Wheelers Rides
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Headcorn Loop
5 March 2006
 9am. Sun - sort of. Chill wind atop the Green Bridge. Rob, Camille……ahhh, Steve - so right time, right place………Kerry, Charlotte. A Wheelers Workshop puncture rescue turning slow leak. Quickly pumped up - at worst, between us we have the kit for repairs. Scenic route to the train. Park. Canal. River. Scraaaape……crunch. Camille meets the Elephant Dock switchback. More bruises. Oh well.
London Bridge Station - Sylvia & John (down from exotic Haringey), Fred & Pauline, coffee & breakfast. Strung out along the train. Pauline speed-knitting a cobwebby vintage skirt. We play 'spot the pretty village'.
11.30. Headcorn. Pile out. Sun - definitely. Zip by a churchyard, swoop down a lane. Rolling along past 1,2,3, a thousand Oast houses, vaguely alien. Kerry cruising, snapping the sights. Scarves off, jackets unzipped. Everyone OK? Rob: 'faster than I thought, but OK'. The East End traditional day out in Kent means work, don't forget! A brief halt to admire the lambs. Steve's thinking lunch.
 Trellised hop vines for drying in Oast houses. Gently rolling fields - not so gentle to Charlotte, doing an impressive job on her three-speed, one of which is unwilling. Almost balmy in the sun. Jackets off. Detour up a hill to visit the church? Hill? No. Sylvia has momentum up - can't be stopping now.
Are these bent signposts - haven't we been this way before? Well, actually……… Regroup on a rise. Theatrical squeal of brakes - a landrover swerves around John, feigning ambush by his yellow jacket. Steve gestures, the landrover halts. Wellingtons, wax jacket, blustering………………we're from East London, mate - call that road rage? Have a nice day now……
So 15m, must be time for lunch - but for a pub with space? Low beams and smoky fire will do nicely - bring on the Sunday roast. The north Londoners look askance, not used to the lots of miles then lots of food tactic. Fred settles down with a paperback.
Refuelled by cheese, Camille plays at leading the pack (dream on) until ……… whirrrrrrrrrrr the black blur that is Steve stretching his legs.
 1¼m to Marden - Fred and Pauline bow out, enough exercise for a Sunday. Lanes……hedges………see that ridge over there? That's where we started. Cows - nah, sheep country, round here. Cow count stands at '0'. Headcorn 2m, but we could go all round there? And maybe a hill? Easy, easy! You promised 30m. So we quit while we're ahead, with no mechanicals, or mishaps worse than the odd bruise.
Back in town, after all those hops? Nothing for it but a beer.
Camille
pics by Kerry (full set)
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