Day 1
Half past eleven on Friday evening was the rendezvous time for the Wheelers, as separate groups stood on roadsides waiting for their lifts to Newhaven, Caroline Street had informed those travelling that the booking in time for the ferry had been brought forward, we had to be at the ferry for 4 am! so this meant an even earlier start than anticipated.
Still, spot on time we were off, Phil Cooper our driver choosing the Cotswolds route to pick up the M40 at Oxford. We should have spotted our mistake, as Tony Canning's sat nav was showing an anticipated arrival time at Newhaven of 2.14am.
With hardly a car on the road we made good time,such good time that we had a stop at Pease Pottage services to stretch our legs.
Back on the road we were very soon at the now renamed "Snake Bite" car park (on account that last year one of our party was bitten by a snake there, whilst engaged in a game of cricket, not the snake that is!)
Other cyclists were already there, and slowly and bleary eyed other Wheelers started to arrive, and soon the group had formed.
We cycled to the ferry terminal where we stood patiently in a rabble waiting to be called to the check-in. The first rays of light were starting to illuminate the rather bleak and austere building that is Newhaven Ferry Port.
After a short time we were on our bikes again, across the port and onto the Cote D'Abattre, the ferry that was to take us to Dieppe. Phil Stayte won the first prime of the day by being first in the breakfast queue, a position he jealously guarded, his reward a "Big Boys" fry up.
The 4 hours on board passed peacefully with people moving in and out of sleep, trying to recharge their batteries. One group of particularly seasoned CTC members did this by consuming a table full of Leffe beer!
On arrival in Dieppe the ferry did its usual pirouette in the port to position its loading ramp, the cyclists were called to the lower decks where the bikes had been tethered by cigarette smoking French Matelots, and we waited for the ramps to be lowered. We waited, and waited. It soon became obvious that they couldn't get the ramp down. Time and time again they tried, a sole sailor stood on the very end of the ramp desperately willing it to go down that extra couple of feet. We offered to all go to the end of the ramp and bounce up and down, this offer was not accepted, as one would imagine. Following them "switching to manual" the ramp groaned and squeaked it's way reluctantly onto French soil. The cyclists let out a collective shout of delight.
Out side the ferry port Nev Chanin was there as usual to greet us, resplendent in his Wheelers colours.
Out of the ferry port round the roundabout, across the slippy bridge, past the fun fair, round the corner, and there was the Hotel Europe. We couldn't check in, so we dropped our bikes and bags and headed for the traditional first port of call, the Pirate Bar.
The rest of the day was taken up in relaxation and a bit of shopping.
The weather had now turned for the better, and the group made it's way to the town hall for the welcoming function. The sun shone into the glass sided building onto several hundred travel weary cyclist who were listening to speeches from the organisers, the Mayor, etc. heads started nodding, eyes started closing, and it was only the applause at the end that some will remember.
Food, we need food. Where shall we go? It was decided to go to the same restaurant as last year, the Tous Va Bien (All goes well) on the quayside. This would avoid the obligatory hour walk around Dieppe trying to find a venue that suited everyone.
Well, it didn't go too well for Tony Canning who fell foul of the old joke, "Waiter where's my steak?", "I think its under your peas sir!" Phil Stayte will certainly remember his moules as they were to provide him with an extended holiday on his return to Evesham, plus unexpected weight loss!
Everyone slept well, anticipating the ride next day.
Day 2
Up for breakfast at 7.30am plenty of food and an eye on the weather. The coastline was shrouded in a sea mist with the slightest drizzle hanging in the air.
Still were we disappointed; well it was 25 degrees back home with wall to wall sunshine. Along the seafront the Wheelers cycled all wearing club colours and drawing admiring glances from French and British cyclists alike.After the booking in process we left for our 100k. Richard and Pete had decided to do the 140k, so they soon left our peloton, and followed their own signs on the road.
The 100k group left Dieppe with a climb and descent into Pourville Sur Mer, then shortly afterwards came a glorious climb along a greenway at Offranville.
The weather was starting to close in as the group passed quaint Normandy cottages with their peculiar adornment of Iris's planted on their roof ridges. Refreshments were taken as last year at the Chatellenie Chateau at St Aubin Le Cauf on the banks of the river Bethune. There to meet us was Nev Channin who was doing the longer ride, he had bagged the only available chair, and as President of the Wheelers and for many years organiser of the event, he was holding court.
We left the Chateau and travelled down a greenway that was once a railway track, this gentle start lead on to the only real climb of the day. It was on this climb that we bumped into cyclists from Winchcombe who were also participating, each had an Evesham Wheelers bottle, given to them last year when they rode our audax.
The countryside was beautiful and the miles sped by, and soon with Jon Jenkins and Phil Stayte on the front Dieppe was in sight. Desperate not to make the same mistake as last time, the peloton decided to make a different mistake, and again got ever so slightly lost.
Well its not a big place and within minutes we were at the Salle Des Sports to hand in our cards. That afternoon people did their own thing some went for food and extra ride, out to the war cemetery and the flying club, with a tour of Dieppe thrown in, some slept while others did some retail therapy.
The Gendarmes where carrying out a display right in front of the hotel, some of the group visited the display and were entertained by police dog displays, helicopter, and motorcycle display team, nice of John James to have laid on some entertainment!
In the evening thoughts turned to food, the majority went to a restaurant on the quayside where Clive bumped into an old friend, who looked just like him and uncanniliy was dressed like him,(he hadn't noticed the large mirror in the restaurant and walked into it!) Still he was decent enough to apologise.
It was in the restaurant that the slide in the value of the pound against the euro was most noticeable, everything was considerably more expensive this time round, but 8 Euros for half a litre of local beer was taking the Mick! ( expletive deleted!).
Some of the others decided to go for a quiet drink, and found a bar overlooking the Marina, they also found a local character, who called himself "Beautiful Tony." It's not strictly correct to say they found him, he found them.
On hearing them speaking, and realising they were English "Beautiful Tony" strode across. He was in his late 50's and was wearing a polyester track suit, a large gold neck chain and rings on every finger. He had the wild eyed look of someone who was not unfamiliar with strong drink, and along with a selection of home made tattoos, and some cut marks to his forearms, he had the booming voice of a psychotic pirate.
"Ah John," he said holding out his rugby ball sized hand to be shaken. "English spoken here!" He then laughed in a rather disturbing way. He continued to use the only 5 words of English he knew, he made the conversation last a little longer by bursting into song at ad hoc moments.
Despite "Beautiful Tony's" obvious appeal and his love of the English language, the group left, leaving him trying to kiss a woman sat at the next table. Just time for a kebab before going back to the hotel. And so to bed.
Day 3
Up for breakfast nice and early, to find that the Gendarmes were staying in our hotel, and not only that, they had eaten the majority of the food!
Well we knew the time had come so reluctantly we packed and went for a walk around Dieppe. Most bought food for the trip back, and enjoyed a last lingering coffee, in a bar. It didn't seem long before we joined the scrum of cyclist waiting to go through check in at the docks. A process that made us over half an hour late in departing.
The Wheelers bagged the comfortable seats and with the weather the best it had been for the whole trip, we left France.
As we approached the English coast we could see the heat haze, and pulling into Newhaven we saw what confirmed our suspicions, people on the beach, and swimming in the sea, it was hot! Even the piles of scrap metal at the entrance to the port, destined for China, where shimmering and reflecting shafts of light.
Still that was the last thing on Phil Stayte's mind.....the close proximity of the gents toilet was foremost in his thoughts, it must have been those mussels, it had to be, or was it the chilli sauce and chips from the dodgy kebab shop.
With no time to lose the charge down the stairs to the car deck began. We arrived on the car deck via the stairs on the wrong side of the ship, at the wrong end of the ship. We were faced with a walk past lines of lorries all with their engines running, with nowhere to go. Still it's only carbon monoxide, not an unpleasant way to go, so I have been told!
Out into the blazing sunshine we cycled, the heat reflecting from the concrete roadway, out into the rush hour home going traffic, and back to "snake bite" car park.
Hurried shouts of "See Ya!" and "Well done John" saw the Le Mans like start of the return home.
Phil Stayte took Phil Cooper on one side and said, "If I ask to stop, you really HAVE to stop", with that assurance made the sights were set on Evesham.
The return was as uneventful as the journey there, M25 was flowing and steady progress made. Only once did the plaintive cry of "I would REALLY like to stop now" ring out from the back of Phil Cooper's car, to which he replied "I can carry on if everyone else can". Phil Stayte couldn't!
Returning back across the Cotswolds bathed in sunshine, we started to appreciate what fantastic countryside we had on our own door steps, and vows were made to do some audaxes at home, and go to places we had never been.
Back in Evesham, Goodbyes were said and tired Wheelers made their ways home.
Thanks again to John James and his organisational skills, this had been a memorable and pleasurable experience. I will certainly never forget the genuine welcome we had from the Club Des Cyclotouristes Dieppois, the comradeship from the Wheelers, the look on Dave's face as he was approached by "Beautiful Tony" and the sight of Oxford services toilets on the way back.
