This is the mostly true story of a 250 mile, four day cycle ride along the River Danube from Passau in southern Germany to the Austrian capital, Vienna. The cast: Tim Hill: retired retailer; leader Sarah Leaver: pharmacist John East: retired engineer and power station maniac Alex Shearer: author, play-write and intellectual John Goodman: retired business executive and scribbler Monday, Sept 16th: 6 a.m. Tim, Sarah and John G board the Eurost...

Round the Churches Ride (Ride and Stride) We are always keen to take part in this ride and this year was no exception. We did have a few complications- a six year old who had not cycled on the road before, a convalescent member who only wanted a short ride and a number of absent Ragstones either away on holiday or about to go. Eventually seven of us made it to Lympne Church to sign on. Ruth and John started off via Aldington, Jessica and Adonis set off ...

Published by kind permission of John of Millstone Our First Tornado. We had lived through the 1987 hurricane which tore through south east England - unscathed apart from a flowering cherry tree across the drive. On New Year's Eve in 1999 we had huddled nervously together, in what we thought was the safest room of our French house, as the great storm of that night howled and shrieked its way from the Atlantic coast at La Rochelle at wind speeds of 200 km/hr o...

The Ragstones fled to the east to avoid incoming western rain. Where better to go for lunch than the Belgian Cafe in Ramsgate Harbour. Little else was recorded except a few blury photos to comemorate a good lunch. We will return.With 60 km on the clock, it was tea and cake at Ruth and Robert's afterwards. Mary had left for China so we must wait for her tales. Robert awarded Judith a giant corgette. Hanging from the rear of her bike it looked different from ...

The weather forecast was dire, so instead of Margate the Ragstones Riders set off along Route 18 to Tenterden. New Ragstone Rider Alan of Chalkdowns celebrated his arrival with an exhibition on bicycle maintenance. After an uneventful ride to High Halden, the weather changed and wet weather gear was tested to its extreme. Fortunately after zealous following of signs, rather than directions, an oasis appeared in the form of a fruit shop in High Halden. The sun...