2022 Easter Rally & AGM

Thursday 14th - Monday 18th April 2022

Greenhill Leisure Park
Bletchingdon
Oxfordshire
OX5 3BQ


Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace Gardens

Winderton Village, Oxfordshire

Radcliffe Camera, Oxford

Arlington Row, Bilbury

Bletchingdon Village Hall

If Carlsberg did cycle racks ....

 

Phil Harmer2022-04-06 23:05:11tce2022
TCE2022 Easter rally routes email sent out

The TCE2022 Easter Rally routes and information have been sent out by email - if you have not received the email contact: tce2022@tandem-club.org.uk

Neil Wheadon2022-04-12 13:11:45tce2022

For those going on the Easter Rally can I encourage you to look at the route you are going to do on the Rides section of the website for which the only prerequisite is that you need to log in to your account. Rides is in the dropdown menu on both info and events. The route is laid out and each icon is interactive so you can see what you will be passing and if you fancy stopping there. In the screen shot below I have illustrated one of the rides and by clicking on an icon you can see what's there. Further details and a picture is revealed if you click on the name from this link. There is also a website address for that place as well I have gone through each of the Easter routes and all have been done to this standard. If you are suitably inspired and you fancy adding places to your area, then please do consider it. I've added over 5000 places now as well as over 500 routes (all are a good quality)

David Ross2022-04-12 13:32:02tce2022

Thanks Neil, but I’m getting an error saying that only members of the group TCE2022 can access it.

Terry Barnaby2022-04-12 17:30:28tce2022

Hi David, you accidently had a second duff login account. I have deleted that so you should be able to access.

Phil Harmer2022-04-15 19:25:50tce2022
Level crossing closed to all traffic on ASU & AMU routes

If you are thinking of following the ASU or AMU rides which incorporate the Sustrans route from Tackley to Kirtlington and onto Bletchingdon, please beware that the level crossing has recently been blocked to all traffic by network rail.

Which means that you when you reach the place where the level crossing used to be, you have to go along the station platform and use the footbridge to cross the railway line (3 flights of about 8 steps on each side).  The rest of the route is truly a track and is picturesque, but I wouldn't want to use it if there had been recent rain (unless you love cleaning your tandem).

If you do spot any issues in the routes, please send an email to me at events@tandem-club.org.uk, so I can update the gpx / cue sheets.

Thanks,

Phil Harmer.

Phil Harmer2022-04-16 08:45:00tce2022
TCE2022 Temporary road closures affecting DSR & DMR routes

There are 2 temporary road closures. Both are short and can be passed on the pavement if you don't have a trike or trailer.

The first is just outside Bicester on the way to Launton. The pavement isn't too narrow here.

The second is in Enstone. Best to follow the diversion signs when you reach Enstone, by turning left/south onto the B4022 instead of going straight on, then pick up the route on the A44 heading left/south-east. You would need to turn right/north-west on the A46 to reach the lunch stop.

Thanks to Malcolm Gammon.

 

Phil Harmer2022-04-16 08:48:58tce2022
TCE2022 Temporary road closures affecting DSR & DMR routes

There are 2 temporary road closures. Both are short and can be passed on the pavement if you don't have a trike or trailer.

The first is just outside Bicester on the way to Launton. The pavement isn't too narrow here.

The second is in Enstone. Best to follow the diversion signs when you reach Enstone, by turning left/south onto the B4022 instead of going straight on, then pick up the route on the A44 heading left/south-east. You would need to turn right/north-west on the A46 to reach the lunch stop.

Thanks to Malcolm Gammon.

 

STOP PRESS:
Routes are now available. 

An email with a link to the webpage containing the routes and rally information was sent late on Wednesday 6th April 2022.  Any problems email me on tce2022@tandem-club.org.uk.

Area
The site is nestled between the beauty of the Cotswolds and the scenic Chiltern Hills.  There is plenty of variety to the cycling through the scenic Oxfordshire countryside and the quaint villages built with warm Cotswold limestone.  Woodstock and the magnificent Blenheim Palace (birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill) are 3 miles from the site.  Historic Oxford can be reached along the towpath beside the Oxford Canal / River Cherwell.  Other attractions include Rousham House, Waddesdon Manor and Broughton Castle.  There is a brand new, surprisingly large, Cooperative supermarket 0.4 miles from the campsite in the village of Bletchingdon.

 

Rally Site
The site is lovely.  There is a licensed cafe which serves brunch and evening meals along with the usual coffee and cakes.  The on-site shop stocks general necessities including: bread, milk, eggs, sweets and general groceries.  There is also a large range of meat for sale that has been reared and produced from the farm.  The 3 toilet and shower blocks located across the park are modern and well kept.  They include toilets, sinks, showers and washing up sinks.  Two of the blocks include disabled and family rooms.  There are also two laundry rooms with washing machines and tumble dryers. There is free wi-fi on the site.  There is also a large play area for children, with swings, slides, climbing frames etc.  There is a large dog exercising area.

There is a wide range of pitches, from dedicated RV pitches (for very large vehicles), fully serviced and electric hardstanding pitches, plus electric and non-electric grass pitches.  There is a very gentle slope to some of the pitches.

Rather than being arranged in a rally field, we will be spread throughout the park.  You can choose the pitch type and if you mention it in your booking, we will do our best to locate you near your friends.  Early booking is strongly recommended, to ensure that pitches are still available and that you get the pitch type you want.

The following is a downloadable layout of the campsite showing the facilities and the locations of the various pitches (colour coded to show their type):

Greenhill Leisure Park layout map.

The campsite's website has plenty of information and photographs: Greenhill Leisure Park.

 

Alternative Accommodation
The villages of Bletchingdon, Kirtlington and Woodstock are all close by the campsite.  The larger Kidlington is just a little further away at about 3 miles as the crow flies.

 

Rides
A choice of 2 rides will be available each day - one short and one medium. 

For those that have not yet attended a Tandem Club rally, we do not go out as a large group.  Instead we tend to set off in small groups, so that we do not swamp the local roads.  Each rally attendee is expected to bring their own printed copy of the route instructions / gpx track files.  These will be published to those booked on the rally about 1 week before the start of the rally.

 

Annual General Meeting
Will be held ar Bletchingdon Village Hall, Whitemarsh Way Bletchingdon, Kidlington, OX5 3FD at 5pm on Sunday 17 April 2022.  The hall will be open from 4:30pm.

The hall is a short distance from the campsite: turn right as you leave the campsite, then after 400m the hall is on your left (just after the Co-op supermarket).  It is easily cycle-able and there are decent tandem sized racks.

 

Entertainment:
After the AGM we will hold a social meeting with wine and soft drinks at the Bletchingdon village hall.

 

What to do if you want to take a break from cycling?
There are lots of tourist attractions locally, including Blenheim Palace, Broughton Castle and Rousham House and Garden.

 

Camp Site and Rally Fees

We have negotiated a fixed price of £100 per pitch for the 4 nights with no charges for extras.  We have been pre-allocated 60 pitches all with electric hook-up.  There is a mixture of grass (38) and hard-standing (22) pitches.  Book early to be sure of getting the pitch type you want.  Put a comment in the 'Additional Information' box if you prefer to be pitched near particular people - we will do our best to accommodate you.  Please don't pursue this via the campsite - we will pass your requests on through the bookings spreadsheet that we share regularly with the campsite.  If you forgot to mention this on on your booking form, then send the rally organiser an email at: tce2022@tandem-club.org.uk . Extra nights must be booked direct with the campsite.  There is a tick box on the form to inform us that you intend to do this, so we can liaise with the campsite to ensure you don't have to move pitch.  Sorry but there is no reduction for fewer than 4 nights.

The rally fee is £4 per person who will be 19 or over at the start of the rally.

 

Closing date
Bookings will close on 14th March 2022.  However early booking is strongly recommended to ensure that there is space for you and your party. As at 11th January 2022 there were 7 pitches remaining from our allocation of 60.

Cancellations received between 15th March and 6th April 2022 inclusive will forfeit £25 from the campsite fee. Cancellations received on or after 7th April 2022 will forfeit the entire campsite fee.  

Booking

You need to be members of the Tandem Club or certain overseas organisations to book. See the Terms and Conditions below.

Please use the button below to book for this event. Preferred payment for UK residents is by on-line credit/debit card payment but the form will present you with other options. If you have a website login account, then please login before using this form as most fields will be filled in for you automatically.

If you are staying on the campsite, it is essential that you enter your vehicle registration number, so that the ANPR barrier to the campsite recognises your vehicle.

Need further information?
E-mail the rally team at: tce2022@tandem-club.org.uk

Map

Map showing location of Greenhill Leisure Park.

Terms and Conditions.

For full information on our Terms and Conditions and Data Privacy polices see: Policies

Booking confirmation:
Your booking is not confirmed until payment has been received in full and cleared which should be before the closing date for bookings. Dishonoured cheques will result in the cancellation of your booking.
Members Only:
This event is open to UK or overseas Tandem Club Members or, in the case of overseas people, members of the following organisations: "Tandem Club of America", "Tandem Club de France", "Tandem Club NL (Netherlands)", "Tandem ClubVlaanderen (Belgium)" and "Tandem-fahren.de (Germany)". You can join the Tandem Club using the forms on the TC website. Joining the TC (About 15 UKP per year).

Disclaimer:
If you participate in any ride or event organised by the Tandem Club you do so entirely at your own risk. The Club, its officers and ride organisers accept no responsibility for loss, damage to property, accident, injury or death, that may occur, however caused, whether by negligence, deliberate act or otherwise.

Cancellations and refunds.
The rally fee will not be refunded after the closing date. Refund of other components will depend on what the Club can recover from the campsite and/or other suppliers. Members may wish to consider taking out Holiday Insurance to cover losses the Club cannot refund.

Photographs taken at the event may be published on the Tandem Club Website, The Tandem Club Facebook pages and The Tandem Club Journal