Psicle: Easter Riding

My Birthday Fortnight and Easter holidays start with the first ride for a week with my regular route south to Carshalton Woodmansterne Croydon Crystal Palace with an extra little diversion to New Cross Gate and along the Old Kent Road. Without a lot to keep me out late at night and recovering the next day the next day I cycle into the City and West End just to stretch the legs again. Monday it's a little tougher out to Biggin Hill tackling a few hills including the steep narrow and badly paved Jewels Hill where last time I was subject to abuse by a van driver for cycling too slowly who was obviously in a hurry. Or a complete twat. Probably the latter. Wasn't even my fault as I was stuck behind another two cyclists who were slower than me. Next day it's out to Crystal Palace then a loop round to the river for a Thames side ride and home. Next day is my birthday and with all my kids here I take a few days off riding to relax and eat. Soon enough I get itchy legs and need to cycle off a bit of the birthday chocolate and cake. I go out to Woodmansterne then instead of Croydon I head west to Banstead then up to Kingston then home via Richmond Park. Sunday is a day of rest to watch the Gent Wevelgem Flanders Classic which me and the peloton boys watched 4 years ago when we tackled the infamous steep cobbled Kemmelberg. Infamous both for it's role in WWI and it's danger to cyclists both going up and down. Evening is England vs Albania. Next day I do another regular ride over Tower Bridge then from the City a straight line down to Shepherds Bush Green and on to Kew Bridge (albeit with some diversions around a closed Oxford Street) then to Richmond Park again. As my legs feel good I go a slightly longer way home via Wimbledon and the new home of AFC Wimbledon next to their old ground. I say "they" discounting the miserable MK Dons. Next day is a day of rest awaiting the arrival of Bruce and a slap up meal of Debbie's famous cottage pie. Now I have a riding buddy it's a site seeing tour of central London with lunch by the Tower, a circuit of the Oval and a visit to pay respects at the Clapham Common bandstand where the police went in heavy handed a couple of weeks ago disgustingly trampling flowers and candles at the vigil for Sarah Everard. Male violence against women - just what the vigil was protesting about and incredibly as it was a copper who abducted Sarah. That evening we watch England beat Poland their 3rd win in a week of World Cup qualifying. Next day is the first of our football ground tours taking in Millwall's The Den and Charlton Athletic's The Valley next to Lansdowne Lane which minus an e is the name of the steep hill which I grew up at the bottom of. This Lansdown(e) Lane is steep but not as bad (or good if you like that sort of thing) as the one in Weston village outside Bath and certainly not as long. After rounding Charlton's ground we lunch at Greenwich before taking the foot tunnel to the Isle of Dogs and visit a couple of cemeteries (see last blogs) before taking the canal from Victoria Park to Angel. It's April Fools Day so we go visit Simon in the evening (couldn't resist that). Good Friday takes us north of the river to visit Brompton Cemetery, Chelski's Stamford Bridge (can't get near it) and then lunch on Shepherds Bush Green before jumping up to QPR's Loftus Road (or rather the new name) where we see them warming up for a 3pm kick off. Next it's down to Hammersmith for a riverside walk (yes, walk) to Fulham's Craven Cottage and then back south to the Crazy Gang's pre FA Cup pub, Wimbledon Tennis Club (or whatever it's called) and finally the new AFC Wimbledon ground at Plough Lane, again. A nice finish to Bruce's stay and all that cycling and football ground related excitement leads to an early night. Bruce goes the next day and I cycle up to Finsbury Park to exchange Easter eggs with Jack and Maya including a quick round of The Arsenal Stadiums (which does not help our evening game against Liverpool) and then stop briefly at Parliament Square in solidarity with the Kill the Bill (this time breaking international human rights laws to ban any type of protests although the government and police have been doing that for years) protesters. I have forgotten what I did from 8pm Saturday evening. Sunday is another day of rest watching the Tour of Flanders. Easter Monday is the last of my holiday and in a bid to lose the weight of an egg I ride to Dulwich, Blackheath, Greenwich Deptford and then to the City and West End. Following some smoke alarm related trauma it's another lovely Oven Tray Wonder meal washed down with wine for tea. A perfect end to the holidays (bar the alarm).