Bell End

15th October 2023

Rather amusingly, the ride was called ‘Bell End’ and 31 brave souls decided to participate on a particularly chilly, but sunny & dry morning for a 97 mile journey to ‘End’ at the ‘Bell’ in Ticehurst. See what I did there!?

Unusually, the ride started at Ryka’s Cafe, an ‘enduring cornerstone of motorbike culture’, at the base of Boxhill (AONB), where the owner, Troy, had kindly allowed us permission to use a separate gated area to park and hold the safety briefing. The briefing duly delivered, with keen attention paid by all, we set off.

Quickly negotiating Dorking, despite an increase in traffic due to the A3 junction with the M25 being closed, we headed down the A25 before turning off to Albury and the B roads of Surrey. Huzzah!

The ride held together, with all participants, old & new, committed to the drop off system - we safely negotiated narrow tree tunnels, tight gravel filled junctions and the occasional horse. After 53 miles through the hills of Surrey and skirting the edge of the South Downs National Park we arrived at Tottington Manor, our coffee stop.

The break could not have been more welcome and the opportunity to warm up. The temperature when we set off was 6ºC and hadn’t risen above 12ºC! Coffee & tea was provided and the staff could not have made us more welcome. A small number of riders decided to make the coffee stop their final destination. Some stayed for lunch, some headed home to get warm and some apparently had to ‘repair a puncture’ to the family car.

FYI, the Warr’s emporium stock a splendid array of heated gear for riders & pillions, which I can’t recommend highly enough, particularly if you have a pillion turning blue behind you. Contact Glynn, the heated clothing expert at Kings Road.

Refreshed, relieved and some slightly warmer we continued through the South Downs National Park with hang gliders swirling above, past Ditchling Beacon and onto Lewes. Exiting Lewis, once again the drop off system held up well, we stopped for a splash of fuel for those with smaller tanks.

Then into East Sussex where the roads opened up and the opportunity to open the ‘taps’ was happily accepted. 45 minutes later we arrived at our destination - The Bell, Ticehurst.

Thank you to everyone who turned up on the day, very brave, and most particularly thank you to the Road Captains without whose dedication rides simply would not happen. In no order of preference, Steve Graham, Nigel Gaskin, Jonathan Gooch, David O’Flaherty, Rob Warr, Paul Wiggins and last man, the alarmingly yellow Andrew Papas.

Look out for details of the next C&F ride, Remembrance Ride - Sunday 12th November 2023, led by our illustrious C&F & Meridian Chapter Director, John Warr.

Colin Houliston - C&F Assistant Director

 

Photographs courtesy of Steve Graham - C&F Photographer