Catch Up Time

There's been a bit of a delay in me getting this report together due to pressure of work etc. However; here it is!!!
I had a very successful Welsh Rally gaining a Silver award and also a Dragon award.
The weather was changeable during the rally but nothing that was too uncomfortable. The rally was completed in the company of Jim, Mick, Teresa and Hannah who rode as pillion with Jim.
Getting back to the finish at a reasonable time meant that we also has a good choice of grub and I indulged in a curry & chips, really good comfort food when you're tired and hungry. That aside I had a great although windy ride on the day before the rally bagging all the North Welsh Landmarks with Jim and another British National Park at Snowdonia. On the Sunday after a nice late breakfast at Morrisons in Welshpool, I bade farewell to my fellow riders and made for the South West of Wales for another LM and BNPR run on the way home. This made for another full but enjoyable day and meant that I completed all the Welsh landmarks for this year. Back to earth with a bump though because having covered 90,000 miles, my bike now needed a cam belt change. The parts were ordered and fitted and it just now remains for me to clean the bike and get back out there at the earliest opportunity to wear out my tyres.

All Ready For The Welsh Rally

I've just given the Pan a wash and check over ready for the Welsh Rally. It was covered in dust after my run out on Sunday, most of which was picked up near Clun in Shropshire. Looks clean again now though.
I'll be making my way up to Wales on Friday and will be bagging the North Wales Landmarks before making my way to my overnight stop in Welshpool. I'll also be meeting Jim on his 1300 Pan for the duration of the weekend. It was Jim who encouraged me to take part in the Welsh this year for my first time. I'm really looking forward to a great weekend of riding whatever the weather may be.

Another 8 Landmarks Completed

I went out on another trip yesterday and rattled off 3 LM's in England and 5 in Wales, bringing my total so far to 28. I have now achieved a bronze award this year so far.

I also visited another British National Park at Brecon Beacons (photo), enjoyed glorious weather again with only some light rain for about 5 minutes all day. The Welsh rally is very much on the horizon now and I will be taking the opportunity to complete the rest of Wales as far as the RBR goes during the weekend.

9 More Landmarks Added To Total

Yesterday, I added another 9 Landmarks to my total. I started out at 07.30 and took photo's at Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Oxfordshire.

That now puts me at 20 completed.
I had brilliant weather almost all the way and no rain, so despite travelling 430 miles, the bike still looks good apart from the odd suicidal fly. Obviously the bike is too quiet with the new silencers as they can't hear me coming.
The photo was taken at South Croxton in Leicestershire and gives some idea of the weather experienced.
I also met some really nice people at Rous Lench in Worcestershire and partook of a mug of tea and a chat with them, they really know how to make people feel welcome. Not so sure about Birmingham though where I witnessed a local lass dropping her kit and taking a dump at the side of the road on the pavement in a built up area with pedestrians passing by. Perhaps that isn't unusual in that part of the world; was a bit surprised though. Oh well better go now, looking forward to the Welsh Rally in 2 weeks and already planning capturing LM's in the area the day before.

Eleventh Landmark Chalked Up

I rode out after dinner tonight to my eleventh landmark this year. I did the tithing stone at Beaconsfield. It was a pleasant ride in the sun and for the first time this year, I wore my summer kit. Hopefully this will be a good year for weather and I'll have many more opportunities for evening rides as the days get longer.

Up to Date

Time I was bringing this blog up to date. I managed to get one day out on the rally over the Easter weekend. On the Friday I decided that I would do East Anglia, so set off at about 09.30 and did the landmarks in Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, before heading home. I also visited How Hill in The Broads to take a photo of my second National Park.

After having very slight drizzle all the way to the Dartford crossing, I emerged into brilliant sunshine that wa to last until I got to Kings Lynn later in the day, from then on the heavens opened and I arrived back home with a really filthy bike, Ah well!!!!

On Wednesday 15th April I decided to go out after dinner to do the LM's in East Sussex and enjoyed a superb ride in really warm weather and two good walks to the LM locations.

This evening I went to do the LM in Kent and had another ride in 17 degree weather to the very interesting LM in Dover. That's it for now folks, I've knocked off 10 LM's so far with 2 National Parks. More good riding to come and I'm already looking forward to the Welsh Rally early next month.

Back In The Saddle

My exhaust silencers turned up today and because of the preparation that I had already done on Sunday, they only took 15 minutes to fit. My bike is now running quietly once again so I'm very happy. I decided to do a quick run out to burn in the exhausts and bag a local landmark, so did a quick run up the motorway to Windsor and LM 03. Interesting place especially when under the scrutiny of a local cop. Anyway, while I was there I couldn't resist taking a photo of Windsor Castle, so here it is, looking up Castle Hill with the Queen Victoria Statue in the foreground.