It's a quaint place, where the locals are friendly. When I visited they bent over backwards to accommodate me. They were supportive, they were encouraging and they went out of their way to make my friends and I feel comfortable. As I made my way around this place I noticed that some of the locals had come out to see I was ok, some came out to check I knew my way or tell me what was around the corner. As my day here wore on yet more of the locals offered me food (mostly free) or drink (tea, coffee or beer!).
I struggle to recall a time that I was made to feel more welcome anywhere. A place where the people were so proud of what they have that just want to share it. I thoroughly recommend that you visit one day, if you can.
The place was called London... Oh and a little place next door called Surrey.
This weekend I took part in the Prudential Rude London-Surrey 100. It was a closed road sportive covering, you've guessed it, 100 miles of London and Surrey roads. The route was amazing, covering the sights of London, the epic proportions (and leg splitting power) of the Surrey Hills and the majestic grandeur of Pall Mall and Buckingham Palace. But something far more beautiful made it all worthwhile - the incredible atmosphere. At Olympic Park the atmosphere was generated with massive speakers, an energetic announcer, pumping music and the excitement of what lies ahead. As we head out through London the thought of what lay ahead built the atmosphere amongst the riders, the novelty of completely closed roads, free from traffic, clutter and wide open for us to enjoy. Then something even more magical happened - as we turned in to Kingston the streets were lined with supporters. Some families of riders, some came along to cheer on charity supporters and some came out just to catch a glimpse of a magical day in London.
The appearance of supporters continued for every last mile. Cheered us on, calling the names on our shirts, making noise, waving flags and shouting encouragement. As we made our way up steep hills they spurred us on. They encouraged us by telling us how close we were to the top, they made us feel better for all the effort we put in. As the route flattened out some were offering drinks, or snacks. Some had even lit barbecues and many played loud music and built their shouts in to a crescendo as we rode past. As we got closer to the end the children (mostly) took to holding out their hands for high fives.
A highlight for me was the glorious bar in Cobham, the garden of which was packed to bursting and, as I passed, the live band were giving their all to a beautiful rendition of... Homeward Bound, by Simon and Garfunkel. Moments like that are special. Another highlight was the volunteer steward, stood on a traffic island at the bottom of the very last hill in Wimbledon, who saw the look on our faces as we rounded the corner and saw the hill ahead, blew her whistle and told us this was it. The very last ascent.
I'm sure the event caused many some heartache. Some inconvenience as they came across vast swathes of London that were inaccessible to traffic. I 'd like to thank those people. I'd like to thank the volunteers, the paid security, the St Johns Ambulance, the parks staff, the police, the organisers... Most of all I'd like to say - Thank you London!
If you like to cycle and feel you can I would thoroughly recommend you register for next years ride. It's tough. Very tough, but oh so worthwhile. If you don;t ride, go along. Experience London in a different way, with empty streets and supportive Londoners everywhere!
Ballot opens on Monday 12th August at http://www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk. Give it a go, why not???
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