The now customary Darby Green tea followed a Border C.A. 72 mile reliability ride, about 150 gathering for the meal.  Warfield and Oxshott were being used increasingly for elevenses and tea, and arctic conditions returned later in the month, minor roads being treacherous with frozen rutted snow.  Tim Staton was one of the new-comers, Kathy Parfitt was leading runs and Dave Wells had returned from a three years world tour.  Peter Smith, cycling organiser for Y.H.A. (Southern) gave a slide show at Horsell covering his travels from Brittany to Venice, Gordon Appleby coming in as projectionist.  Gales in March were followed by extensive floods in April but, after more than three months of hard wintry conditions, there were 18 on a hostel week-end at Arundel and a sunny Easter was heralded with shorts and singlets.  One group went to Snowdonia another to the Scottish Highlands and a third to the Vale of Belvoir.

The D.A.'s 51st Anniversary was marked by a big entry of 32 in the "50".  All were successful and at that day's tea at Chiddingfold 70 shared a massive birthday cake and Les Warner presented a handsome trophy donated by the Reynolds Chain Co. to Miss Emma Harper, judged to be the most meritorious young rider in the National Adventure Weeks.

Hostelling week-ends at Uckfield, Truleigh Hill, Salisbury, Street and Litton Cheney filled the runs lists and support was lent to the Home Counties Rally in the Aylesbury area during the May Day holiday.

The following week was crowded;  there was a half day ride for new-comers on Saturday;  17 members were part of about 2,000 riders on a London to Brighton cavalcade while Sunday's rides included Devil's Dyke, St. Leonards Forest and Lurgashall as well as a joint run with the K.W.'s to Beare Green.  Late May saw 15 on a Saturday ride and a group of five riding to Meriden for the annual cyclists' service.

Dorset and Cornwall were visited over the Spring Bank holiday and Dave Wells toured Scotland on his way to Iceland while others met East Sussex members at The Haven.  The month also included another Stonehenge ride organised by Ray Craig.  Nineteen took part, a little excitement being added by a cockerel flying through the frame of one rider's machine.  The Thursday Nighters re-visited Mottisfont and enjoyed the Festival of Flowers in Romsey Abbey;  also the play "A Comedy of Errors" was seen in the grounds of Mottisfont Abbey.

Speed-judging at Fairoaks followed on a June evening, Hamish Smith and Les Sutton tying for first place and mid-summer saw nine members on an all night ride to Brighton.  The youngest entrant in the Pirbright Common rough-stuff event was 12 year old Marc Smith who tied with Mary Wells.  A club stand was manned at British Aerospace Fete at Weybridge, many wanting to try the static rollers.

David Loe planned a new route for the "100" embracing Hampstead Norris and Ewelme and Hamish Smith finished the event in just over seven hours.  Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Holland, Belgium and France were all toured in July and suitable tea places were becoming a headache.  Members were busy with the Guildford Town Show in September and, on the same week-end, others were engaged as marshals, checkers and judges for the BCTC final - at Ranmore Common and Bookham.  Although continuing as a restaurant, Rose Hill Tea Cottage at Warfield decided not to serve teas in future and the last D.A. tea there was on 9 September.  The Tourists' Trial on the following Sunday, organised by Chris Jeggo, was carried off by Graham Richardson.  Andrew Ward crashed badly in Burnham Beeches on a Wayfarers run and had to receive hospital treatment.

Tim Staton and Dave Bolingbroke were leading runs, the Autumn joint ride with the K.W.'s going to Faygate.  In October, a 28 mile sponsored ride for young cyclists raised £100 for Woking's Physically Handicapped Children.  Eddie Hargraves won the hill-climb and C. Shambrook carried off the free-wheeling.  A hostelling group went to see the National Hill-climb Championship at Bovey Tracey.  At the Addlestone A.G.M. in November, John Whatmore took over from Chris Jeggo as Secretary and Tim Staton and Gillian Smith came on to the committee, the latter being elected Social Secretary at a later date.  The Cotteridge dinner was attended by 78, Colin Quemby being chief guest and, for the first time, the Benstead Cup, the Bernard Howell Memorial Trophy and the Edwards Attendance Cup were all won by one member - Graham Richardson.

In December the Evelyn Hall at Abinger Common put on an excellent tea and there was another meal with the 'Ville at their Waterside clubroom.  Three days before Christmas 21 Intermediates joined with East Sussex and Portsmouth contingents for a week-end at the Arundel hostel and, on that week-end, there were nearly 60 D.A. members for Christmas tea in a candle-lit room at Chiddingfold.

The 25th was bright and sparkling for the 33 who turned up on the appetiser run to Horsell and a group spent the holiday in the Lake District.

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Web page by Chris Jeggo.  Last revised:  24 December 2004.