Back from the National Rally. A ‘motorcycle navigational scatter rally’ for masochists. I explained a little about it in my last blog. The idea is to cover exactly 500 miles around England overnight. My Rally went a little differently. Good bits were riding along the fen roads near Wisbech with the canals higher than the roads. Calling in at my daughter’s home for a family barbecue. And riding over the Horseshoe Pass at daybreak dodging rabbits who dive across the road on suicide missions.
Somewhere around 2pm I’m nearing Milton Keynes, 285 miles into the rally. There’s some roadworks and a detour at the entrance to the M1. So I take the detour only to find it’s not any old detour but a 10 mile detour south down the M1 through contraflow at 50 mph then turn round and come back the same way for another 10 miles. This takes about half an hour and somehow, takes the edge off the whole thing. I’m 150 miles from home and getting cold. To finish the rally would mean another 200 miles to the final control then 100 miles or more home. England seems to consist of dual carriageways, 50mph limits, speed cameras and traffic.
I call into the services, Newport Pagnall, I think. It’s awful. Loud music everywhere, including in the dirty, broken toilets. Coffee is luke warm and weak. I’m going home. And I won’t be doing it next year! I promise. Got home at 4.30 am, just as the sun was coming up. North Wales never looked more beautiful.
So what about Dave and Nick? It’s beginning to unravel. Mark my words. The Right hate the Lib Dems and the Lib Dems will only be able to bear being in the same room as the Tories for so long. I’ll give them six months. Tops.
All of which means this is a great time to have a break, soak up some Welsh sunshine (not an oxymoron) and chill out. We have some vacancies in July and August. Have a look at our website on http://www.plas-efenechtyd-cottage.co.uk and decide for yourself.
Next time: what is the ‘Bro Rhuthun card’? Who are Ebb and Flo? What happened to the ‘cakes, bikes and North Wales’ guide?
I do so know what you mean about the urge to go home! Whenever I find myself in cities again they seem so noisy and blowing with rubbish. I think I must just have adjusted so completely to a slower pace of life that it is all a bit of a culture shock.