At last a group ride. Les organised the coffee and pub stops but not the weather. I decided to ride to Biddenden to meet Les who is forgiven for driving there to start the ride as he is 87. Early start for me in torrential rain but soon got used to it. Arrived at Biddenden to find that the rest of the group decided to drive there as it was raining, whimps! We were joined by one other who had ridden from Pembury, well done Carlo.
Together we rode the short distance to Tenterden and arrived at The Lemon Tree for 9.50am (ten to ten, get it ? ten to ten at Tenterden, oh never mind!). we were made welcome and were almost the only customers. Social distancing system in place and we ordered our snacks and coffee. I had scrambled eggs on toast, plenty of protein for a reasonably long ride for me.
Until the age of 82 Les, for his birthday ride, always rode the same number of miles as his years. Now aged 87 he rides less miles but still takes us to interesting places. Today we left the Woodchurch Rd down a narrow lane called Moor Lane which meandered across the Romney Marsh flats. I am sure it was a first for me and probably all the others as well. Colin managed a puncture in the front tyre at exactly the same time as a similar one in the rear tyre. Obviously, we had to gather around him to give him support and plenty of advice., hilarious especially as we had Pete back with us, he left us a couple of years ago and now lives in the Lake District. He is in Kent for a few days so joined us, I am glad he did as we share the same sense of humour.
When we joined the main road we stopped at the Johnson memorial. A 23 yr old B12 bomber pilot in the war sacrificed his life to ensure that he didn’t crash on the village of HamStreet. He came down nearby but clear of houses. All his crew managed to bail out and land safely. Just one of many heroic stories rightly remembered in a memorial.
