Fall Ride

10th October 2021

It had been a tense couple of weeks since the media led petrol panic so so the ride could have been renamed ‘the fuel ride’! However, with a few days to go the situation in the South East started to ease...

So we gathered, some earlier than planned and when I arrived around 9am there was already about 20 members present. John Warr had obviously got on it early with the drinks and croissants already on display for chapter delectation - nice one. Likewise Steve Graham was set up with the logging in computer and we recorded 41 or 42 members present by the time of the briefing (I forget which). Fred wasn’t on the door today as he was in Portugal and DoF also absent with a family trip to a favourite C&F destination, Reims.

However, road captains were present with Ray as back marker and Rob, Jonathan and Andy E standing ready along with Steve Graham on the camera bike. Briefing delivered, we saddled up including 4 new members and headed off through Putney and off south on the A3. A couple of RCs went ahead to mark the A3 exit at Ockham Park and all successfully made it off heading into the country.

Through Ripley, past Newlands Corner, right into Albury then heading towards Cranleigh. By this time my prediction of a lovely day was going slightly wrong as it started misty raining, that was not in the program! After a few sets of roadwork traffic lights we arrived at the reasonably large BP forecourt just around the corner from the Alfold Crossways. And let there be fuel and it was granted! Yep, all pumps in working order and we spent about 45 minutes here on coffee and drying off for by now the roads were back to dry and the day looked better.

On time we pulled away heading south through Alfold, Loxwood and skirting around Billingshurst. Turning right at the Five Oaks roundabout we did not need the Audi forecourt which also had fuel. Andy had gone ahead with Nigel G and Tina to mark a right hand major to minor that called for slowing down, through a set of tight bends and on the way to Barns Green, Coolham, Thakeham until we reached Storrington. At this point we stopped heading south and turned west at the bottom of this large looped ride. Once through the town and past the next forecourt (with fuel) we were back in the country until we reached Petworth, what a lovely town that is!

From Petworth, the direction was now north. We could see the huge traditional bonfire being built in Chiddingfold. On through Witley and past the Star public house which appears a victim like so many others of Covid. Through Milford and into our destination town parking up along the high st in Godalming. The weather was better now with the sun making entrances and a number of us were outside but the main body of riders seemed to prefer to sit inside the Red Lion which again in normal times was pretty busy but today it looked like a private event.

Nobody got lost, no one ran out of fuel and it appeared to be an enjoyable final UK ride of 2021. Just the November Remembrance Ride left which Steve Graham leads to Ypres and the Menin Gate to remember The Fallen.

Thanks to all those who participated.

Nick Deal - C&F Safety Officer