Contents:

Selected items transcribed from the original printed copy:

"Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat"..... But the magazine is the thinnest for a long time!  Without many forthcoming events to plug, I've had to resort to lists of past and future happenings to pad out the pages.  Thanks to those stalwarts who have contributed, and to the rest of you, well the remedy is in your own hands - remember the mag in your New Year resolutions!

The season of Christmas cheer approaches, and festive lunches and parties are already underway.  The anti-drunk-driving campaign accelerates and anyone cycling, especially at night, feels increasingly threatened.  Some interesting facts have recently been released by the Department of Transport : road users who are over the legal alcohol limit for driving are 40 times more likely to be in a fatal road accident than if they were sober; and of road accident deaths, about 35% of pedestrians and 25% of motorists, but only 7% of cyclists, were over the legal limit.  From this we can conclude that while some people may be walking home when intoxicated they aren't, as some have suggested, taking to bikes in significant numbers.  Or, to put it another way, drunks don't cycle and cyclists don't drink.  What the DTP hasn't said, is how many other road users the drunk drivers took with them and how many of the sober cyclists were killed by drunks.  I, for one, think we should be told.

Copy for the Spring magazine by, or preferably before, the end of February for publication with the next runs list.  Thanks.

President	Mr Bill Inder, 33 High Street, Horsell, Woking  Tel. Woking 72074
Chairman	Mr Chris Jeggo, 45 Waverley Drive, Chertsey  Tel. Chertsey 565765
Secretary	Mr Keith Parfitt, 24 Elmside, Onslow Village, Guildford  Tel. Guildford 60776
Treasurer	Mr Mike Harlow, Fox Hollow, Sutton Place, Abinger Hammer, Dorking RH5 6RL  Tel. Dorking 731218
Runs Secretary	Mr Russ Mantle, 68 Haig Road, Aldershot GU12 4PR  Tel. Aldershot 28275
Events	Mr Ian Parker, 30 Bishops Way, Egham TW20 8EW  Tel. Staines 62246
Publicity	Mr David Whittle, 30 Sycamore Road, Guildford  Tel. Guildford 576067
Hardriders	Russ Mantle  (see above)
Intermediates	Mr Roger Philo, Hunters Moon, Cumberland Avenue, Guildford GU2 6YH  Tel. Worplesdon 233381
Woking Wayfarers	Mrs Marguerite Statham, Springwood, Morton Road, Horsell, Woking GU21 4TH Tel.  Woking 63289
Guildford Wayfarers	David Whittle  (see above)
Councillor	Keith Parfitt  (see above)
Librarian	Keith Parfitt  (see above)
Magazine	Mrs Helen Juden, 7 Llanaway Close, Godalming GU7 3ED  Tel. Godalming 25794

A successful AGM took place at Addlestone on Sunday 13 November.  Keith Parfitt is our new Secretary.  Other officials and committee members can be found elsewhere!

The General Group will now be known as the Hard Riders and the Wayfarers Groups are to become based on towns, i.e. the existing group will be the Woking Wayfarers starting at 9.30 EVERY week from Woking Market (VAW).  The present Family Group rides starting in Guildford once a month will be the Guildford Wayfarers.  Hopefully in the next ten years or less we will be able to start the Egham Wayfarers and the Godalming Wayfarers etc.  We shall continue to link up at tea time wherever possible.

The Intermediates will stay as they are!

The Club is to affiliate to the Road Time Trials Council (RTTC) so that should any of our Members wish to ride Road Time Trials they will be able to do so without joining another club.

JANUARY 1 - the old favourite ride is to take place, starting at VAW at 9.30, with coffee at the Happy Eater on the Hogs Back and lunch at the Ram Cider House, Cattershall Lane, Farncombe.  Please let Marguerite know (Woking 63289) if you wish to come for lunch as the landlady would like an idea of numbers.

Ian Parker hopes to lead a tour of the Scottish Western Isles at the beginning of June so anyone interested should contact Ian Parker on Staines 62246 or tell your Group Leader.

Chris Greening hopes to organise a week in Cornwall, possibly in July, so keep alert for more information!

I did hear talk of a possible trip on the Settle to Carlisle line.  Possibly taking the cars to Settle then the bikes on the train to Carlisle, cycling back to Settle over a few days.  If anyone is interested please tell your Group Leader.

On 3-4 September 1938 the 100 miles in 8 hours night reliability ride started at Stoke Church in Guildford and went through Farnham, Alton, Winchester, Romsey, Whiteparish, Salisbury, Andover, Crawley Down, Winchester, Ladycross Corner and finished at New Alresford.  1st was George Alesbury and 9th was Bill Inder.

Club jerseys and badges are still available at the original prices: long sleeved jersey £14, track top (like Marguerites) £15, showerproof track top (like Roger's) £17, short sleeve jersey £13.  Printing on any of the above is £3.85 extra.  Club badges are £2.25 - they do wash extremely well.  Orders to Marguerite by 1 January please.

The VET TRIENNIAL rides are due to take place on Sunday 11 June 1989 and the probable places are West London, Southampton, Leicester, Chester and North Wales, Bristol, Lincoln, Essex and possibly Birmingham and the Midlands.  Some members hope to ride in the Bristol area so if anyone is interested please contact Marguerite.  It looks as if the qualifying age for ladies and gents will be 50yrs unless you have already ridden in a Vets ride when they had a lower qualifying age.  Phone Marguerite if you have any queries (I still don't qualify!!  M)

Congratulations to Ian and Gill Draper who are expecting their first baby in the Spring

There will be a club excursion westwards to visit Gill and Hamish Smith at Easter, 24-27 March, contact Marguerite or Roger for further details.

Ian Parker will be going on a two-week tour of the Highlands and Islands of Western Scotland in early June, using mostly Youth Hostel accommodation.  If anyone wishes to accompany him, Ian will be happy to do the organising and booking.  Contact Ian if you are interested:  tel. Staines 62246

Thanks to Rory Fenner for helping Keith with the clubroom bar;  Rory's assistance has been appreciated by barman and customers alike.

Is this a record?  Les Gray was presented with a gift at the AGM on his retirement from the post of club auditor.  Les has been a club member for 61 years and our auditor, first of the Woking Section and then of the DA, for 50 years!  Congratulations and thanks from us all.

Heavy overnight rain had eased slightly by the time the Wayfarers' train-assisted ride began, but the dismal conditions had a devastating effect on the turn out, Marguerite being the only participant at Woking Station.  However, Roy Richardson joined her at Aldershot and three more who had come by train bumped up the score at Alton, though from there only three transferred to the privately run Watercress Line.

By road it is a fair old climb from Alton to Four Marks, and the gradient is equally steep by rail so the hard-pressed loco had a job to haul the train up to Medstead but, as a compensation for the slow journey, coffee and snacks were served en route.

Glimpsing Jane Austen's house as we passed through Chawton, we eventually arrived at Four Marks and Medstead, claimed to be at the highest point of habitation in Hampshire.  An easier gradient brought us to Ropley where an hour was spent nosing around the locos and general rolling stock and some interesting details were unearthed.  For instance the signal box at Four Marks and Medstead was originally at Wilton near Salisbury, and the station itself has been completely re-built.

To re-open the line, the track between Medstead and Ropley had to be cleared of years of undergrowth and over three miles of rail were laid in little more than a year.  All track and nearly 10 000 tonnes of ballast had to be moved up from Alresford, which was done in all weathers by a volunteer force.  Ropley signal box was bought for £50 from British Rail and was removed bodily from Netley Station on a road loader.  There is also a small signal cabin rescued from Dean Hill near Salisbury.  Later, the line descends to Bishops Sutton, once boasting the palace of the Bishops of Winchester.  Between there and Alresford are many of the watercress beds which once provided much of the freight for the line and gave it its name.  Before reaching Alresford, the single line track goes through a deep chalk cutting and, in 1873 this collapsed and partially buried the Waterloo to Southampton train.  Finally, the station building at Alresford was transported piecemeal from Lyme Regis and erected in 1982.

Having gleaned all this information, Marguerite and Roy caught the next train down to Alresford.  It was still raining a little as they unloaded their bikes and set off for the lunchtime venue at Bighton, but owing to family illness the 'local' was unable to provide meals so a move was made to Bishops Sutton where The Ship came to the rescue and they were joined by Chris Jeggo with William on the tandem and Michael on a single.  They had trained to Alton and ridden from there so Michael, on a small-wheeled junior bike did well to complete his longest solo ride so far - about 35 hilly miles in the wet.

For some reason all three groups were represented at the lunch stop, then the Generals headed for Upper Hale and the rest had tea at the Apple Crumble in Alton.  In all, a damp but very interesting and enjoyable day.

Easter	Hostel tour in Wales.  Arrangements to be finalized with interested parties.  Contact Dave Whittle on Guildford 576067
23 April	50 mile reliability ride
7 May	May Day lunch at The Paddocks, Send
21 May	Petal Power Ride - sponsored ride around Surrey nature reserves.
25-29 May	Home Counties Rally, Brockham Green
4 June	Breakfast Ride
11 June	Veterans Triennial Rides
25 June	Stonehenge 200 km ride and CTC Open Day
1-2 July	York Rally
9 July	Swimming and tea at Mike and Jenny Harlow's (provisional)
16 July	Tourist Trial
5-12 August	Birthday Rides, Monmouth
13 August	Tour of the Hills 100 km hilly ride
17 September	100 mile reliability Ride
8 October	Tricyclathon - Hill Climb, Freewheeling and Pace Judging
12 November	AGM

Name	50 mls	100 mls	200 kms	100 kms	Com1	Medal	Tour Trial	Free Whl	Hill Clmb	Pace Judg	Attdce	Com2	Total	Place
CLIVE RICHARDSON	50	50	50		100	Silver	56	91	84	91	90	412	512	1
Roger Philo	50	50	50		100	Silver	100	7	70	84	98	359	459	2
Ann Daws  - Lady	50	50	50	50	100	Gold	89	84	49	35	84	341	441	3
Guy Clark - Junior	50		50		100	Bronze		100	91	21	78	290	390	4
Bernard Daws	50	50	50	50	100	Gold		72	77	42	86	275	375	5
David Pinkess	50			50	100	Bronze		28	56	63	88	235	335	6
Bert Bartholomew	50	50	10		100	Bronze		35		100	96	231	331	7
Helen Pinkess (L)	50			50	100	Bronze		42	42	28	82	194	294	8
Tony Bond	50	50			100	Bronze		56	63		68	187	287	9
Ian Parker			50	10	60			49	28	70	76	223	283	10
Marguerite (L)							45	14	21	56	100	236	236	11
J. Shrubsall (J)		50		50	100	Bronze	78				48	126	226	12
A. Smallman (J)								63	100	49	4	216	216	13
Keith Parfitt								21	42	84	64	211	211	14
Phil Hampton		50	50	50	100	Silver					78	76	176	15
David Whittle	50			50	100	Bronze					54	54	154	16
Claudia Whittle (L)	50				50		23				56	79	129	17
Jonathon Raisin				10	10		67				18	85	95	18
Participants (West Surrey riders in brackets)
1988	23(22)	16(14)	46(10)	94(17)			9(9)	14(14)	12(12)	12(12)	152
1987	24	14(11)	---	104(5)			--	11	---	6	158

NOV	8	-	AGM - 39
DEC	13	-	Christmas Tea - 47
	25	-	Appetiser ride to Horsell Scout H.Q. - 30
JAN	1	-	Lunch at the Ram Cider House, Farncombe - 17
MAR	19/20	-	Y.H. weekend to Blackboys - 6
	20	-	North Hampshire '50' - 6
APR	1-4	-	Generals to Dorset - 6
	10	-	50 mile Reliability Ride - 23
	17	-	South Bucks 120km - 2
	23	-	D.A.s 60th Birthday Party - 23
	24	-	60 mile ride - 6   Tea 42
		-	60 km ride - 20
	29-MAY 2	-	Home Counties Rally - 7
MAY	8	-	Northants & Milton Keynes Tourist Trial - 2
	14	-	National AGM Leicester - 1
	14/15	-	Chris Greening weekend in Somerset - 6
	22	-	Petal Power Ride - 50 (only 15 West Surrey)
	29	-	Eastend to Southend - 2
		-	Wessex Wheel- a -round in aid of cancer - 2
JUN	11-19	-	National Bike Week  12th Stonehenge 200 also easy ride;
		-	14th Midweek Wayfarers ride; 15th Easy ride from CTC HQ
		-	16th Pub night; 18th Dr Bike session;
		-	19th Newcomers ride
	12	-	Stonehenge 200 - 38 (9 W. Surrey)
	19	-	London to Brighton - 4
	25-JUL 10	-	End to End - 1
JUL	2/3	-	York Rally - 2
	10	-	Tour of the Hills - 91
	17	-	Swimming and Tea at Mike and Jenny Harlow's - 17
	23-30	-	A.I.T. Rally Telford - 7
		-	C.T.C. New Forest Cycling week
			Sun 24th for the day - 3
	24	-	West Sussex '50' - 1
	29	-	Helen Gill and David Pinkess married - 2
	30-AUG 6	-	Birthday Rides - N. Yorkshire - 7
AUG	6/7	-	Ladies weekend - 5
	27-29	-	Weekend with Gillian and Hamish - 2
SEP	11	-	100 mile Reliability Ride - 16
		-	Club 50 mile Ride - 23
	17/18	-	Chris Greening weekend - Cotswolds - 7
	25	-	Tourist Trial - 9
OCT	16	-	Freewheel/Hillclimb/Speedjudging - 14 competitors, 23 out during the day
NOV	13	-	AGM

SEVERAL TRAIN ASSISTED RIDES ALSO TOOK PLACE DURING THE YEAR

WHY DON'T YOU JOIN US ON SOME OF THESE EVENTS NEXT YEAR?  THERE IS ALWAYS AT LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON GOING!

I CAN HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE CHRIS GREENING WEEKENDS - WE VISIT 'PLACES OF INTEREST' AND WALK THE HILLS!

Date.	Friday 26th to Monday 29th May 1989.
Location.	Brockham - near Dorking.  A pleasant village with a green, church and attractive cottages on the edge together with two pubs with good ale and food.
Accomodation.	Camping sites for tents and camper vans will be available with parking sites for cars.  A list of guest houses, hotels and hostels will be provided on request.
Facilities.	Washing, showers and baths with hot water.  Toilets and cloakrooms for drying out clothes - all available on a 24 hour basis.
Entertainment.	A full programme of rides to include a viewing of a Milk Race hill prime, and visits to towns during the day.  A slide show or Barn Dance or a relaxing drink at the bar in the evening, all held on the camp site.

Information and bookings:

Clive Oxx Sec. SW London DA 68 Mill Lane Carshalton Surrey SM5 2JS

In a recent issue I exhorted you to listen to your bike.  Now your DA Chairman asks:  friends, roadmen and countrymen, lend me your ears!

At its first meeting after the AGM, the DA Committee discussed the general question of cyclists' rights.  It is an area where HQ and the National Council are stepping up their efforts, as you will have seen in the latest "Cycle Touring & Campaigning".  At a time when traffic congestion is causing headaches in transport and highways departments everywhere, when the road lobby is seemingly more powerful than ever, our needs are going to be ignored unless we speak up.  If we do not stand up for our rights, no-one else will do it for us.  Yet there are two boroughs in our DA area, Woking and Surrey Heath, which have no Cyclists' Rights Network representatives.  Please volunteer.  If you feel unable to campaign actively, do not worry, because others will help, or even do it for you.  But at the moment we do not even have eyes and ears in those boroughs.  We cannot object to plans we do not even know about.  Not a lot is required:  read the local newspaper, and scan the public notices, to keep aware of what the local council is planning.  So if I ask you to be the DA's ears, please say "Eye, eye!"

A select band of CTC photogrphers and friends met at the clubroom on Saturday 26 November for the photographic competition.  Our 'democratic' or 'DIY' style of judging involves everyone voting on the pictures to decide the winners.  This led to a tie for first place in the prints section, but as both photos were by the same person, who hadn't voted, we could take the unusual step of asking the winner to make a casting vote to decide which picture was first!  The result was:

Prints	First	Les Warner's 'The Howgill Fells'
	Second	Les Warner's 'Somewhere in Somerset'
		Les' other prints came equal third!

Thanks to the other entrants for contributing to a fine display of prints.

The slide section also produced a close finish and necessitated several runs through the entries before the audience felt able to come to a decision. The result was:

Slides	First	Chris Juden's 'Lake Orta'
	Second	Chris Juden's 'Engadine'
	Third	Dave Whittle's 'Flowers' and
	equal	Chris Juden's 'Montserrat'

Again, thanks to the 'also rans' for supporting the event and adding to the interest of the show of slides.

We rounded off the evening with a mini slide show by Dave Whittle of two days walking from Luzerne in breathtaking conditions of brilliantly sunlit mountain peaks above mist-filled valleys.

I'm sure that the event was enjoyed by all who attended.  It would bave been even better if some more people had come along, so remember next year that it's a light-hearted evening with plenty of audience participation as well as the chance to see the excellent work of our best cycling photographers.

One or two people have phoned recently to inquire about our rides and one of the questions has been 'What should I bring with me?'  So below is a list of items I always carry with me!
 

SPARE TUBE	-	it is much easier to change a tube at the side of the road than it is to mend a puncture.
PUNCTURE REPAIR KIT	-	you might get a puncture in your new tube so you will have to mend one of them!  (maybe someone will lend you another new tube!!)
SPANNER	-	to fit the nuts that release the wheels.
SMALL SCREWDRIVER	-	for minor adjustments to gear mechanisms and for 'digging' flints out of tyres.
LUNCH	-	most people now buy lunch in the Pub or Cafe but occasionally we come across a Pub that doesn't do food on Sundays - so a sandwich and Mars bar could be very useful.  We always buy lunch on a Tuesday ride.
LIGHTS	-	it is now dark soon after 4 p.m. so if you are out for tea they are essential during the winter.
MONEY	-	you may need to catch an "emergency" train home so bring enough money in case - or 10p to phone your husband/wife/son/daughter/friend to ask them to pick you up.
WATERPROOFS	-	You can get wet if you wish but I prefer to try and keep dry.
PUMP	-	to inflate the tyre after all your tube changing.
IDENTIFICATION	-	could be useful if you have an accident (Your name, address and phone number, next of kin)
PADLOCK	-	to lock your bike whilst you are indulging in cafes and pubs.  We stop for coffee, lunch and tea and occasionally "threesis" as well.
MUDGUARDS	-	essential for any Benstead Cup event and appreciated by the people behind you when riding in a group.  If you come without you will be banished to the back should it rain!
MAPS	-	Ordnance Survey maps Landrager series (with pink covers) 1¼" to the mile numbers 186, 187 and 175 cover most of the territory used by the Wayfarers.  The Intermediates and Hard Riders will frequently venture further afield but your leader should have a map.
CABLES	-	Front and rear brake cables in case one snaps.

I am sure there is more than that in my saddlebag - I really must clear it out some time.

If you are riding in a group and someone in front of you points a finger or hand towards the ground they are trying to show you that there is a pothole or obstacle in the road ahead so please pass the 'message' back so that EVERYONE can have a smooth ride.  (Why doesn't anyone ever point out horses dung?)

Also if someone shouts "car-up" it indicates that a vehicle is coming from behind so squeeze in or preferably single out.  "Car-down" is a vehicle coming down from the front of the group - in the opposite direction - and is most useful when speeding down steep hills with bends.  If someone warns you please warn others.

Don't let ANY of the above put you off - we do have a lot of fun and there is usually someone around to help you with repairs.

Hope to see you soon.

Marguerite Statham

On Sunday 30th October Roger, Marguerite, Ian and Gerry met at Woking Station to catch the 9.36 a.m. train to Salisbury via Basingstoke, where Roy was waiting.  On arrival we tumbled out of the train and straight into the station cafeteria for coffee and cookies.  Some time later we mounted our bikes and headed northwards along the lovely Avon valley passing through Netheraven, Upavan and Woodborough until we reached a pub alongside the Kennet and Avon canal at Honeystreet where we had our lunch.

Fully refreshed we then had a stiff climb over the Downs and so on to your destination of Avebury.  This is an area of great interest to archaeologists who date the impressive circle of local stones from the neolithic age.  Being slightly short on time we didn't stop in the museum, shop or tea room but headed straight back to Salisbury for the return rail journey to Woking.

It was on the Tuesday (11 October) that Marguerite 'phoned me to ask if I would like a lift to the clubroom on the following evening and, as I knew that the October clubnight would include a slide show of the Italian Lakes, I accepted with alacrity.

And I was glad I had because Wednesday evening was wet and we had the wipers going all the way to the Boathouse.  To our surprise the car park there was not jammed as usual - not a vehicle in sight.

So we parked and wondered whether we were too early but found it was nearly eight o'clock.  We walked round the unlighted building and tried the door - locked!  Sitting back in the car because of the rain we wondered if the event had been cancelled and we had not been told.  Concluding that this was most unlikely, Marguerite checked on the runs list and shamfacedly announced that the slide show was on 19 October, not 12.  Trying to imitate a parrot, I said 'Who's a silly girl then?' and with both of us feeling proper Charlies, we reluctantly headed back to Horsell.

If it weren't for the fact that I felt equally guilty, I think I would have nominated Marguerite for this year's wooden crank.

Bill wrote this before the AGM, when he discovered that he and Marguerite had, indeed, been awarded the Wooden Crank jointly!

Some of the DA ladies have shown some interest in having a day or weekend at a Health Farm (we want no sniggers from the men please).  I have written to a few places and am awaiting replies.  This would take place sometime in the Spring.  Please let me know (or tell Marguerite) if you want to know more!

PS  All destinations are in the Surrey area - you don't have to come to Bristol - I'll come to you! It could be expensive, so start saving!

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Web page by Chris Jeggo.  Last revised:  21 January 2006.