Bearbonesnorm wrote:Sorry Ben, no offence meant at all, it's just a different world to the one I come from where a 5 second sketch or scribbled list on the back of an old envelope, provides all the info required in any situation or for any task.

None taken

I'm a geek and quite odd, but I feel right at home here

This could be the thread that finally breaks Stu.

I can picture his disgusted face right now.

Anybody want the gantt chart and stakeholder map from last year too?

Edit - I just want to say that I approve of how flat the route is. Fat Richard might just about be able to survive it!

It's a very civilised affair

What till you see the tour-guide-like-umbrella that Reg pulls out of one of his fleece pockets when he needs us to regroup

(I might have made that last bit up)

This could be the thread that finally breaks Stu.

I can picture his disgusted face right now.

This one?

benp1 wrote:Anybody want the gantt chart and stakeholder map from last year too?

Will last year's campfire "hazard & operability analysis" suffice; or do we need a new one to cover the change in personnel since last year (plus an update to the associated risk & emergency procedures briefing process)?



And who has the competency matrix for the activities we'll be undertaking?

MuddyPete wrote: And who has the competency matrix for the activities we'll be undertaking?

I'm actually filling mine in right now

Well, for work related BS

Bearbonesnorm wrote:

This could be the thread that finally breaks Stu.

I can picture his disgusted face right now.

This one?

Yup, that or one of its many subtle variations.

I’m glad I’ve signed up for the B.B. winter event, it might go some way to restoring a shred of credibility....

That's even more of a doss / piss up in my experience.

Right. Enough of that. We have business to attend to.

I've emailed everyone I can email to get confirmation you're coming and what you wanna eat. I need to confirm numbers and pay the deposit this week, so fingers out please.

Does anyone know JamesH and Gummikuh? Don't have contacts for them and PM's unreplied

Catching up here as I'd forgotten the date then saw an email about the 'pub' .. bloody 'ell will they let us in? Looks a bit posh : )

16th might be no go for me but nothing set yet.

bloody 'ell will they let us in? Looks a bit posh : )

Weeeeeeell, I told them there was a good chance we'd be mildly muddy and a bit stinky, so they have segregated us from t'other diners and have asked us to remove our shoes before we go in. Hah!! I'm going to drop off a few things on Friday night and will include a box of those nifty blue plastic show covers, ... .that ought to do it. They've promised to have a nice open fire going for us.

James ol' fella, I'm gonna put you down as a non-starter (again ... we all remember your bailout last year, forcing Reg to take on the navigation mantle. Shame mate, as it's a cracking little route you put together)

Which means we have James-less for the ride, as JamesH can't make it either. That won't do. Would someone like to volunteer to be our Ride James?

Hey don't write me off yet : ) Last year was illness, in my defence... this year the ride's the weekend before xmas. I'm out riding most weekends, it's hard to say no to being somewhere else ie not riding that weekend. Sorry / tbc.

Mate, no drama at all. I've booked for 13 and they're happy to move the number of chairs up or down a few notches if we need.

Great stuff. I can take the foot stool on the end like Gran on Xmas day. (I wrote 'Granny's stool at the end of the table' and had to re-write! )

Still need to know if you're coming though. Its a big group in a small (ish) pub and they want our food orders.

You going to need a deposit paid over or anything?

I've paid the deposit - £10 per head - and will grab a tenner from everyone at the start of the ride. I won't mind carrying the few extra ounces. Which of course means if someone has booked and don't make it you still owe me £10 ... and we can sort that out once the dust has settled.

TheBrownDog wrote:I've paid the deposit - £10 per head - and will grab a tenner from everyone at the start of the ride. I won't mind carrying the few extra ounces. Which of course means if someone has booked and don't make it you still owe me £10 ... and we can sort that out once the dust has settled.

I shall bring one thousand one pence pieces for you sir...

seeing as you don't mind

Fair enough, but aren't you riding to the start point again this year? I'll just leave the 3.5kg sack you bring along in my car.

Is there an alternate start point? What time is that one leaving?

RIP is on navigation duties and I think is planning a 1pm departure from Tring station. He will no doubt be along shortly to confirm details. There was a group that met at Berko station a bit earlier - I think Ben took them on a tour of Ashridge beforehand.

Yep, I led a smaller group out from Berko.

According to veloviewer that was about 11 miles and about a 1,000ft of climbing. My total first day was 39 miles and about 3,500ft of climbing (including the first section), so it's quite a short ride without the first bit. Fun though!

My challenge is that I might be a little time constrained as I'm going Lapland for a week from the following Friday, so it's my last weekend at home and I have loads of errands to run.

If anyone is particularly keen on that first section then shout on there and I'll see if we can fit in a Berko sortie (I'm sure someone else could lead it too). It's a climb up to the Ashridge estate and then dropping down into Tring, it's a nice part of the world - mostly fireroad bashing

Otherwise a departure from Tring station is the default option