23 Jun - Volunteer Driving

Finally nearly finished painting the bathroom on Sunday, so I took Monday off... then today it was back to driving for the South Central Ambulance Service. A late start and another drive to Bletchley via Slough, High Wycombe and Stoke Mandeville dropping off PPE. A hot drive in a Sprinter with no A/C but fun nevertheless.

Tomorrow is the last food run for the Young Carers in Dorset with the bike... unless they get more funding. It's been fun...

Friday 17 June - GOPHER

Dear reader,

Monday this week saw me in van delivering PPE to Ambulance Stations at Slough, High Wycombe, Stoke Mandeville and finally Bletchley. Tuesday I was back with the Ambulance Service taking 300+ white onesies to Didcot.

Wednesday and Thursday was a day off from Volunteering so I managed to mow the lawn etc.

Friday. Despite the start in heavy rain at the start, things did get better as I approached Churt in Surrey. I collected the PPE face shields and then headed for Eastleigh near Southampton, from there I headed to Lockerly Green north of Romsey Hampshire.

The main road being closed I had to do a wide loop to get to the rest home.. then a long loop back through very very narrow lanes to Romsey - I am not sure that Gertie Garmin is of sound mind..... Now onwards to the final drop at a care home in Blackfield near Fawley and the dry ride home to Ringwood - refuel yet again.

A quick wash down of the bike and a well deserved cup of tea.... Nothing on the cards for tomorrow but I may have to start painting our bathroom!! It never ends...

I must say that I am quite looking forward to the barber shops be opened next month!! I will have to take care of the beard myself....

Your looking quite tired today Nigel !!!

4 June 2020 - tank to tank

Good morning dear reader,

Yesterday was yet another long day in the saddle. I left home early (7:30am) to go to Ilminster to collect a PPE package. I stopped at the local petrol station to fill the tank (1). Everything was fine until I was 3 miles away from the pickup and they had closed the A303 due to an accident.... all traffic was now diverted through the town - where it just happens they had also eased parking restrictions so cars were parked everywhere and all the big trucks had trouble getting through - it took over an hour to travel 1.2 miles.....

So finally made the pickup and off to Bodmin to hand over the package to Craig and he was going to take it onto its final destination in Hayle. Arrived on good time and even manage a tea break in the cold empty services - no place to sit down. Handover now complete.... and petrol tank nearly empty it was time to fill up (2) just short of 200 miles ridden.

I then took advantage of my return trip to visit a friend in Port Isaac - I have not seen her - or her late husband for over 27 years so a visit was due. A pleasant ride up but I missed the turning and Gertie Garmin suggested a route via St Ewe's Highway .... this is was certainly not a highway - my panniers were touching the bushes on both sides!!

I finally arrived at Port Isaac and found the house, Jill was at the door to greet me ... (Note: everything in Cornwall is on a slope) so as I parked the bike and in my haste to say hello ... I put the side stand down and climbed off... I then looked away only to see the look on her face as the bike tipped over and landed with a crash .... bugger. We both managed to get the bike upright again and safety parked properly - I did feel so foolish - not too much damage, just a broken indicator. The Lomo bags on the engine bars sure did cushion the fall...

Anyway we had a very pleasant distanced cup of tea and chatted about the past 40 years since we were altogether in NATO SHAPE in Belgium.

Time to hit the road, as it is about 3.5 hour ride back home in the drizzle. I got as far as Wareham and thought I had better top up the tank (3) and put on a extra layer as it was starting to get cold.

All done and I arrived home at 8:45pm. Knackered.... just a 365 miles round trip.... not sure about the economics of riding all that way, using two full tanks of petrol to deliver a 1kg package of PPE that could have been posted via the Royal Mail for less than £3.00 1st Class and signed for .... ah well crazy times....

Nite nite.....

Dorset Food Drops

What a busy day:

Down to Parkstone near Poole to pick up two sets of shopping, ready for two drops : Weymouth and Dorset.

I got back home and got the call for an urgent collect and drop from Southampton to Warsash. Then I got text from the local Sewing Group and they needed a boot full of scrubs material collected from Southampton to go to Lymington !!!! So I took the car.... all now sorted and back home.

Our 31st Wedding Anniversary today - celebrated with a takeaway Indian.

Lots of miles today - tomorrow is another run to Ilminster to pickup and to deliver to Craig in Bodmin for onward transit to Hayle. I am hoping to visit an friend on the way back - we have not met for over 27 years.