Hello everyone
We seem to have had an extended late summer which has suddenly turned into winter! However, it has been great to see strong numbers on all the rides. The turbo sessions have been good again this year and the Thursday morning rides continue to be a great success. The new Committee had its first meeting since the AGM and it was all very positive. Now there is one big thing coming up for me to tell you about:
THE MINCE PIE RIDE – SUNDAY 8th DECEMBER
As always, it’s amazing how time flies – we are once again finalising the details of our big charity event – the famous (or occasionally infamous) Mince Pie Ride, in aid of Whizz Kidz, the children’s mobility charity. This is always a very popular event and we are publicising it widely around neighbouring cycling clubs. Last year we had the amazing sight of 150 or so riders taking over the car park at White Horse Hill. We hope to do the same again this year. See below for details:
Guests and other cycling clubs are very welcome to join us at Wantage Market Place at 9.45-10am for the start of the rides or join us at White Horse Hill NT car park (grid ref SU 293866) from 11.15 to 12.00 for mince pies and mulled wine. A cash collection will be taken and all proceeds on the day will go to Whizz Kidz.
We will have road rides at 1*, 2* and 3* grades and an off-road ride – see separate ride entries on our website (www.cyclingukwantage.org.uk) for route details. This is a very popular event, so please arrive in good time for registration. There will be a short briefing at 10 am. All of the rides will start shortly after that.
Afterwards there will be rides led to The Fox in Denchworth for a pub lunch for those who have booked (at 13:00). There will also be a ride directly back to Wantage.
Please make a note in your diaries and feel free to pass this invitation on if you know other cyclists who may be interested.
The pub lunch is a particularly important part to plan – we have a confirmed block booking with a maximum of 30 so it will be ‘first come, first served’. Di Whidborne has very kindly agreed to be the contact point for this. Could you therefore make it a priority to let her know BY SUNDAY 24th NOVEMBER if you would like to join us for that? Also – the Fox has a fixed Christmas menu and they have asked us to choose menu options ahead of time. The menu is attached – please let Di know your choices, also by SUNDAY 24th NOVEMBER. Contact details:
dianawhidborne@me.com
One more point on this one – as in previous years we will be reliant on the Club members to provide donations of mince pies, mulled wine, standard red wine or cranberry & raspberry juice beforehand, so we can maximise the giving to Whizz Kidz. For those of you who are new, we brew up cauldrons of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic mulled wine, based on my wife Carin’s secret recipes, and serve it from ex-military insulated jerry cans – it is awesome! Please give this some thought in your cooking and/or shopping schedules and I will send out more details shortly.
I think that’s all for now. Happy cycling!
John Tranter
Chairman – Cycling UK Wantage
john@tranters.net
07826 238350
