Bicycle Commuting

See http:http://www.trailnet.org.uk/recycling-respoke.html (http://www.trailnet.org.uk/gascoigne-cycle-centre) If you have specific requirements, please contact the organisers before visiting the centre, so they can advise you. (020) 8593 1677 / info@respoke.org.uk

Weekly cycling club open to members of that club only. Membership enquiries to creativewellnesswon@outlook.com

Vandome Cycles are providing drop in bike check/repair sessions: • Barking Riverside Bike Hub IG11 0FJ: Opening Times: Every Mon & Thu 3pm-7pm and Sat: 9am-5pm • The Fiddlers, Dagenham, RM8 3HH: Every Saturday 10am – 2pm

**🕙 Time** We meet at **10:00 AM** and will start walking shortly after. The walk lasts around **60–75 minutes**. **📍 Where to Meet** We’ll meet at the **Clapham Common Bandstand**. A message with the **exact spot and a visual cue** (what I’m wearing) will be posted in the event comments on the morning of the walk.

I don't know if this recurring event still happens. I suspect not, but I have never had any enquiry about it, or heard of anyone going on it. A weekly 'road' ride starting from outside McDonald's in Leytonstone. See http://www.northstarvelo.com/

The allure is intoxicating, almost irresistible. A succession of exquisitely beautiful townscapes, infinitely variable and constantly changing, yet somehow all coherent parts of a magnificent production, like a Mozart concerto. Every view seems curated, polished and prepared. There’s no litter, no chewing gum, and no security guards! Yet this is traditional ‘public space’\* This is the central area of Kensington\*\*, smallest yet most densely populated London borough, home to Grenfell Tower, and Kensington Palace. It is simply great: no one would not want to live here. I promise you, by the time we reach ‘The Blackbird’ you will be ready to give up your Vow of Poverty, and move heaven and earth, to move here! In fact, when our New Town Master Planners aspire to ‘urbanity’, in their new developments, Central Kensington might well be what they have in mind. Part of the explanation is, of course, ‘money’. Oodles of it. Capitalism spends money to make money, and there’s ‘investment’ here: in every project, every house, every shop. It seems to have increased local authority spending too: York stone footways, in perfect condition, and most roadways recently resurfaced. ‘The Conundrum’ is, that this very high quality public realm seems to be unachievable elsewhere. How has this come about? Do the best quality areas become unaffordable? Or does wealth lead to good quality? It’s hard to believe, but in Kensington’s centre, from the High Street to Cromwell Road, and from Warwick Road to Queen’s Gate, there are, today, no socially rented homes *at all*, according to the official maps. Today the borough has the lowest proportion of social housing in Inner London (22%), and some of its most expensive houses. Across the whole borough, there are about 7K council-owned flats, plus the philanthropic providers' 12K more. But they are mostly in big estates in the southwest corner or far north: World’s End, Lancaster West and Dalgarno Gardens. It was not always so. From 1726 there was a workhouse. In the 1860’s terraces were built in Blithfield\*\*\* Street for ‘the working classes’ made homeless by District Railway project, and some ‘workers’ cottages’ in Pembroke Place became ‘a notorious slum’, Wait ‘til you see them now. And at the very edge of our area, in Warwick Road, Arup Associates more recently built 115 flats for the council: more than half are now ‘Right-to-Buy’ leaseholds. To address ‘The Conundrum’, we’re going to meet at High Street Kensington Station, and walk through these, the oldest and most disorganised streets of the borough, from the ‘Old Court Suburb’\*\*\*\* nearest to Kensington Palace, heading south and west, following approximately the chronological path of the area’s development, from the earliest 2-storey terraces, to Victorian semi-detached villas, towering 7-storey stuccoed Italianate blocks, and late-Victorian and Edwardian mansion flats. Now almost exclusively housing, the western parts of the area also once exhibited commercial, light industrial, and educational and healthcare activity, and along the way we’ll see the impact on the area of the the arrival of the District Railway in the 1870’s, the Cromwell Road extension just before WW2, and the West London Air Terminal in 1957. Our walk leads directly to ‘The Blackbird‘ PH, opposite Earl’s Court Station, where our reserved table is being prepared. Hope you can come! Andy \*could it be that residents get straight into their cars, and don’t walk along the streets dropping litter and gum? \*\*= the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, created in 1965 from a merger of the Metropolitan Boroughs of Kensington, and its tiny neighbour, Chelsea. \*\*\*sic \*\*\*\*the development of Kensington Square in 1685, an urban space among the fields. It was actually started a few years *before* King William and Queen Mary moved their residence, for health reasons, to a mansion then called Nottingham House, now ‘Kensington Palace’.

Havering CTC: Countryside rides every Sunday from Upminster, very easy to get to from Barking by c2c train - check they're running though. Also on the first Sunday of each month they have a short, all-comers ride, more geared towards newer cyclists. http://www.haveringcycling.com - for full details.

*** Walthamstow Family Bike Club (http://walthamstowfamilybikeclub.wordpress.com/): 2nd Sunday of each month at 1pm all year round for a sociable ride starting from junction of Orford Road/Church Lane Walthamstow E17. Finish by 5pm latest. The start point is only about 0.8 mile from Walthamstow Queens Road Station on the Barking and Gospel Oak Line. This link shows the route each way, according to Google (http://goo.gl/maps/MlUr9). Also miscellaneous rides - see their website. WFBC writes: "Our aim is for an enjoyable afternoon exploring the nooks and crannies in and around our borough. This event is free. The maximum distance we do is 15 miles there and back, but will be tailored to the abilities of those who turn up, so can be considerably shorter. We usually stop along the way for a snack, so apart from a bicycle and any children you can round up, we recommend you also bring some water and something to eat. We also aim to stop off at a cafe at about half time. In the winter months, do remember your lights."

Vandome Cycles are providing drop in bike check/repair sessions: • Barking Riverside Bike Hub IG11 0FJ: Opening Times: Every Mon & Thu 3pm-7pm and Sat: 9am-5pm • The Fiddlers, Dagenham, RM8 3HH: Every Saturday 10am – 2pm

12 -16 mile urban ride following circle line. Starting Point: Clapham Common Bandstand:

Hosted by Wild Ones Columbus How to Install a Bog Garden, with David Marsolo Saturday, March 14th, 2026 10:00 am to 12:00 pm (Eastern Time) Innis House (Inniswoods Metro Park) , 940 S. Hempstead Road, Westerville, OH Public Welcome Free Event Program/Speaker Presentation Wheelchair Accessible Public Restroom Free Public Parking A bog can serve the same functions as a traditional rain garden but has the advantages of being low maintenance, climate resilient and attractive for a much longer part of the year. David Marsolo is a long time Wild Ones member. He has been maintaining artificial bogs at his suburban Westerville home for about 20 years. He will describe how to install a bog and fill it with many interesting native plants including pollinator and host plants https://columbus.wildones.org/calendar-of-events-and-programs/?wo_event_id=11160

Communication is everything in life! You are only as successful as your ability to communicate. \- What if you could confidently talk to anyone? \- What if you had the ability to calmly control every conversation? \- What if you could close that sale\, ask for that date\, make new friends\, repair problematic relationships\, get that raise\, or effortlessly express any idea with confidence? You can! The secret to success relies on your ability or inability to effectively communicate. Attend a free seminar and gain a better ability to communicate. 1266 Dublin Road, Columbus, OH 43215 Hosted by the Church of Scientology of Central Ohio For more information, contact Rhiannon, the Event Host at 614-221-5024

Early-bird coffee and conversation at [Crimson Cup Coffee Shop - Clintonville](https://www.crimsoncup.com/about/location/clintonville)!

How do you feel happier with people? How do you get into the spirit of group activities? How do you get rid of the anxiety of communicating in front of people? In this meeting, you will learn the secrets of how to connect with people, open yourself up to people, and have a grand time being yourself. This meeting will be led by an expert who has been working with people just like you to feel happier and improve communication skills for over 10 years. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to the event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is created by the Dianetics & Scientology life improvement center.

Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!

Communication is everything in life You are only as successful as your ability to communicate. \- What if you could confidently talk to anyone? \- What if you had the ability to calmly control every conversation? \- What if you could close that sale\, ask for that date\, make new friends\, repair problematic relationships\, get that raise\, or effortlessly express any idea with confidence? You can! The secret to success relies on your ability or inability to effectively communicate. Attend a free seminar and gain a better ability to communicate. Hosted by the Church of Scientology of Central Ohio 1266 Dublin Road, Columbus, OH 43215 For more information, contact Rhiannon, the Event Host at 614-221-5024

***Okay, call me crazy but you have got to try their chip n dip!*** Club 85 is a true hidden gem in German Village! Seriously, old school, good comfort food and drink. We will try to gather in spaces near the windows. While we'll share Chip n Dip, you'll want to order a sandwich, too. **Where the Chip Began (1817)** Potato chips can be traced back to an English chef, William Kitchiner, who includes ‘crisps’ in his bestselling cookbook, “The Cook’s Oracle.” **Chip and Dip Popularity** The popularity of chip and dip skyrockets at the end of World War II with new entertainment fads and the introduction of Lipton’s new advertising campaign for their famous French Onion Dip. (Club 185 doesn't openly admit it, but I'm pretty sure that's their dip recipe!) **[Club 185](http://club185.com/)**—a true neighborhood bar serving since 1954, when it was known as a local 'speak-easy'. Located in German Village, Club 185 features a menu of quality casual comfort food and full bar. From politicians to lawyers, hardhats to hipsters—all find Club 185 the perfect place to tame their hunger and quench their thirst! **PARKING**: I know, brick street parallel parking can be a pain. Two other choices, metered parking along Livingston heading towards Children's Hospital or across the street in the large church lot (park in spaces farthest away from the church entrance doors, closer to the street). **PRE-EVENT**: **HAPPY HOUR (3-5pm)**: Italian drinks and bites at [Cento's happy hour](https://centogermanvillage.com/menus/), nearby.