6/2 Snargate Social: Cancel? Not him!

Checking the weather forecast for Saturday's Snargate social  in the pub after the Wednesday chain-gang , it was looking grim with  heavy rain at times and winds of 49 miles per hour ,but as Steve C is becoming known as ‘Cancellation Curt’  and currently up to ‘double girls blouse level’ he was adamant that this time he would not cancel even if the weather was going to be so bad that half the riders would go down with hypothermia! Fortunately by Friday it was clear that the winds would remain but there was no chance of rain anymore, what a relief!

Eleven of us gathered at the cemetery gates.  The wind was already strong . The route took us down Ivyhouse Lane . I turned to head for Westfield but was called back. The route was to be  Doleham Hill followed by Brede Hill. I was glad to get those done but why go the easy way when the route said you can turn to the right where there is a steep descent and find another steep climb. Ivan had chosen his fixie and was really enjoying himself especially when nearly at the top of the hill a large lorry confronted us leaving a one foot gap to get through.

The route was then easy but the wind was getting stronger and the gusts were pushing you towards the edge of the road.

At Rye Steve D had to go back as he was on call but was replaced by Malc D who was in the cafe having breakfast. Ivan decided to join him and they were to catch us up.

Tom looks surprised to have made it, on his old rusty audax

Leaving Rye we flew along with the wind directly behind us but the route was the Camber turn which put us directly into the wind. I thought it would get easy when we turned east again but for some reason it was still into wind . This continued to the firing range and then we were with the wind again.
By Lydd Malc C went straight on and we would have all happily followed him but the route said we had to head into the wind to Dungeness.

Our one lady rider Shirley was feeling the effects of the wind by then having battled against it over the new bypass already to get to the start. Duncan H stayed with her to shield her and at Dungeness we turned back with the wind and  directly behind us to St Margarets Bay. We normally stop there for a break but Steve C was intent on maximum time at the Red Lion at Snargate and would not be persuaded otherwise. It was back into wind and it seemed a long drag to Snargate.

Derek is so pleased to be able to get out of the wind

We were surprised that Ivan and Malc D had not caught us and I was surprised to see Nigel had suddenly joined us and I assumed he had caught us but it all became clear when he told us he had met Ivan and Malc D who had taken a short cut to Snargate for more quality time at the pub. Nigel had decided to come and find us and ride to Snargate with us.

Nigel gets more bristly every timewe see him 

This pub is great and it has all been said before ,its stepping back to bygone days .Ivan and Malc D were sitting by the log fire so we all joined them .Malc C Shirley and Duncan H found the domino's and were happily playing and we all chatted and the time just disappeared.

Then back into the wind . The route said go into Appledore and take the country lanes to Rye . These would have given shelter from the wind but Ivan power had decided military canal, which filled me with dread but he was 200 metres away by then so that was the new route. Malc D arranged the order of the peloton with double Duncans on the front and we all followed behind. This road is 5 miles long and directly into wind today . Some of us were exhausted by the end of it but we knew fish and chips was just round the corner. We were worried about where to put the bikes but the owner said bring them in with you.

Time to leave the pub and head for Rye and chips.

Thoughts then turned to the ride home directly into 40mph winds and the joys of Battery Hill.
Shirley and I had already decided to let the train take the strain and 3 others decided to join us . No names mentioned on the grounds of street cred .So off to the station with 5 minutes to spare.”The train travelling to Hastings will not be travelling because we have cancelled it. You will be going by bus which is late”
Nothing to do with Steve D by the way.
There is no way I was cycling back from Rye on this ride ,I never do.
The 3 others decided to cycle which just left me and Shirley. The helpful stationmaster said the bus driver may take the bikes if he felt like it, we waited for the bus and it arrived 10 mins later and the driver did not feel like it. Shirley had a good go at him as a similar thing had happened on a trip she had done and the driver had put the bike in the luggage compartment.
Railways are strange things. Although the train was cancelled there was another one on the way so the stationmaster said “ I will look after your bikes and you go for a coffee”.We did just that and 20 mins later were on the train.
We can also claim our train fare back as the train we wanted was cancelled

Meanwhile the rest of the gang were battling their way into an increasingly strong headwind along the coast back to Hastings. Duncan H and Steve C were soon dropped by the others but worked so well together as a team that by Pett level they had caught up with Duncan F. All that now lay between home a sofa, hot drink and chocolate was the little matter of Battery Hill. Having done more than his share of battling into the wind, Duncan H started to fade and complain that he was done in, so Steve got to the foot of battery Hill first only to be overtaken by Duncan F and a resurgent Duncan H. Duncan H had gained a reserve burst of energy and easily beat his name sake to the top with Steve C trailing in last place but very relieved to get to the top. Surprisingly this was Duncan H’s first ever climb of Battery Hill so this was a great performance and a perfect way to end the ride.

Many thanks to all those who came on the Snargate social. This is the third year we have done this and will be back again next year although we have decided that next year we shall have a nice café stop somewhere in the Lydd/New Romney area.

Derek