Anerley Gazette, July 2021
Summer Time Specials
Flaming June started off with some hot summer days which certainly made up for the record rainfalls in May! And the sunshine inspired our Leaders to venture out on longer rides and to some new destinations.
Tim Styles started the wheels turning with a ride following the River Medway, from it’s source near Turners Hill to Rochester, a round trip of some 115 miles.
Tom Vaz has been visiting several destinations on the Kent and Sussex coast.
Denise and some of our ladies went the furthest afield with some Anerley Away Days in Devon.
And something nearer home that we can all do, a scenic ride to a new tea stop – Amy’s ride to Warnham Nature Reserve.
And this ride comes highly recommended by Sue Diamond, who says:
“It was a very lovely ride, in fact probably one of the nicest I have done! I was amazed at how few serious hills there were for a ride of that length, in that area!! Also there was barely any traffic on a good amount of the route, going through some beautiful country lanes. Truly cycling at it’s best!”
Read all about Amy’s ride here https://anerleybc.org/amys-ride-to-warnham-nature-reserve/
Please keep Saturday 4th September free. We are planning to hold the long awaited AGM at Tom Vaz’s house in Wallington.
Des
A Mini Holiday
Anerley new member Brian Chapman writes about his longest Anerley Adventure Ride so far.
100 miles?! When I joined the club in April I would have laughed at the idea, but here we are 2 months later and I’m about to set off for Hastings led by Tom Vaz and in the company of Karen.
Lying down on the job 
The promised seaview 
Rye Nature Reserve
Read Brian’s tale of 100 miles from Purley to Dungeness, Rye and Hastings here https://anerleybc.org/a-mini-holiday
G.A.Olley – Perhaps Anerley’s Greatest
Captain Mark has an interest in historic bicycles. Recently he came across this photo of G.A.Olley in 1902, showing off his Raleigh Cross Frame racing bike, with a backdrop of trophies that he had won. No other information was provided but it was probably a promotional photo for Raleigh, the bike manufacturer.
Olly was a long time and very famous member of Anerley B.C and something in the photo caught my eye. This being the shield trophy on the far right, behind the front wheel. Surely, it is the same shield being awarded to another of Anerley’s greats, some 120 years later!
A Jaunt to Margate
Suffering from severe knee problems I thought my cycling days may be over. However, a visit to a physio and a miracle later I have been off to the seaside during June. This time a 95 mile jaunt to Margate with the redoubtable Tim Styles.
A few years ago I had carefully put together a route to Canterbury for a club tour with luggage. I thought it should be simple to extend this to Whitstable and thence follow the Viking Trail to Margate – without luggage it should be a piece of cake!
There was cake but a lot of tears and sweat to go with it – for me at least…
Memories Are Made of This!
Earlier this year our Club had an e-mail from a Nicky Benton-Simcock saying ” Wow, so cool! That was such a great trip and I’d completely forgotten all about it! Was searching our trip UK to Spain and found this – from you! Thanks for all your glowing compliments.”
The name Nicky Benton-Simcock meant nothing to us, but when she mentioned “this – from you” she gave us a clue by referencing to – A Family on Tour, a Cycling Tour – Anerley Bicycle Club (anerleybc.org).
Then the long forgotten memories from some 10 years ago, came flooding back!
Except for this one morning of torrential rain it had also been for us, a great bike tour along Spain’s Costa Verde. The us, being Tom Vaz (taking above photo), his son Christopher, Ricky and myself. It was on the 4 or 5 days before this downpour that our wheel tracks had crossed those of the Benton- Simcock family on several occasions, as explained here
Mark’s Restoration Project Part 2
Cycling in the 1990s was mainly a minority sport – generally a family sport passed on from father to son or daughter. There have been many family members of our club; we had fathers their wives, sons and daughters. So the club had a bigger range of ages then than the present membership.
A Devon and Dartmoor Ride with the Ladies
Here’s the lowdown on the first of Anerley’s Away Days this year. The Devon C2C ride that Jo, Sandy, Carmen and I did over 3 days in mid June.
The plan was to ride from Illfracombe to Plymouth and back over 3 days, about 200 miles with a total elevation of 10,000 feet.
Another Mountain to Climb – By the Ladies!
Last month’s Gazette had an item about Everesting on our local hills, Toys Hill and Box Hill, both having been used to simulate climbing the 29, 038 feet (8,849 metres) of Mount Everest in circa 24 hours.
If you thought that those climbing challenges were something special (which I did!), you and especially the ladies, might find it interesting to learn that whatever the boys can do, the girls can do better!
A Rummage Through Whatsapp
Please be respectful of other members when using social media and avoid causing offence or you will be removed.
Here is another roundup of the amazing, good times we enjoy as a social cycling club.
Covid Guidance from Captain Mark Hancock
Although the lifting of lockdowns is finally in sight, the current club ride rules are still as follows:
- All ride leaders need to use the Ride Register.
- If you are leading at the start you need to make note of who you are riding with.
- We need to make it known when we stop that we all wash our hands at a venue before & after eating.
- We all need to have a mask, no mask no ride.Maximum group size including the leader is 8.
- No official Anerley ride is to be ridden unless it is on the register, It is there for a reason use it.
- Most of us have had a least one shot of the vaccine lets all enjoy group riding again but please make sure we stick to the basic guidelines.
This month’s edition was once again produced by Des Donohoe with a bit of technical help from Tom Vaz. Many thanks for the additional contributions from different members of the club. We would welcome any articles for consideration for the next Gazette – it is YOUR club newsletter!