Free Waterloo & Vauxhall Ride Sun 21 Oct, 2pm

All are welcome on this free family-friendly Lambeth Cyclists Neighbourhood Ride on Sunday afternoon, 21st October, taking a couple of hours to gently explore the Waterloo and Vauxhall area.

The ride starts at 2pm, with a free bike check just beforehand, outside the Garden Museum (right next door to Lambeth Palace, London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury), just by Lambeth Bridge, SE1 7LB.

If you email that you're coming before Thursday 18th you'll definitely get a free bag of goodies from Barclays (doesn't include a Barclays Bike) and free back-up lights from Lambeth Council.

 To register just send an email headed Oct 21 with the names of those coming along to charlie@capitalrides.org.uk . It's fine also to just turn up on the day, but there's no guarantee you'll get the lights etc. (Also check out the Brixton Neighbourhood Ride the following Sunday, October 28th)

We'll mainly be on quiet back streets and we'll see plenty of famous sights, from the Houses of Parliament to the London Eye.


But there are also loads of quirky facts and unusual places along the way. We'll visit the true centre of London, discover the birthplace of Circus and Music Hall, and see the grand entrance to the Necropolis, the railway for the dead. We might even see astronauts on trees.

We'll certainly drop into The Regal, a supremely bling basketball court with real gold plated hoops.



and we'll pass by the Museum of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, home of Cocaine Throat Pastilles, Leech Jars and many more wondrous things





We'll cycle through The Tunnel, London's ever changing graffiti gallery under the former Eurostar station,







and we'll see the magnificently ornate former headquarters of Doulton Pottery, founded in Lambeth and with a factory here until 1956.








To be 'a la mode', we'll go by the Water Tower, the subject of the 100th 'Grand Designs' programme on Channel 4, shown on Wednesday 17th at 9pm. And we'll also see the Master's House (now The Cinema Museum) of the workhouse where Charlie Chaplin was once a resident.


Staying with famous former residents, we'll also chance upon memories of Captain Bligh of the Bounty,

and maybe we'll hum or sing the hymn 'Jerusalem' as we pass through a dark and satanic tunnel nearby the former home of the writer and artist Sir William Blake.





Guerilla Gardening is all over the area, and we'll visit one of the grand-daddies of the form - the extraordinary Bonnington Square. Food for thought also given the current law changes regarding Squatting.

There's also the chance to see a 'Fietshangar', the new to England, secure cycle parking so common in parts of the Netherlands.



We'll finish at 4pm where we started, at the Garden Museum, then those who feel they merit a refreshing drink can join us in Vauxhall's authentic German pub, Zeitgeist.

Again, to register just send an email headed 21 Oct with the names of those coming along to charlie@capitalrides.org.uk . It's fine also to just turn up on the day, but there's no guarantee you'll get the lights etc.

And, if you can't make this one, maybe we can see in Brixton on the 28th?

Barclays are proud to support “Lambeth by Bike” as it allows residents to explore their local area and gain confidence riding on the road. Riders of all ages are welcome on the rides, but under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

Greetings from Marsh Gibbon 1915

Barry and Pugin Architecture Ride for Lambeth Cyclists

The Architecture Ride I led for Lambeth Cyclists in December looked at the work of Sir Charles Barry and Augustus Welby Pugin, in particular the Houses of Parliament. The ride was 'interrupted' by a morning tour of the Clocktower to see and hear Big Ben strike noon, 

and an afternoon tour of Parliament itself where we could really take in Pugin's extraordinary level of ornamentation.

The ride started by Clapham Common at Barry's rather grand last home

We also passed by the Imperial War Museum, previously Bethlem Hospital, or Bedlam, where Pugin unfortunately ended up, right next door to Notre Dame Cathedral for which he was the architect.
Between the Parliamentary tours we visited Pall Mall to see the Travellers Club and the Reform Club then on to Bridgewater House (pictured), all three designed by Barry in Italianate style.

A part of the ride that I particularly enjoyed was the view of parliament from Lambeth while cycling along the Thames Path.  Lambeth Cyclists had fought hard to successfully overturn a ban on cycling that has been imposed there. 

Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament

Riding into winter with Pedal Power Kennington

Despite it getting darker, a little wetter, and colder the rides have continued and are attracting new participants. On Tueday 29th November we went to Tower Bridge and St Katherine's Dock to look at boats in the rain

 It happened to be the day that the gangway onto HMS Belfast had collapsed.

 On Wednesday 30th we went through the City of London to Hoxton to tour around the Circus Space - wonder if those we took will end up on the Circus degree course?

 We also nipped into the Classic Car Club on Old Street

 This Tuesday we decided to go to St Pancras to see the Lego Christmas Tree

 and yesterday we had a repeat visit, by popular demand, to Winter Wonderland

 before heading, via a brief diversion into the Aston Martin showroom on Pall Mall, to Bond Street for the Christmas Lights.

Just two more rides to go this term - one of them maybe to the Olympic site if I can find a quick and safe route. Hmm.

Loving London at night

 We had a terrific Pedal Power Kennington ride tonight up to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. None of the pupils, from Lilian Baylis and Charlotte Sharman schools, had been before and, as you'd expect, they loved it.

 We had enough money for chips but not enough to have a go on the big rides

 We did have a go at the Throw a Ring over the Glass and Box contest. Unsuccessful, of course, but fun.

On Tuesday we'd ridden to Covent Garden with a couple of the 13 and 14 year-old pupils who also came tonight. Though living maybe three miles away they hadn't been to Covent Garden before either. They loved the decorations, the smells in Lush, the Apple Store, the rules about throwing fruit from the original market, the huge Christmas tree baubles in the roof of the market



and the lights.

Ferry across the Thames

This Wednesday's Pedal Power Kennington ride, with a trio of Lilian Baylis pupils, took a twisting backstreets route (stopping to check out the fencing in Tabard Street made from wartime stretchers) to suddenly emerge by the Thames, equidistant between Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf

The riders were really looking forward to taking the ferry across to Canary Wharf so we continued along National Cycle Network route 4, stopping briefly by the Brunel Museum above the Thames Tunnel, the first tunnel under a river anywhere in the world.

We went through the foyer of the Hilton Hotel opposite Canary Wharf to the jetty for the Thames Clipper ferry. The view of Canary Wharf from the ferry (which easily had room for all our bikes) is fantastic, as is the short crossing itself.

(photo Hamish2k under Creative Commons)

Our route home was along the bizarre Cycling Superhighway 3, followed by the usual getting lost through the City of London en-route to Cycling Superhighway 7 and back to base.

Once again all the riders really enjoyed the ride, amazed and delighted to discover the wonders within easy pedal power from Kennington.

Hundreds turned out for the Tour du Danger

Saturday's 'Tour du Danger' had an amazing turnout of people who want to be able to ride their bikes without fear and, more importantly, want a London where those who currently daren't ride a bike will be able to do, feeling and being safe - something the Cycling Superhighways are signally failing to deliver currently.

It was a peaceful ride and pedestrians took photos, clapped, smiled and voiced their support. I loved the smartly dressed female tourist standing in the middle of the Strand repeatedly saying 'Fantastic, Fantastic, this too is just starting in Valencia'. We'd clearly made her day.

The throng of cyclists behind me meant I was relaxed enough to be able to cycle one-handed and take a photo, albeit not a good one, over my shoulder as we left Hyde Park Corner and entered Park Lane - something I wouldn't conceive of doing in its normal race track mode.

Bravo to all those who took part - we hope it will encourage the politicians and Transport for London to step up their efforts to create a London where children will enjoy cycling to school and visit friends, and where their mothers will feel confident in letting them.