Paul Davis, Principal Transport Planner at Camden, set up his information stall in Bidborough Street and had the job of signing everyone on. Here he is, talking to John Chamberlain, who led the ride, before the start. We were accompanied by WPC Jennifer Burr, who was extremely helpful, taking a firm line with impatient motorists and averting incidents; it’s really reassuring to have a police escort!
Before the start, Camden’s cycle trainers checked over bikes to ensure they were all roadworthy.
Here are some young riders; they completed the whole route and looked as jolly at the end as at the start! And Dad was still smiling too.
John briefed the marshals before the start; these guys know the biz.
We set off; Stefano counted about 50 riders heading down Judd Street.
After meandering around Holborn, we had a short comfort break at Lincoln’s Inn Fields. That little child came all the way, too! See if you can spot her in the other pictures.
From Lincoln’s Inn we crossed Kingsway and headed up Drury Lane. Lovely to be able to cycle around here with hardly any motor traffic and none of the big coaches which habitually block it up on weekdays.
Past the British Museum (choc a bloc with taxis, buses and an ice-cream van), we went up Montague Place and along Howland Street. Crossing Marylebone Road at Great Portland Street gives a good view of the church opposite, and then we headed up Albany Street.
We had another brief stop at the southern end of the Broad Walk in Regents Park – ice-cream, coffee, loos – and then set off again around the Outer Circle..
This is how the Outer Circle surely should look – a comfortable, spacious place to ride in a leisurely group. Even children and their parents feel safe!
We left Regent’s Park by Macclesfield Bridge and headed north up Avenue Road.
At last, a path to ourselves! We stopped at Hampstead Cemetery to refill water bottles.
But we rejoined the traffic in Platts Lane. But after a ,long slog along Sandy Road, we reached Golders Hill Park, our lunch stop.
A very welcome place for a picnic for at least forty riders.
We left Golders Hill Park at 2.30 and headed homewards, through Highgate, downhill to Dartmouth Park and back through the Camley Link to St Pancras.
Back at the Town Hall, Judd Street. The 30 riders still with us posed for a photo before saying “goodbye” to the trainers and others who were not planning to “ride up the middle”. Congratulations are due to Eloise (age 7) who has completed the circuit for the second time! And also to the other and very young riders who joined us this year.
From the Town Hall, a hardy group rode up to the Old Town Hall on Haverstock Hill, in order to visit the last ward, Haverstock. Here are the 16 riders who rode the whole way, still smiling!
Account: Angela
Photos: Jean, John, Angela
Have a look on Flickr to see full size versions of our photos
The map of the route can be seen here.