FNRttC banned from Gatwick

[Flying Dodo]

there's no need to protest

where would we rather go?

a) a cafe where the owner is glad of the trade, and has a smile
a place where there are men with guns

for two and a half years we had a free pass - we went to Tourist Tony's flat, which, let's remind ourselves, was glorious. Remember the Ditchling cake!

We only went to Gatwick when TT was working. Now we have to go to the Cabin Cafe, or Mark's pub, or the Scout Hut. Speaking personally I'm glad Gatwick is off the list. It was surreal, but the Costa Coffee people were grudging, and it that numpty route I found wasn't really up to taking 60 of us.

When the Babe and I got the treatment a few days ago I sort of crossed it off the list. My sadness is that people like Amanda Vango and Mark Turner are prepared to write the kind of shoot about security you see above. For all the stuff people write about government, the paranoia of big corporations is the biggest threat to civil society.

I agree Gatwick was a hassle anyway, not just because of the often poor service at Costa Coffee (their employees really need to do a time & motion study), but 5 or more lift trips really slowed things up as well.

Anyway, thanks for your efforts to try and get BAA to see sense and just for you Simon, a taster of happy times!

 

[Tony]

Well, we have contingency plans, and the Edifice worked well. I shall have to look at my time and motion plans for next year and see what is possible.

 

[Archie_tect]

If all else fails... come up to Northumberland for a tour next summer... we've got some great cyclist friendly cafes... you can spend weeks trying them all.

It would be nice to put a face to the names... but I've only got a hybrid so don't go too fast.

 

[Tony]

Well,there are thoughts of a Northern ride.....

 

[dellzeqq]

looks like we're going to the Cabin Cafe. It probably adds three or four miles on to the route, and it means we miss Turners Hill (general wailing and gnashing of teeth) but the road down to Ansty is nice. The thing is that we have to have at least 30 to make it worthwhile for them to open - but if the weather is fine we should do that easily.

 

[Aperitif]

Hip hip, haw ray... I like the Cabin, Cap'n...arr...

 

[Dan B]

Cabin Cafe ++

Now off to cafepress to design a "banned from gatwick airport" t-shirt

 

[GrumpyGregry]

^^

can I buy one....

 

[GrumpyGregry]

If you ever want/need a 'scout hut', actually a large church hall with a fitted kitchen, in central Horsham I can oblige and cater.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

in all seriousness what are they thinking. Three times in last two months I've got a train from Horsham, got off at Gatwick Airport, walked through the airport and out alongside the travelator and down the ramps to the road/coach station, and cycle doff out via the secret exit. I've passed the regular gun toting plod on at least one of these occasions and not a word was said nor was I given a second glance.

 

[dellzeqq]

...and we've been there fifteen times, which probably means 600 cyclists. They're not thinking at all. They're having a doolally. My most recent information is that they think that they have foiled a Plane Stupid plot in the shape of the LFGSS ride. It's bonkers. Delusional. And makes me think out loud that the next time some Minister witters on about 'credible intelligence' they're talking out of their bottoms.

But, in the end, where do we want to go? And, to be straight, I should have sorted this out before now.

I'm waiting for the Guardian piece before making a move. Some of you will recall that when the first Guardian bit came out we had a rush of new riders, and some of them are still with us today. Maybe the same will happen again, in which case the Brighton rides will be better off at the Scout Hut in any case, and it's up to me to find a way of doing the catering that doesn't involve TT being there for eight hours (not that he wouldn't do it, hero of Soviet Cyclehood that he is, but because I'd rather see him on the rides). If there isn't a rush post-Guardian, then I'll hawk a laptop with a Powerpoint show around some of the cafes in Horley.

 

[Tim Hall]

Some bits of information which may be of use:

(1) I went to school with the lady who runs one of the cafes in Horley. Mind you that was when I was 11.

(2) Said cafe does use some kind of tradesman's bike as their company transport.

(3) I bet I could get a raggedy bunch benevolent souls to run the catering in a scout hut if I asked them nicely.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

(3) I bet I could get a raggedy bunch benevolent souls to run the catering in a scout hut if I asked them nicely.

If asked fairly brusquely I'd happily step up for that duty during the rugby season when doing the cycling bit of FNRttC is not really compatible with reffing. (staying up all night could not make my on pitch judgement any worse btw)

 

[Aperitif]

I'll do some cooking if kneaded. Fried eggs all round (ok - one or two oval), quorn burgers and relish (the thought)...Hot strong t, a weak p and l, with a fortifying alphabet soupçon...
Count me in for your team Tim, if we have to perform it might as well be the FNRttC pre-christmas dinner!

 

[dellzeqq]

No, really chaps, this is heartwarming but.......if Mark will welcome us to the Cabin in November and February, and we have Martletts running the show at the Scout Hut in March, and we go to Southend in April, Whitstable in May, Bognor in June....we don't have to find anywhere before July 2010.