Nearly ready to go.....

Well my bike is packed and I'm ready to go....
My new tent is still up in the garden and is fairing well in the torrential rain, I just hope it stops in the morning so the tent can dry out so I can pack it dry ready for my Friday morning launch window of 0900hrs

Ready to go!!!!

I've just finished packing the bike up, and am ready to head off into Wales for the week-end!
I must be getting good at this camping-on-a-bike malarkey as I seem to have rather a lot of room left in the top-box(?) and most of my pockets are still empty.
I assume I'll find out why when I arrive at the camp-site and discover that vital kit required to ensure the smooth running and success of this week-end is still residing somewhere at home?!

Near miss!! (Booking camping via clubrez)

Phew! Close call again using the Camping & Caravan Clubs online booking fiasco called Clubrez

I booked a site for this coming week-end in Wales, unfortunately I seem to be missing the Welsh pronunciation gene and booked the wrong site, a mistake I discovered almost immediately I hit the 'confirm' button (as you do!)
I tried then to change the booking utilising this facility on Clubrez only to be told this can't be done as the booking was within 8 days of going there? So I ring them up this very morning and am told I may lose my deposit (It's not just Labour MPs then?) but try contacting the site direct and they will sort me out, which they did, another example of just how good the C&CC site staff are.
Moral of this story;- don't book online with the C&CC unless your booking 2 weeks in advance.

Carry on Camping (Hayfield 2008)

The Round Britain Rally gets Camping at Hayfield Camping & Caravan Club site in the Dark peak area of the Peak district national park in Derbyshire, an area of tranquillity and escape from the hustle & bustle of modern life, an area to get back to nature and enjoy the beauty of the English scenery at it's best and a good place to spot low flying 747's et al buzzing the site from 0130hrs until the BAA are sure everyone is awake!



Despite a wet week-end the indomitable spirit of the Ralliers comes to the fore in the face of such trials and we all park the bikes up and make a truly heroic run for the dry inside of the Sportsman's Hotel once inside we are forced to eat good food and drink as much beer as possible, like true 'hard' bikers we take this torture on the chin and only complain when being kicked out!

My tent managed to start it's own breeding program during the week-end, possibly due to the weather and grew a 'windbreak' which, unfortunately was pointing in the wrong direction and became a windcatcher tunnelling the wind into the tent, this is not good as it also diverts the rain into the tent as well, in fact, this whole design was a disaster but I'm not going to admit it to any one, that would be silly!

BBQ weather

Suns out and I've ran out of time (and enthusiasm) for taking the bike out due to having to cut the grass (again, this was the 5th time this year, why'd it have to grow so quick?) and having been out all morning looking for some more camping kit ready for a camping excursion in 2 weeks to meet with fellow Round Britain Ralliers for a long week-end in the Dales.
I went originally for a sleeping bag liner, having suffered near cryogenic suspension on the 6 points thing, - I ended up in a luke-warm shower at 4.30am trying to thaw out!
As a result of investing in a sleeping bag that squishes down to about 1/4 size of a normal bag - useful for packing on a motorbike - and, as it turns out, 1/4 as warm, so the plan is, get a silk sleeping bag liner these make the bag a) warmer, b) cleaner and c) easier to slither in and out of, just have to make sure the bottom zip is done up! So I traipes off to a camping shop that don't exist, no problem, I go to one in the opposite direction that does exist, I look at silk liners - £34, not good! I'm thinking £20 tops, so I decide to get one on the net, I console myself with the purchase of a blow-up camp bed for £9.99 and a gas cartridge for my little fold up gas cooker.
I then get home to the call of the BBQ which has to be cleaned! (I hate cleaning BBQs) and then burn some dinner for us, and top up the toilet rolls in the loo ready for the morning!
By the time all of this has been done, it's to late to stick everything on the bike and drive around testing it, not to worry though I'll do it another day -maybe!