LANCASTER LUNE AND WYRE MOTORCYCLE CLUB
Newsletter No 119
November 2001
Well there goes
another one rolling on….some will feel the time passing more than others no
doubt, especially the celebrities among us who have set the papers alight …
Thanks to Derek for the following script…..setting the scene for the future eh!… the pen is mightier than the spanner…
To Go Or Not To Go
We had not missed this
Happy event since our first visit in 1989. With Foot & Mouth starting in the
early months of the year it was very much a “Shall we sharn’t we?”
situation especially with us having to pass through the country’s most
stricken county on our way to Stranrear.
Several
weeks before the event was due to take place it was officially cancelled, but we
over in England were being encouraged to go over as usual since alternative
events were to be organised. So…off we went…
‘We’
consisted of Dave from Caton on a BMW R1000RS, a friend of several years. Dave
from Bolton-Le-Sands, Honda Blackbird, whom I had not met before. Bernard from
Rawtenstall, Honda ST1000, a friend of many years whom I had met when we were in
the BMW club (still are). Bob from Bedford, Yamaha 900 Diversion with whom I had
ridden many thousands of miles since we met in our R.A.F. days in 1955, when he
rode Douglas twins and me BSA twins. Finally there were Geoff and I, ZZR1100. We
go back to the fifties and have ridden together often, both solo and two-up.
We
left Caton at 7.30, Thursday, May 17th and took the back roads via
Tebay and Orton, then between the carriageways of the M6 and on to the A6 South
of Shap village. Then up to ‘The Red Rooster’ at Penrith for breakfast, a
place familiar to some of you (yep-one of the better breakfast places AJB)
Then
it was A6 to M6 Junction 42 where we used the Motorway to jump past Carlisle.
Off again at Junction 44 and into Longtown. Next A7 to Langholm and B709 to
Eskdalemuir. Here in the wettest part of the UK it was fine. Here we visited the
Tibetan Monastery, our place of interest on our journey North for this year. A
monk of the order gave us a very interesting insight into their religion…there
were no converts.
South
then to Dumfries and North on the A76 to Penpont where we are made welcome each
year by ex. Catonian friends.
We
then followed the A702 to St. John’s town and then the very demanding A712
past Clatteringshaws Lake (where we usually have a brew, but this year the
visitor centre was closed due to Foot & Mouth) and on to Newton Stewart
where we got petrol.(The thirsty Blackbird had to fill sooner!)
Up
the camera riddled A75 and a left turn Dunragit (home of Aprilia UK) and to our
pre-booked B+B on Port Patrick where we had stayed often in earlier years.
After
a welcome shower, a good meal, and a couple of drinks our first day reached an
end.
Breakfeast,
7.30 on Friday and over to Stranrear to board the H.S.S. to Belfast. There were
as many people and bikes as any other year.. ..
Thank you Derek, we look forward to the next episode...
Meanwhile, the next meeting will be more travel tales
of Derek + Ken’s adventures to Spain and back on two wheels of course.
Wednesday, 8.00, Scarthwaite House Hotel.
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