SEF WINTER WARMER RUN

MEDWAY VALLEY MEANDER

SUNDAY 7th NOVEMBER

Having left the west side of London in drizzly rain we saw the skies lighten as we rode the curve of the M25 to the east and Rochester. It even got a little warmer - warm enough for a hoods down day. With the F Register flag flying in front of the Stone Horse pub just outside of Rochester and clearly visible across a muddy field it was not difficult for the eight Fs, one TF and an honorary  F ( well it's got a K series 1.8 under the bonnet !) to find the start. With the cars guarded by two massive Great Danes we settled down for a warming cup of coffee and bacon butties . (We also learnt it was congratulations to one of our early SEFers Dave Tullet who has just got married to Heather - who braved the cold with Dave on our Tunnel King tour of last year ! )

Dave A and Michelle had drawn up a fantastic route plan with comprehensive directions, tulip diagrams and  points of historical interest (and there were plenty of those) along the route. The cars drifted off of their accord once the route had been handed out and Caroline had managed to start the Caterham. We were all headed for another pub a few miles away for sunday lunch. 

Unfortunately the last ones to leave were delayed as barely three miles away from the start and on the first road stretching in to the countryside we were met by Kevin frantically waving his arms. Thinking he'd broken down we stopped on the side of the road and our hearts leapt into our mouths as we looked beyond him and saw the remains of a crumpled MGF in the middle of the road. We dashed to the scene to find a stunned Tim Jenner looking at the mangled front of his car. His passenger, Rebecca was sitting in another F that was just behind him . Luckily neither were seriously hurt although Rebecca is now nursing a fractured bone in her foot -We all wish you a speedy recovery Rebecca. 

Being stalwart SEFers we continued the run with Rebecca joining Kevin as navigator whilst Tim waited for the recovery. From this sad diversion we set off again for the Medway Valley and headed past Cooling castle where Shakespeare's Falstaff once lived and a little further along our first Dickens connection with St James Church in Cooling which is where Pip first met Able Magwich (see Michelle we did learn something !). From here it was on to Rochester Town and our first bridge over the Medway - there has been a bridge here since Roman times but the current cast iron bridge is more recent - being completed in 1856 !. The cobbled streets around Rochester castle and the cathedral tested the F's hydrolastic suspension and our navigating skills as we missed a turning and had to do a circuit of Rochester's one way system to get back to the castle again where we took the correct turning bringing us back to the river bank. As you pull out of Rochester you drive underneath the lengthy M2 motorway bridge which spans the valley before arriving at the village of Aylesford. Aylesford has a new river crossing but you can look back and see the original grand five arch medieval bridge which has only been closed to traffic as recently as last year. 

Last year's winter run was underground as we tested out the road tunnels of Kent, this year we seem to be testing the ancient bridges of Kent - if I had known we could have a vote for our favourite ! With two more to go at Teston and Yalding we certainly had several to choose from. From here we climbed up to the  North Downs Way running close to the Pilgrims Way with visions of besmocked travellers trudging to Canterbury.

We soon pulled in to Ye Olde Leather Bottle at Sole Street Cobham - another Dickens connection as he is reputed to have used the pub and featured it and the village in "The Pickwick Papers". I'm not sure whether he had a nice sunday roast or a pint of Copper ale - but we certainly did. We met up again with Rebecca who was nursing an aching foot and bolstering her spirits but had made it to the end of the day without further mishap. Thanks to Kevin for running her back home again.

 A well researched route and Tim's efforts at modifying his F ensured that we certainly had an interesting and event filled day out ... and it didn't even rain until we got back to West London again.

This was Dave & Michelle's first go at organising a tour and they did very well - you can start work on another one now for next year !.