Anglesey

When I got to the meeting point there were already a few bikes there. But which group was mine? It was one of those sunny days when every bike club in the northwest has decided to meet at Poplar 2000 services. Still, I found my little group which just got bigger and bigger until there were thirteen bikes in all.

Keith led with Gary watching his sheep from the back. A quick blast on the M56 to the A49 which is probably one of the best biking roads in Britain. The buddy system was going well until we turned off the A49 onto the Wrexham road. Roy stopped on the corner, but didn’t wait for the back marker. Luckily, Bob knew the next junction went the same way and stopped there for anyone who missed the turn. We all got round safely and carried on.

Everything was going well and after a word from Keith even Roy managed to stay on the corner until the back marker arrived. Then we got to Llangollen and after enduring the slow moving traffic through the centre, we found that our route was shut due to road works. So we had to make a detour toward the horse shoe pass and then left down a narrow country lane and back onto the A5.

After a quick café stop near Corwen, we headed along the A5 to Anglesey and to the lighthouse where we were met by Alan and Norma, John and Judy and Paul and Mandy with there youngest on the back of Paul. Then more food and drink, a quick look at the lighthouse and make our way home.

Alan and Norma left us near Llanfairwhateverogogog and the rest of us, about fifteen or sixteen bikes, headed for the Denbigh moors. We had another drink stop near Mold, where Phil decided he wanted a change from his CBF1000 which gave him a numb bum. So Gary let him have go on his 1991 CBR1000 and had a great time on the CBF. We struggled through some traffic on the A55/ M56 and got back to Poplar where Phil and Gary swopped back their bikes with Gary wishing he had the three grand that would prize the CBf from Phils grasp.

We had a fantastic day with fantastic weather and fantastic roads. Bring on the next ride.

It's the Manhoc ride today to South Stack Lighthouse - only we are already in Anglesey. But this was preplanned and the ride leaders (Gary and/or Keith, depending on who wants to lead) know this and are meeting us at 2pm. What they don't know is that John & Judy have come up a day early and are staying with Norma and myself - and Paul and Mandy (and Adam, youngest son, aged 9 and loving motorcycles) have a caravan on Anglesey and have been here for a couple of days already. So, how many will be doing the route on the day?

Last night (Saturday), Paul and Mandy (on her own bike) and Adam came over to our HPB cottage for tea (and to pick up a headset for Adam) and met John & Judy as they arrived. We planned to meet in a petrol station nearby on Sunday morning, have a pleasant drive to a jam factory and be at the lighthouse for 2pm, ready to receive the visitors. A good plan.

So, Sunday dawns bright and sunny - definitely summer jacket weather. Which, of course, I'd left at home. So, on with the leathers, out goes the inner lining and I hope for the best. After a light breakfast (the wine and beer did flow rather freely last night), we set off to fill up and meet the others. As we approached the fuel stop, I heard Paul on the radio, so I knew they were nearby - sure enough, as we stopped, they turned up. The plan is working!

After we had filled up and chatted our welcomes, we set off - Paul leading with the rest of us in close formation. Anglesey roads are OK, not like the great English potholes, so we were able to make decent progress. Paul led us to a nice beach where we stopped to let Adam have a play - and the rest of us to admire the waves from afar. From there, we headed around the coast road to the jam factory. It was on this part of the route that Mandy made her silly mistakes - she survived them, but it did make my heart stop for a while to see her overtaking a car in completely the wrong place ('nuff said).

Once at the jam factory, we realised it was just a shop and a café. No matter; a cup of tea and a scone are most welcome. I phoned Gary to find out how they were doing. No problem, they were well on their way with about 13 bikes (so a really good turnout). Once that was done, we made our way out. Paul turned right at the end, the rest of us turned left, insisting that it was the correct way - so Paul turned back, 2 miles down the road, we realised that he was right and we were wrong - oops. Oh well, never mind. We turned around and carried on. By around 1:30 we had got to the lighthouse area and pulled into the RSPB car park to wait for the others. When I say wait, I really mean "lets get in and have some food before the hordes get here and there's nothing left". So, we wandered into the café and got some food.

5 minutes later, the others had all turned up and we had a great time saying hello and working out who had arrived and what was going on (it was a bit confusing as there were other non-manhoc riders there too). But we all got organised and chatted for a while. The actual lighthouse was closed for repair, but some of us did walk over to look at it and take the odd photo. But soon it was time to get going. Everyone was going back to Manchester apart from Norma and myself, so they all had a long way to travel before the end.

We set off and had a pleasant ride down the A5. What I hadn't realised until we set off, was how many of the 18 bikes had a radio. I think I counted 13 - which made for a good chatter as we rode to a petrol station. Norma and I said our goodbyes and headed back to Beaumaris via a goat track (the A55 entry was closed); closely followed by all the rest as they also couldn't go the right way and the same Sat-Nav system gave the same crap route. We could here the comments all the way back to our cottage on the other side of Beaumaris (which shows how good the radios are). Once back at the cottage, I stripped off my steaming leathers and jumped in the shower. Ahh, wonderful - shame about the rest of the group still suffering with the heat.

So, that's the report from me.