The Usual Suspects

Photo: Dave Jackson

Thursday 27 July: Off to Cumbria (!)

Having decided to attend the Thunderbird rally this year, I realised that there were a couple of old friends I had been intending to visit for more than a year and they both lived in that direction. In the case of Keith who lives in the Lake District it was in the direction of the rally but then on some more! So I arranged a couple of extra days holiday and started on the Thursday, taking the A12, M11, M25, M1 and M6 until six hours or so later I was turning off for the A595. This is a great road which winds its way along the coast with many a twist and turn. With a road map and some detailed directions from Keith I found the turn-off for Gosforth and, a few minutes later, his cottage. Having admired Keith's varied collection of bikes (BMW GS80, Kawasaki 400 and by way of contrast a Harley-Davidson Road King) there followed a quiet evening which included a visit to one of the local pubs for a meal. Mileage so far: 345 miles.

Friday 28 July: Round the Lake District and on to the rally

Up later than planned next morning and I put the bike on the centre stand with the intention of oiling the chain. I then found that the back brake seemed to have started binding again after I had persuaded Boyer's two days previously that it was not bad enough to fail the MOT! Thumped the caliper to free it and applied the first dose of this new chain oil (first experience of Rock Oil). Despite leaving it a good half hour while I loaded the bike up, the oil transferred itself to the back wheel so effectively during the rest of the day that I might just as well have sprayed it on the wheel directly. Ho hum.
With most of the day to make use of I set off in bright sunshine along a narrow and very windy back road to Wast Water (which although not the largest lake is - at 70m in parts - the deepest). As I approached I was treated to a fly-past by a member of Her Majesty's Royal Air Force who came screaming down the valley. Took a few photos, went up to Wasdale Head and then back through Gosforth and along the coast on the A595, turning off for Keswick and a spot of lunch and to write a couple of postcards.
Once done, I headed south to Windermere but the expected view of the lake was not often clear from the road due to a line of trees that presumably hide it from the people on the lake enjoying the unspoilt natural beauty of it all. Back to the A595 then another stop for petrol and onto M6 at Jcn 36. Down to Jcn 17, off via Crewe, Whitchurch etc. and eventually along the A495 I found the rugby club where Gary, Jackie, Matthew, Andy and Lee (who had ridden up that day) were finishing the pitching of their tents. As I signed in I checked whether the claimed mileage to the rally should be distance done that day or distance from home. On being told the latter I staked my claim to 576 miles.
The Friday night entertainment included a rock disco and a less-than-rock band who tried bravely to put across their fairly laid-back and mild repertoire with mixed success. It can't have helped that some well-refreshed members of the audience commenced throwing paper planes and this diversion escalated into a paper-ball fight in which it must be said some Bexley people were involved - ahem. Eventually time overtook matters and it was off to bed for all.

Saturday 29 July: Taking It Easy

Some people were up in time for a good cooked breakfast. Not me alas, although I only just missed it. Then the great debate as to what to do. Gary, Jackie, Matthew, Andy and Lee went for a ride out while Phil and I opted to look around a vintage vehicle show that was taking place right next door to the rugby club. There were vehicles of every type from steam traction engines to little 50 cc Raleigh motorbikes and not forgetting tractors. Oh yes, there were plenty of tractors.
A couple of hours later and back to the tent for a snooze. The others returned later to tell of a ride to Shrewsbury and a bargain lunch. Soon it was evening and time for grub and a few beers before the band came on. What a contrast to the previous night - these guys were loud and rocked with a capital R. Two sweaty sets followed in between which Jackie and I had a chat with the vocalist and the bass player, mainly on the theme "if you play a bike rally you can't please all the people all the time" as some people had been overheard stating a preference for the previous night's music! We reassured them that they had been awarded the Bexley seal of quality.
During the break the raffle was also drawn but there were no winners in our group so our hopes were pinned on the prizegiving which followed straight after. Here we were not disappointed: Lee won best combination and furthest travelled female. Gary won best classic and by dint of my extended, two-day journey I won furthest travelled male. Unfortunately due to their main organiser having been hospitalised in a car accident, the trophys had not been engraved so they were completely blank. However the promised stick-on plaques have just arrived in the post.

Sunday 30 June: Scoot to Stoke

Next morning most people were heading home and wanted to make an early start which caused a big demand for breakfast at around 8:30 (when I was blissfully asleep). Still by half past ten the camping area was fairly empty and I was getting packed too for a short-ish ride to my final port of call at my mate Jon's in Stoke-On-Trent. Having not seen him for a couple of years it was an evening of reminiscences about bands we used to play in together... and curry. But no bike talk for a change.

Monday 1 July: Home straight

Another leisurely start and I had a winding ride through the back roads (extended due to my failure to spot certain landmarks like Alton Towers), until I got on to the M1 near Derby. After that it was just a matter of a couple of refreshment stops and a sizeable hold-up on the M25 before I was pottering through the Blackwall tunnel and home to unpack the gear. My final mileage was 824 which I was quite pleased with, for a long weekend. However within a couple of weeks I had received a postcard from Keith who was touring Italy on his Road King, and a recent e-mail from him confirmed that he had notched up more like 3,000 miles!
Still there's always next year.