Andy said he didn't know where time was going and that he felt he had less and less of it. Well, yes and no. In the old days we used to leave early and meet early, but we never indulged in tea and cereal bars. Our rides were very utilitarian; it was a case of reaching the destination, standing up outside the Co-op in Westerham (we rode to Westerham twice over the weekend, clocking up a cool 44 miles) and then cycling back home again.

In many ways you could say that these days we tend to make a mountain out of a molehill as far as cycling is concerned. The very fact that we have this blog is testament to that and the blog's been going for over three years. We talk about a book and it might happen, but right now I've had enough of books, what with my novel (completed a few months ago) and my dad's family history (recently finished). But it will happen.

The Tatsfield Bus Stop

Having said that we make a mountain out of a cycling molehill, I don't think either of us would have it any other way. The blog, I think, is really good as it documents our lives, what's been going on in the world and, of course, the weather. In fact, as I've said before, cycling at the weekend has become part of my life and I don't think I could live without it, especially at this time of year when the leaves hit the ground, the sky darkens and the temperature drops. October – and it's the last day of October today – is, for me, the defining month for our cycling.

We're talking about leaving even earlier, ie meeting at the green at 6.30am instead of 7am. Now that's a tall order, but it's scheduled in for this coming Saturday. We'll see how it goes. Personally, I don't think we've lost time in any way. We've probably just got too much to do at the weekends and need to be back for it. Longer runs to Chevening Church or Merstham/Redhill have been off the cards for both of us of late and for good reason as they normally involve returning home mid-morning, losing half the day.

This discussion comes up occasionally and I think the other thing about it is this: we enjoy cycling, yes, but the other main reason for going is the exercise, so we shouldn't be ashamed if we visit the Tatsfield Bus Stop once too often. After all, it's still a good 15-miler and if we go twice it's 30 miles.

Essen's 'Bixi' bikes - I didn't have time to try them out

This week I flew out to Essen in Germany. It's a kind of satellite city of Dusseldorf and I had to fly into Dusseldorf airport (or Flughaven) then take a short train journey of about 20 minutes to Essen.

The Holiday Inn, Essen. Similar to Dusseldorf but slightly

better. The room was larger here and there was free WiFi,

which is annoying as I had to pay in Dusseldorf.

Once again, I was staying in a Holiday Inn and, for an international hotel brand, it's amazing how much they differ from one unit to another.

Essen offered free WiFi and a different restaurant menu to the one in Dusseldorf, although the latter was better located in terms of virtually everything. It was right next to the main railway station and tram network.

I think I preferred the Essen hotel, not only because of the free WiFi, but because the room was a little bigger and the restaurant offered good food and some decent beer too.

Both nights I had roasted salmon as a main course plus an excellent tomato soup starter. The Essen hotel's restaurant was a little more polished than Dusseldorf's, although the adjacent bar allowed people to smoke so occasionally I got a waft of cigarette smoke (well, only once) but it brought back memories of England's pre-smoking ban days, although not necessarily pleasant memories.

In Germany some bars still allow smoking and, for some reason,  pubs on street corners are more likely to accept the cigarette than others. I think there's some kind of law. In fact, I went into a bar called Sausalito's – which happened to be on a street corner – where I enjoyed a wheat beer and, lo and behold, I found some of my fellow customers enjoying a cigarette. Strange, but true and in many ways a step backwards.

A wheat beer in Sausalito's where customers

are allowed to smoke.

There are people in the UK licenced trade who want smoking in pubs and clubs re-introduced, but somehow I don't think it'll ever happen as the Brits are now accustomed to smoke-free pubs and I think they like them. Who wants to return to smelling like a bonfire after going out for a beer?

I didn't realise how close my hotel was to the city centre, which, I have to say, was not as pleasant as Dusseldorf.

There was no 'old town' just a load of shops so I wandered around in the late afternoon last Thursday looking at stuff I couldn't afford and stopping off for that wheat beer near a square.

Essen's council is in the process of building a Ferris wheel, which looked a bit odd as it was only half finished, but that was the only thing I could find of interest apart from the shops...oh, and Essen's answer to the Montreal 'Bixi' bikes. I had planned to ride one, but it was late in the day and it transpired that I needed some kind of credit card to use them.

I spent hours wandering around Essen's shops and malls and on my way back to the hotel was tempted by an Indian restaurant. The very idea of a curry and a decent, chilled lager or two appealed, but I decided to go back to the hotel for dinner and eat the exact same meal as the night before: tomato soup followed by roasted salmon and washed down with a Konig Pilsner – excellent. Besides, I had to be up at 5am in order to catch a train to the Flughaven and then a flight back to Gatwick.

Essen's answer to Bixi or Boris bikes. I didn't take a ride.

The flight home, like the flight out, was pleasant enough, although it was early so I couldn't really order my usual bottle of wine. As we started our descent into Gatwick, I was amazed by the amount of cloud. It wasn't until we were virtually on the ground that land came into view and guess what? It was raining.

The half-finished Ferris wheel in Essen

I went straight to the office and then later I went home.