I worry about lots of things
OK, noted.
I have found a couple of hotels that may suit us. Will check them out and let everyone know the score ASAP.
Richard
Wapping's Wanders Four - One (or two) day jaunt to France - Saturday 25 (26) June
- Thread starter Wapping
- Start date
I worry about lots of things
OK, noted.
I have found a couple of hotels that may suit us. Will check them out and let everyone know the score ASAP.
Richard
Metisse is a very alive English bespoke furniture maker called Peter Brown who snores like a foghorn. Single rooms for us please otherwise its helmets and ear plugs if we have to share.
Jeremy reckons he has run out of things to throw at me during the night - I really don't know what his problem is, I sleep fine
Richard, thanks for organising this, your second guess was on the mark
, my first proper bike was a Rickman Metisse Triumph... ahhh those were the days(The dog wasn't far off either metisse, as you no doubt know, being french for 'mongrel' is an apt description of the bike and its owner
)Cheers
Peter
Aha, all is now clear.
Metisse, cabinet maker. Hereinafter known as Mr Gateleg, welcome aboard.
Metisse, cabinet maker. Hereinafter known as Mr Gateleg, welcome aboard.
Kev B
Registered user
Richard,
Just to confirm that Mark and myself will share a twin room.NOT A DOUBLE !! we are not that gooder mates
Kev
Just to confirm that Mark and myself will share a twin room.NOT A DOUBLE !! we are not that gooder mates
Kev
Rooms
I will try to book:
Singles
Wapping
Metisse
Jeremy
Wheeledwidewebb
Jimbogs 1200
TOTAL 5
Doubles
Dxtans
Brenchleyhibs
Wilburt
TOTAL 3
Twin
KevB & Mark
TOTAL 1
I will try to book:
Singles
Wapping
Metisse
Jeremy
Wheeledwidewebb
Jimbogs 1200
TOTAL 5
Doubles
Dxtans
Brenchleyhibs
Wilburt
TOTAL 3
Twin
KevB & Mark
TOTAL 1
That will probably be too many rooms for the Logis type hotels, so it may well be Ibis or something similar........................ and all that I have tried so far have been full........ Looks like blokes coming in pairs may have to share.
wheeledwidewebb
Registered user
When you have decided on the destination, let us know and we will sort our own rooms out. Don't give yourself a headache, it's our problem.
Bingo!
Blimey, I have no idea what is happening in France on Saturday 25 June but whatever it is it is blocking hotel after hotel after hotel.
I have looked at my French calendar, which doesn't show it as a particular Froggy vacance or 'Let's all go and stay in a hotel day'. Even the seventy -odd rooms of the Ibis in Boulogne was full, which was going to be my last fall back.
I was keen to stay somewhere sensibly close to the route I have mapped out for the second day, hopefully not resorting to a F1 or the George Cinq. In the end stubborn dedication on the phone won out
With my first class schoolboy Franglais I have (I think) booked - and pinged them an email to confirm:
5 singles
3 doubles
1 twin
at a Logis hotel: http://reservation-hotel.logishotel...?langcode=EN&hotelid=2508&onglet=presentation
The receptionist was certainly friendly, polite enough to laugh at my excruciating French
I will in any event drop by to see them on my recce.
It should work out OK as we can probably do the top fifth of my proposed circular route towards the end of Saturday afternoon. Then do the remaining 4/5 on Sunday. I will now set about working out a revised way to get us there from Calais and a half decent way back, too.
Richard
Blimey, I have no idea what is happening in France on Saturday 25 June but whatever it is it is blocking hotel after hotel after hotel.
I have looked at my French calendar, which doesn't show it as a particular Froggy vacance or 'Let's all go and stay in a hotel day'. Even the seventy -odd rooms of the Ibis in Boulogne was full, which was going to be my last fall back.
I was keen to stay somewhere sensibly close to the route I have mapped out for the second day, hopefully not resorting to a F1 or the George Cinq. In the end stubborn dedication on the phone won out
With my first class schoolboy Franglais I have (I think) booked - and pinged them an email to confirm:
5 singles
3 doubles
1 twin
at a Logis hotel: http://reservation-hotel.logishotel...?langcode=EN&hotelid=2508&onglet=presentation
The receptionist was certainly friendly, polite enough to laugh at my excruciating French
I will in any event drop by to see them on my recce.
It should work out OK as we can probably do the top fifth of my proposed circular route towards the end of Saturday afternoon. Then do the remaining 4/5 on Sunday. I will now set about working out a revised way to get us there from Calais and a half decent way back, too.
Richard
wheeledwidewebb
Registered user
Thanks Richard. Well and truly above and beyond the call of duty my friend.
Kev B
Registered user
Richard your a "Diamond Geezer" 
Thanks for your time and effort
Kev
Thanks for your time and effort
Kev
Right ho' I think I have now got it taking some shape, but I will definitely ride chunks of it on Saturday
Saturday
The tried and trusted favourite of leaving the train, then to Bolezeele for coffee. That's about 32 miles in an hour.
Then round to Parenty for a picnic lunch, so bring a packed lunch, please. This is about 80 miles in three hours.
I know this route works and the timing is about right. This saves me riding it on Saturday but we will have to crack along; definitely not racing but not dawdling if you get my drift.
From Parenty, we turn broadly south, down to Nampont to pick up the top 1/5 of the circular route I had planned for Sunday, down to the hotel. This leg is about 70 miles, in about three hours. I will ride this out on Saturday, to see how it goes.
All in all, 180 miles. I may end up shortening it a bit just the same as we have a big group and I am conscious that we lose an hour on the clock just crossing the Channel.
Either way, it would be good to be at the hotel in reasonable time for a beer and our evening meal.
Sunday
The balance of the circular route back to Nampont. Then we swing back north.
Here we have a choice:
(a) It's either a one hour blast up the motorway to the train. Crude but effective.
or
(b) A longer 'scenic' route past Cap Griz Nez, then Sangatte, turn right and onto the train for home.
This, if we go the whole way is 170 miles in six and half hours (If we don't stop). It's doable of course with a stop or two (I will need to find somewhere) but I would like to be wheels rolling at nine AM so we do not end up chasing our tails too much.
We can always cut across to some bigger N or D roads or the motorway if we do get pushed, say due to a puncture or a big detour (not unknown).
Whatever, I will ride it out to see what it's like.
=====
With a group of this size we will definitely end up spread over at least a mile or more at some point. So, we will run the marker 'drop off' system to keep everyone near enough on track. I will create a Mapsource route for the whole jaunt anyway and agree some basic rendezvous points if anyone has a real problem or gets totally lost (including me)
=====
I think that is all for now. Any questions? Sing up, please.
Richard
Saturday
The tried and trusted favourite of leaving the train, then to Bolezeele for coffee. That's about 32 miles in an hour.
Then round to Parenty for a picnic lunch, so bring a packed lunch, please. This is about 80 miles in three hours.
I know this route works and the timing is about right. This saves me riding it on Saturday but we will have to crack along; definitely not racing but not dawdling if you get my drift.
From Parenty, we turn broadly south, down to Nampont to pick up the top 1/5 of the circular route I had planned for Sunday, down to the hotel. This leg is about 70 miles, in about three hours. I will ride this out on Saturday, to see how it goes.
All in all, 180 miles. I may end up shortening it a bit just the same as we have a big group and I am conscious that we lose an hour on the clock just crossing the Channel.
Either way, it would be good to be at the hotel in reasonable time for a beer and our evening meal.
Sunday
The balance of the circular route back to Nampont. Then we swing back north.
Here we have a choice:
(a) It's either a one hour blast up the motorway to the train. Crude but effective.
or
(b) A longer 'scenic' route past Cap Griz Nez, then Sangatte, turn right and onto the train for home.
This, if we go the whole way is 170 miles in six and half hours (If we don't stop). It's doable of course with a stop or two (I will need to find somewhere) but I would like to be wheels rolling at nine AM so we do not end up chasing our tails too much.
We can always cut across to some bigger N or D roads or the motorway if we do get pushed, say due to a puncture or a big detour (not unknown).
Whatever, I will ride it out to see what it's like.
=====
With a group of this size we will definitely end up spread over at least a mile or more at some point. So, we will run the marker 'drop off' system to keep everyone near enough on track. I will create a Mapsource route for the whole jaunt anyway and agree some basic rendezvous points if anyone has a real problem or gets totally lost (including me)
=====
I think that is all for now. Any questions? Sing up, please.
Richard
Top banana! Thanks Richard
Fantastic. An earlier start and better roads rather than the motorway gets my vote.
phil954
Registered user
I will wave if I see you lot on the Sunday, I will be on my way to the Ring for my Speed Fix
Phil
Got the Tank ready for the morning Richard?
Phil
Got the Tank ready for the morning Richard?
Tank filled
LBL
Registered user
I will wave if I see you lot on the Sunday, I will be on my way to the Ring for my Speed Fix
Tom wants to know if he can join you, as long as you promise to wait for him
NLC
Registered user
I will wave if I see you lot on the Sunday, I will be on my way to the Ring for my Speed Fix
Phil
Got the Tank ready for the morning Richard?
Will you be standing up on the pegs around the ring?
Rode the recce today....
440 miles door-to-door; that's the way to run a bike in.
The route works well, a very good mix of roads.
I will tidy-up some small bits'n'bobs in it, then lob it up.
Richard
PS The non-motorway return leg is definitely worth doing.
440 miles door-to-door; that's the way to run a bike in.
The route works well, a very good mix of roads.
I will tidy-up some small bits'n'bobs in it, then lob it up.
Richard
PS The non-motorway return leg is definitely worth doing.
