Peterborough or Bust !!!!!!

Had a chat with a good friend the other day Mr John Lewis from Holt Norfolk.
he said on Sat 8-Feb he was having a trip over to Peterborough to collect a part for his Bike ready for his
European Trip in May 2014, so with this in mind we arranged to meet up at an Honda Dealer there for a chat n a coffee.
Well what a journey down & also on the way back, considering it's Feb the temp was approx 8 deg but the Gales we had today made Biking very hard especially when you have full fairings like my GT.

After we had been there an hour and a bit i set off for home, most of the way the wind was behind me until I got nearer to home then it was lean the old machine over in to it, overall a good few hours out.


MAP

Scotland May 2013, Better late than never !!!!!

As I said, better late than Never !!!!.
During 2013 i still managed to ride approx 3,000 miles, how I actually did this i'm not too sure seen as
the GT spent quite a few months in the Garage, it must have been the Blast to France & Belgium in April then most of the mileage done going to Scotland in May.
From May we didn't go out very much on the GT at all, odd days here & there.
Scotland
Well was a trip & half, 2012 we went to Scotland in the car & the weather was very very good, 2013 the weather was ok but we did get wet, and it was very windy going to Ullapool/Golspie.

Day 1, we set out from home, the 1st stop was Edinburgh stopping en-route at Newton Aycliffe for a coffee.
Once at the border we didn't stop for long as there was very low cloud & you could not see far at all so down in to Jedburgh for another Pit-Stop (coffee). Edinburgh is a nice city but all we did was get to the hotel, showered then my m8 & his wife come & picked us up & we went for a meal near the port.

Day 2, up for breakfast & packed up the panniers & off we went heading for Fort William.
We made the decision to get on the way pretty swiftly as the weather report for Edinburgh area was not good. heading North Westerly the weather was better stopping at Tyndrum at The Green Welly Cafe Stop, this is a big cafe, biker, hotel, coach & truck park on the way to Glenn Coe.
Glenn Coe is a very nice road to take to the Western part of Scotland evan though it got a bit breezy on the bike.

Day 3, leaving the B&B at Fort William we had decided to go to Beauly our next stop which was not that far. We rode via the Isle Of Sky ferry to Skye stopping off in Broadford for a look around, while in this cafe there was another Older couple on holiday having a drink, sod me they only live 10 miles away from us in Doncaster Lol.. leaving Skye & taking photos of the Bridge we passed Eilean Donan Castle a famous castle in Scotland, i really wanted to stop here but there was no point in taking photos of a castle with a load of Scaffolding around it. Beauly it was via a nice little place called Fort Augustus.

Day 4, leaving the very nice B&B at Beauly which looked like a small hotel off to Dingwall for petrol then woosh up to Ullapool "In the Rain & very Strong Wind", I was glad to get to Ullapool the weather was pretty rough needless to say, I've never been here before & was not dissappointed  by the small village/port.
The coffe shop The Frigate was a welcome site let me tell you. From Ullapool we made our way to Golspie for the night, we passed some amazing scenery & more Rain. Fish n Chip meal in the Trawler in Golspie went down a treat tonight.

Day 5, the reason for coming back to Golspie was to visit a castle called Dunrobin Castle very fairy tale looking but great to visit evan though the weather was not good. Back at the B&B we got changed & yes put the wet weather gear on strong winds & a lot of rain on the way down to Pitlochry to our Excellent B&B. Tonight we met up with Phil & his wife again for a meal in the village.

Day 6, after a wonder around Pitlochry & purchasing a bottle of the Amber Necter "Edradour" Whiskey we made tracks for Carlisle, once we got to Glasgow area we came off the main Motorway M74 & followed the old road all the way down to Gretna, a very pleasent ride but Gosh was it windy again, I was glad to get to the Premier Inn that day.

Day 7, last day travelling home from Carlisle via the Lake District. A very wise choice indeed, the weather to end the holiday was glorious Sun & hardly any wind passing through Keswick, Grassmere, Ambleside & stopping in Bowness on Windermere for coffee. En-route home we took in a favorite biker meeting place Devils bridge & then a stop over in Wetherby before getting home..

Tyndrum

Tyndrum

Glen Coe

Taken in Fort William

Mallaig Ferry to Skye

Leaving Mallaig Harbour

Skye Bridge

And Again

Fort Augustus

Fort Augustus

Fort Augustus

Locks at Fort Augustus

Jill waiting for a Latte in Fort Augustus

B&B Beauly

Sign says it all....

Ullapool

Near Golspie

Just the Ticket

Golspie

Dunrobin

All the photos of our trip should be able to be viewed HERE.

Hello Bloggers, it's been a long time I know.....

A Biker I met up with in 2010 while having my 1st trip down to the Ace Cafe in London. His name is John Lewis from Norfolk, he has been riding Motorbikes since he could get his leg over the The Seat LOL. Any way, my friend is doing yet another trip this year in May 2014 called " Side-2-Side 2014", please click those last words to see where his journey is taking him, I would have loved to have made the trip with him but unfortunately I cannot due to work. In 2010 john did another Amazing trip CLICK ME to see what he did.. For me 2014 is a planned trip on The GT up to Scotland again with my wife during May sometime, hopefully the weather will be kind.

John Lewis & me at our 1st meeting at Brampton Hut A1-A14 Interchange.

My Baby........

Thursday 16th.May.2013

Sat here in my Truck parked up for the night and listening to the sound of the BLUMIN Rain hitting the Unit. I am keeping a close Eye on the weather for Scotland for our Touring week up there comm Sun 19.5.2013. Here is the route we are taking A being where we live in Doncaster UK. We hope to leave Sunday morning approx 8.30am heading for Edinburgh for our 1st nights stop over and too also meet up my mate Phil and his wife Marion, we will separate Monday morning and we will head North West to Fort William until on Thursday we will meet up with them again in Pitlochry. Here is a google map of our whole route.
View Larger Map

A quick Blast over to Europe April 2013

Sun 28.4.13 I left home @ 5.45am to meet up with my pal Phil down at Cambridge. From the Mcdonalds we got fuel & headed South to Dover, b4 getting to the ferry we re-fuelled & grabbed a Sandwich then off to the ferry port. Once we docked in Calais & no time to waste it was off to my aunts to meet up with my parents and spend the night have a meal then bed. Monday, up showered,breakfast & a bit of messing about we left Erre approx 12pm. headeing out to Lille then straight in to the city centre of Brugges to park up. We had a good few hours walking round Brugges, bought some bits & not forgetting some Belgium Chocolates for the wifes. From Brugges we headed back to Calais, booked in to the hotel B&B for the night, showered then out for a meal b4 getting our heads down. Tuesday we were down at breakfast 7am local time then off to catch the ferry home. I covered about 741 miles on the 3 day trip, the whole purpose of the trip was to go to Europe again but also to meet up with my parents who did not know I was going to be at my aunts, so Yes they were Surprized to see me. The bike has gone in to the garage Sat 4.5.13 for a service b4 Jill & I go on our trip touring Scotland in 2 weeks.(19th May) My Route From home to Dover Sunday 28.4.13.
View Larger Map Calais to Erre France Sunday 28.4.13 then Erre to Brugge & then to Calais Monday 29.4.13.
View Larger Map Dover back Home, Tuesday 30.4.13
View Larger Map

She is ready for the off early Sunday morning 28-4-13 for a little trip to France and Belgium with my mate Phil who I went to Luxembourg with 2 years ago. When I get back I'll up-date and add a few photo's of the trip....TT

She Is Out, The GT I Mean !!!!!

After what can only be described as a Bloody few crap months of weather here in the UK. This Easter Saturday we managed to get out on the GT, it's the first time since Oct the wife (Jill) has been on the back of her. Any way it was still a bit cool approx 5/6 Deg's, so we made our way over too Clay Cross to the CMC motorcycle dealer coffee and a sandwich was very welcome, it also gave us chance to try out the NEw Comm's Blue Tooth Kit's I bought for the Helmets. 1st impressions of these are fairly good but at 60mph + it gets a bit hard to hear one another so I put them in Sleep mode saving the Battery power while on the Motorways then simply press a button to re-connect them again. We set off from CMC for home and yes it started to Snow only Lightley though, and By Gosh did it start to get cold on the way. A good 1st real ride out for a few hours of the year, hope we get more of them to follow, roll on Scotland May 2013....