Saturday, 12 August 1944

Log of a Cycle Tour to North Wales, by Roy Spurgeon, with Leslie Lee.   13 August

Leaving home at about 1300 hours (3854.9), I arrived at Baker Street station to meet Leslie as planned (3862.8). We caught the 2.19 pm train to Aylesbury after observing several amusing incidents on the platform concerning the loading of luggage into the guard's van.

We reached Aylesbury after standing and sitting very uncomfortably for most of the way, Having detrained successfully at 1550 hours, we set course for Thame after a false start during which we rode all round the market place in Aylesbury looking for the hole in the wall which was the road for Oxford. Once on the road, however, we rode put steadily against a stiff south westerly breeze. The weather had cleared from dull, low cloud to a very hot day and progress was by no means fast, though the road surface which appeared newly repaired, was good. This run provided us with a good opportunity for checking and in some cases modifying our methods of carrying our baggage.

Shortly before crossing from Buckinghamshire into Oxfordshire, just outside Thame, the slipstream from a passing lorry blew Leslie's eyeshade off. This afforded the passengers on the back of the lorry considerable amusement, which Leslie found himself unable to share since he had to turn round and pick it up. Soon afterwards, at 1715 hours (3873.2), having. passed a small airfield, we reached Thame.

Thame is quite an attractive town, its main street being one of the widest I have encountered, wider even than that of Chipping Sodbury, which we passed through last year. We rode up and down this road, thinking that a good tea might go down well, but our efforts were unrewarded so we set course to the west for Oxford. Progress, being still against the wind, was comparatively slow but the road was very interesting, with excellent views of the countryside on both sides.

Shortly after joining the main Oxford-London road, we stopped for some food (for we were not certain of getting any in Oxford) at a transport cafe, aptly named the "Last Chance" cafe. Starting again, we soon ran down the hill into the City of Oxford at 1900 hours (3887.2,) and found the Hostel after consultation with an N.F.S. man, Leslie's efforts at leading us to it ("It's all right, I've been there before") having failed.

Oxford is a very interesting town, with many fine buildings, but our first thought after we had signed on at the Hostel, was for food. We found a Municipal Restaurant open for supper and saw most of the town and its colleges in our search for it. After our meal, we thought we would take a boat out on the Cherwell, so we headed for the river, only to be greeted with a large notice "No boats". We therefore retraced our steps, deciding to do the next best thing and find a place to spend the rest of the evening by the river. None of our efforts to penetrate to the bank with our cycles met with any success, however, until, defying a notice threatening us with a £50 fine for trespassing on the local allotments, we encountered a friendly Oxonian who told us to go round to the Thames, where we could get down to the towpath. Remarking that he had probably saved us £50, we cycled back again at high speed.

Unfortunately, the jogging of the rough path caused my chain to come off the back cog wheel and this afforded us a good deal of trouble before we could get it back again. In the process, we both got covered with oil, a most unsatisfactory business. Towards the end of the tour, however, we got quite used to it and devised an excellent method of replacing it without much trouble.

My cycle being serviceable once more, we passed over the Magdalen Bridge, went along the towpath and spent the rest of the evening beside the Thames. It was a really beautiful, calm evening and we were sorry to head back to the Hostel for bed (3894.7). The Oxford Hostel is merely a temporary one, in the Manchester College (see photo) and available only during the College vacation, but although rather rambling, it is well fitted up and quite comfortable. In our dormitory was a small glass case containing a stout rope which could be used as a fire escape when hitched to a ring on the window sill. Had the rope not been encased in the glass, we might have thought the device had uses other than that of a fire escapee. Although there was no fire during the night, neither of us slept very well, possibly owing to the effects of the bright red blankets on our beds.

Total cycling distance for the day 31.9 miles.

Next day: 13 August