So, what to do for the weekend of the ABR rally. A brief resume and some pics.
left home at 07:00 to at least be cool for part of the ride up to Oxfordshire. That's Slapton Ley in the background by the way
The ride up was pretty uneventful, motorway to Taunton, across the Somerset levels, round Bath then up the Fosse Way to Stow and across to Banbury. Stopped here for lunch, The duck on the pond at South Newington, highly recommended.
I liked their outside table I.D system
Then on to Banbury and get set up. It was already busy when I arrived to set up my happy home for the weekend
Anyway, for me it was a bit hot, so had a wobble round one of Mick Extance's KTM Freerides, which was good but in the heat off-roading was to much for me, so I sat back in the evening with fish and chips on site and a cold beer and enjoyed the chat with people I'd not met before.
The next day I planned to go on the organised road run, but it quickly became clear the British GP road closures were causing a few issues with the route. I decided that, considering the heat, I had done all I wanted to do at the event. I went back, picked my tent up and headed off through Oxfordshire into Wiltshire via Uffington and Marlborough and visited a few old haunts from my youth.
I have a photo of this Cricket pavillion with my pushbike next to it from 40 years ago, I played there in my teens, and thought it would be nice to replicate it. Chatting to one of the older players, we discovered we'd been at school together. It's a small world. It's in the beautiful and unspoilt village of Grittleton in Wiltshire.
From there I headed to a Camping and Caravan club site at the back of the Three Magpies Pub in Sells Green between Devizes and Melksham, mainly for their great showers!. Great site, two minutes from the pub and I can heartily recommend both. Managed to get my tarp up for a little shade.
Then after all the excitement I realised I would be riding past an old riding mates place who I'd not seen for a couple of years, so I sent him a text to see if he'd be in on the Sunday and got an on the spot invite to his 60th birthday barbie
A great end to a great weekend. But it was too hot. I will say my new Weiss Airspin jacket was worth its weight in your preferred precious metal. The CRF ran faultlessly and I had a cracking ride round north Wiltshire on the way to Saturday night.
The ABR rally was brilliantly organised and I would have stayed longer if it was cooler to ride the trails. Definitely be back next year.
Next month the C90 rally on the Isle of Wight
After the ball is over...
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Re: After the ball is over...
Lovely part of the country you come from , the wife and I spent our honeymoon in Kingsbridge 44 years ago , and have some friends that live in Slapton
- Godspeed
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Re: After the ball is over...
Lovely to meet you, enjoy the C90 rally... wish I could make it too
The Meandering Moustache
Going Big and Riding Small
Honda PCX125 (sports tourer)
Honda Innova ANF125 (Adventure bike)
Going Big and Riding Small
Honda PCX125 (sports tourer)
Honda Innova ANF125 (Adventure bike)