Christmas Cards

Merry Christmas

Tis the season to be jolly..... went by bike into town to buy my cards, not only did I manage to avoid queing for the busy car parks but also managed to park outside the CANCER RESEARCH shop, and of course no parking ticket required.

RESULTS

I received the 2008 RBR results and Newsletter by e-mail yesterday, I expect they'll be posted on the website soon
http://www.roundbritainrally.co.uk/
Entrant: #69; Points: 480/2000; enough for another Bronze Award, and finishing 103rd out of 171 finishers (from 274 entrants). Not what I had aimed for, but not too bad considering some personal problems which just about stopped my RBR in July.

"MUST TRY HARDER"...... next time, whenever that may be, as it's unlikely I'll be entering for 2009.

End of 2008 Rally and waiting for the results....

Only 30/100 landmarks visited, just have to wait and see how many were correct!
The one I was most unsure about was Northants, Great Doddington, 14th century churchyard cross, some churchyards have lots of crosses..... I intended to re-visit but didn't!

RBR (WALES)

Favourite Landmark

Just because of its location and the "ownership" given from the school children shown not only by their artwork on the newer slate stones on the old school wall, but also by way of the lack of litter on the path or verge where the "old" stones are!

RBR 2008 Landmarks visited (England)

Environment Friendly

Landmark # 20 Greater Manchester, the "fireless shunting engine", could run for 1 hr once its belly had been filled with steam......

More water power at landmark # 85 Aberconwy & Colwyn, the watermill at Ysbyty Ifan

my most boring landmark....

Most boring landmark # 86 Anglesey "The three leaps" just a field with 3 large rocks in it!

And the 2nd least interesting landmark # 100 Wrexham, just an old hotel!

MCN Review: Honda NTV650

MCN quote:-
"the Honda NTV650 is a beauty - as reliable as death and taxes."

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/bikereviews/searchresults/Bike-Reviews/Honda/Honda-NTV600650-1988-1997/?&R=EPI-325
I agree with most of it, but.....
"beauty" I presume MCN mean as in the eyes of the beholder and all that, I'd never describe auNTy V that way, it's just a bike! an ugly warty wrinkly old one......

Deadline...

for LM Hand in document & fotos submission is 31st Oct, "Royal Mailed" today, so LM pics will be "posted" on the blog soon.

WEAR IT PINK!

DARE TO "WEAR IT PINK DAY" FRIDAY 31ST OCTOBER

http://www.wearitpink.co.uk/home

Ooops a bit late, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, hope you all join in the fun.

The Wear It Pink Day at work will probably be auNTy's last run out this year.....

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/breastcancer/

Thanks for all the support and donations received during 2007 & 2008, and for those feeling generous here's an on-line donation link.....

http://www.justgiving.com/rbr_goodwill_4_cancerresearchuk

"Per Purum Tonates"

Friday afternoon sunshine, and AuNTy V left in the garage, just because the Yamaha had a full tank of fuel. Three more landmarks visited:

The village lock up tower in Swithland, Leicestershire;

A memorial to the crew of a WW2 Lancaster bomber in Nottinghamshire,
where I learnt a bit of latin which applies nicely to motorbiking today:-
"Per Purum Tonates"

- thundering through the clean air

And finally before turning for home, a memorial of witchcraft folklore

"Byards Leap" in Lincolnshire.

Hopefully I've now enough points for an award, but if we get some more free time and more good weather we might venture out again.

"Have Fun Stay Safe"

EBAY for Charity

Following a shed cleanout I had some things I no longer needed nor could envisage needing in the future so I experimented with Ebay's charity tool, where a percentage of the sale price is given to charity, it wasn't very user friendly, I had some problems to say the least, therefore I doubt I'll be using it again. Also Ebay and Paypal still charge you fees, Missionfish the "middlepeople" between Ebay and your chosen charity do there bit including claiming the Gift Aid tax back without charging you! (I guess they "work" the monies whilst it's in their care)

Almost End of Rally....

The map shows my poor effort, only a couple of weeks to go, so I hope to complete my round-"midlands"-rally with a couple more landmarks before hand in.

A442 but No Helicopter!

Judging by the number of bikes out, a sunny September Sunday must have been seen by many of the fair-weather bikers as 2008's last chance to get out and play. AuNTy V was taken for a steady "local" run up into Shropshire in search of water, two landmarks: a fountain with a "Victorian" trough and a village water pump. My internet searches had revealed nothing so it was a case of go there and find.... which I quite like doing and works ok on localish landmarks where if unsuccessful it's easy to return another time.
En route we travelled the A442 from Kidderminster up towards Telford but encountered no UFOs or even IFOs (Identified Flying Objects).
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/article883885.ece
A late breakfast before setting off, and a tight schedule meant we could resist the temptation to stop at Alan's Cafe for bacon butties. http://www.motorcyclemeets.co.uk/
I have to confess the return route home was not as exciting, lack of time meant we had to use the motorway network M54 > M6 > M42 > M40; but even this brought a smile when on a snarled up M6, pink plodder auNTy V complete with panniers and a pillion passenger, filtered through past a pack of sports bikes waiting in the outside/fast lane, and despite the surprised look from a couple of them, none followed!

HAVE FUN STAY SAFE

Jack & Jill

image from: http://nurseryrhymes.allinfoabout.com/Jack_and_Jill.php
RBR landmark #3 for Bath & NE Somerset required finding the "Jack & Jill Hill" stone within the village of Kilmersdon, which claims to have the hill and well to which the rhyme refers! I walked up the steep hill, and think that Jack probably collapsed from exhaustion rather than just "falling" down! The path up the hill connects the village at the bottom to the primary school at the top, I can't imagine there are very few mums and children that walk up it everyday, most probable is the school lane to be full of cars, 4x4s and MPVs at school start/finish times.

There is and a more gruesome theory to the rhymes origins:
http://www.rhymes.org.uk/jack_and_jill.htm

Not the landmark so here's a pic of Somerset's very own Jack and Jill well!

B3135

B3135

auNTy broke!

Due to some personal issues, I've had to scale down this years RBR activity, however not totally stop!

AuNTy's throttle had been getting heavier so when it started stick open slightly with a little trip to the SW is planned for the weekend, I decided to look into the problem. My thinking was at best a little oil might quickly put things right.....maybe had the oil been applied earlier the cable wouldn't have snapped as soon as I started to look it over...... OK best check the "back up bike" the Yamaha XJ600 Diversion and fit the topbox onto it, chain lubed, engine oil topped up (never have to do that on auNTy!) tyres checked, fuel filled, last job the top box.... then whilst rummaging in the shed looking for some fixings I found a spare "new" throttle cable I'd bought for auNTy a while ago "just in case"! Truthfully it was so long ago I can't remember buying it! Cable fitted, all working so auNTy will be out this weekend.

Another Charity Raiser: North Yorkshire Tour by motorcycle sidecar

Amazing what turns up on EBAY:-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Royal-Enfield-350-Sidecar-DAY-TRIP-In-North-Yorkshire_W0QQitemZ110281399909QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item110281399909&_trkparms=72%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

North Yorkshire Moors sightseeing tour as passenger in the sidecar, proceeds to charity..... a thought:- auNTy with a sidecar attached?!?!...... a "PINK" sidecar....... anybody want to donate one?

PINK MY RIDE!

spotted @ The Waterman, WARKS, 16/07/08

Peak District

After a quiet spell auNTy V and I are off up to the peak district this weekend: camping, RBR's and evening ale......

Manchester bikers fuel price protest

Well done to all those that participated,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/7437144.stm

wish we'd been there too,

Lower Fuel Price Petition....

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Lowerduty30/

Biker Ted spotted at The Waterman

Thundersprint stills

Thundersprint 2008 (Northwich, Cheshire, UK)

nr West Midlands LM#30, BOURNEVILLE, Birmingham,

George Cadbury was inspired to build the Bourneville Carillon after viewing the one in Bruge, which dates back to 1675.

IMG_0181
Originally uploaded by rbr08_goodwill_4_charity

The Carillon houses a series of bells that are rung by the striking of a hammer on the outside of a bell, the bells are played by a keyboard known as a clavier. The Bournville Carillon can be heard most weekends.

Breast Way Round

23rd – 26th May 2008. A group of more than 50 lady riders, will travel the West Coast of Scotland in order to raise money for the MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT. This ride has been named ‘THE BREAST WAY ROUND’ and they will be very visible in their Pink Hi-Vis Vests.
http://www.ladybikermagazine.com/breastwayround.htm
http://www.breastwayround.com/wp/?page_id=2

Red Marley Trial 2008

Red Marley Hillcimb Worcesternews Report link

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/wnnewsgallery/redmarleyhillclimb/

RBR Annual Rally Start Event 21/03/08

2008 RoundBritainRally A.R.S.E.

Welcome to my 2008 RBR Blog.
Despite the late (almost non) bike prep and the early rally start date, auNTy and I made it to the 2008 RBR Annual Rally Start Event. I counted 22 bikes, which meant about 30 fools had braved the piercing stormy north westerly winds to meet at LM#1 "the Bier House" somewhere in leafy Bedfordshire, an improvement on last years start meet at Littleport which proves A.R.S.E. is a welcome addition to the event.

After the obligatory group piccy, Steve presented the "Sir Tiffs" and several of us headed to the nearest present day beer house for refreshments and a warmup/roasting by their real fire. The wild weather cut short any plans for a long ride out, but the route home included the Northamptonshire LM #34