South Essex ramble tomorrow 16th March

[dellzeqq]

tomorrow looks like being a lovely day, and I intend to leave London about 8.30 and go out to Basildon and Southend recce'ing a few little byways. So....no real plan other than to take a map, look at some marshes, skirt Basildon one way or the other and visit the Rose Restaurant on the sea front.

I'll probably be doing the same sort of thing again in the next week or so, so if you fancy the idea and have a day that suits, let me know.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Hi Dellzeqq,

Would have been interested but I saw it too late (and have the dentist today anyway!) but might be up for another time, assuming you can cope with going as slowly as me!

 

[arallsopp]

assuming you can cope with going as slowly as me!

Ah... but you are racking up the miles. I see you're ahead once again on Cyclogs! We've been neck and neck all month, and I felt sure I'd finally crawl infront after a 200+km ride on Saturday.

One day we'll get on a ride together. Potentially next time Dellzeqq swings out that way. There's no better company to ride with, and it'd be nice to outnumber the uprights for once

 

[Auntie Helen]

Ah... but you are racking up the miles. I see you're ahead once again on Cyclogs! We've been neck and neck all month, and I felt sure I'd finally crawl infront after a 200+km ride on Saturday.

One day we'll get on a ride together. Potentially next time Dellzeqq swings out that way. There's no better company to ride with, and it'd be nice to outnumber the uprights for once

I'm doing it in a hare-and-tortoise kind of manner (me being the tortoise); slow speed but steady 30-40 miles per day. Probably a bit slow for most of you to ride with, although on the flat it's not quite as bad!

 

[dellzeqq]

I went down to Coryton today and tried to make my way to Canvey Island. It was exciting, especially the cattle grid I didn't see in time, and the Limousin bull that was on the other side of the cattle grid. F*** they are big. They make Herefords look like kiddy bulls. And then there was the chap driving the tractor - a fund of local knowledge 'it's wet down there...' Sadly there is no walkway on the barrier across the creek, so Canvey is off our visiting list. So....next week it's Upminster to West Horndon and all points east. A lot of this will be breezing in to caffs and saying 'how do you fancy opening at three in the morning?' Some more of it will be breezing out of caffs when the proprietor threatens to call the police. Actually, User10571 and I have done the breezing in to caffs thing before, and it's worked.

Give me a day, H and A, and I'll see if we can tie up.

 

[Sig SilverPrinter]

Theres a windmill in Upminster also at Thames Chase forrest centre they do lovely cake although i think the building caught fire after being struck by lightning last year so not sure if its back open but you could go there and see the tree sculpture which you can climb up inside and see the lovely views over the M25 !

 

[ChrisKH]

I went down to Coryton today and tried to make my way to Canvey Island. It was exciting, especially the cattle grid I didn't see in time, and the Limousin bull that was on the other side of the cattle grid. F*** they are big. They make Herefords look like kiddy bulls. And then there was the chap driving the tractor - a fund of local knowledge 'it's wet down there...' Sadly there is no walkway on the barrier across the creek, so Canvey is off our visiting list. So....next week it's Upminster to West Horndon and all points east. A lot of this will be breezing in to caffs and saying 'how do you fancy opening at three in the morning?' Some more of it will be breezing out of caffs when the proprietor threatens to call the police. Actually, User10571 and I have done the breezing in to caffs thing before, and it's worked.

Give me a day, H and A, and I'll see if we can tie up.

As that's my summer commute home from Upminster to Benfleet Dell, let me know if you need any assistance. There is actually a central route from Upminster that goes through Basildon (it avoids the town and skirts round it) and is mostly on back roads. From Upminster to Basildon Hospital, it's mostly back roads and some nice country lanes. I'll try and post up my usual route later. BoaB is a fount of knowledge for that area also.

PS. If you ever want a tour round Canvey Island, that's my home town. Just let me know.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

BoaB is a fount of knowledge for that area also.

ha! erm...ok...

 

[arallsopp]

At the moment, I'm good for Friday. Any use?

 

[Auntie Helen]

I'd love to have a ride around Benfleet (where I grew up) and even Canvey (where my Mum was a schoolteacher and where our boat was born!). Let me know if there's a time that works for people.

 

[ChrisKH]

I'd love to have a ride around Benfleet (where I grew up) and even Canvey (where my Mum was a schoolteacher and where our boat was born!). Let me know if there's a time that works for people.

Didn't know you had a boat Auntie H. I used to live next door to a family called Prout who built twin hulled leisure Cats down at the Point. Very plush, beautiful boats but not really what I call sailing. I used to live in the Yacht Club and around the boat factories as a kid (up to no good mostly).

 

[Auntie Helen]

Chris, how classic! My boat is a Prout Catamaran. "not really what I call sailing..." indeed! Shocking This boat appears to be sailing, with the spinnaker up no less!

 

[ChrisKH]

Chris, how classic! My boat is a Prout Catamaran. "not really what I call sailing..." indeed! Shocking This boat appears to be sailing, with the spinnaker up no less!

Don't get me wrong they're lovely boats. The Prouts used to take us out on Sundays but as teenagers it was a bit sedate. All our mates were out with their Dads on racing cats, etc. We never had enough money for our own boat.

I'm glad to see they're still sailing tbh.

 

[Auntie Helen]

I'd love to go and visit the yard sometime, apparently you can just wander around it. They eventually became part of Broadblue Catamarans which has just gone bust in the Credit Crunch but I believe new Prouts are being made in the Far East. They still sell pretty well and they seem to keep going on and on forever.

I suppose it is a bit sedate compared to dinghy sailing but we've had some decent speeds out of ours.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I like boats. I like the sea, it has a cruel honesty about it, you know it will kill you but only if you let it.