Now I'm stuck for an approach. Wales 2003 through My Eyes (Sillycnts and Valleys)
It's 5.15am on Saturday morning and having just stumbled out of bed after a measly 3.25 hours kip, it was time to shove my weary head over the bath and shear my flowing locks but in my haste, the guard came off mid operation and left me with a stripe of baldness up the back of my head (like summat from the Jackass Movie) that matched the top of mi shiny bonce so the lot had to go down to the wood - was this the way the weekend was going to go, I wondered.
Rolling up to the fuel station at 6.31, roberto was there waiting so we set off for some breakfast in Whitchurch, some 75 miles of cold later. We bumped into the "Bonz Cruisers" at buxton, waiting for some of their number but as we wanted a steady run down, we left them to it and pressed on. After a very mundane run through the backwhacks on our "Milk Run" to Whales, we arrived at the Chuff in plenty of time for full fodder and the calorie boost that we both so obviously need. Dave spencer was the first man there and just as Rob and I were dismounting (Not what you're thinking!) some new people arrived on a very well customised Yam that sounded great. We introduced ourselves as I complimented Granville on his rather attractive mount and told him that I also liked the look of his Yamaha!
Well, it's hard to describe the feeling each year as friends start to arrive for this, the first big run of the year, but this year it all seemed much magnified, it was so good to see everyone with such broad smiles so obviously feeling the winter blues just blowing away and so eager to embark on this testosterone trip.
When it was time to leave the Chuff, The Burkmeister was our leader and what a leader he was. We went on such a variety of roads and lanes and to places which some were old faves and some were new to me but either which way, it was a stunning job well done. The 2nd man waits and the man bringing up the rear (Suits you Sir) rule worked superbly and to say there were reputedly 39 bikes out, we didn't loose anyone and the pace was excellent.
I can't report on where we went coz i was languishing in just following, sheepishly but by the time Burky had to leave, I'm sure I wasn't alone in admitting to almost O/Ding on adrenaline, wot a total laff. Such a shame you had to leave john coz the fun continued when the lead was taken up by Paul who took us on just as breathtaking roads all of which made for a brilliant day's riding.
By the time we got to the good old "Coach Inn", spirits were high, smiles were ear to ear and we were all looking forward to a good night (Except Tony Bram who was sharing a room with me and knew he wouldn't have a good night!!). As per, we took over the main bar area in a manner that Bush n Blair would have been proud of and once the fodder started arriving and the beer started flowing, folks were in full holiday mood with old friendships coming out of the long winter's hibernation and new friendships being formed. There were so many funny parts about the night, like the "Wey Heeyyy" daddy-longlegs twins, the bar manager who ran everywhere with his keys of importance jangling wildly, the bar maid who kept reposessing her karaoke toy, Paul Atkin's total Rock Star impressions, Meat Loaf, the self exploding trick plates that are bigger than the tables on which you put them, and the list goes on, wot a larff.
Although nights at the Coach Inn usually start up straight away, this year it was different and slower to get going, mostly I fear, due to the incrteasing number of Burberry wearing, XR3 driving, chemically induced young scrotes hanging aroud for the opening of "Squeeze", the North of Wales No1 night club and the uneasy feeling that we all had about our toys and their vulnerability but as the beer flowed and the karaoke started, the night became the laff that it always does. The end came only after a visit to the club where we didn't look out of place at all amongst the scrawny, thin, loaded teenagers who were either standing on the "Dance" floor waving their arms around to some very strange sounds eminating from the £1700 DJ's turntables or loafing around rolling their own Bob's. We stayed a while and Sharkie threw some very impressive shapes and a pippa doll around the room.
Breakfast conversation was replaced by grunts and the fizzing sound of Resolve and the sound of milk splattering on the floor. A short while after breakfast, we were all ready for the two minute warning - all except Roberto who had a flat tyre and needed the AA and Carl and Sharkie who were feeling a little worse for wear and possibly needed to join AA.
As we set off into the sea mist, the day evolved into one just as great as the preceeding day. Excellent roads, top weather and a good crack which all eventually ended about 7pm when I rolled up at home, very weary but blissfully happy.
Just like to say fanx to Clarkie & Burkie for putting together such a fab weekend. It just seems to get better with every trip out. A great bunch of people, all out to have a good time and i think we all succeeded.
I've put together a short list of awards:
The award for Funniest Comment goes to . . . Tony Brammah, for the "D'you see the 2 headed dog in the farm yard". The award for Unluckyest Person goes to . . . Roberto, for not being fully ready when he was rammed from behind. The award for Luckyest person goes to . . . Sharkie, for the Pippa Doll success. The award for Top Samaritan goes to . . . Whoever it was who put the old geezer's wooden leg back on. The award for Runner Up Unluckyest Person goes to . . . Clarkie, for not getting a new meal due to a defective plate. The award for Most Bizzarre Thing goes to . . . The Wey Heyyy Girl who could dislocate her hips and everything else. The award for Being Liked By Everyone (Despite almost killing most people) goes to . . . Harry "3 Inches To Spare" Nuttall. The award for Wimping Out goes to . . . Chatty, for hiding his bike round the corner coz he thought the pace would be too fast. The award for Defying Sayings goes to . . . Sharkie, for not crying when he spilled his milk. The award for Most likely To Succeed As a Rock Star goes to . . . Paul Atkin. The award for Unluckyest Girlie goes to . . . Nikki, for dropping her bike. The award for Best Gadget goes to . . . Garty, for his little pumping tool. The award for Runner Up Unluckyest Girlie goes to . . . Sue gartside, for obvious reasons. And Finally the award for Typical Behaviour goes to . . . Jez, for dropping his load before the fun had even begun.
In my opinion, this weekend tipifies what our club is about, it just doesn't get better than this does it? Fanx to everyone for making my weekend so fantastic.
Fraz
Wow!!! Had a fab weekend, thanks to all involved for putting on a good show. As newbys, we felt loved and understood with like minded fools. The first person we met at little chuf was fraz, at which point we very nearly left, but as he's quite cute and scandinavian for value we thought we'd rough it out. We soon found out he had trouble keeping it up, especially when it came to natalie. The riding, routes & scenery were brill, unlike the Saturday night karaoke. What with Elvis impressions and Paul's attempt at Meatloaf, we were stunned by the sheer lack of talent from so many wonderfull men & women. As for myself (linda that is), I enjoyed it so much I went out today (mon) and bought a new bmw f 650 GS. Picking it up Friday and travelling to Scotland on Saturday. Maybe one day ill be good enough to ride with you loonies.
Thanks again for a great weekend, see you all soon.
Linda & Granville x
p.s Gauloises Yamaha, how a big trail bike should look
Thankyou for a brilliant weekend - can we put our names down for next year yet ?
Must admit I was worried about being the only girl "allowed" to ride, however I did manage to provide you with good video fodder - presume that means the laughs aren't over yet? Thanks to everyone who helped pick me and the bike up, and ensured everything was in good working order - Looking forward to the next time, only hopefully me and the bike'll stay shiny side up!
Nikki & Warren
Well folks what can I say, most of you will have read my saga of the fork leg so to tell you all I made it there by Saturday afternoon is testament to my good fortune and assistance from Motorworks BMW Huddersfield.I was waiting for them to open at 0815 and by 1015 I'm back home with rebuilt leg and a modest hole in my credit card. Come 1230 I've refitted the leg to the correct torque,showered and eaten. At 1450 I'm in Betws-y-coed ringing Big Paul to see if the group are anywhere about. Meet up with Paul and Sarah Chatfield in hire car and get the full story of their unfortunate bike theft. 1530 try Big Paul again and hey presto we're only 4 miles apart,good planning or what?
Am I pleased to see all you folk, a disastrous weekend saved , with only the loss of 6.5 hrs some were heard to say they were the best but from my point of view the best was yet to come.
The group then left Llanrwst for some back lanes round a local reservoir , exactly where we went next I don't know as I was enjoying the riding to much but I remember passing through Penygroes on our way to the digs at Clynnog fawr.
Time to try and sort out some of the new faces and renew old friendships, generally a jolly good evening/night was had by one and all especially me as I thought I wasn't going to make it, shouldn't be such a defeatist.
Sunday alarm goes 0715 oh what joy those mobile phones bring , thanks Nick (only kidding somebody has to do it) 0915 or thereabouts we leave in misty conditions but brightening for an excellent day charging around the hillsides of North Wales if I tell you all the intimate details you'll think you've been and won't make that extra effort next year to BE THERE IN THE FLESH.
Thanks PC for all the effort put into these events, I know how much back ground work is required.
Hope you all arrived home safe.
Be seeing you Aitch
Firstly I must thank Paul C and John B for organising yet another cracking event. It rates as top weekend of 2003 for me so far (already looking forward to the Scottish 2) having taken in a great selection of roads and lanes with many fantastic views along the way. It provided me with a weekend of exhilerating, sometimes scary but always enjoyable riding, the like of which I haven't had since last years coast to coast (and this was argueably harder as I wanted to keep up with at least some of you faster jokeys).
It was good to meet many new people in such a good humoured and relaxed group - a special thanks to Dill Drury, Nigel and Dave for inviting me to their breakfast table on Saturday morning. Next year I must remember to get more kip the week before so I dont have to miss out on much of Saturday nights entertainment ( or do I recall some folk describing it as aural torture? ).
My apologies to the gent (doublely so as I can't remember his name either - ginger haired bloke anyway) who I nearly crashed into the back of on Sunday during a very scary (nearly lost it!) hard braking (read virtual panic) stunt, after realising too late that everyone else had formed a stationary queue on the lane in front of me(just before going up the trail that gave the fantastic view over Barmouth)- I promise I wasn't aiming for you deliberately. Next time I will remember not to site see whilst rounding bends on narrow lanes! Thanks to John Gartside and Sue (who must have nerves of steel and absolute faith in John) for leading some of us homeward, at a truely fast tempo along some wonderfuly bendy roads - now I now where, I'll be back. Great fun. Hope to be riding with some of you again quite soon (and all of you eventually)- hope you all got back home safely. All the best, Dave PS - nice to see so many AT's out there among the BM's.
A terrific weekend. Great people, great bikes, great roads and of course I had a really great time!
Many thanks to everyone there for being such a good crowd and especially to PC and John Burkinshaw for their incredible leads, as well as to Mr+Mrs Gartside for their 'most spectacular' lead South (I must go back sometime to actually take in the scenery!). And a hello to the other bunk-house dwellers:) When PC explained at the start the ONLY RULE was "front man, 2nd man and back man" I was encouraged, and after seeing this was truly the case, well .... I guess you all know how good it gets, that's why you were there:) And amazingly kept up the pace and standard through-out the weekend. And finally many thanks for everyone's patience and understanding with my occasional excursions, because it wasn't my fault, I was just out-of-control. Trying to keep up ("he had no break light!"), with mirrors full of XTZ850 and GS 1150 and corners coming too fast. I guess everyone was a 'new boy' once? Look forward to seeing you all again soon. Glenn - Suffolk (RD04)
Hi Glenn,
Don't worry about it, my first time out was an embarrassing trip. Broke down due to broken fuel pump, stalled and fell over (OVER, not OFF, OK?) at junction due to aforesaid pump , and got a b*ll*cking for my riding from a very irate lady rider whose slagging off of me was caught on vid (thanx Fraz).All of which I am frequently reminded of, from 3 Welsh Trips ago. Welcome to the club. Rickanne (xtz850,approx)
Yet another excellent, sunny tour of Wales with some belting new routes added to existing stonking roads. Thanks to PC, Burky's saturday lead and Garty's blast home through Wales (top fun). I can smell the haggis already.
Rob Scott
Well, I don't know... seems to me the standard of riding in the club now has reached new heights; exemplified by my solo ride home, following (briefly) the sports bikes up round Bala way. I'm not sure why, but the BTBc seems to be top heavy with quality riders (I don't include myself in there BTW) that are not only fast, but in total control. Well done lads (and lass ISTR).
Absolute pisser about the LostBike; as a father of young kids mesen I well understand the value of a weekend away on the bike. Paul and Sarah lost more than an elderly 650 on Saturday morning. Then again, it gave everyone a chance to see the resilience of the irrepressible marras; glad you both came down for t'dooo at least. On other matters. Garty's CD arrived today and my, the regulars look old and fat this year. You know who you are, but suddenly we are old, grey, bald, what the Fek happened??
Strange. New friends, I am in the unfortunate position of reporting a bad do at meeting and greeting you all, some of you I briefly brushed up against here and there (fnar fnar) but not as much as I'd have liked. I apologise, but it's worth sticking around, trust me, there are some nice human beings in this thing. And I include RickAnne in that statement ;-) Weather-wise, it was such a lovely day (© Frank Sinatra) that I hardly got chance to try out my new togs; still, I was told they were "...just too modern" so that'll do for now. I seem to be getting the hang of the Panzer a bit more now. In fact, I had the supremely satisfying enjoyment of doing a VFR800 on the way home. Which was nice. Roads were great; the logging road and the one after, the hidden valley, Double Head Dog Lane, Ted's Road, all top notch. Even that tw...ing club was OK; certainly, the view was excellent. I'd like to recommend SprayWay fleece jackets at this point, they have a thousand uses... also, hope for all fat old geezers everywhere, avin it larrge! Unfortunately, my relation with the Coach Inn has hit a new low. Crap steak, late sing-a-long-a-thon, brekkie, hmmm... hardly good enough IMHO, although the nite-spot could add to it (if only the RP truck had managed to get there in support). The "chef" actually had the temerity to challenge me with "hey youse, I ad to gerrup early for youse fe..ers" as I passed him in the hall; "Got yer fe.kin own back wiv da eggs though, dinnya??" I responded in type.
So, a new season, new faces, some old ones, weather back where it should be, marrrrrvelous. Cheers Paul, John and the rest of you that made my weekend. CU all at t'Cambrian, or t'Scotland II, or t'Moorlands Meander etc etc etc bfn, Tony B
Just got back 4-o-clock. Brilliant weather, brilliant roads, brilliant company. Big thanks to John Burkey for leading Saturday's ride and to PC for Sunday's ride - and of course for organising the whole shooting match.
Paul A.
Well What a terrible weekend, this 'BTB-C Tour of Wales'. And what a rip-off. I should have boycotted it.
1: For a start, I spent the entire weekend with a gang of odd people who seem to treat life as if it is enjoyable and that somehow riding around on motorcycles is something other than a mode of transport. The speeds that they ride these machines verges on the reckless. 2: They did not wear fluorescent waistcoats at all, or even abide by speed limits. I somehow doubt that many of them had taken an advanced motorcyclists course at all. Some of them rode with wheels not touching the road and most had tampered with their exhausts so that they made a distressing amount of noise. 3: They laughed if someone fell off or did something silly. Surely adults can treat serious matters such as these with a little more gravitas? 4: They deliberately avoided policemen by going on very dangerous 'backroads'. 5: They allowed a girl to ride one of these so-called big trailies and laughed when she fell off too. 6: They drank alcoholic drinks THE NIGHT BEFORE they rode their bikes. 7: They spent almost the whole evening laughing, drinking, singing and enjoying themselves and upset local residents who were trying to hold a meeting in the hall next door. 8: Several of them were seen cavorting with young girls at this village meeting until the small hours. What these young girls mothers thought of this I dare not think. 9: Hardly anybody showed proper respect to the big man who claimed to be leader. Their language was terrible and the women they brought with them drank, swore and sang as much as the men. 10: The new 'Barum' tyres I fitted in 1998 along with a perfectly good chain that has lasted me since I bought the bike back in 1988 are now completely worn out. I could go on, but surely it is time that something like the BTB-C, which seems to promote this intolerable and unnecessary culture of 'fun, was banned. I missed a perfectly sensible trip to practise hand-signals in Cirencester Tesco's car park with another club. Instead I handed over an obscene amount of cash, almost several pounds, to have my senses assaulted by non-stop tomfoolery, pranks, riding and people smiling all over the place.
BOL...KS! What a great trip. Sue and I met some nice new people, I recovered my biking confidence (after a few knocks last year) we just laughed and laughed and laughed at everything and anything. What a great tonic after a bike-free boring winter.
Roll on Scotland and more to the point, well done Paul and John for yet another simply stonking trip. Thanks from us both.
Cheer up Chatty and Sarah, we are all looking for a nice Africa for you. I am now going to plough through over 450 pictures and small videos that Sue and I took, along with 35 minutes of video that is being sent up to Mr Sill for editing and distribution later in the year, although, of course this is blatant advertising. Anyone who went on the trip and wants a disk with the pics on just drop me a line and I'll do my best to send you one, the usual pint next time we meet is all I ask.
John Gartside
And another thing, my face is burning from the wind/sun burn, and no health warning given !! Hope you all got home safely.
Thanks again Paul, looking forward to Scotland.
Allen Mitchell
A late response, but me and Nige had a great time, never realised there could be so many little lanes anywhere. Particularly liked the road around Lake Vyrnwy and the one through the forest after the loggers had been there. Only drawback was the bloody nightclub not being soundproofed - maybe I should have paced myself better and gone to bed pissed at 2 in the morning instead of 1030 at night. Nige and I left around lunchtime and we got back to Sheffield around 6 p.m. Certainly felt more confident on decent tyres this time Can't wait for next year, but will book early for a proper bed. Well done and thanks to the organisers and the leaders and the back men. Bill.
On our Wales tour of the last couple of days, we spent a happy quarter of an hour lolling around in the heather and looking out over the beautiful view of the Mawddach estuary and Barmouth. Paul and Paul Atkin told me of an aircraft crash memorial just down the bank from the track. Here is the story of it pillaged from 'Down in Wales' an excellent little book.
'The first American Army Air Force bombers began to arrive in Britain in July 1942, first in a trickle and then in an ever-growing force that was eventually larger than RAF Bomber Command. The Eighth Air Force, as it was known, was equipped with two types of four-engined bomber, the Consolidated B24 Liberator and the Boeing B17 Flying Fortress. With the RAF by night and the USAAF by day, the 3rd Reich was subjected to the heaviest aerial bombardment hitherto not seen in the war. The spearhead of the daylight attack was the B17 Flying Fortress, a four-engined aircraft with a speed of 280 mph and 13 0.5" guns to defend itself, but compared with the Lancaster, quite a small bomb load. To compensate for this, operating in daylight meant that greater accuracy could be achieved.
On June 8th 1945 44-6005 left Polebrook, with Lt Johnson as pilot, with 19 on board, on the first leg of the journey that was to take them back to the USA. On approaching Valley in Anglesey, their first stop, the pilot asked for a course to steer as thick cloud covered the ground and made a visual approach impossible. For some unknown reason he did not take this course, but, crossing the coast south of Barmouth in low mist and cloud, struck Craig-cwm-Llwyd with the loss of all on board. Farmers and shepherds were reported in the Western Mail as having heard the aircraft above the clouds. The wreckage and trail it made as it slid down the mountain could be seen from Barmouth.'
The crash site is further up the hillside from the track, all that remains is a large dark patch littered with small pieces of metal and solidified globules of Magnesium, which caught fire in the crash. The memorial is built into a repaired section of wall destroyed when one of the engines rolled down the hill. Paul A spoke with a gentleman in the carpark further down the hill, who was apparently a witness to the crash.
John Gartside
Thanks for the info Garty, I had a look at the plaque today, and a lump of molten metal was on the wall , with bits of stone inside it. Great weekend , and thanks to Andy, Tony and Neil for the bike loans. A good comparison test. BIG thanks to Burky and Clarky for the leading, and nice to see you all, including the new face, sorry didn't catch your name , who impressed me deeply with the late braking capabilities of Africa Twins.You know who you are!!
Ride carefully now, Rickanne