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My motorcycle rallying started in 1999 with the National Rally so I'm a relative newcomer to the motorcycle-rallying scene in comparison with some of the RBR people. I have however, ridden all sorts of two wheelers over the years starting with my Lambretta Innocenti Li150 back in 1971 to my present day Hondas, a CBR1100XX blackbird and a CB1000FS 'Big One'. My wife Chris and I are based in Corfe Mullen, a small place that nestles in between Wimborne and Poole, in Dorset.
I rode in the National Rally every year from 1999 to 2005. In 2005 with our 'kids' growing away, my wife Chris joined me as pillion and managed a 3 Nations in her first year of rallying. We decided to stop doing the National in 2006 as I felt I was getting too familiar with the controls and I must admit to getting a tad fed up with the rules changing every year. Running the Sheene rally directly after the National in 2005 was probably the last straw for us. We now prefer to ride the Scottish and Welsh rallies principally because of the scenery and the roads but also because of the more relaxed approach to both. However giving up the National left a bit of a hole in the year. This was filled by the RBR when our good friends Sue and Dave Sanford introduced us to the RBR. They have done the RBR the last three years running obtaining a Gold and two 100% All Rounders (but that's their story). At first we weren't sure whether this was for us, as it seemed a bit like geocaching on two wheels but spurred on by the Sandfords we entered the 2006 RBR. The map opposite shows the 2006 RBR landmarks we visited. Click on the map to look at our landmark photos. What follows is how our RBR 'newbies' year went ...
So Sunday 2nd April we dipped our toes in the
water and hit the local landmarks. We tried to remember what we needed
to do? We read through Dave's instructions and then printed and
laminated a 2006 RBR card. Full of confidence we sped off to
Briantspuddle just down the road from us. Wellow and Salisbury would
follow. How difficult could it be? We didn't need to research,
research, and research. We got to Briantspuddle and took forever to
find its War Memorial. After we had found the War Memorial, we read the
rules again before enacting the RBR landmark ritual. We pointed the
Blackbird at the memorial and Chris struck a pose with RBR card in hand
alongside the Blackbird's registration plate. I then proceeded to take
about 20 photos as I did throughout for every landmark. Chris's face
gradually changed from a smile to a 'how many more photos are you going
to take?' grimace.
Two weeks later, Sunday 16th April and we were looking for an excuse to go for a ride. It dawned on us that this is what the RBR is about for us. It gives us a reason to go for a ride by providing a little bit of a challenge and an objective. We were not going to make the same mistake as last time. This time I was Googling away the night before looking for Castellated Toll Houses in West Sussex and Gravewatcher's Huts in Hampshire. No problem. The Gravewatcher's Huts were quickly located and, although not explicitly stated as Castellated, a Toll House in Findon that had a 'lumpy' exterior was also located. We avoided the M27 on the way up taking the A272 from Winchester to Petersfield from where we cut across to Findon. We were very confident that we would just ride up and snap the Toll House. The only problem was that there was no Castellated Toll House where the web had said it would be. (We think some of you had the same problem.) We rode all around Findon trying to find a local who knew where the dam thing was. Very cosmopolitan place Findon, no locals. Eventually we found a bike clothing shop where we were told it was on the A280. (So, when Dave says a town he means in the proximity of a town?) Seems a guy had asked the same question at the shop the previous week. Guess what? When we eventually got there we found we had left our RBR card at home. We bought a Sunday Express and used that instead. (We hoped Dave was an understanding man.) Deflated we took the M27 home calling in at Havant on the way to take a few photos of the Gravewatcher's Huts. We couldn't get the bike in the same picture as the huts. (After Pepperpot we were up for anything but there were too many gravestones in the way!) We consulted the rules again and found the RBR landmark ritual was a bit different for this situation.
The following Saturday 22nd April and we were
off
again. This time we went clockwise from Corfe Mullen to Speen to Long
Wittenham to Marlow to Chobham and back home to Corfe Mullen. After
last time, I spent a bit more time Googling and, we took two copies of
the RBR card with us! We also went on the Big One this time. I've had
this bike for 8 years and wouldn't part. My pillion, however, always
moans about the seat being too hard. You see she's been spoilt by the
Blackbird's gel packed seat she forced me to buy when she took an
instant dislike to the standard seat.
We always look forward to the Welsh National rally and 2006 was no different so we entered to do it Saturday 6th May. As entered for a Platinum and Dragon so we didn't expect to visit RBR landmarks on the way around the rally but we did plan to visit RBR landmarks on the way to Welshpool and on the return trip after the rally. We booked into a nice B&B at Criggion just south of Oswestry for Friday 5th May. Our first landmark on the way was Runston Chapel. We were ignorant about the archery range and fortunately we avoided it although we did ride straight past the Chapel down an overgrown gravel strewn lane before back tracking to it. It was a lovely day, which made for a pleasant walk and a nice view of the Severn estuary and its bridges. After than it was on to Ystrad Mynach to find the 'Wheel of Drams'. Looking back at this I have to say that we did make hard work of this one. Then it was onto Brecon on the A470 from Merthyr. I do like that road. At Brecon, a couple of locals pointed us in the right direction and we were soon snapping the Canal Basin. Quite a nice spot. We hadn't expected to have problems with finding the Eardisley Pound! (Although we hadn't researched it.) We were a bit thirsty when we got to Eardisley so we had a drink in a cafe come pub where we quizzed the locals about the Village Pound. Strange people! Anyway we were told that there was a farm called Pound Farm to the east of the village and that was it. After riding up and down the back lanes of Eardisley for half an hour we eventually found Pound Farm and took our photos. The farmer came out to talk and being a nice man decided to humour us. Now we weren't confident that this was the right place but we were hot and bothered and wanting to put Eardisley behind us. We didn't even get a photo of the Eardisley sign. A big mistake, which meant another, visit to Eardisley later on. After Eardisley we took the A483 north to Welshpool stopping to snap the Limekilns at Berriew and then onto Oswestry to snap the statue of the Moorland Farmer's statue. We found the Welsh rally a bit challenging this year. We left our B&B at Criggion at 8:00am and met up with two friends from Wolverhampton at the start. We nearly ran out of petrol eventually finishing at Castle Caereinion around 11:15pm in the pouring rain. We chatted with someone doing the RBR at the finish. Julie Wallis we think? We had booked into the Travelodge at Ludlow for Saturday night but we didn't get there until 1.45am Sunday morning. After a good nights sleep we meandered our way back home visiting the Maypole at Offenham, the Lych Gate at Long Compton and Keble's Clapper Bridge at Eastleach Turville. These were all fairly straightforward landmarks for us. We think going to somewhere like Eastleach Turville is what the RBR is all about. What a pretty village that is. It's somewhere you wouldn't go otherwise.
The Sandwich landmark, the White Mill and Museum, was bagged on the way to the Le Mans MotoGP, which was held 21st May. We crossed La Manche via Eurotunnel 19th May so all that was needed was a slight detour up to Sandwich on the way to Folkestone. If we had taken the ferry from Poole it would have been a 400-mile round trip as opposed to a 1000-mile round trip! That's another thing we noticed about the RBR. You start to build visits to landmarks into your trips and if you're not careful the RBR takes over. Marco Melandri on a Honda won the MotoGP courtesy of Rossi's blown Yamaha engine. There's no way he would have beaten Rossi otherwise. We had a great weekend in France despite some very nasty weather, very strong winds and, at times, very very heavy rain. They winds meant that all Calais-Dover ferries were stopped so it was good job we hadn't taken the ferry.
The trip to Horner Water was Sunday ride for us and we made our way there on the 28th May with Sue and Dave Sanford. We had a nice ride across Dorset and Somerset taking the A350 from just outside Dorchester to Crewkerne. A favourite road of ours. For the last bit of the trip across Exmoor Dave dialled up the shortest route on his SatNav and at times we found ourselves coming as close to off-roading as is possible. It's not nice when the front end of the Blackbird slides sideways on mud roads! Must admit that Dave and Sue did fine on their barge (Pan). When we got to Horner we found several Packhorse Bridges so we snapped all of them. We figured that the one next to the cream teashop was the right one and, yes, we did have a very nice cream tea at Horner. We returned home but Dave and Sue went on to Bude and Mullion booking into the Plymouth Travelodge around midnight. That's what it takes to get a 100% All Rounder!
The deal had been that if I went to Le Mans MotoGP that Chris went to Tenerife so on the weekend 3rd and 4th June I found myself alone. (I had been out every night with the lads.) Saturday morning was lovely and the forecast for the whole weekend was for clear sunny skies. A good weekend to do the South West. I had done my research and knew where the elusive Triangular Folly House was hiding. Very frustrating to have one of the most difficult landmarks in your home town. A big thanks to the man who runs the Plymstock web site. Without him I would never have found it. I didn't need anymore encouragement. I booked in the Hayle Premier Travel Inn before I left and was off on my Big One heading for Bude. (Nobody to complain about its hard seat.) I took the Lyme Regis coast road, A3052, to Exeter as I always do in preference to the dual carriageway that runs from Honiton to Exeter, and after passing through Exeter got on the A3072 all the way to Bude. Another favourite road of mine. Soon I was in Bude and snapping the Sea Lock. After that I made my way to Hayle stopping off at Polzeath to reconnoitre where my daughter planned to spend her summer camping. (She spent 3 months in a tent there.) When I got to Hayle, I was still full of riding so I booked into the Inn and rode to Lands End via St Michael's Mount and Penzance. I passed through St Ives on the way back to the Inn. Brilliant day! In the morning I was up nice and early and off to Mullion skirting Culdrose and getting a good view of Goonhilly. I made my way to Poldhu cove, parked up the bike in the beach car park and trekked up to the cliffs to Marconi's Memorial. It was a beautiful day and a lovely location. After taking my photos I sat down to cool off and take in the rays. I was a bit hot after my long trek up the hill in my bike gear. (I must increase my fitness level for next year just in case Dave is planning some more treks.) After Mullion I made my way back up the Cornish south coast to Plymstock and the Triangular Folly House. I rode right by it on my first pass but snapped it on my second pass. I then spent a pleasant afternoon at my brother's having a barbecue before returning home to Dorset. I was so proud to tell Graham and Janet that my old bike (11 years now) had even blown a fork seal. (Needs to be older and breakdown to impress.) Biking weekends don't come much better than that! Although I did miss Chris I am quick to add.
By now we had easily made RBR Bronze so we were now looking for a trip that would take us to Silver. The trip we planned was to do a big clockwise loop around London taking in the northern Home Counties, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and East Sussex. On Friday 7th July after work we rode to the Travelodge at Dunstable. Unfortunately just after leaving the M25 we witnessed a nasty bike accident. We were stopped checking our directions near a roundabout when a car entering it hit a girl on a R1 making her way around it. Her bike was totalled and she was going in and out of consciousness. Hopefully she's all right now as the police and medical care were on the scene very quickly. She was very lucky to go through a gap in the Armco barrier and end up on the grass. Not a good start to the weekend. The first landmark in the morning was beautiful Luton! We saw a lot of that lovely town but eventually we got to the Water Tower, took our photos and left for Letchworth Garden City. Again, we owe a debt of gratitude to the kind man who answered my query to the Letchworth website as to the whereabouts of the Tribute to Joseph Howard Moore. My Googling had led me to Spirella but it was good to get this confirmed and Letchworth was straightforward because of this. You see Graham, we did learn to research, research, and research before setting off. Then it was on to Desborough. Boy, that's a tough town! We found a pillar with a ball on it, assumed it was the Milestone Pillar, quickly took our photos and got going to 'bog snorkeller' land, the Fens and beyond. The Norman Cross Memorial was easy to find, as was the Market House at New Buckenham and the Lighthouse at Happisburgh. Chris is from Portland so she wasn't too over awed by the Lighthouse. We then made our way to Ashby and St. Marys Church. It was a lovely spot so we took our photos and sat down to watch the sun set over the fields. After that we made our way to a Travelodge just outside Ipswich that we had booked for Saturday night. The place was a bit tired and noisy but the bike was still outside in the morning, which was the main thing. Next day and Graham's little tease he had posted about the 394th Bomber Group Monument was good enough for us to find it. I find it pays to keep an eye on the RBR message board. After that its back to the car park better known as the M25 to get to the Dartford bridge and from there to Findon. On the way to Alfriston I move over to avoid a vicar who stepped out into the road as we passed through Upper Dicker. I was unable to get the rhyme "a vicar from Upper Dicker" out of my head for the rest of the day. It's a lazy Sunday afternoon and Alfriston is full of people out for the day. We take our photos of the Red Lion and Market Cross and make our way home on the A272 to avoid the motorway. We were almost home when the A31 was closed because of an accident. We were stationary so I asked Chris to get off the bike but she was too tired and mutinied. I think we overdid it a bit that weekend. It wasn't the miles. We just find riding around the Home Counties and the M25 can take it out of us. Not the most inspiring roads for us.
September came and we had just about made it
to RBR
Silver so Gold was now beckoning. One last big push and we would be
there. Our last big trip of the RBR took in the 'outside' of Wales
starting in the south and ending in the north followed by a clockwise
circle through Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Staffordshire,
Derbyshire Shropshire and the Midlands. This trip was planned with
military precision. Lots of research and B&Bs were pre-booked all
along the route. (We don't do camping.)
Thursday morning and the weather was looking a bit ominous. It was raining hard as we left Richmond for Sledmere. We decided to head out towards Whitby on the A171 and then cut south through the Yorkshire Moors on the B1257 to Helmsley. We stopped off at Rievaulx Abbey on the way. The weather brightened up going through the moors but as we got closer to Sledmere it started to get darker and darker. The swirling clouds to the west looked like something out of Ghost Busters. We snapped the interesting looking Waggoners Memorial and made our way to our next B&B was just outside York. As we headed west towards it the rain and the wind came on big time. That was the day they had tornadoes in Harrogate and Leeds. Good job we were out East.
The next day, Friday, we go and take a look at where our lad's being educated. Oh, the expense! It's a very nice place York and we did a bit of shopping in the designer-shopping outlet. It's a good job the panniers can't hold too much! We left York and cut across to Darfield where we were fortunate enough to bump into a local councillor. We found the Darfield Colliery Memorial where he said it would be, took our photos and pondered on a nice route to go around Sheffield to get to Monyash. The first bit of the ride from Barnsley wasn't too exciting but we had a really nice ride across the Peak District past Derwent and Ladybower reservoirs (where they filmed the Dam Busters). We took our photos of The Old Smithy and had something to eat there. On the way to our B&B at Longnor, I took Chris to the famous Cat and Fiddle pub just outside Buxton. Saturday was our last day and the plan was to bag the Coalbrookdale and Tipton landmarks before making our way home. It was a straightforward ride to where the industrial revolution started. We took our photos of the Jackfield & Coalport memorial footbridge and then it was off to the Midlands to find the Slasher. It took us a while but we eventually found his statue. A couple of Tipton constables on bicycles asked us why we were taking a photo of the train station. When we told them what we were up to they just laughed. Mainly because they couldn't think of anything of interest in Tipton until we pointed out the statue. Does anyone else get the same reaction? Later that day we arrived back home in Corfe Mullen to complete our RBR 2006. This was our first RBR and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We managed to get Gold but we don't think we have the endurance for an All Rounder. But the Sanfords have two ... Soon we will be planning our 2007 campaign so we'll have to see what we can do about it. We appreciate the work that goes into organising the RBR so a
big
thanks to Dave. Also a big thanks to Graham for the RBR website. Chris and Trev Fairbanks |
