7 July 2020 - Another long day

Good evening dear reader

I thought I had better write something to add to my Blog - of course I should have been arriving back from the USA this week!

By the looks of the situation in the USA at present I am not sure that they are going to be clear enough of COVID-19 by next May either!!

I set out at 9:30.   Today I was delivering food for the #MYTIMEYOUNGCARERS in Dorset - it was 3 sets of ingredients, as the young carers will be learning to make pizza via Zoom on Wednesday.

So I travelled from Parkstone to Dorchester, Iwerne Minster and Winterborne Kingston (such wonderful village names), and having delivered them I headed north to Shaftesbury to get onto the A30 as I had a PPE pick-up at Wilton.   Once I got to Shaftesbury I found that the A30 in Wilton was closed and I was diverted all the way back down to Bulford and then onto the A354 to Salisbury - that wasted about an hour.

I finally got to Wilton and collected the PPE material and hit the again and headed to Redhill in Surrey - oh how I hate the M3 and M25…..

I delivered the PPE and headed for home, more M25, so I turned off and headed towards Guildford and the A31. 

I finally arrive home at 5:30pm having covered 301 miles.

Now I just need to sit……. No more riding this week - hopefully

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.

29 May 2020 - White Van Man

Another day driving PPE to Ambulance Station around the south coast for South Central Ambulance Service. I didn't get the extremely comfortable Ford Galaxy, so today was a large Ford Van with only 3500 miles on the clock.


So off we go to Havant, Fareham, Portsmouth, Gosport, Dorking and Eastbourne...  I am so glad that the weather was good and the traffic fairly light.

It was so good to being doing something and feeling needed....  The guys at the Ambulance Stations are so friendly and cheerful.

So, I have no volunteering plans for this weekend, just a little gardening, ironing and a little time in my “man cave” aka the garage.

Thursday - a comfortable cruise

Today was different - instead of the bike I was driving around in a Ford Galaxy delivering lots of boxes full of PPE to Ambulance Stations around the South of England.. Portsmouth, Havant, Southsea and Eastbourne.....  all found through the volunteer site of HireHand....

It was certainly less tiring than the bike, but with a/c, radio and a soft seat....  I'm not complaining ; in fact I'm doing it again tomorrow !!!

I must get a photo tomorrow ....

GOPHR Food Run - Weymouth 27 May 2020 and more ...

Dear reader,

Today a group of us from the Bike Shed Community Motorcycle Volunteers did a food drop for a Young Carers charity in Weymouth. We collected to food at 1100 and then all set off for our designated addresses.. all was delivered by 12:30 then back home. Arrived home and sorted the bike and settled down with a cup of tea when .... ping ping ping the messages started.. it's was an urgent job required to be collected from Salisbury and delivered to Warsash near Southampton. So it was back on the bike and another ride out....

Arrived back home at 6pm. And what do you know .... another message.... this time for another volunteer group.... so I am off to Southampton in the car tomorrow to run PPE to hospitals and ambulance stations (all day)... I promise to be at home on Friday ...

The Bike Shed Motorcycle Community Volunteers

I have done two long runs with PPE over the last week;  Bodmin and Ledbury.

It was great to get out and about but knackering as I am just not used to riding over 300 miles at a go.

I have another trip out tomorrow, delivering shopping to locked down families in Weymouth/Poole area.

Interesting to see if these .png screen shots work...

19 May 2020 - COVID-19

Dear Reader,

What can I say, everything is cancelled, lock down has been in place for weeks, and I am getting a little bit pissed off with it.

I am close to running out of things I want to do, have to do, don't want to do..... I have signed up for various and assorted volunteer groups and with Debs help I have done a few medicine collections and deliveries in the area over the past 4 weeks.

Today was I first run out with the Bike Shed Community Volunteer Motorcyclists. I picked up 3 tasks today - collected all 3 packages of PPE masks from a pickup point in Ilminster - then the plan was to delivered two in the Bodmin area and one in Truro... fortunately I know of another rider in that part of the world and so he rode up to Bodmin and collected the last packet to deliver to Truro. I then rode home along the coast road. I would like to point out that once past Exeter on the way down it got very overcast and cold, so I had to stop and put on my waterproof jacket to cut down the windchill.

I left home at 7:20am and arrived back home at 16:30pm, and that included 2 pee/fuel stops, one handover/coffee break and a further coffee stop at Abbotsbury overlooking Chisel Beach. This side of Exeter the sun came out and it was a glorious ride for the rest of the way home. It has been a long while since I rode over 400 miles in a day...

So back to the planning table for the USA trip.... I have moved my ticket from Overland Expo West in Flagstaff Arizona to Overland Expo East which takes place in Arrington Virginia on 9-11 Oct 2020. If the gods are with me I could fly the bike to LA in September then ride across to Florida and up the coast to the Event and then continue North to Toronto and ship the bike home. Almost the same as before but changing the event from the start of the trip to the end of the trip... just a thought to keep me going.

The only alternative would be to do the whole the same but in 2021 instead of 2020..... or say bollocks to it and ride down to Motocamp Bulgaria when Europe opens up again next year.

The only other thing on my mind at present is that while I was sitting here at Easter, waiting to go - some sneaky bastard has, somehow, used my card details and has stolen over $1400 of my travel money..... the card issuer has been informed and a new card issued but I will have to wait to see if I get my money back ....

Ahh well - life goes on - sort of ......

USA 2020 - Postponed

COVID-19, Mr Trump and Airlines have conspired against us - will now look at visiting the East coast of USA in Aug/Sep....

Back to the planning table....

A weekend to remember...

Herewith a few images from the Overland Winter Warmer Event last weekend

The Overland Winter Warmer 2020

That was a weekend to remember !!

Left home at about 6:30 on Friday and it was very very cold and then foggy.... arrived at Chipping Warden about 9:15.  I helped with setting up the lights and stuff and then at last the sun came out.


Then it was time for the hot stew - absolutely brilliant.  Meet up with Colin and just had to have a beer or two (3)...  Also met up with Michelle Lamphere, Tiffany Coates, Ian Coates, Stace Martin, Sam Manicom and Birgit.  Lots of interesting people to chat to and some great presentations had been put on.

Saturday the weather turned sour and by Sunday it was horrendous.  Lots a hardy bikers packed up on Saturday to miss the Sunday storm.   Saturday night was the full storm,  and by the morning there was many a tent lying flat and lots of bodies sleeping in the bar and the other rooms...   it was sad the watch Colin's Khyam Biker tent having an epileptic attack and writhing on the floor with a broken pole...  (photo are on the other camera so they will follow later).   Poor Tiffany had a spill on her bike Thelma and had to be recovered.  Best of luck for your trip home Tiff.

Sunday morning was time to start clearing up and recover all the lighting.  Then, time to watch Michelle's and Tiffany's presentations... Very good.  By this time the rain had joined in with the high winds which made packing up the tent very interesting, but I managed it and decided that this was a good time to leave.

I rode to the M40, and that was horrid... I got as far as Family Farm on the A34 for a cuppa and decided that it was silly to ride much further...  so I booked into a pub some 30 miles South.   This turned out to be too far really and that 30 miles was ever worse with gusts and more rain....

I am now sitting in a warm room having dried out most of my clothing... and now a very heavy rain storm outside .... loverly.

Hopefully the weather will be better in the morning..    Night night

Wet and windy ride today... Tisbury, Wiltshire

Here we go again...

It’s on - now booked into Overland Expo 2020 in Flagstaff Arizona.

I am so looking forward to it...

The outlined plan is the fly to LA, then ride to Flagstaff via Route 66.  Whilst there I intend to visit the Overland Expo show, the Grand Canyon, Phoenix, ride the Apache Trail, and visit Tombstone.    Further north is the Valley of the Gods, Moab, Monument Valley and Arches National Park.

Later the outline plan is to ride down to Texas, New Mexico and ride the Natchez Trace from Natchez to Nashville.  I would like to take in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and possibly Florida.  Then Georgia, Tennessee and the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway through Virginia followed by Pennsylvania and New York State to Niagara and finish at Toronto before shipping the bike back home in late June.

To follow my progress starting in May 2020:  http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0QNBPpXhTe29VveaFrWCmdpqeBV9sDP7i

Visit to Overland 2019 and Sammy Millers Museum

Ian Coates and his Africa Twin RD04

Ted Simon and Paddy Tyson

Greg Turp meets Sammy Miller himself

Welcome home... all fixed ... ready for the Overland Event

Adventure before dementia.... I think !

It’s still in the Workshop - a bit of major surgery...

Just enjoying the ride......

14 July - War Graves at Englefontaine

14 July - France and UK

Good evening dear reader - if your still there...

Slept well last night and woke at 6am and after a good cup of coffee I was on the road by 7:30... from Soissons, and within 20 minutes I had to stop and put on a thermal layer and off we rode again.... An hour later down came rain, which lasted for about an hour....

It was about an hour later that I arrived at Englefontaine and after a little riding around I finally found the British War Graves I had been looking for. Paid my respects and took a few photos.... the miniature pony was guarding the path leading to the site.....

On the road again towards Belgium .... as my friend David would say "a plan is a basis for change", and so it was today. I saw the signs for Calais and thought why ride to Belgium, camp over night and then ride to the Chunnel.... stop Gerty, head for Calais ....

Arrived at the Tunnel, got a ticket, bought some perfume for Debs, and a well deserved sandwich for me....

Then onto the metal rabbit and hey presto popped out at Folkstone... and spent another two hours riding home....

The bikes is now in the garage and I won't unpack until the morrow.... a cup of tea in the garden and an ice cream and then a long soak in a hot bath ... arhhhhhh that's better...

5400 miles.....

Journey done

ENDEX

13 July - Soissons France

Dear reader,

Next time I am offered the choice of pitches, remind me to check them out before picking one. Although the pitch was OK, it was on a slope and behind the hedge was a waterfall - you can only appreciate the silence when you are at the other end of the site....

This morning as I was packing the tent at 8:45 the new occupants for the pitch arrived !!! They will just have to wait I'm afraid ...

The chap next door in a french registered VW camper called in. He was Greg an retired American from Washington DC US of A... what a nice chap and we talked a while as I packed. The van was 35 years old and I was invited to look inside.... the chap was a "hoarder" but in a van ... you just could not get much more in .... he admitted that he had stuff in there that he has not used since 1986....

I eventually got going at about 9:45... heading for Soissons about 5 hours away.... a very pleasant ride up through the hills for the couple of hours then we hopped on the motorway towards Nancy and then Reims....for the last 2 times I have got to Reims we, (that is Gerty Garmin and I) have always missed the turn and have ended up riding through the middle of town ... this time we avoided Nancy and Reims.... yippee

We stopped a couple of times for fuel and something to eat and arrived here about 4pm.... tomorrow I will be mostly riding North, first to visit a great great uncle of mine, he died just 2 days before armistice day in 1918, and his grave is at the Commonwealth War Graves site at Englefontaine. Then I will ride up to the first campsite I stayed at on the night of the 20th June when I set out on this trip.... just to sort out kit and reflect a while on the trip, before riding to Calais and the Chunnel on Monday.....

I then have to get the bike sorted before taking it for an extended visit to the Honda garage... new drive shaft, new sprockets, new tyres..... and a service... whoops....
I think I will have done about 7800kms from setting out.....

Now to cook and wash.

Nite nite

13 July - France

That’s all folks