Was a sunny day...

Sunday was anyway. I had a ride up to London for the last Premier League game of the season. I was late setting off and had to stop for petrol. So I could dump my gear in the bike I had the Zegas fitted; who wants to sit in full gear including a Frank Thomas textile jacket and boots in 80 degree heat. 

Not me. 

At STOP 24 I filled up and the place was humming with bikes, a nice looking and heavily laden 1200GS with rider in blue and grey "twat suit" was there as well. I nodded and got ignored. Maybe an 1150 is too last decade for them! 

Cruising up the M20 at a steady 70 (cough!) was okay, not a lot of traffic until the A2 when I noticed signs saying the Blackwall Tunnel was closed. Nice of them to have waited until Falconwood. "Use alternative crossing" it said on the sign. No diversion set up, nothing. Had they put this on the M25, then I could have gone over Dartford and in a different way, instead was stuck with the A2 across Blackheath and Old/New Kent Road. Clever. 

Time was ebbing away and a bit of filtering through the twit class that have made Shoreditch an up and coming area and was in Highbury just coming up to 3pm. I'd said I'd see my brother about then by the gate. All the single yellow lines where I have parked before were now double "at any time" yellow lines and traffic wardens in attendance to ticket any mug parking in the empty resident's permit places. I opted to pay a fiver to the church at St Joan of Arc. At least it is off road and less liable to be nicked; stolen or ticketed! 

In the end it was a good game, neither Arsenal or Stoke City had much to play for and the Gunners ran out 4-1 winners. The ride home was quite simple as well. The Blackwall Tunnel now open southbound but queues miles back so I went A13 to Dartford instead. 

This bit of road has loads of speed cameras and everyone flows along at 50 to 60, slowing to 40 for the camera, and when past the zig-zags everyone speeds up again! The only problem was after joining the M20 from the M2 via Bluebell Hill I came across three "hot hatches" across the roadway between the A249 and the Maidstone services. All members of some car club shouting across to each other at 60mph. The blue Corsa VXR, or whatever it was, sat resolutely in the outside lane with me behind him, then slowed and then put his foot down. I let him pull away to about 70 (!) and then he pulled across into the middle. I accelerated past him looked down at the yoof at the wheel, CB handset in his hand... phones are illegal but not CB's? He then latched onto my arse. Any closer and he could have.. well you get the picture... 

I expanded the speed envelope a little and he dropped back, and I never saw him or the others until I slowed for a police car near Ashford when he flew past at about 90mph, diving off when he spotted the Volvo ahead. I filled the tank at Tesco at Ashford J10 and then has a relaxed run down the A20 to get home.