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  • WARTY: 21 February, 2009

Author Topic: Announcing the WARTY.  (Read 81897 times)

RogerT

  • Playing with a big steamy thing
Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #50 on: 05 January, 2009, 09:08:49 pm »
WJ and I will be arriving by Car, presumably there is parking at Marks Tey station ?

rower40

  • Not my boat. Now sold.
Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #51 on: 05 January, 2009, 09:12:22 pm »
I'd love to come, but I'm busy coxing a boat on the middle of the Trent in Nottingham.  The crew is competing in Boston at the end of the month, so want some 'big water' practice.

Have Fun, Y'all. :thumbsup:
Be Naughty; save Santa a trip

annie

Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #52 on: 05 January, 2009, 09:17:30 pm »
WJ and I will be arriving by Car, presumably there is parking at Marks Tey station ?

Plenty of parking.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #53 on: 05 January, 2009, 11:11:48 pm »
24 and a bit miles from Chelmsford - mostly pleasant lanes although it's not really possible to avoid a couple of miles of the A120 into Marks Tey - and that's a nasty road. I think bobb will want to get the train too, it's just that I'm on a mission for mileage!

You could try this. Annie & I rode from the Cricketers (Danbury) to Marks Tey keeping to the south of the A12. The only nasty bit was the short stretch of dual carriageway west of the A12. Home in and you can see exactly what I did - this is the GPS track loaded after I rode, not the planned route before hand. Annie carried on around the roundabout.

If you look at the satellite pic, there's also a pedestrian footbridge over the A12 which might be a better bet if you want to do this route.

WJ and I will be arriving by Car, presumably there is parking at Marks Tey station ?

Plenty of parking.

The biggest car park is to the north of the railway. Again, click on the above link and home in on the satellite image. That's also the way out for people getting off the train from London, to avoid carrying the bike over the footbridge. It's possible to cross the track quite safely there, because the Sudbury train goes the other way.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

jane

  • Mad pie-hating female
Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #54 on: 06 January, 2009, 06:17:52 am »

I'd say, NSTN, that if you wanted a nice gentle recovery ride after a bout of lurgy then this would be a good choice. Mrs. Wow and I will be on the tandem and you know what speed freaks we are when we get going.

That's exactly what I was thinking.  I too have been laid low by the lurg over Christmas and new Year and was thinking I might be able to manage this in my weakened state.  If the worst comes to the worst, NSTN, we can cough, wheeze and splutter our way around together, without holding everyone else up.   Although I'm hoping the coughing and wheezing will be over by the weekend. 
     

annie

Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #55 on: 06 January, 2009, 07:34:58 am »

I'd say, NSTN, that if you wanted a nice gentle recovery ride after a bout of lurgy then this would be a good choice. Mrs. Wow and I will be on the tandem and you know what speed freaks we are when we get going.

That's exactly what I was thinking.  I too have been laid low by the lurg over Christmas and new Year and was thinking I might be able to manage this in my weakened state.  If the worst comes to the worst, NSTN, we can cough, wheeze and splutter our way around together, without holding everyone else up.   Although I'm hoping the coughing and wheezing will be over by the weekend. 
     

It will be lovely to see you both Jane.  It will be a steady pace and no-one will be left behind.  I still have a bit of cough and was wheezing quite badly yesterday.

Tokamak - the part of the A120 that I rode on was very fast and pretty awful, thankfully I wasn't on it for very long at all.  I don't recommend it unless absolutely necessary.



Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #56 on: 06 January, 2009, 09:32:21 am »
That was at about 4.30 p.m. though, Annie, on the last Saturday before Christmas.

At 9.00 on a Saturday morning I think it would be much quieter.

My comments above about the footbridge perhaps being a better option are irrelevant - it takes you straight down to the bus layby where I crossed the road. It makes you wonder why the footbridge is there though: OK, it crosses the 70mph A12 but leaves people heading for the station to cross the second busy dual carriageway unaided.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #57 on: 06 January, 2009, 09:45:15 am »
Tokamak - the part of the A120 that I rode on was very fast and pretty awful, thankfully I wasn't on it for very long at all.  I don't recommend it unless absolutely necessary.
The route up from Copford, across the A12/A120 junction and past Marks Tey station is on a regular club run route for me, so I guess I have my tactics for that junction well honed by now. Basically, once you've got round the first RAB (at the junction with the B1408) and are on the straight part of the dual carriageway you have the length of that straight to assert your right to move into the right hand lane approaching the A120/Station Road RAB - hold your position in the exact middle of that right hand lane, to force following traffic to slow or use the left hand lane (most do because they're going straight on, onto the A120). There's not usually much traffic coming around the RAB (only those vehicles exiting Station Road for the A120) so you can usually barrel at speed onto the RAB and round it to Station Road with priority. If you don't like the idea of the dual carriageway at all, it's possible to avoid riding it altogether by exiting the first RAB (B1408/A120 one) by the first (London Road) exit - easy because you can hug the left kerb all the way) then shortly past the garage (and bike shop) on the left, there is (on the right hand side of the road) a pedestrian (cycle usable) footbridge over the A12 which drops you at the side of the A120 dual carriageway where you can cross it on foot as Wowbagger must have done, and get to Station Road without riding on the A120 at all.

Edit: while drafting this, Wowbagger posted again and made the valid point that you still have to cross the A120 dual carriageway on foot even if you've used the footbridge over the A12. But you can cross each carriageway individually of course, and choose your moment traffic wise. And you don't have to get around the big B1408/A120 RAB, which is in fact the hairiest part of the whole exercise.

Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #58 on: 06 January, 2009, 09:50:01 am »
Jane - I believe we are the only two coming from London, lurgies permitting, shall we meet at the station about 20 mins before the train leaves (you can go on my railcard to get a cheaper ticket).

I just twiddled my way to work in a low gear, coughing and spluttering, bah.

Am considering bringing a flask of hot tea, it helps the cough more than anything!

Edit: TimO, if you are still coming you are also welcome to join the railcard (and I think I still owe you money from the Dunwich ride I never did!)

Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #59 on: 06 January, 2009, 10:01:09 am »
Thanks for the tips WB, Annie, PP! This was going to be my proposed route if I did cycle. Going via Danbury from Broomfield is a bit of a round about route, although I do appreciate that it's easier to access Marks Tey if you can keep South of the A12.

I have a friend who lives in Coggeshall and I know exactly what that stretch of A120 can be like!

her_welshness

  • Slut of a librarian
    • Lewisham Cyclists
Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #60 on: 06 January, 2009, 10:52:37 am »
I would like to attend the WARTY and will try and drag my mate Sue out for this one too...its good Dunwich training  ;)

Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #61 on: 06 January, 2009, 10:55:52 am »
Perhaps we can get together a four and get half-price tickets? Be good to see you both again.

her_welshness

  • Slut of a librarian
    • Lewisham Cyclists
Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #62 on: 06 January, 2009, 11:12:33 am »
Sounds like a plan NSTN - see you on the concourse around 8.15?  Would be really good to see you again - Sue had a whale of a time on the last yacf ride, I think it was one of our best rides of the year!

Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #63 on: 06 January, 2009, 11:35:31 am »
Yes, that was a nice pootle indeed. I must just try to remember my cycling glasses this time to prevent another mud-in-eye incident. Ok, see you there, lungs permitting.

her_welshness

  • Slut of a librarian
    • Lewisham Cyclists
Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #64 on: 06 January, 2009, 12:17:10 pm »
I think the weather looks dry for Saturday, although that doesn't mean that there won't be any mud. I have been de-lurgified now (touch wood) for around 4 weeks, and after 4 colds in 8 weeks this autumn I sincerely sympathise!

Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #65 on: 06 January, 2009, 12:49:49 pm »
bugger, I'd have been up for this but am too far away this weekend , hopefully see you in Feb. Does my failed attempt to find you over christmas count towards the total?

Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #66 on: 06 January, 2009, 01:33:55 pm »
... TimO, if you are still coming you are also welcome to join the railcard (and I think I still owe you money from the Dunwich ride I never did!)

I was still thinking of coming on this, I cycled into work this morning, and didn't cough up a lung, so I think my lurgy has sufficiently cleared up not to be an issue, especially for a nice flat 40 miles or so.

I've got two choices for travel, wither I drive for an hour and a half, or cycle for an hour to Liverpool Street, then get the train... decisions decisions. ???
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #67 on: 06 January, 2009, 01:37:43 pm »
bugger, I'd have been up for this but am too far away this weekend , hopefully see you in Feb. Does my failed attempt to find you over christmas count towards the total?

Anyone living in Essex (or just over the Cambs border, says he, hedging his bets) who owns a Ti Serotta is given one wild card.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #68 on: 06 January, 2009, 01:41:36 pm »
Annie and I dropped in to Terry's place for a cup of tea on Saturday.
Quote from: My Mate Terry
Hi Peter
It was terrific to see you again on Saturday. As a wuss who has been sheltering in my house from the cold outside I was really impressed by your bravery and athleticism(!) in the conditions. You cyclists really are a different breed. No wonder you won so many medals at the Olympics! Your very charming friend Annie is obviously also a real star of the first dimension and would have fitted in extremely well had she been lucky enough to be at The Poulton Asylum with us. I assume that all cyclists are not so wonderfully wacky?

Well, in my experience quite a few of them are... ;D
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

annie

Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #69 on: 06 January, 2009, 05:34:29 pm »
Annie and I dropped in to Terry's place for a cup of tea on Saturday.
Quote from: My Mate Terry
Hi Peter
It was terrific to see you again on Saturday. As a wuss who has been sheltering in my house from the cold outside I was really impressed by your bravery and athleticism(!) in the conditions. You cyclists really are a different breed. No wonder you won so many medals at the Olympics! Your very charming friend Annie is obviously also a real star of the first dimension and would have fitted in extremely well had she been lucky enough to be at The Poulton Asylum with us. I assume that all cyclists are not so wonderfully wacky?

Well, in my experience quite a few of them are... ;D

Hee hee.  What a wonderful description.  Might I ask what the Poulton Asylum is or was? 

Terry was the most wonderful host and full of charm and boundless energy and enthusiasm, I hope to see him again in the future.  Glad I didn't have to resort to watering his bushes for him ;)  Tis a pity we couldn't manage to squeeze his rather oversized lenses into our pockets. 

jane

  • Mad pie-hating female
Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #70 on: 06 January, 2009, 05:36:33 pm »
I would like to make up a four with you NSTN + her_welshness (who I know from another cycling life) and Sue (ditto) is the meet 8.15 at Liv Poo ST?

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #71 on: 06 January, 2009, 05:40:56 pm »
Hee hee.  What a wonderful description.  Might I ask what the Poulton Asylum is or was? 

Poulton-le-Fylde College of Education, our teachers' training college. It was where Mrs. Wow's eyes first met mine over a crowded common room. :-* It began life as a convalescent home for cotton workers and later became a Coll of Ed. In the late 1970s it was closed, along with a lot of other colleges and some time later became the Council Offices for the Wyre Borough Council.

Our year included some marvellous nutters and, for me, proved conclusively of the total worthlessness of Eysenck's Personailty Tests. Almost everyone they admitted was totally unsuitable. :D
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

annie

Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #72 on: 06 January, 2009, 05:44:23 pm »
How wonderful that so many people are now coming along for this ride, it will also be Jane's birthday, so a double celebration.

Myself
Wowbagger and Mrs Wow
Delthebike
Tokamak
Bobb
Jane
NSTN
Her Welshness
Sue
Tim O
Ploddin Pedro
Wobbly John
Roger T
Tim Hall

Cometworm?
TG?

her_welshness

  • Slut of a librarian
    • Lewisham Cyclists
Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #73 on: 06 January, 2009, 06:00:39 pm »
Jane and NSTN: see you Liverpool Street for 8:15-8.20 on Saturday? Am in the attempt of persuading Sue but communication wise she is not brilliant!

Re: Announcing the WARTY.
« Reply #74 on: 06 January, 2009, 06:11:09 pm »
I could possibly, maybe, perhaps be up for this - depending on what ambient temperatures are like.
Yes, I am a wimp who doesn't welcome a day's worth of < 0°C.