On the Road Again!

It's a little disappointing that with 37 members of the Meldrew's that we have only managed to get 5 plus a friend one of of them so come along to the first overseas event since Covid and Brexit. In the end four of us will be travelling by bike and a couple will be going in the car.   We had originally booked a twin and a triple room and earlier today we booked the quadruple bedded room and dropped the other two rooms. So now we have 4 beds and 4 people! It also works out cheaper per head for the hotel and it includes breakfast, which is rare for that kind of price.  The  Gasthof 't Zweerd is right in the centre of Ypres and walking distance to the Menen Gate for the evening Last Post Ceremony and is right where all the bars and restaurants are situated.  Parking should be right outside!   Next we need to decide what ferry we will get. I expect we will go P&O from Dover to Calais and then have a run across country to Ypres. The TomTom shows us goi...

It's been quite a while since the Meldrews' had a trip away, just a weekend across in France or Belgium.   We (The Royal We?) used to go to the Bikers Loft. I only actually went the once as it seemed to clash with other commitments. That was on the Rocket and back in 2015!  The others in our informal group that we call the Meldrews' have been more often. You can read about my trip to the Loft here . So when one of the members suggested we have another look at a weekend away I didn't get to involved as the first two weeks in September I am away with Claire and the dog in France in the motorhome. I gave some dates when I am not away or at football.  The weekend 22nd to 24th September popped out at me.  It's the North London Derby at the Emirates, but we have already agreed that it will be one of Phil's games so I am free. I like the idea of being well away as I would want to watch and I prefer to wait until I know the score. Yes. Live football sometimes sucks! Ov...

Another update. As the route would take me through Ieper/Ypres/Wipers anyway I will stop in the Grote Markt for a short time and visit the Tourist Office and also I might have time to get across the the British Legion shop across the road.  Always a sucker for a new pin badge! I don't want this to become a whistle-stop tour but I need the gate code from the Tourist Office to get into the St Eloi Crater park.  Although if it is anything  like Bayernwald,  when I got there someone had left the gate unlocked and slightly ajar so the code wasn't needed. If time starts to get away with me after Palingbeek I can always cut one or some of the stops out of the route.   When I used to plan these trips for the Kent Centre SOC and then the Meldrews I think I used to build in too many places to stop and then had to remove some on the hoof as it were.Probably better than too few and having to pad the trips out!! My primary focus is to see the exhibit at Palingbeek as it...