London Wanderings - ACTA Wednesday ride 27 Jul 2016

Meeting again near the Wandsworth Bridge 8:30am, with Helen Williams (in blue) joining Steve, Annette, JB and Ray this time and again, getting a passer-by to take our group photo. Off to Weybridge today.

Our first coffee stop at the Fallow Deer. I think Steve, leading us with his GPS system was taking us on a zig zag through London Streets and this might've been the second cafe after passing an earlier option that we looked briefly inside. I was learning about keeping your bikes and gear secure, two bikes on one side of the tree outside and the other three chained through as one cluster. Plus the front bags being carried inside, which made for a tight spot to gather together at one table. Elbows in everybody.

Coffee revival and bike retrieval done, ready to head off toward JB's memory lane, through Richmond Park and down the Thames to Weybridge. Plus it turned out to be a sunny ride after a rainy start.

JB found some locals to chat to and discovered the Finnart House School for Jewish Boys had been closed and housing had taken its place in the intervening years. This area was part of JB's life experience when he was an apprentice builder who traveled with his firm from Liverpool to Weybridge, to work at this place - more details of Finnart House in this link. Street View of Finnart Close taken July 2015

We then cycled around to Churchill Drive and from the map perhaps the Finnart House School covered that area boarded by Churchhill Drive down to Oatlands Drive

After that explore around JB's stomping ground all those years ago, it was off to rejoin Helen who had diverted off to meet people she knew at the local, The Crown - It was Helen's friend seen in the mirror.

The Publican's were Kiwis and they organised for us park our bikes out back, behind the locked gate. Helen made her own way to her London abode and the rest of us found ourselves going past Ham House as we headed toward the Richmond Railway Station.

Annette thought this place looked promising as a base for the London Chapter of our ACTA group.

We all swopped to a train ride back to our nearest stations - mine being Clapham Junction, on board by 3:49pm ahead of the recommended cut off time of 4pm. No problems for me on my train journey this time, unlike the next, and my final of joint rides around London.

I see Steve listed the Queen as his contact, Mrs Windsor indeed.