…Off we go… rushed into Southampton to give Blood at the donor centre and got there too early – bugger – such nice people there and I managed to get bled early… then off to work for 9.15am.. Tried to get the desk clear ready for the off to South Wales at 12.15. As usual the faster you go the slower you get - and then stuff just keeps arriving and has to be dealt with…. 12 noon all stop and I need to get changed… on the bike and away to meet with David at Ower…
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| On a clear day you can see my bike and tent....... |
David was already there and it was time to stop and relax over a coffee and a burger - the Touratech weekend had started.. Just got started on putting on the technology onto the bike (Radio and SatNav (one has to have music your know)) I then realised why Gertie was on my desk at home last night – put the route on she was saying… bugger missed that… OK David looks like your leading….
Let’s take to non-motorway route to the Severn Bridge…. We stopped at Chippenham for coffee managed to get an adapter so that I could extract the route from David’s micro SD card onto my grown up SD card and I now had the route as well…. Yippee… onwards to the bridge and endless lines of Bank Holiday traffic as we approached the junction of the M5 etc- lots of filtering passed hundreds of miffed drivers wishing they too could filter to the front like us !!!
It was not too windy on the bridge – remembering my last disastrous crossing where I dropped the bike on the bridge due to the exceptionally high winds … Oh how I dislike that road along to Swansea – so we turned off and fled into the valleys heading north to the Head of Valleys road and west to Touratech (the named of the location looks like a poor hand at Scrabble ??) only stopping once to put on more clothes to ward off the cold.
Arrived in good time and pitched the tents and met up with Mark from SAM. Once settled, and cooked, we decided that a trip to the nearby pub was in order – at least they had the heating on… but…….. they don’t like quiet in Wales …. On goes the juke box – loud and therefore everyone has to talk louder to be heard. So we moved into the other bar – only to have the sound from the TV join the throng… two pints and so to bed…
A fair nights sleep as I had taken the Snug Suit to wear – Dave had a cold night and later that day decided that a new sleeping bag was needed…. I was so tempted to get one too…. And still am…
The event was well – disappointing – not many stands – not enough to do and see – having been spoilt for choice at the HU events – it was very noticeable…. Oh yes and not enough toilets… and no showers….. we passed the day looking around the Touratech Showroom and smirking the price tags, chatting to the few stands that were there, meeting up with Austin Vince again and watching some of the BMW GS Trophy Challenge – which mainly consisted on riding non BMW bikes over rough ground and around and around cones in the car park ! Not forgetting the putting up tents competition!! I must have missed the interesting bits..
Cooked a good meal and decided to slip away to the local pub again… same thing; loads of chat, loud juke box, a local version of “you ain’t got talent” on the TV but as a special treat a Karaoke man playing louder to be heard and singing to the occasional track…. Two pints and we were away to the tents….
The second day had not much promise and to wait around all day just to listen to Austin Vince that evening was a none starter… so up at 6.30am and on the road for 7.30am… we were meant to be running west to east and into … and then south through Hay-on-Wye – Swindon - Marlborough and then home… but as with all things planned – I made a miss turn and ended up going south at back over the bridge at Newport Cirencester ….ending up in Salisbury for coffee in the square… excellent…
Arriving home at about 1pm and a much needed hot bath……
Excellent weekend even though Touratech was disappointing…. A good preparation for the HUBB and Croatia in May and June….
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