InvictaMoto's On The Road Again!

But not this week.

A couple of weeks ago we went to Canterbury Cathedral. You are allowed to take photographs inside the Cathedral except in the Crypt.  I took this one of the tomb of Edward by poking the lens through the bars and setting the exposure a little longer than I wanted.  There is little natural light and I am pleased that this one came out pretty crisp. The wonder of digital cameras means the other half dozen could be discarded! More Reading.  

And Mr Cameron, more than 40p per unit already..... So hands off you Eton toff.

I do like a coffee in the morning. Train commuting means either getting up earlier to have a cup before I leave home at 0725 or getting one two hours later in the office. I've tried the cheaper option of a small flask but have yet to find one that doesn't leak. I have two that resemble 2.5 inch mortar shells (less fins) and both dribble on carrying them. Not great when you have things in your bag that don't need a dousing in coffee. So I thought I'd try this as it was on offer in the supermarket. Simply rip the lid off the thin end and press the centre of the plastic bubble. This causes the chemical reaction and the can heats up. Three minutes pop the ring at the top and hot coffee. Taste? Not that bad. Maybe a little on the sweet side but strong enough to wake me up! Would I buy it again. Mmmmm. Probably to carry as an alternative to coffee shop and/or nothing on a bike trip. I might get a can to put in the top box on my next longish run.

Eggs bought to take to the Whitstable Easter Egg Run on Sunday. How many will make it?

Another date for the diary. After the success of the last ever Ride of Respect, our next "charity ride" to raise funds for charities that support out service men and women after they have been in combat, is the Allied Memorial Remembrance Ride. We have been on this this run for the last two years and we will take a ride up there again this year.  Registration opened this weekend and I booked both my brother, Woody (not his real name but his Mild Hog name), and myself on.  It only costs a fiver and the cause is the Royal British Legion. I've advertised it widely and nothing has taken as yet but it's early days. Although never a serviceman myself, I have relatives that have served their country in time of war and in peace.  My father, Claude, was in the Royal Navy in Malaya and Korea.  Other relatives served during WW1 & WW2.  Some didn't come home, some did and were never the same after being prisoners in the "care" of the Japanese. We...

This is the swan's nest that our local swan's have started to build again just down the road from where we live. They build one every year right next to the path on the south side of the canal, and this year it is fenced by the canal rangers again to stop them being disturbed by passers by and their dogs.... The photo was taken by my wife on her walk down to look.

Thanks to Creative-Eye photography for the pic of me in the High Street in Royal Wootton Bassett. https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Creative-Eye/134817859936900 or creative-eye@live,co.uk

Ride of Respect 2012 , a set on Flickr. Pics I uploaded to Flickr.

The organisation was so slick yesterday, that we were only on the runway at Hullavington for about 40 minutes.  As a result we didn't have much chance to mooch about to get some pix of the varied and interesting bikes that were there. So in the end, I managed to click a few "atmosphere" pics of the bikes massed ready for the off, and some pix when we stopped just after Wootton Bassett itself. Over the week on the official Ride Facebook page there will be lots of pictures posted and I hope that maybe I'll feature!!!  Click on the link to go to my small album - http://s770.photobucket.com/albums/xx341/Invictamoto/Ride%20of%20Respect%202012/

Jasper Conran sunglasses , originally uploaded by InvictaMoto . The first day this year that they have got fully dark. The Nikon lenses usually react very quickly...

Still beautiful after the renovation.

About this time every year I start the trawl around the interweb to see what the ferry and shuttle fares are for the summer. One thing is certain with the demise of Seafrance the competitors still left in the ring have upped their fares. Last year with a Suzuki Owners Club discount code (that seems to no longer work) we took the car for less than £70.  This year with the discount from the link below, it's £114.  http://www.poferries.com/tourist/content/pages/_reader_offers_MCN.htm So it is back to the drawing board for the time being.

MAG member Jon Strong has continued with his complaint to the European Ombudsman covering several issues that we have been fighting and now, with the support of Steven Baker MP (High Wycombe), has asked the UK Government to challenge the legitimacy of the EU Type Approval Regulation in the European Court of Justice. Please read on to see how you can help, or jump to the end and send the letter! Background to the case: The first of Jon's grounds for his original complaint was the conduct of the EU Periodic Technical Inspection (PTI) survey on the basis that it was only available in English, disenfranchising the non-English speakers in the E U and that the survey itself was so poor that it wouldn't get a pass mark if submitted as an undergraduate assignment. Jon felt that the right to respond to a survey in any of the EU official languages was meaningless if the respondent couldn't read the questions! Jon is not anti-EU but he just believes that lawmaker...

With the weekend approaching and the Ride of Respect I need to get some miles under my belt. Since the MoT last weekend I have managed about 25 miles. The RoR is about 175 miles each way from home. Usually by this time I have been on the road for a few weeks and fully tuned in.  So, as my train ticket ran out tonight I think I need a couple of days on the bike, especially as the weather in supposed to be good for the next few days. For the RoR itself, the weather is not forecast to be that good. 

Took them long enough!! Dear Mr Devall, Thank you for your recent Tesco Direct order for an IPAD WI-FI 4G 64GB. Unfortunately, there was an error in the price at the time that you placed your order, and as a result we have had to cancel your order. Please note any other additional items in your order will also have been cancelled. No payment has been taken for this order. Please refer to our Tesco Direct Terms and Conditions for further details of our order acceptance policy. If you would like to re-order the IPAD, on the official launch date on Friday 16th March it will be available on our website at the correct price £659. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Kind regards, Wrongly priced? "No shit Sherlock"!!!!

I bet we've all done it? What you may ask? You know, you see the news report of the ATM that keeps regurgitating cash until the banks turns it off or it runs out of money, or the truck that crashes and everyone gets a free pizza or tv, and you gnash your teeth.  "It never happens to me!" 1 x iPad Wi-fi 4G 64GB Black Catalogue No: 213-2623 Our Ref (TPNB):  71567315 £49.99 (1 @ 49.99 each) What if some dashed into your office with the above deal. Obviously a mistake, as that sucker is more like £649.99, but you'd order one or more right? After all "it's your turn". Well, it was and I did. Not greedy, just the one. But what are the chances of them delivering it? None or sweet Fanny Adams?

Although better off than the lower leagues it is a rollercoaster being a Gooner. The last four games we have given the opposition a head start and come back to win. Tonight was no exception. Sloppy defending mainly by Gibbs and the Geordies had a man free to score. Against the run of play. We equalised immediately and then we dominated. God only knows how many chances were squandered to keep us on the edge of our seats.... At every opportunity Krul (sounds like an SF title!!) wasted time over kicks. To prove it doesn't always work in the perps favour, the fourth official held up the 5 minute board. The Arsenal piled on the pressure and in the 95th minute Thomas "The Verminator" Vermaelen forced the ball under the cheating Krul. Game over.

Certainly feels good to be back on two wheels. Mot went off okay and the new Odyssey battery went in.

Taken by InvictaMoto http://www.flickr.com/photos/60261390@N00/6969402311 Paul Devall Sent from my iPhone

... but not for long. The battery is so flat that before I connected the car via the jump leads the neutral light was barely alight. With the car running, there wasn't enough kick to get it to start but once Claire had her foot on the accelerator it started second of third go on the starter. I don't like to let it bang over too long with each press on the button. I left it to run for ten minutes of so and then gave up. Hopefully, this will mean it will start easier on Saturday morning so I can get it to Alford Brothers for the MoT and more importantly, have the new battery installed.

As you've been busy writing letters recently, here's an opportunity for one more. However, this one is time critical. Westminster City Council (WCC) first opened 7 of its bus lanes to motorcycles back in September 2005 in an experiment to assess the safety of the idea regarding all road users. In 2007 the scheme was made permanent after the trials proved positive and now, only 5 years later, they are extending the idea. This time, as I mentioned in the mailout last week, they are beginning trials on 8 more bus lanes, but this time they are focussing on the part we know bikes can play in congestion reduction, improved traffic flow, urban air quality as well as safety. Following their long term trial, TfL (Transport for London) statistics showed that traffic flow can be improved by allowing motorbikes into bus lanes so WCC is now looking to extend its own project further across all roads in the city. Westminster CC say "The intent of the Order is to secure the expedi...

Paperwork and wristbands arrived for the third and final Ride of Respect today. Despite some people agitating and trying to make out that there is some wrong doing on the part of the RoR Organisers in the past, the Royal British Legion stepped in to handle the bookings and send out the wristbands. Would they have done this had there been any hint of a scandal or whatever the haters have claimed?

After much lobbying and in light of the recent Transport for London decision to permanently open red route bus lanes to motorbikes, Westminster City Council have today announced that they shall follow suit. Councillor Lee Rowley said: "Our long term objective is to solve the congestion problems in London by creating a safe, clean and vibrant environment in which all road users can benefit from Westminster's streets. "With the use of scooters rising by over 11% in 2011, it is important that the council takes action to help two-wheeled road users get around the capital safely." MAG have been working very closely with Westminster Council for months on this issue and it is the realisation that motorcycles can play a significant part in traffic congestion reduction and in the reduction of emissions that swayed the balance. Since the mid 1990's MAG has been working with Councils around the country to achieve access to bus lanes for safety, environmenta...