FNRttC FNRttC 2nd October to Southend-on-Sea 2009

[Aperitif]

"You're the man" mikee!

Welcome to the elite...although we haven't really got you lost yet - that's a true qualification. Mix in some abject hunger and North wind and you will be 'as one'.

 

[mike e]

"You're the man" mikee!

Welcome to the elite...although we haven't really got you lost yet - that's a true qualification. Mix in some abject hunger and North wind and you will be 'as one'.

There were a handful of "navigational difficulties" on the Windsor ride but nothing overly major and after the pub stop I could have kept riding for a good couple of days...

 

[TimO]

it's not all that exotic - and we've done it before, back in 2006. I'm thinking of taking the ride down the Cinder Path (which has a hard surface, not cinders) that goes from Leigh High Street to Chalkwell Station. ...

Didn't we do it on the September 2008 ride as well?

(Well, that's what my GPS recording appears to say anyway).

 

[dellzeqq]

Didn't we do it on the September 2008 ride as well?

(Well, that's what my GPS recording appears to say anyway).

I think you're right. Last time, if I recall, we went up Leigh Hill, and down to Chalkwell Station.

 

[dellzeqq]

Eric B
Steve vw
Martin F
Sig E
Stuart A
Rachael W
Ian A
Davy S
Mike E
Andrij B
Matt
Chris
User10571 B
Claudine C
Pippa G
Alina E
Lee S
Angela-Marie G
Tim H
et fils
Katie C
Adrian C
Adam B
Lee T
Tim H
Helen H
James H
Bridget M
Susie F
Des O'D
Stuart G
Tourist Tony
Tim O
William C
Jo H
Janie K
Gary H
Bernie B
John E
Jonathan G
Kath S/B
Jason F
Arthur C
Nathan W
Louise L
Jan I
Paul C
Andy D
Jussie ?
Chris B
Dan S pm
Brian P
Andrew T
Dave F
Mark F
Simon H
Miguel N
Clive B
Angie ctc
Jonathan T
Holly B
Karl S ?
Mick D
User may be with us. Let us pray that he is.

route scoped out, and nothing much to worry about. Some roadworks on the B1464, but we may be able to go straight over them. Junction 31 primed, Chris at the Rose (which has a new coat of paint on the front) primed, and I bumped in to Nuttycyclist in Southend!

 

[dellzeqq]

What's the deal with User?

he's checking dates. I've told him that his help with the safety talk is a must, and that his disquisition on the history of South Essex is so enthralling, that my reputation depends on his being there.

He is, however, a busy man. Being on the CTC Council takes a whole lot of time.

 

[dellzeqq]

We'll stop, briefly, at Fobbing. If you've got a couple of minutes, this is worth a read

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fobbing

I walked around the churchyard and took this photograph. A useful reminder that health and safety shouldn't be taken for granted. The boy killed in 1924 would have been 100 this year

 

[Auntie Helen]

A lot of smuggling went on in that area, as the Wiki article explains.

Some friends of mine used to know a lady who lived in a grand old house on the top of Bread & Cheese Hill. It apparently had tunnels underneath that, although blocked at the time, used to lead down to Benfleet Creek for the smugglers. Now I make that quite a large distance so never entirely believed the tunnels story, but I suppose it was possible.

 

[ChrisKH]

A lot of smuggling went on in that area, as the Wiki article explains.

Some friends of mine used to know a lady who lived in a grand old house on the top of Bread & Cheese Hill. It apparently had tunnels underneath that, although blocked at the time, used to lead down to Benfleet Creek for the smugglers. Now I make that quite a large distance so never entirely believed the tunnels story, but I suppose it was possible.

Yes, I would say that was a slightly tall one! Tunnels not unbelievable though for hiding the contraband. I understand the church at Benfleet and some of the pubs down by the station were connected to smuggling.

 

[TimO]

OK, my Google Fu has failed. What was the Shell Mex Factory explosion in 1924 ?

 

[ChrisKH]

Shell has long had connections with that part of Essex with the Shell Haven refinery being close by. Not sure if it's closed yet or not.

 

[Auntie Helen]

My parents in Southend have a tortoise, Daisy, who's been with them for 36 years.

She has a hutch that she sleeps in overnight. It's called Shell Haven. I didn't get the significance of this for about twenty years

 

[dellzeqq]

people were still smuggling spirits in to the UK in Maldon in the early 1970s. And using sailing boats. And taking the sails down, bringing the keel up and rowing across the sandbanks with muffled oars. How cool is that!

 

[ttcycle]

Hi Dellzeqq

It's a very tentative yes from me - I'm taking the cobbled together bike out tommorow and that will confirm whether I can manage long distance on it or not. Sorry to be so vague but I may pull out if it's not a possibility after all. Looking forward to it.

Edit: I will email you as well.

 

[Aperitif]

If the test ride is successful, can we look forward to some tt elation?