Foulness Bike Ride is back.
Foulness Bike Ride 2009 are organising it, to raise money for the "Bosom Pals" appeal, which wants to buy two new mammogram machines for Southend Hospital. There is a £10 entry fee.
The ride is about 23 miles, according to the blurb I received through the post this morning. If we started and finished at my house, which is about 8 miles from the official start, using the sea front route, that would enable us to pack in the 40 miles. We could extend this if necessary. The ride is almost completely flat.
To visit Foulness is to go back in time. The island has been a closed community for many years controlled by the military, with only the residents or their visitors allowed on. There has been no new house building. The only industry is farming (apart, of course, from atomic weapons research). Sadly, the pub and shop have closed, after the MoD quadrupled the rent overnight (I understand that the publican and shopkeeper were husband and wife). However, I'd stick my neck out and say that there is nowhere else in Britain quite like Foulness.
I'd recommend an 11 a.m. start at Wakering. This gives plenty of time to get to Southend Victoria (Prittlewell is my nearest station but is closed on Sundays) and cycle for 5 minutes to get to my house, and we'd need to set off from here about 10 a.m. to give us the chance to get there and register. I think a picnic lunch somewhere on the route would be favourite, followed by tea & cake chez us.
