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Christmas lunch at the Secret Garden AND Ode Competition winner
The warm-up ride before lunch started from Lympne and made good progress to Lower Mersham. Then BANG. That was Ruth's rear tyre! So, Ruth Rosemary and John limped to the re-furbished Farrier's Arms (smashing - it'll be featured here soon), while Peter, Judith and Martin raced back to base for a rescue wagon.
Peter managed to extricate the trio from their tour of the Farrier's just in time to make the lunch stop at the Secret Garden. Soon the party was together, with Jeanne, Lorna, Olivia, Juliette, Dydiane and Norman arriving in carbon-guzzlers. It was a splendid lunch - highly recommended.
There were four entries for the Ode competition: Bike Sheds I have known. Only three are listed here as Rosemary is reserving publication rights and hasn't given the writer a copy! The others were more generous, though sensibly they reserve their copyright.
Judith
Our bike shed at home is called Hector
(Cos that ryhmes with his role as protector)
It cares for the strimmer
A brand new hedge trimmer
Five bikes and a metal detector.
John (the judge)
My friend Fred has got a bike shed,
I must stop at this juncture
Cos Ruth has got a bloody big puncture!
Norman - the greatest bard south of Hadrian's Wall and distant decendent of R Burns.
Bike Sheds I Have Known
As a lapsed cyclist, not that many I'm afraid
But there were a number at my school
Which parking for my bike were made
And behind which I smoked, like a fool
Though never caught as were both my daughters,
Doing what they didn't oughters.
Cycling to school kept me fit
Though without a mudguard my rear got wet
Ariving late at the Gymnasium
On a radiator I sit to dry my bum.
Before coming to this grand feast
A long weekend I have enjoyed
In Copenhagen, where I was buoyed
By British Airways fine Airbus,
To find a city in a fuss
Over climate change and all things green.
A great example it does set
For in Copenhagen cycling does rule.
It is the normal way to walk to school.
Everywhere the bike is King (ING)
Everyone is cycling (ING).
Bike racks and sheds they do abound,
Everywhere they can be found.
Traffic lights and special tracks
Cars and pedestrians must hold back.
Perhaps for us as well, this could be
Greener way
To keep global warming at bay.
We'll need more bike sheds!
With this Magnus Opus from the Immortal Bard, it is time to sign off this blog for 2009. To everyone who has ridden with us, thank you for joining us and adding to the fun. To all the lunch providers, thank you. We were well received on all but one occasion. And usually we had a splendid lunch, though sometimes the price was a bit variable! And finally, thank you for reading this blog. We have readers scattered all over the world, who like to join us in spirit for our adventures.
Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year for the JohnandPeteronbikes team.
PS. There will be a new blog at a new address for 2010 and I'll notify everyone accordingly.
Late entry: Here's Rosemary's ode - you can tell she's doing a creative writing course!
Bike Sheds I Have known
Come trusty steeds of yore
And hymn the cosy sheds
Where cycling is a chore
And sex and smoking lurk
Come valiant steeds of steel
And modern carbon fibre.
Latest models from Olympia
Here's shelterfrom the weather
Come Pegasus with flying hooves
The stallions black of Dis
Phoebus sun- flaming minions
Swift mares of Boreas.
Chant the praise of Cycling
And the hardy lot that do it
The trusty steeds and true
Carrying the Lympnites through it
- comments
john goodman Well done Peter for a terrific valedictory blog , and for your inspirational planning of such great rides and pub choices which have kept us all fit and happy in 2009.