Another Triumphant Year for the London to Woodbridge Bike Ride
Twenty five cyclists on the road, 92 miles each (give or take). If it were a relay that would be Land’s End to John o’ Groats, and back again, and then over to Woodbridge for good measure! Now there’s a thought….
What a day it was. Glorious sunshine and a gentle breeze; clear roads (mostly!) and cheerful fellow road users (mostly!!); only one puncture (a record – these things matter); and a peloton which bonded as well as any I can remember over the 21 rides. We stuck together for the morning, reached lunch in a pack (a packed lunch), and arrived home to a cascade of applause all within an hour of each other! And the last ones (Mr Garvie and I – tradition you understand… nothing to do with my creaking knees) were tucking into their first restorative tipple well before 5pm to set a new twenty-first century record by the best part of an hour.
Amazing.
You should have been there.
These people were there: our astonishingly spritely pupils: Tom Benoist Wilson, Toby Cassy, Charlie Eaton, Dom Ellice-Freeman, Ali Lloyd, Tom Scoggins and Oliver Wroe (completing in extremely fine style his fourth in a row to join a very select band of pupils to have done all four possible while at school). Hats (and helmets) off to the lot of them – brilliant cycling and outstanding fund raising. Alongside them on the road (though usually behind them!) OWs George Cory, Ben and Lucy Havard, Adam Hedley, Ben Hoyer and David Spray; parents and friends Andrew, Ceri, Paul, Jude and Toby; and staff Mr Garvie (the incredible and ever-present), Miss George, Mrs Mitchell, Mr Morcombe, Miss Richardson, Dr Rickard and me on two wheels, and Mr Bruce, Mr Jackson and Mr and Mrs Hillman on four. And waiting for us all at lunch in the car park at Colne Engaine with the finest collection of hot drinks imaginable the utterly wonderful double act of Mrs Spray and Mrs Streat.
But I must mention the night before!! You see the event starts with the journey to London once Mr Hillman has done his annual tetris challenge of securing the bikes on parent of OWs Mr Foskett’s glorious trailer. Dinner at The Horseshoe, Clerkenwell – fabulous – thank you Rob Madigan and team: your hospitality and generosity is utterly wonderful; heartfelt speeches and delightful further hospitality (including a fine breakfast) from head teacher Penny Barratt and Adi Cimic representing The Bridge School; and then before you know it we are off at 7am on Saturday morning.
And the rest is history.
Please, please, please if you have read this far (it’s taken you less time than the ride…), now is the time to add your donation to the cause. The Bridge School needs and treasures our support. Our fundraising has made a direct and hugely positive difference to the lives of its wonderful children. We are only 25 riders but we want to raise £10,000 which means £400 each which is difficult, but we’re already half way there…so your contribution really, really matters: pick one of us:
https://www.justgiving.com/teams/spinforthebridge2018
Or pick me!!: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/michael-streat7
