Our annual Christmas Social ride today, and after Storm Bram passing though yesterday, we were blessed with perfect weather! Infact it was too hot! With our seasonal layers on, we all arrived in a lather at our coffee stop at Esquires Cafe in Crowthorne. 😎. The tracks were a muddy mess, but we kept those to a minimum.
Sue had organised for seating for around 25 to be reserved, but we rode in 4 separate groups from different starting points, rather than the chaos of us all cycling together, as we used to do years ago. I had designed a poster again this year, for each of the leaders to use for their rides.
Sue and Julie led from Cantley and rode via Finchampstead to Horse Shoe Lakes. Rose started in Ascot to ride pretty much off road the whole way via Swinley Forrest. Jill started at FBC to ride a southerly loop, and Anne started at Woosehill, heading to Halls Farm, then to Finchamstead and down Wellingtonia Avenue to Crowthorne.
I only took ONE photo enroute today, determined not to be the last group to arrive...... as usually happens. 😂
 |
| Passing Hall Farm. I used my drone for a selfie shot. With Annie, Amanda O, Jeanette, Kim, Louise and Amy. |
Meanwhile....
 |
| Sue's group on a muddy Nashgrove Lane. Amanda T, Sally, Louise W, Sandra, Julie, Sue G, and Janet |
 |
| And at the top of White Horse Lane. (My group also passed this way today) |
Meanwhile enroute from Ascot.... a few from Sarah who joined Rose along with Karen. 3 Breeze Champs. What could possibly go wrong apart from them getting lost! lol
 |
| Swinley Forest Tracks |
 |
| Breeze Champ Karen from Maidenhead |
 |
| Breeze Champ Sarah. That hill is hard work! |
 |
| Rose enjoying the off road route. |
Meanwhile, Jill's group left from FBC.
 |
| Nikki, Cathy, Jill, Wendy, Daphne and Hazel H. |
When we arrived at the cafe, just 3 bikes parked up. yeah!!! I'm not last!! 😂 It had been quite a slow journey thanks to road conditions, but we enjoyed a fast pace whizzing down an almost empty Wellingtonia Avenue into Crowthorne. As we arrived, Rose dashed out for a photo of my group.
And as we parked up, Sue's group also arrived.
Andrea and Elise had arrived by car and were chatting with Rose's group. Our tables were reserved as "Binfield W. I" for some reason.😂 But plenty of seats for us all at the far end of the cafe. Drinks took a while to appear, over time, but they were all hot and in huge mugs! We were in no rush today, so the slight slow service wasn't a problem. We were there for over an hour, so a chance to move around a little to chat to different ladies than those we had cycled with.
 |
| Me and my shadow. Taken by Cathy. My hat was a bit top heavy in the wind at times! 😂 |
A few shots inside the cafe.
 |
| Sue G, Amanda O, Amanda T and Janet |
 |
| Annie, Amy, Daphne, Andrea Sandra, Jeanette |
 |
| 4 Breeze leaders here! Need to Kim to training up! Sarah, Rose, Julie, Kim and Karen |
 |
| Wendy, Jill, Elise (crouched), Hazel And Nikki |
 |
| One from Daphne, which includes me for a change, next to Rose |
 |
And finally with a 5 minute warning, the chaos of getting everyone ready to go, with the idea of a group shot outside using my drone "Selfie Mode". I hadn't used it for this before, and it didn't quite do what I expected, since it twisted angle after each shot. Sorry ladies, think I missed a couple on the left on the first shot, and chopped off on the right on the second shot. (User error.)
Then a bit of challenge to get a moving shot of us all, with the drone ahead of us.
And finally from Julie and Daphne as I landed the drone, and before we all went our separate ways home in groups once more.
 |
| by Daphne |
 |
| Julie. |
I think safe to say a successful morning, and so nice to see everyone chatting both enroute and at our coffee stop.
Jill and Hazel doing another ride with their Friday ladies, so hope you also enjoy your ride.
Thanks to you all for your support over the last year, and we hope lots more adventures ahead next year.