On the Road Again!

My rally weekend started on Friday. I packed my stuff and then had l lunch with Claire, at home, before setting out on the run up to the Youth Hostel in Coalport, near Ironbridge in Shropshire. The weather was hot and I was wearing my new cordura trousers for the first time.  I had removed the quilted lining for both comfort and to avoid death by over heating.  The run up was pretty straightforward with the satnav deciding on the M1/M6 route. As it turned out this was a bad idea as apart from the road works plaguing the M25, the M1 was dug up from Luton Airport to past the Bedford junction, with two lanes chocked full of trucks. Whatever happened to the railway for heavy loads. I stopped for a break and a coffee at the Watford Gap services before continuing.  Petrol seemed to be lasting okay and it was only at Birmingham did I need the first top up.  Managing just over 204 miles for 16.5 litres.  A tip here.  If you are on the M6, avoid the services ...

The list of checkpoints and entry card have arrived. I'm entry number 68. We have chosen the north Wales route so we can have another go across to Anglesey and Llanfair-PG. Now it's time to look at the checkpoints and plot a route that will allow us to go for the Platinum Award along with the Dragon Award. Only three days to go.

When we were in Ironbridge last week we visited the Coalport China Works. In one of the buildings there is a newish Youth Hostel. We booked in last year but I missed out as the GS broke down on the way. Whilst there I booked for the Friday night before the rally. For the Saturday night after the rally I am looking for alternative accommodation so when a "sale" email arrived offering rooms from £10 I had to look on http://www2.travelodge.co.uk /. A bit like Ryanair it is almost impossible to find any rooms at that price! Search on still!

Sent the forms back earlier in the week. So now need to look around for somewhere to stay overnight on Friday and Saturday. Touching wood that there are no problems this year.

It's that time again when attention turns round to the Welsh National Rally in May. My rally last year lasted about a mile when the rear drive on the GS went phut. Or rather crunch-graunch. Forms should be available soon and time to wake up the rest of the team!

It is now. I got into Hythe and there was a sudden graunching noise from the rear end followed by oil.  Rear drive bearing gone.  Luckily (!) not too far from home and not at any speed! I managed to sms Steve to tell him I was out and emailed Andrew. Now to get it repaired. Carole Nash breakdown said that when I get it booked in somewhere they will collect it and take it for me.  So far have emailed Cooper's and Steptoe. At least there's no hurry now as long as it gets done before we go to Assen!! See the full trail here: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=607099

I was a bit late up as I sat up far too late to watch the general election results start to come in.  Time to forget all that and tog up and then off to the M20 services to fill up with petrol, meet Claire for lunch and then head on up the highway. I've decided to take the Plan B route of M25/M40 as the traffic reports on BBC R2 are horrendous for the Essex section through the roadworks. Onwards and upwards!

I had a little time today to look at the route up to Coalport of Friday.  Depending on the weather I have a couple of routes. One is mostly motorway M20/M25/M1/M6/M54.  The other runs a little further south that takes the motorways as far as Oxford and then the A44 to Evesham and Worcester before turning north to Coalport. If the weather is not very good as they are predicting then I'll stick with plan A. If not, then Plan B and maybe a chance to maybe take some pix on the way.

The route as it pans out in Tyre (http://www.tyre.tk/ ). The route takes us in a clockwise direction. After a few weeks of warm dry weather this BH weekend has turned nasty and cold with the forecast for the week to be cold and rainy. What joy.

The route Andrew has planned covers over 320 miles of Welsh roads. Sadly the route misses out a section I was looking forward to, across the mountains between Tregaron and Abergwesyn. When we did it many years ago it was too dark to check out the scenery and the enjoy the fords!! I'll have to check a bit deeper to see if we are going through Llanddewi Brefi, home of Daffyd, of "the only gay in the village" fame.  After the Rally finishes in Castle Caereinon (also where it started!) we go our separate ways. I want to set off back towards London and looked at another youth hostel but in the end fell for the charms of a Travelodge in Walsall. Okay, maybe it's not that splendid sounding, but it is only £12 a night!! As in 2006,  Sunday morning it's up bright and early (not!) for the ride to London to see the Arsenal's last game of the season. In 2006 it was the very last game at the old Arsenal Stadium in Highbury. This year it will be less of a "must...

Here we go again. I missed out last year as I had food poisoning the day I was supposed to ride up to Wales from London. This year I hope not to be thus encumbered! Trying to get the team together, Dave, Andy and Pete.

Entry sent off a few weeks ago and I have been checking the post ever since. In the end I emailed the Clive MCC and doh! Homer Simpson Devall had forgot to put the sae in the envelope! My entry number is 25.

At the moment we have a team being put together and the first travel plans put in place. After last year when I didn't bother booking anywhere for the Saturday night after the rally, expecting to waltz into a B&B or hotel easily, and getting the bum's rush and severe wallet assault when I eventually got sorted, I have planned a little further ahead. This year I expect to be joined by old WNR colleague Andrew Pratt. Dave Clarke who did the rally with me last year is also coming along with some friends as he practices for an Iron Butt event. Travelodge have some special offers on that mean 50% off their normal (exorbitant!) room rates and so I have booked Friday 11th May at the hotel in Telford and Andy has booked the one for the Saturday night at Hilton Park Services. All we need now are the booking forms for the rally and then a week or so before the paperwork with the checkpoints. In true managerial manner, I let Andy work out the route to meet the requirements of the Gold...

The Welsh National Rally is a good weekend away riding some excellent (and some awful tiddley) roads in Wales whilst trying to get to checkpoints and answer questions, a sort of treasure hunt, with the need to get some planning done a week or so before starting out. In 2006 only Dave Clarke and I went from thee Kent Centre, and we met Friday after work near Oxford and rode across near to Wales to stay at a Travelodge. On the Travelodge website there are some good offers for some of their motels with some at 50% off. Sadly not the one we stopped at in 06! But a few within reasonable range of the start point in Castle Caereinion in Powys. After the rally I decided to stay locally, well in Birmingham, as I had the last game ever at Highbury the day after, but Dave rode home to Kent. So who is up for it from the Kent Centre? A weekend away, some great roads… Click here to see the organiser's flyer. Here for update - On the Road Again: Welsh National Rally - May 12th 2007 Part 2

This year we entered the WNR as a team actually from the Kent Centre of the Suzuki Owners Club. As you can see from the top picture, the team was team made up of two members and their bikes, but can you spot a Suzuki? Nope! In fairness we both own a Suzuki. My riding partner for the long day was Dave Clark from the Medway. Although both setting off from Kent (I was supposed to be working half day) we decided to make our own way to Oxford and meet at the services on the A40/A34/A44 junction to the north of the city. Not far from the local BMW garage as it happens. From there on we made our way off motorway in the warm sunshine to Woofferton where we stayed in the Travelodge. Pic 1 was taken in the car-park on the Saturday morning before we set off for the start of the rally. Our route was for mainly north Wales although we dipped down to take in a few industry sights before a sort of clockwise loop bringing us to the close at Castle Caereinon. We decided to do the Platinum Award and t...

This year we entered the WNR as a team actually from the Kent Centre of the Suzuki Owners Club. As you can see from the top picture, the team was team made up of two members and their bikes, but can you spot a Suzuki? Nope! In fairness we both own a Suzuki. My riding partner for the long day was Dave Clark from the Medway. Although both setting off from Kent (I was supposed to be working half day) we decided to make our own way to Oxford and meet at the services on the A40/A34/A44 junction to the north of the city. Not far from the local BMW garage as it happens. From there on we made our way off motorway in the warm sunshine to Woofferton where we stayed in the Travelodge. Pic 1 was taken in the car-park on the Saturday morning before we set off for the start of the rally. Our route was for mainly north Wales although we dipped down to take in a few industry sights before a sort of clockwise loop bringing us to the close at Castle Caereinon. We decided to do the Platinum Award and t...

I'll add more to keep the blog stocked up later. This however is the mixed grill that had my belly busting at the Salwey Arms, Woofferton near Ludlow (Tel 01584 711203). I just had to take a pic of it before making an attempt to get outside it. Everything was well cooked except the slightlty overcooked black pudding (bottom left). Unusually for a pub meal, the sausage was all meat and very tasty.

I'll add more to keep the blog stocked up later. This however is the mixed grill that had my belly busting at the Salwey Arms, Woofferton near Ludlow (Tel 01584 711203). I just had to take a pic of it before making an attempt to get outside it. Everything was well cooked except the slightlty overcooked black pudding (bottom left). Unusually for a pub meal, the sausage was all meat and very tasty.