31 July 2017

BE17 - Day 1

With the Shuttle booked for 1136 we arrived about an hour in advance and checked in.

"Here we go". Disruption caused by a train being taken out of service. Three an hour.  Work it out 
In the end we rolled out at 1305. What a superb service.

That meant we were late in France. Late for lunch.

In the end we stopped for a coffee and a sandwich at St Eloi services on the A25 just before the exit where we would head towards Poperinge and first stop at the B&B in Vlamertinge - B&B Pottebreker - http://www.bbpottebreker.be

We arrived before 4pm but the owners were there and showed us to the room. Modern and clean. We dropped off the luggage and headed for Ypres (Ieper) and the special events for the Menen Gate ceremony.

After wandering about trying to get a bank with an ATM we finally found a viewpoint of the screens as we hadn't been lucky in any of the ballots.

We saw the ceremony on the screen. The bands marching passed us (video below) and Queen Mathilde of Belgium as she waved from her car.

Prince William and Katherine, Duchess of Cambridge, represented the Queen. The UK Government was represented by Theresa May, the Prime Minister. Only the latter came along past us. On foot and shaking hands will well wishers.  

Once the "VIP" guests had passed and things opened we decided rather than wait an hour for things to start and given our poor view of events that we'd make the long walk back to the car and watch the "show" on TV. The BBC and Belgian producers did a superb job. Live action from actors and current serving men and women in small sketches and reading out letters and poems from the front.

Fantastic. We watched part in the friterie also owned by the B&B and the rest in our room. On TV you can see so much.




29 July 2017

BE17 - What to wear?

Ideally we should be dressed in suits for the occasion but after several days of torrential rain the area is likely to be almost as wet and therefore muddy as it was in 1917.

However, as we are going to the remembrance ceremony I don't think we need to get as embroiled in the mud as they did back then.

So it looks as though we we will take clothese that are more suitable for wet and muddy conditions.


26 July 2017

BE17 - Pin

The Royal British Legion have created a pin for the centenary.

I bought a couple from a poppy seller recently.


21 July 2017

FL17 - Orlando City SC - 55 West

By sheer fluke I went onto the Sunrail site to show someone at work how convenient it would be and that's when I noticed the "not weekends" banner.  I'd not seen it before!

With all the talk of pollution in the world having a light rail system that doesn't work at weekends and holidays seems like a very bad idea.  As I said that I pursed my lips and paused for effect.  :)

So it was back to the drawing board. Parking!

In the end I got onto the City of Orlando local government site and found the parking they control. I had emailed a while back as to book online it needed a US address and phone number, or at at least one that would wedge into the pre-formatted boxes on the web page. They suggested using the resort address and phone.  So I have. MasterCard seems to have accepted my new temporary Kissimmee address.

In the end it was $11 and I have a pdf with a ticket to print out and put in the car window. The route from the hotel and then back to the resort is in the satnav already, or will be when I get home tonight.

There are a few toll roads in the Orlando area and I have used Tyre to plan all the routes I need. Hopefully, with an internet connection to my phone, when on the ground in Florida, I'll be able to use the TomTom MyDrive app to load routes up on the 410.  I must remember to set the default routing to "avoid toll roads".

17 July 2017

Third Sunday?

Then it must be Meldrews' Sunday.

Usually we meet at the Blue & White Café at Smeeth on the A20.  We have been meeting there practically since it re-opened with Superbike racer Leon Camier's mum at the helm. But it is getting busier and busier on a Sunday morning, not with bikers, who seem to have started to to back to the Airport Cafe, but with "normals" and their kids.

Biker life has always been a little adult and we aren't the axe chucking mob, just blokes of an age that like to have a breakfast and chew the fat in an adult way without feeling that some bullethead might be offended on behalf of his kids or his delicate wife.  It's not that we use the f-word all that often, but like any group, we have people that are drawn together for their love of bike and biking from across the spectrum. We have all shades of political views but it rarely comes up as a subject.

So this Sunday we tried the County Members pub in Lympne Village.  Lympne has a claim to fame as it it is actually named after Portus Lemanis, one of the first ports that the Romans used when they invaded from Gaul (now France) in about AD66. There are still Roman remains, of buildings etc, on the hillside below the modern village.

Over the past two millenia the silting up on the English side of the channel has seen the sea move away. Instead of being at the foot of the cliff, it is now about a mile to a mile and a half away across what we now call Romney Marsh.

The ruins are in the domain of Lympne Castle.  The Saxons had a fort up here in the 4th Century.

Lympne Castle is also one of the homes of the Aspinall Foundation. The two zoos at Lympne and Howlett's near Canterbury are conservation and breeding centres for endangered species, mainly focusing on gorilla and rhino.

So after that digression.  

We had a bumper turnout with nine of us including one member's son on the back of a scooter.  Start them young and in all the proper gear. 

Breakfast was very good, not too expensive and relaxed.  We pushed three tables together and could all chat. No rush and breakfast runs until 11am. Then they prepare for pub opening hours and the lunch crowd arrives.

From here we split up. Most of us decided to head over to Robinson's Foundry as there was an Indian open day.  Others went home.

The ride to Canterbury was lively.  I like to be an old and alive biker so tend to ride a bit more sedately.  The adventure bike group (GS, KTM something and V-Strom 1000)  flashed past. I held back and like the tortoise and hare, I was behind them in the shopping traffic in the city centre.

Parking up with loads of Harley's and a few Indians and the occasional Victory across the road meant we were near the dyno that was testing bikes for £19 for two runs.  I decided not to bother. Pepé is okay as he is. Just a big cuddly tourer.

After a tea and a look at the high price tags on the Indians I headed for home.

Another nice ride out and I still haven't cracked 6000 miles! I need a bigger challenge.


BE17 - Passchendaele

The e-tickets arrived in the inbox on Saturday morning.  I had a quick look through and sent them to the printer to make sure we have the hard copy available for the day.

I need to get my suit out this week and make sure that it is cleaned and pressed.

Given that the battle one hundred years ago was renowned for the sea of mud that aided the massive casualty list,  we need to be ready for inclement weather. So I will take shoes able to resist.

Of course what can be carried is limited. But a waterproof coat is essential.

If only I had bought the "dude" boots to ride the bike. They look like ankle boots with a light brogue pattern but are motorcycle quality and waterproof.

What the guys in the trenches would have given for even simple water resistance.

The tickets don't mention a seating area for Claire. With her hip problem standing I'd difficult. I forgot to tell them that with my heart still under performing that I too could do with a seat.

Wait and see I expect.


Update: 20/07/2017

A further email arrived with more instructions linked and outlining access to the sites plus how to find the parking. They have sectioned off a long length of road way to the south-east of Zonnebeke with shuttle bus stops to get people from their cars to the Museum area. parking in a herringbone pattern along the road.

Along with this were other links that have given us the parking pass and the seating passes.

Suit still not taken to the cleaners!

Update: 25/07/2017

Checked that Reggie is booked on his holidays at the kennels from Saturday afternoon until Tuesday morning. He is booked in and we have paid for one night as a deposit.  Good job as they are fully booked up until September 3rd with no reserve spaces left.  Better check that he is booked there for FL17!

Update: 26/07/2017

Forgot all about breakdown cover in case the car decides to pack it in. A tenner for two days cover. Not bad I suppose and that includes getting it back home should the worst happen.


16 July 2017

MA90 - Day Trip to Morocco

Is it that long ago? Another tale from the photobox archive.

A year before I was made redundant for the second time and things were good. I had a job I liked and we set off for Spain.

This was a two bike job. My Suzuki Cavalcade LX  and my partner at the time, Audrey,  on her own Yamaha  XJ900F.  We rode down through Spain after a trip on the Motorail. We had a large tent with us and camped in Cordoba and as it was way too hot in Sevilla we chose a hotel.

Our next camping was at Tarifa. It was here that we thought about a quick trip to Tangier.  Although the ferry goes from Tarifa we bought a ticket from Algeciras to Ceuta. The cost for the bike was pence.  We booked one - the Yamaha!

The Cavalcade stayed tucked away and locked up in the tent. Out of sight.

Algeciras is a much bigger port and the ferry was packed. Mostly with Moroccan's in large vans also packed to the gunwales and on the rooves.

Ceuta is still a Spanish enclave on the African mainland. Buy whatever you do, never tell a Spaniard "it's their Gibraltar".

Exiting the Spanish border was easy. A wave of the hand. Getting into Morocco took a lot longer. Our passports disappearing into windows and out of others. Then they wrote the bike details in a book. We were then off.

My first trip to Africa.  Audrey had been before as a solo traveller on the coast near Casablanca during the long school holidays.

Immediately it seemed "different". The road signs in French and Arabic.

Our first stop was Fnideq for a drink and to buy some water. We had cashed about £20 into dirhams.  This was going to go a long way.

The next stop was Tetouan.  We were looking for somewhere to stop when Ahmed on a moped caught us. Mr Gift of the Gab.

He became our guide. He arranged for a guy at the car park to look after our gear. He then led us through the medina to the main square and then into the tiny alleys to a carpet shop. This is his money earner. If the tourist buys a carpet. We didn't despite some very good prices.

In the end he took us back to the bike and we gave him some money. Not much as it happens but he was okay. The old man looking after the bike got about 25p. Both seemed happy.

From there we headed back towards Tangier and the coast. Most of the two films of pictures we expended are ruined.  Audrey being unused to an SLR kept clicking away without focusing the lens once. With the law of averages,  at least some images should have been in focus. A couple on the edge of blurred. Bugger.

After a snack meal in Tangier we headed along the coast road to Ceuta. Getting out was easy. A bit of money to some young uniforms at the border and we were through in five minutes.
By 9pm we were back in Spain and Tarifa for dinner.

We did say we preferred blue....

IT01 - Roma!

Rome. The Eternal City.

Claire and I went on a short break from an offer in the Daily Telegraph.

We flew into an airport way to the south of the city and then actually had to pay for their bus into the city. It dropped us off alongside Termini station.

Already forewarned with Claire's Dad being robbed by a cab driver a few weeks before, we were equipped with stash wallets inside our jeans. Luckily the thieves were elsewhere when we arrived.
Our hotel was not far away and within walking distance.  For the next few days we were on foot most of the time with the occasional bus or team trip.

"Typrewriter" and Trevi Fountain 
We ate locally most evenings at the same restaurant where there were few tourists or at least English tourists.  Great value and very friendly staff and locals.

The only fly in the ointment was as we waited for the bus back to Ciampino a lady had her handbag stolen. I guess we were lucky given the amount of street crime!!

The city is small enough to walk around but the fear of some light fingered bastard dipping your bag or pocket was always there.

The other con are the gladiators by the Colloseum.  Surround you, put their gear on you then try to charge ridiculous money for it. We got caught. In the end the "f*** off" and a few lire was enough to escape them.

Bottom pic is Vatican
Spanish Steps
Forum
Some steps and Trevi

Colosseum and Gladiator conmen

FL91 - From the Archive

In those far off days before they invented the digital camera,  you may recall we had something called "film".

It came in a variety of sizes. 35mm and an assortment of cassette type systems made for the amateur  - 110 and 126 being the most popular.

Usually the films were taken to your local chemist (drug store for my North American cousins) or posted to Kodak or another company, such as Truprint or Bonusprint.

It also came back from the processor in an envelope containing the film itself,  the negative for prints,  and the prints themselves.

A week later the excitement built and unless you were the kind of guy that could get your pictures on the front of Time, then disappointment soon followed.

Another format was called "slides". These were positive images at 35mm in a card or plastic surround.  A whole industry built up around equipment to enable the photographer to bore the arse off their visitors with a "slide show" of their holiday pictures.... or "snaps" as they might also be called.

Oh the irony of it. Now we have Flickr and Photobucket amongst others where we can upload our digital photos.... and let's not forget blogging and the terminally awful vlogging.

So. Back to Florida 1991.

Why I opted to take a Kodak 110 film camera with me on this trip I have no idea.   I had a Zenit 35mm camera that was large and very heavy. The 110 fitted in a pocket. That's probably why I took it.

I was going through a box of photo envelopes and came across a couple marked "Florida 1991".

Oddly there are none from my trips to Key West and Sanibel/Captiva.  But there are some of the trip my host at Burger King, Carole, took to Orlando.

I tried to fit as many as possible on the scanner plate. At least I think these are in focus.

Refer to disappointment above.

13 July 2017

FL17 - How much!!!!

Google is a marvellous thing. So after much googling I ended up asking a friend that went a few weeks ago for tips.

Her daughter is a travel agent or was, and she gave me some links to check out and then I saw the prices.  A two day Disney ticket came out at £189!! Each.

Whilst I liked the idea of a visit to a park, paying that kind of money to stand in lines for hours to get on a ride and then repeat at the next one seems too ridiculous.

Another link took me to a site to get entrance tickets to Kennedy.  The official site is $50 each for the day. The link was £29 or about $35 at the current exchange rate. Booked.

I saw on Facebook that the Ace Cafe in London had some franchises opening up in Beijing, Barcelona and Orlando, so I guess that might be a drive out one day too. Plus the almost obligatory HD shop!

I can't say that I have been a great fan of the Ace in London, but have been there a few times since it re-opened.  It's become a tourist haunt and not particularly easy on the wallet. Every night seems to be a different "theme". 

I also went there in the wilderness years when it was a tyre depot and had a puncture plugged on one of my Fiats! I used to work nearby just down from the Hanger Lane Gyratory system.

So that's two things booked. Orlando City and Kennedy. I am sure we'll find other things to do in the week before we move to the R&R spot on the coast.

BE17 - Seating?

Have had an email confirming that we have got seating tickets for the main event at Tyne Cot. The tickets themselves haven't arrived. It's still two and a half weeks away though.

I've been planning a few routes to get to the hotel and then across to Zonnebeke to park the car and look around the museum.

The event the night before in Ypres itself means that we will check in the B&B and our hosts will get us a cab into town.  Getting one back will prove possibly more complex.

11 July 2017

Reggie Relaxing

What he does very well.
On the bed
On the landing


In the bathroom
In the conservatory

On the mat 
On the sofa

10 July 2017

NO18 - Booked

After a few days of looking and exchanging emails with a travel agent we have booked.  But not with her.  

The Cunard cruise on Queen Victoria sails from Southampton on August 3rd. A Friday.  A further examination revealed very few Norway sailings for August.  But P&O have one on the 4th.  Much better.

Both are for seven days with slightly different ports in Norway.  We have been to Stavanger and Bergen before but didn't have much time to look about. Hopefully, in Bergen we'll dock in the city port, Bergen Havn,  rather than way out in the industrial point and lose time waiting for coaches into the centre.




NO18 - To cruise or not to Cruise

Hardly a Shakespearean conundrum but one for us. 

Further enthused (read jealousy on my behalf) by my brother. Neill, and his mate Patrick being there as I write on their Scandinavian Tour, Claire suggested another cruise.

She has wanted to go on another one and although I was a little hesitant before, I really enjoyed the Fjord Cruise with Saga.

So we started the Google hunt. Where else?

When we were in Stavanger in 2013 we were joined by the behemoth that was Cunard's Queen Elizabeth. A ship that dwarfed the smaller more intimate Saga vessel.  

With the Council changing our employment rights so that we have to take the majority of our holidays in school holidays, and meaning that we now get lumbered with higher holiday prices from hotels to transport, the search parameters were more restrictive.

We have found a cruise to Norway in August 2018. It's aboard the QE sister ship Queen Victoria. Another floating city hotel.

Let's see where this takes us!

Folkestone Invicta FC - Season Opener

The football season seems to come a little earlier every year, or so it seems.

Locally Invicta kicked off their pre-season with a game against local rivals Hythe Town. This ought to be a dilemma for me as I live in Hythe, actually less than a mile from Town's ground at Reachfields.   However, I have never been.

When I moved here from Bedfordshire in 1999 my first taste of local non-league football was at Folkestone Invicta as one of the director's at Claire's work was also a director of the football club and we went as her company was sponsoring a game. And I have been going ever since. Albeit only a couple of games a yar.

Yesterday was far too hot for running about in the sun, but perfect for sitting under cover in the main stand.  A tea to start with and a bottle of water when it got too hot.

In the end Invicta ran out 4-1 winners with Hythe scoring their consolation in the 90th (and final) minute.

There are another six of so pre-season games to play before the league kicks off in August.




Invicta in amber and black


The next game for me might well be the other local derby at home to Dover Athletic. Dover are a couple of rungs up the pyramid and currently play in the 5th tier. Just one below the Football League.

As a senior citizen nowadays one of the perks is a reduced price ticket and so I bought a season ticket. Good value at £110 for an entire season.



7 July 2017

FL17 - Places to go

"How can you go to Orlando and not go to Disney?"  A frequent question when I say that although we love Florida we haven't been to Orlando before and don't really enjoy theme parks.  

That's not strictly true. I have been to Orlando before, back in 1991. Back then a friend and I drove up from Miami and stayed in a hotel on International Drive for a couple of nights in December.  We did Epcot and Universal Studios.  I have photos somewhere!  

On the way back we called in at what was then called "Spaceport USA", at Kennedy Space Center.   We didn't have much time and had to be back in Miami so Carol could go to work the next day.

I really enjoyed Epcot. Okay, you got to ride about but none of the high jinx of the other parks and none of the queues. Plus the fireworks at night are fantastic.

So this year. On the top of my list are Epcot and Kennedy. I'll start the ticket hunt soon. Not wanting a 14-day family ticket seems to be a problem for the ticket agencies!!

Onwards and upwards.

6 July 2017

FL17 - Orlando City SC - Getting there?

The problem as I see it is the large area around the stadium that it closed.  There seems to be ample parking and apparently you can book in advance.  I have tried all the links and none of them seem to work.

Then I saw a link for the Sunrail system.

It looks like that would suit us alright.  There looks to be a lot of parking at one of the terminals and then it is two stops and a ten minute walk to  the stadium. The train journey is $2 each way and about 11 minutes.  

As kick off is at 4pm we need to be there in good time and with so many food outlets there is plenty of opportunity to have lunch between the hotel and the parking.  The drive will be about half an hour if we avoid the toll roads. After the game it's back to the station car park and off to the resort we are staying in.

At last a plan seems to be coming together.

I contacted the resort as the game kicks off at the same time that resort check-in opens. They can check us in at any time and so we are cool with that.  

5 July 2017

MAG - Safer bikers in Wales!!!

The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) is pleased to note that the number of bikers killed or seriously injured (KSI) has fallen.

MAG can report that, according to figures released recently by Road Safety GB, the number of motorcyclists killed or seriously injured in Wales during 2016 fell by 7%.  This represents the biggest improvement in KSI statistics in Wales, outstripping figures for pedestrians and cyclists who, along with motorcyclists, are classed as vulnerable road users.

MAG Chair, Selina Lavender, said "this is good news on a number of levels: less KSI means not only fewer families suffering the distress of losing a loved one, but also shows that bikers are riding responsibly and taking care on the roads of Wales".

Figures are currently unavailable for England due to a lack of validated data from the Metropolitan Police for November and December.  Work is under way to rectify this.

Meanwhile, MAG welcomes the evidence showing that, in Wales at least, the "ride safe" message is getting across.


Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or central-office@mag-uk.org

3 July 2017

MAG challenges London ULEZ

MAG submits case for user charge exemption for all motorbikes

This version:   2017 06 29                            Embargo: IMMEDIATE

The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) has responded on behalf of London's 200,000 every day riders to defend an exemption from user charging of bikes in the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ).

Selina Lavender, MAG's Chair, has shared MAG's determination to ensure an exemption.  'The bike charging proposal was part of a package to reduce emissions – even though a shift towards motorbikes reduces emissions.  We've made a comprehensive submission to explain why it's utterly counterproductive to tax part of the solution, namely powered two wheelers.  The charge is £12.50 a day.'

MAG made the following points:

•       Commuters on bikes are virtually zero NOx emissions producers – and far ahead of buses.  That's why an exemption for bikes (of all ages) is right – because car drivers who shift to motorcycles and scooters reduce overall emissions due to the tiny emissions footprint of a bike.

•       Research shows if 10% of motorists moved to motorcycles for their daily commute there would be a 40% reduction in congestion.  Air pollution is a feature of congestion. That means motorcycles help achieve air quality targets, so charging them makes no sense.

•       The Government says in its air pollution report published in May 2017: The impact of including motorcycles and mopeds in CAZs have not been modelled. These vehicles only represent a small proportion of total NOx emissions so it is not expected that they will be included in the access restrictions for the majority of zones.

•       Some low wage earners use bikes for financial reasons.  Charging them when they produce almost no emissions – or forcing onto more expensive public transport – is a 'tax' on lower wage earners.  An exemption is socially fair.

MAG is closely following the emissions debate to ensure that bikers are not charged while other vehicles which make no contribution to reducing congestion (and emissions caused by traffic jams), such as electric cars, are exempt.  This remains a key element in the campaigning work of the movement.

For full details of MAG's response go to: https://wiki.mag-uk.org/images/7/74/ULEZ_2017_06_21.pdf

2 July 2017

AMRR 2017 - Report

I was up on time and after breakfast I finally got away a little earlier than the planned 9am start.

As I was already fuelled up I decided to make my first stop just before the Dartford Tunnel. The traffic was running unusually smoothly. Maintaining 70mph was hampered as north of the tunnel I caught the back end of a rolling road block. The overhead info boards said there were animals on the road.

This lasted until almost to the M11. I chose stay in the left most lane of four for most of the way. Despite costing a £1m a mile to build so few seem to want to use it. Maybe the common term "slow lane" makes them feel inadequate?

It was about 1030am when I pulled into Birchanger Services. The car park was full and there were a few bikes dotted about. I didn't recognise anyone. Billy No-Mates/Jean Sans-Amis again.

By the time I'd got a coffee it was nearly 1100am.  I usually reckon 25 minutes to the rendezvous. With holiday traffic it was nearer 40 when I pulled into Cambridge Services behind the police out riders and a support 4WD. They do a great job marshalling us through the city to the cemetery.  Such a shame on similar runs that Kent Police can't copy their Cambridgeshire colleagues.

I had time for a chat with a guy with a Suzuki M1800. It's a nice looking bike but maybe too futuristic for me. A walk around the packed parking area revealed a whole load of bikes from race-reps to customs.  And a fair few Rockets. I took a few photos of the assembly and they are all on my Flickr photostream.

Then we were off. The bugler played Reveille and we mounted up and gave it a bit of throttle. The "norms" at the services were applauding and taking  photos and videos.  We left at 1230pm.

As I was right at the back of the third column I somehow managed to get behind the stinkwheels; scooters by any other name. The smell of two-stroke, and after the run, the taste of it on my lips was terrible. I should have brought a drink to clear my throat of it.

As we crossed over the bridge over the A14 we could see to our left that the road was closed by a police car, and to the right the column of bikes stretching two by two into the distance.  I have no idea how many bikes and stinkers there were on the day.

We headed it the city. Cambridge is one of the two biggest and more elite of the university cities along with Oxford. So many colleges and so many tourists. I hope the spectacle was recorded by them.

Once at the cemetery we parked up. The overflow car park is not too comfortable being 10 x 8 inch cobble stones with grass growing between them.  And it slopes away from the monument.
Once settled everyone set off for the service.

This doesn't take long. Once we had sung both our national anthems and taken the Lord's Prayer we were off.

With 165 miles to ride home I went quickly. The ride home was done only with a stop at Ashford Tesco  to fuel up. The odometer showed 181.9 miles with "miles to empty" down to 55. A return of 49 mpg (UK gallon). No bad for legal limit cruising and 11 miles at 20 mph or less!

I seems a long way to go for half an hour.  But it is a show of respect to our fallen allies. Those men and women who may have a cross planted here or their name on the wall of the missing.

.

More Photos:

AMRR 2017