COMPETITION TIME
30th September marks the end of the CTC year for many things mundane, such as annual reports, accounts and the start of the AGM season but also for the DA Awards. Now is the time to look out your photographic prints of people, landscapes, buildings, action and/or the humorous. Each should have a cycling association and can be from any format, on film or digital. The closing date for entries will be announced in the next Sou'Wester but is likely to be towards the end of January. All entries will be displayed at the Barn Dance in March.

September Trip to Nesles
Norman Goody led yet another great five day trip to France at the beginning of September. There were six of us in the group: Norman Goody, Tom Fiddimore, Lynda Barrow, Helga Messwarp, Gill Finlay, and myself, Carole Dockett. It started on Friday 3rd September with a 6am meet at Rosehill and a cycle ride to Charing Cross Station, a train to Dover and Hoverspeed Sea-Cat to Calais. Weather was hot and sunny. We couldn't have asked for better. We arrived at the gite in Nesles around 4:30pm ready to finish our first day with an extremely good meal cooked by Lynda.
Saturday saw us at a street market in the pretty town of Montreuil, bags of history and nice restaurants.
Sunday was very hot so we were pleased Norman led us on a tour of local beaches. First stop was Berck where we lunched. Merlimont was our stopping place for ice cream and finally Le Touquet where six CTC members paddled in cycling gear, carrying helmets. I think this probably confirmed any ideas the French may have had about the British being quite mad! It was all good fun writes Carole who adds, "I got a wet bum for the journey back to the gite". (When I was last at the beach at Le Touquet it was fashionable for bottoms to be seen naked and unclothed on the beach - but no helmets. Ed)
Monday took the 'Sou'westers' group to Hardelot for elevenses and Etaples for lunch. After this we stopped in the local park where some napped while some watched Les Boules being played.
Tuesday was going home day, calling in at Boulogne for lunch and a shopping spree in the local bike shop and then on to Calais where we had a long wait before embarking due to bad weather conditions at sea. We got home around midnight, an end to a perfect trip - plenty of cycling, food and wine. A big thanks to Norman from our group of five.
Carole Dockett

Brian Starey's Mystery Tour
The Mystery Tour attracted 18 for a ride led by Bob from Oaks and Beddington Parks, through South Norwood Country Park to join the Pool River then on to Catford for elevenses. The ride was frustrated by Bob's friend, Mr Sod, when the Greenwich foot tunnel under the Thames was found to be impassable due to works and the stairs were being painted. Bob asks readers to imagine the chaos resulting from 19 bikes being carried on a restricted spiral staircase with commuter traffic trying to get by in both directions. The 19 bikers emerged into the open air on the Isle of Dogs and continued through Canary Wharf to Limehouse Basin and St Katherine's Dock for lunch at Tower Bridge in the Pommeler's Arms, a Wetherspoon's establishment. Eight riders then continued on with Bob Starey leading to the Lea Valley YH for the autumn Hostel visit which we will cover in Bob's inimitable style in the next newsletter.
The rest, according to Graham Hill's report, split in two at Waterloo Bridge and Frank Cubis led a group back to Richmond Park for tea. Brian was pleased with the success of the ride "where else could you ride 100 fascinating miles in three days and not have one hill to climb?" and encourages more members to consider riding on the Mystery Ride next year.

SECTION NEWS
Wayfarers
Apologies for absence have been received by Secretary Brian Starey: Fran and Frank Humphries will be missing in October when they go to Lesotho. Following his return after 'crocking' his leg, Rob Maskell regrets that he will not be around in October as he will be working. Brian Starey asks Rob not to use that upsetting word 'work' again and regrets that Rob will not be able to attend the Section AGM.
Wayfarers Briefing Notes: If you are not receiving news about the Wayfarers activities from the Secretary, let Brian know via e-mail or send a postcard. Let him know if you prefer your address displayed or concealed as a group addressee - under the address 'CTC Wayfarers'.
Congratulations to the new member of the Octogenarians Club, Ned Walsh.
Terry Lowe advises us that Steve Bott is progressing. He was recently able to do ten miles on his own bike.
A number of Wayfarer members will wish to hear news of Peter Knottley, from the days when he lived at Cheam and rode his distinctive Moulton bike. Others will have known him from his travel writings. We were pleased to hear from Roger Taylor that he recently called on Peter who lives at a home in Littlehampton. He has asked that anyone who wishes to visit him at the St Francis Nursing Home, Littlehampton, East Sussex BN16 5PY should telephone Peter during 13.00 to 17.00 hours to avoid mealtimes and evening resting. Tel. 01903 732925

Beginners The Saturday rides have continued to attract good attendances. We have been pleased to see that a lively group of Lady members have been riding with and frequently leading rides for other Sections, the Midweek Wayfarers, Cheam & Morden and Central London CTC. They have been expanding their range with rides during this year to the coastal resorts of France on Norman Goody's popular tours.
The Editor is pleased to hear that they have adopted the title of this newsletter for the name of their group by registering for events as 'The Sou'westers'. This title is now appearing at the head of an application for a grant for the funding for a T Shirt and Jacket 'uniform' for 'The Sou'westers' so that they will be recognised on events in the British Isles or in Europe. If this initiative from the Ladies goes ahead we must ask that garments are unisex in style please.

Cheam & Morden
Before leaving to act as Warden at Dartington YH, Graham Hill has provided Attendance information in advance of the Section AGM showing an overall drop by 10%. Our last Sou'wester profile star, Ed Sharp, leads the attendance figures while Andy Coxhill leads on punctures. According to Graham, Andy has learnt from his experience on a recent ride that it is important to replace your locknuts when rebuilding wheels. C&M AGM will be held at 4pm on 31st October at Ed Sharp's home in West Ewell.

International Cycle Show Islington
Carole Dockett reports that "there were masses of bikes to drool over". It was a good opportunity to try out new machines, particularly recumbents and folders including the new British designed 'Mezzo' folder. The huge range impressed Godfrey and Helga. Tom Fiddimore says he was inspired watching the stunts display so Beginners beware! The photography in Pro-Cycling's film of the Tour de France was spectacular and the Tour of Britain TV film was shown. Your editor helped man the stand for the Herne Hill Velodrome and met BBC interviewers who have since recruited him to make a recording of his memories of Reg Harris at 'the Hill' in the early '50s for Radio 4. We all went to the CTC stands.
I was pleased to hear from Kevin Mayne and Council chairman, Andy Cook, that the CTC Birthday Rides could be in the area of the Gower Peninsular and Swansea in 2005. Further information can be found on the CTC Birthday Rides page.
Carole and Lynda ended their day by cycling back from Islington to Victoria Station through Hyde Park and the Mall, to pass Buckingham Palace for tea and cakes at the Lido Café. A very nice and relaxing end to an enjoyable day. Carole says "More of our readers should go to the Show" and hopes to see you all there next year.

Trailblazing Ride
Sustrans organised a week long ride, 11-18th September, from London to the Eden Project in Cornwall to raise awareness and political support for the National Cycle Network. Seventy cyclists, including Wayfarers Mike and Mary Pontin and Clive Oxx representing CTC London, rode the first stage starting from Kew Gardens at 8am, flying large colourful flags which created a dramatic effect as they travelled along the Wandle Trail in our DA area. Clive commented to Director, John Grimshaw, on the effective control of marshals by Sustrans area manager, Carl Pittam, who adeptly avoided most of the traffic aggro at road crossings.
Mike and Mary Pontin (Sustrans Rangers) were two of the 54 who did the whole route which, according to Sustrans London Manager, Sarah Parry-Jones, "required travelling on 11 ferries, making one tidal crossing and attending 30 receptions which meant getting through endless sandwiches and a lot of cake". Mike believed this route (NCN 22 and 2 with Brighton as a possible alternative start), should become one of the most popular routes from London. The Mayors of Wandsworth, Merton and Sutton greeted the riders as did most of the local authorities en route. Their support is very important because there is much work to be done to make this route viable for families etc.

Surrey Churches Charity Rides
Ken Preece led a sponsored ride from All Saints', Banstead in aid of the Surrey Churches Preservation Trust. The ride visited 28 churches in the local area. Colin and Shirley Quemby led other rides from Cheam and Nonsuch Park. Sponsored riders collected donations towards the Trust and selected churches. Lynda Barrow was a notable fundraiser once again, raising a goodly sum of £100.


Photographs courtesey of Shirley Quemby and Nigel Taylor