Planning for a Scavenger Hunt; taking bokings for weekend club runs; school homework is impacting on evening cycle training; a weekender to Selsey; 64 tickets sold so far for the club dinner; looking ahead to next month's Hard Ride to Cleeve Hill.

541 miles

Mon Oct 1^st 10 miles Club night. Took bookings for dinner and tea on Sunday. We are going to watch the Oak hill climb. Gave out runs lists.

Thurs Oct 4^th 20 miles Went out for a short ride round through Harrow, Hatch End, Ruislip, Northwood and Eastcote. Called at Tony’s.

Sat Oct 6^th 21 miles Went to Pinner and Eastcote in the morning, mended two punctures and tried to cut some glass for my shed! Tony came round and we went out for a ride in the afternoon, down through Harefield to the canal and then along the canal bank through to West Hyde to Rickmansworth where we climbed back on to the road and struggled up the hill and home.

Sun Oct 7^th 77 miles Left with Tony at about 7.30 a.m. through Ruislip, Ickenham to the ‘25’course. He rode a ‘private’ in the South Ruislip event and did a 1.06.40! It must have been fast even though it was cold. After that, and having some elevenses at the Havelock café we went back up the road to Chalfont St Giles where we turned right up the lanes to Chesham and then on to White hill where we met the club (12 blokes) watching the hill climb. When this was over we went down into Berkhampstead to the Shanty at Bourne End for dinner. Brian and I had a go on the tandem. After dinner we went down through Hemel Hempstead, St Albans, Leverstock Green and Hatfield through several of Stan Boyes’ ‘short-cuts’ to the Bakery at Tewin for tea. We then came home through Radlett, Aldenham and Watford – a very nice day indeed!

Mon Oct 8^th 10 miles Club night. Took bookings for Sunday. We have got a committee meeting at the Merediths’ house on Wednesday.

Wed Oct 10^th 12 miles Left at about 7.30 p.m., after making out lists of objects for the Scavenger Hunt, the long way round to 15 Batchworth Lane. We are going to have a salvage campaign to boost our funds. I had a turn-out later and found that I already have over 80 lbs! The fee for the Scavenger Hunt is to be 1/- and the time 3 hours. The prize will be a map – ought to be good. A bloke who owns some rubber plantations [in Malaya] came up to the club on Monday and offered to buy us a trophy!

Thurs Oct 11^th 4 miles Went round to Boff [Empson’s] with some things I want printing. Did homework the rest of the evening. I am afraid that I will not be able to get out much in the evenings now as I have so much homework. But half-term is coming soon and we have two consecutive weeks away: 28-29^th to Selsey with Brian, and November 3-4^th at Cleeve Hill.

Sat Oct 13^th 3 miles Went to Pinner in the morning and did the shopping etc. Came back and messed about for the rest of the day. We are going to a new café tomorrow, at Bramley. I hope that the blokes turn up!

Sun Oct 14^th 92 miles Left Northwood at about 9.00 a.m. out through Ickenham and Slough to the Southdown café at Taplow for elevenses. We then continued on through Maidenhead and Twyford, and down the Floral Mile to Reading. Here we turned left down the A 33 towards Basingstoke through Riseley to Sherfield on Lodden where we turned right to Bramley for dinner at the Transport café. It seems a very good place. After dinner we retraced our wheel-tracks to the main road and then turned right and then first left down a tiny lane which only, after about three miles, led us back to the main road ¼ mile further on! We took the next left again through Basingstoke to Hook and then up the A 30 through Hartley Wintney, Blackbushe airport, Bagshot, Camberley, Virginia Water and so to Staines for tea. Met several other club members at tea who had gone out to watch the Norland Combine hill climb, and then burned home through Iver and up the viaduct. Did not feel very good today – I think it must be my recent ‘laying off’.

Mon Oct 15^th 10 miles Club night. Took 17 (!) bookings for dinner and tea next Sunday, and 15 people are interested in the Scavenger Hunt. Very cold later at night.

Sat Oct 20^th 33 miles Went to Pinner and Eastcote in the morning and then up to the woods. In the evening I went out for a ride with Tony down through Harrow to Staples Corner and then back down the North Circular and the Harrow road. A very nice ride.

Sun Oct 21^st 60 miles About 16 blokes turned up today, 20 were out to dinner, and 21 for tea! Nearly an all-time record! We left Northwood at about 9.30 a.m. out through Rickmansworth, Chorleywood to Amersham for elevenses at Fred’s café, and then up the hill through Chesham, Berkhampstead, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead and Redbourne and thence to Cowper Cottage for dinner (and tea). Brian Major and Ken Dopson ran about 1½ miles because we had pinched their bikes! We had a super lunch – beef, Yorkshire pudding, cabbage, two huge helpings of spuds. An then Mrs Paine brought in a huge plum duff about a yard long. I had two helpings of that and then a cup of coffee and half a pint of Worthington’s.

After dinner I gave out the lists of objects for the Scavenger Hunt and all the blokes roared off down the hill – all except Stan Boyes [the cunning old devil!] who went round to the kitchen and got most of the objects from Mr Paine! Bob won in the end, and after a scrumptious tea we went home through a shower via St Albans and Watford. A very nice day.

Mon Oct 22^nd 10 miles Club night. Took bookings for Sunday’s ride to Ash, although I am not going on it. Brian Huggins and I are going down to Selsey Bill to stay with my aunt. Played table tennis and paid 2/- to Ken Meredith towards the club dinner, and 3d for the goal pontoon [whatever that was!]. A very nice evening.

Sat Oct 27^th 4 miles Went to Knight’s in the morning to buy another Côte d’Azur tubular (53/6d) and a rear light battery. In the afternoon I went up to Picadilly with my father.

Sun Oct 28^th 77 miles Left with Brian at about 9.00 a.m. out through Ruislip, Ickenham and Uxbridge to Staines via West Drayton and the usual horrible way. When we got to Staines we crossed the river, turned left under the railway bridge to Chertsey and then had elevenses (a glass of milk, two pieces of fruit cake, and one other cake) at a small coffee stall at the roadside. We then continued on through Mayford and Woking to Guildford, Godalming, Milford and then up the long hill (we climbed it) to the NCU ‘Queen of Hearts’ café at Hindhead. After dinner we pushed off down the other side of the hill, on the Portsmouth road, twiddling my 69" fixed. We then turned left down a little lane which eventually led us up out to Midhurst via Hammer Bottom. A very nice little lane indeed! We then continued after having an ice cream through Cocking, Singleton and West Dean to Chichester where we ran into the first rain. We sheltered a bit before carrying on to Selsey, arriving at about 4.45 p.m. Had a look at the sea before going to my auntie’s house.

Mon Oct 29^th 88 miles Left Selsey at about 9.15 a.m. out through Chichester, Halnaker, down Dunction hill through Dunction to Petworth for elevenses. Coming down Dunction hill was one of my most thrilling/frightening experiences: the whole road was covered in wet leaves and mud and my back wheel slipped and skidded violently from side to side as I gently (?) pushed back on the fixed wheel to slow down from about 30 m.p.h. I could not use my brakes as that would have sent me into a big skid. And then we came to the bend at the bottom …..!

After this narrow escape we continued slowly through Petworth (elevenses), North Chapel, Chiddingfold and Godalming to Guildford for dinner, and the home via Woking, Chertsey and Staines. Went to the club in the evening, played table tennis and took bookings for next Sunday.

Wed Oct 31^st 10 miles Went to a committee meeting at Tom Simpson’s house. We have sold or partly sold 64 dinner tickets now. The Annual Hard Ride to Cleeve Hill is on Saturday and Sunday.