Round 7: Rambling on..

Roberto

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Been far too long so time to get moving again.

More drivel due shortly..

:beerjug:
 
Ah well, off we go again then..

As a motorist you come to know a few things over the years no matter how dim witted you tend to be. One of the first things I picked up from the tarmac school of knowledge, when owning my very first car, a Volkswagen Golf, previously driven by a lairy geezer lead footed rep, was that 'Invoices with lots of pieces of paper tend to have a large number on the final page at the bottom'.

And so, of course, it came to be. Now in fairness at 47k there are inevitably things that need doing and as we all know if you want a cheap hobby one of the things you don't do is go off and buy a motorcycle.

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In actual fact it wasn't too bad at all, all considered. And I should be grateful that everything else was fine- there were no hidden nasties lurking. There was certainly a reminder to look on the bright side - an almost brand new GS WC sat outside the workshop that had been chucked down the road looking sorry for itself, patiently awaiting a replacement das gizmo that isn't available yet, sporting various knocks and dings and the radiator bent out giving the thing a hair lip look. Stacy Keach who played Mike Hammer in the TV Series had one of those you know so that's why he had the 'tache.
Lordy lordy, only a few paragraphs in and I'm off at a tangent already.

In fairness, there were two new tyres amongst the bobs and bits which is obviously going to have an effect on things as well. I reminded myself that I could be happy that it wasn't main dealer prices, and I got an awful lot for the price, so I feel quite a bit better. And actually, in seriousness, I can't fault Steve and everyone down at Motoscot at all and there are plenty of others who lurk around in this parish who can say the same. I was even able to borrow a bike to head across and pick up a part for a problem not anticipated so it could all be done on the same day, so I mean you can't say fairer than that.
Actually I had a mate from a few years back with a terrible lisp, and he couldn't say 'fairer than that' either.
I'm doing it again.
More of that later, I suppose.

Anyway, I should be very happy that the bike is ready to go off again, and by 4.30pm, true to form the bike is running like a dream as I wobble around the M1 slip lane in the drizzle on me new tyres, ready for the next trip near and far.

:beerjug:
 
Where you off to this time, Rob, other than the Cotswold bash at the end of the week? Or is that it?:p:D
 
Where you off to this time, Rob, other than the Cotswold bash at the end of the week? Or is that it?:p:D

Ah the mystery and suspense, eh? Certainly the Cotswolds at the weekend... :beer: ... and then European shores and perhaps beyond :beerjug:

Still on for Friday?

:beerjug:
 
Ah the mystery and suspense, eh? Certainly the Cotswolds at the weekend... :beer: ... and then European shores and perhaps beyond :beerjug:

Still on for Friday?

:beerjug:

Absolutely, just thinking about what time to leave.:thumb
 
In the words of John Inman, 'I'm free' (all day) so whenever is fine :D :thumb
 
Got the blues..

Over the latter part of the summer I've been buzzing around on a bike but somewhat tardily haven't gotten around to write anything up and put it here. A few trips here and there, beer festivals, music festivals, all within our fair shores mingled amongst which feature such highlights as Bill H's STD and the Badger folk Boxer Beet. UKGSer hospitality at its absolute finest :thumby:

So the first installment here is a trip North to look in on the Colne Blues Festival. I've been going for a few years and I can't recommend the do highly enough, it really is a gem of an event. 'Hardcore' blues music I can take or leave. I do have a Robert Johnson collection CD somewhere floating around at home. But here though there's something for pretty much everyone with the added bonus of a very friendly vibe.

Like most of you I suspect I look for an excuse to take the good roads to wherever I am going, or perhaps out of the way of where I am going. On the way up I'm stopping at a friends over in St Helens, so this is an excuse to head west. Circumnavigate London town by some means and then refreshment in Stratford-Upon-Avon prior to the push North.
I'm predictably late leaving HQ and M25 roadworks add some time on. On the A41 into Aylesbury and then the fun begins with the A413 up to Buckingham, a road I like with lots to do. Then I pick up the A422, another good entertaining road to take which leads you all the way in to Stratford. Unfortunately they've knocked a lot of it down to a 50 limit as seems much the way for many of our roads. Sigh. But there's still fun to be had.

I make Stratford and by now it is 5.30 so most things around the water are packing up, so I'm left with a coffee break at the Evil Coffee Empire.

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I wind further North until I hit Birmingham and then bite the bullet of the Motorway. Feeling of frugal mood, I ignore the M6 toll raceway option and head up through the cheap bit. Predictably it is busy on the skinflint route but both parts of the Motorway are at a standstill when they join back together North of the Brumopolis. I catch up with a loaded up cruiser with a California number plate on it, rider and pillion wobbling awkwardly through the traffic. It rains. It rains a lot. I don't think they had anticipated this as part of the fine English Country experience. We have a quick chat as we bimble side by side mid traffic, they both look exhausted, poor ducks. Ducks being appropriate.

Eventually the traffic gets going but typical Friday bank holiday rush hour stop start of the Motorway and I reach my friends house. A special from the local chinese take out. Duck as it happens. A few bottles of beer, a few different wines to try (including rather a nice one from Surrey believe it or not) and a good chat and all is well. Zzzzzz.

Morning.

I'd left the bike in the back garden last night and being at home in our fair shores you're naturally overcome with paranoia.. will it be safe (I'm not going in to scouser stereotypes route here by the way) :D I think the thoughts moreso creep in for me coming up to a trip, just the inconvenience factor and that everything would be scuppered. I think to myself, would anyone be bothered enough to heave off my declining piece of junk, but then I hear about true old ratters being pinched. Over breakfast my friend told me how her neighbour last week had her garden shed stolen with everything in it. Gulp. I kid you not.

Costco's finest saussies have gone down very well and are soaking up the booze rather nicely. I'm buoyed for the short blast to another friend who lives in Colne and is hosting me for the Blues. No messing about today, just a simple float along the Motorways in the drizzle. Bike feels nice today.
As my friend always says, he's 'an hour' from everywhere in the North, and this proves to hold true as about an hour later I'm knocking on his door ready for a quick change and out.
The bike lives outside his house in Colne and my pal assures me it will be absolutely fine, which it always is. And besides, if they want my bike, well they'll have to bypass the ultimate security of a Xena alarm disc lock with no battery.

Colne is a great town. It has a sort of arty feel to it. As well as the may be expected fish and chip shops and working mens clubs there are coffee houses, vegetarian restaurants, music shops, intimate live music venues. You can buy excellent German beer on draught as well as the expected good ale.
It's much more cosmopolitan and has considerably more 'on your doorstep' variety than my area in 'That London' that's for sure. I always enjoy a visit.

The blues festival opens up the town as such, there is a main stage that needs tickets (I think they are around £40) but there's also a stage accessed by a £4 pledge badge, and even better all of the many roadhouse venues dotted around the town are accessed by means of a £1 wrist band, which is all I bother with. You can't beat it.

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The afternoon and evening comprise of beer, music, beer, beer, more beer, music, music, beer, steak pudding chips and curry sauce, beer, music, beer, beer. I'm not sure if I got that in the right order.

Afternoon sustenance courtesy of the Hall Street Chippy :thumb

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'The Venue', one of the official roadhouse venues..

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Sadly I haven't got many decent photos from the actual musical elements of the event, I can only put this down to my being roundly spangled by the time I realised I should be taking some. Here's a sort of Roy Wood fellow working hard.

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Note to self: Must do better on the picture front.

On the way home we stop for a tikka roll and a Chicken Jalfrezi with rice take away. I suspect there's quite a lot of food for my £9 of the realm as the carrier bag almost tugs my arm out of its socket as I haul it off the counter.
 
South

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Post blues, the mission was to head back towards the smoke and HQ. But I'd decided to do as much as possible way from the main routes. The weather forecast told me that it was raining in London at the moment, but bright later. The weather here and south looked good, so it seemed like the conditions were just right for a super bimble.

I bid farewell to Colne at the inviting Green Chimney coffee house and their smiley friendly folks. I like my coffee and this didn't disappoint a bit.

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The coffee house also happens to be an official Blues Festival Roadhouse. They're everywhere here, you see.

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And so on we go.

What I like about being up here is that you're minutes from the dales and some great routes to explore. Where I live, down in London, there's an inevitable slog around red buses, ring roads, people texting, all that malarkey until you can get into some good biking. Not here :)

Minutes away from the start of the ride and out in to the middle of nowhere.

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A diversion on the way to Hebden Bridge sends me via the village of Hempenstall. A very pretty little place and the Ice Cream place looked alright. Always good to find new places :thumb

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The Jalfrezi of last night begins to remind me of its presence in my system. A long time due on the bike today, so let's hope this isn't an omen :D

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I zig zag about a bit; over Saddleworth Moor and then down towards Glossop and then into Buxton. Quite a few bikes out today. I decide to take the A6 down towards Matlock Bath to have a stop there. The last time I rode this road was in 1999 and it was busy and rainy, an experience so thoroughly miserable I thought I'd never do it again. But, I think luck was on my side and traffic light and compliant so I managed a decent run down there.

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Matlock was its usual rainbow with a vast array of all kinds of bikes to the weird and wonderful and a few weird people riding them (self included, mind).

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I thought I'd been lucky to not run into any two wheeled loons as you tend to find around the 'biker meet' places. On the way out of Matlock it was a different story with plenty of over enthusiastic stuff going on and some particularly naughty stuff going on in the 30 limits. That must drive the locals bonkers. I was glad to get away from all that and continued on Southbound.

A cheeky Vimto is taken in Zouch to watch the canal boats. This one having just given the bridge a good clump whilst trying to make the turn. Thwack, ouch.

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Rockingham village looking particulary fetching in the early evening sunshine.

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And so I continued, down the A6 and then East, finally picking up a short section of the A1 for the final run home. The weather down South now is lovely. Arrive home after ten hours on the road. Proper ride today! :)
 
The report will continue shortly, but I pledged there'd be pictures of food and beer by latest Monday night.

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You know, I definitely like Germany :beerjug: :fnikefork
 


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