Motorcycle Forum / Country Specific / UK Group / July 2008

Set off Westward around 4pm Saturday.

Made reasonable progress to the M4, and settled into a brisk cruise.

Once through the narrow lanes section, the traffic slowed while the
"Traffic Wombles" closed the outside lane in response to an accident
on the other side. A it later there was an accident on my carriageway,
but I saw no TWs closing the other carriageway in response.

Almost immediately after, I had to take avoiding action to miss a
suitcase lying in lane 1A.

Motorways are so boring.

Got off at J17, and trekked cross-country to Kilmersdon near Radstock.

Here I found my first landmark of the weekend: the stone marking the
start of Jack and Jill's march up the hill (to fetch a pail of water).

From there, I headed toward Weston Super Mare, until I arrived in
Banwell. Here, there used to be a "Cart Wash", and the landmark was
the commemorative plaque.

left Banwell on fumes, and trundled cautiously towards the M5.
Having stuck 23 litres in the tank, I tanked it up the motorway to
Platy's.

PlatyFest: a sort of WestCountryChimay, without the bike racing, but
with ablutions. I felt a touch "second-hand" on Sunday a.m., and even
declined breakfast.

Set off around noon in blazing sunshine, over the Severn. Onto the
A466 up the Wye valley, then off the main road to the little village
of Broadstone. The landmark here was a stone commemorating the
donation of the land for the village green by a local landowner
chappie. At this point, I noticed the battery indicator on the camera
was not full. Eek.

Set off westward still, to Hay on Wye. There's no direct route by main
road, so it was B this and B that nearly all the way. Almost deserted,
mind, so no great handicap.

The Butter Market was easily located, though I had trouble lining up
the shot avoiding the sun. That done, I was able to turn east, and
back into England. Phew.

Arrived in Bromyard, via Leominster in good time, and immediately
found the sculpture of the resting sheep, so snapped that and set off
immediately for Great Malvern.

I think it was along this run that I came to a tiny wooden bridge,
with "AutoToll" on a scratchily written sign. Luckily, the barrier was
up, so I just rode past it, and f.cked off. Fifty pee, for tiddly
little bridge like that?

Great Malvern seems an unlikely place to build a town - up the side of
a cliff, but I suppose there are mitigating circumstances. The Theatre
of Small Convenience was listed a "leisure waypoint" on the Zumo, and
is, awkwardly, directly opposite a current [though much larger]
convenience. Parking was tricky on the steep slope, and the sun was
being awkward once more, but I got away without mishap.

From Malvern, it was SE through Upton On Severn, then onto the M50/M5
before turning off towards Beckford. At Toddington Hands roundabout, I
found the Tibblestone, over the road from the signpost which had been
the landmark some four years back.

I took the opportunity to refuel, both the bike, and myself - it was
now 5pm, and I'd eaten nothing all day - and retraced my track to the
M5.

Got off the M5 onto the A417, then nearly got wiped out by some dizzy
tart at the Air Balloon roundabout. Well, just past it, on the uphill
bit - she presumably spotted a gap in the traffic, and when changing
gear, the car veered across the road. Nothing to do with her using the
'phone though. Probably.

The 417 was empty and good progress was made round Cirencester and
Swindon, before turning off towards Wantage.

Just past the White Horse, I found the Blowing Stone, which was my
last landmark of the weekend, so I stopped for a drink and a comfort
break, before heading for the M4 via Lambourn.

The motorway was fine up to about the A33 junction, then it got
steadily worse, including several dead stops. No accidents as far as I
could see, but lots of potential for one.

Once I'd fought my way through to the Fuller's Brewery, it was fine,
and even a 30 shower along Westminster Embankment couldn't cool me
off.

So, 42 down, 58 to go. Discounting those [7] booked in for the EOSM
weekend, the nearest one is in Cardiff, 137 miles as the crow flies.