Miles yesterday = 155
Miles today = 0
Miles so far = 2060
Where are we? - Barrow-in-Furness!
Plans changed for a mercy mission. My brother Brian is engaged on the difficult and delicate matter of removing my dad’s car from him, since we clamped it a few weeks ago. Since we are close enough, and my biker mates are such kind people, we have diverted again to Barrow, to provide assistance. Which on the evidence so far consists of getting hopelessly drunk and discussing methods of appropriating the keys using various techniques like impersonating a police officer, using an industrial magnet and other useless and inappropriate ideas. Amazing what whisky does.
Apparently it also makes us better pool players - well at least the Macgregor bros, who thrashed the soft southerners 5-1, (in the old Hartington - for any Barrow folk reading this!)
Finish off the evening in the good old Wetherspoons and none of us is fit to ride this morning. So just as well we have other things to do. Cars to steal, cricket World Cup finals to watch…
Rob also managed to spend the best part of 12 hours in the Dock Museum in Barrow and now knows far more of the town’s history than I do. He even managed a walk on the slag bank left over from the town’s steel making past, which I have never managed to do.
Yesterday, as it happens, was a magical riding day! 150+ miles on good windy roads through 3 national parks. And there wasn’t even too much traffic.
Started with a decent walk round Fountains Abbey, which as old ruined piles of stones, is a pretty decent place to visit. Lovely to see families enjoying picnics in the grounds and see spectacular early Cistercian architecture. And the inevitable coffee and scone!
A quick stop at Brimham Rocks, for the obligatory 3 idiots selfie (hope you can see the similarity!), and gentle meander through Grassington, Kettlewell, Aysgarth (for the falls) and Hawes. Some spectacular scenery and fantastic roads. Finally entering Cumbria and another quick stop in Sedbergh to join (briefly) a street party. Oh, yes, and a coffee (and a bit of cake!)
We even managed to get to Barrow via the Windermere ferry and the coast road along the northern edge of Morecambe Bay. We will repeat the Morecambe Bay road on the way out on Monday, and savour it this time. By the time we reached it on Saturday it was late and the pub was calling!
And so to north Wales...
What a weekend! England won the cricket, we managed to get rid of my dad’s car without falling out, we had a great time in Barrow and we are ready and refreshed for a 200 miler… (via the Antony Gormley statues on Crosby Beach I think). Here's a few more pics I couldn't squeeze in above before we go...
