Christmas Day Ride Report 2024

Southwark Needle

By Nigel Bee, Christmas Day Ride Leader, 25.12.2024

It was with trepidation that I arrived at the ride start point. I had been told that BBC Radio London would be featuring the ride on their Chritmas Day program and I had promised them that it would be a proper event attended by about 15 people - 6 regulars plus some more coming from online interactions. But would all these people turn up?

It was worrying that one of the regulars texted to say she was unable to come because of illness. However, in the end, there were 5 of us 20 minutes before the ride and this number quickly rose to 14.

This Is 50% more than we had for the previous two years. And even that is many more than we had in 2020, when only two independent pairs of riders were allowed to do the ride and we had to eat our lunch standing out in the street.

But all this was a far cry from the pre-Covid numbers of around 70 that we used to have.

One. of the riders had attended the 2006 Christmas Day Ride, which had been led br Barry Mason and had followed the original format of starting at Cutty Sark and picking up extra riders at the Southwark Needle.

There were some surprises. We were stunned by the spectacle of the tower of All Hallows Staining displayed prominently in the middle of a building site. We had never noticed it before, so it miuct have been hidden behind buildings. There was also an unexpected diversion because of an incident on Shaftesbury Avenue.

When I looked in the internet to see if there was going to be an LFGSS “Waifs and Strays” Christmas Day ride this year, I found that not only was this ride not taking place, but the LFGSS itself was being threatened with closure. Why is this happening when there has never been a single instance of any of the proclaimed things that the Online Safety Act 2023 protects adults from? Watch this space …

People had responded well to the suggestion that they identify themselves with a profile picture, which can be shown against a ride when they sign up. This is what people used to do for the 2018 Christmas Day ride.

The ride finished with a Christmas Day Conclave from 1pm - 3pm at the Al Dar Restaurant, 61-63 Edgware Rd, St George's Fields, London W2 2HZ.

  • Rumour spreads with one and a quarter billion souls watching (see https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0k71fhh).
  • It seems the responsibility for the conclave falls upon me.
  • The supervision of this election is a duty I never thought I would have to perform.
  • The men who are dangerous - are the ones that do want it.
  • Although we sisters are supposed to be invisible, God has nevertheless given us eyes and ears.
  • You should be careful Thomas.
  • It is a war - and you have to commit to a side.

 

Christmas Day Meal

This was the outcome:

  • Watford un voto
  • Southwark (LCC) un voto
  • Lambeth (LCC) un voto
  • Wandsworth (LCC) un voto
  • Camden (British Cycling) un voto
  • Bexley (Cycling UK) un voto
  • Greenwich (LCC) un voto

The meeting ended at 3pm and we cycled home.

London Wall

London Wall

"Mother Goose" Church

"Mother Goose" Church - St Olave's

All Hallows Staining Tower

All Hallows Staining   

Old Curiosity Shop

Old Curiosity Shoop

Booth Mural

General Booth Pverty Map Musal

Dinosaur Skeleton Sculpture

Dinosaur Sculpture

Connaught Hotel

Connaught Hotel