Saturday 31 March 2012

Twos company

The best westher for March in 30 years. Well last week anyway !

March is normally windy, cold, snow, rain but not 23 degrees and blue skies. 25th March >>>> No excuses then and Sharon and I went for a pootle down to Matlock Bath via the Cat n Fiddle. (Spoilt by the addition of 'average speed' cameras.).Not to be disapointed, there were hundreds of bikes lining the streets of MB, a regular biker haunt since the 60's.
A pint of shandy and excellent fish n chip lunch, we watched the myriad of bikes and people wandering up and down. An hour passed and we set off back towards Buxton and over the A6 home via Stockport.

Friday 30th and my daughter Alexa and future Son in Law Matt came over for dinner. They are going to Wales for a week of R&R and as my birthday falls on the 5th April brought an early present.

A one off book, printed to a high quality and put togerther by them both. Matt editing the pictures and Lexi doing the set up.

What a fantastic surprise and brilliant present,

See more at


http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.426418334040083.123597.100000157617969&type=1&l=fc96c546e7

Sunday 18 March 2012

The Eides of March



A stoneFXwalls sign I made for the Adventure Bike Warehouse in Manchester. Polystyrene and Decopierre.



Funny how time flies when you are not very busy.

Blogging the nothingness of winter blues
Writing pros about dull dull days
Spend a winter in my shoes
Following life along the way.

BUT that is only me , how are you doing?

Its March already and despite a lack of work, and therefore funds, I have taxed the bike, and yesterday went for a ride to the opening of a new Touratech branch in Chester.
Getting ready for a ride is always a bit of a chore. Get the bike out, check oil, chech tyre pressures, find the keys, put all that gear on. Boots, thick socks (stil a bit cool here), thermal undies, pants and jacket, shake out the helmet in case of earwigs or spiders, soften the gloves, get far to hot inside the house, then off we go. I have whittled this performance down to about 18 minutes, if I find the keys right away that is.

Seven miles in, some old bloke in a pick-up truck pulls out over 3 lanes right in front of me. Anchors on, I was slowing down for the imminent junction ahead, so had time to stop before T boning him.
Oh well just another day on a bike.


Cobwebs cleared, I start to remember what a ride out does for the soul. The winter has been long, the 'fun'times few and far between,BUT add some miles of Cheshire countryside a snippet of sunshine and it all brings back the simple joys of travelling without any other reason.

If work is found and funds are replensihed, then a few trips with Sharon are in the pipeline. Italy is beconing.

Cao for now.