Steam-trains, Castles and an old Harley

[2wheels]

1st August

Well, the castles and Old Harley are definites and the steam-trains, at this stage, are wishful thinking.

Good Air India flight to Heathrow ...










... then a National Express bus down to Tim’s Gnasher’s place at Southampton. (The bus departure point and ticket office are located at the exit to Terminal 4)

Tim had, very thoughtfully, sent me this article re an Air India flight .... my flight ....
just before I departed Bangkok for Delhi.


Incident: Air India A321 enroute on Apr 12th 2013, 2 cabin crew in cockpit, autopilot disconnected unintentionally


A surprisingly warm 33 degrees Celsius on arrival!


Tim is the owner of the Old Harley, which he has kindly been made available for me to ride England, Wales and Scotland during August. What a mate! I don’t know if the Harley has a name yet but if not it soon will have because we’re going to share some good times together.

Why aren’t Ireland and Northern Ireland on the list?
Because even before the journey starts I know I wont have enough days to do them justice, so they have reluctantly been postponed until next year.

The other surprise was that it didn’t get dark until around 9pm; that means more riding hours in the day.

Tim met me the Southampton terminal in his superb BMW 840 Ci ...





... so we had to call in to the Old Mill to meet some of the locals and allow me to taste my first British ale.
This was at 11pm!

Recovery Day tomorrow!

 

[2wheels]

Thanks Alley!

 

[LivinLOS]

[/FONT]Tim met me the Southampton terminal in his superb BMW 840 Ci ...

View attachment 19616

Very similar to the last car I had when I left..

CSI version.. Quite rare.. I sold it for peanuts after I was gone as it was just sitting in storage for a few years. :bash

 

[2wheels]

Been out cruising the narrow and winding roads around Lymington, Christchurch etc today and it handles and rides beautifully.

And 'Bluey' the Harley will be on those roads tomorrow!

 

[KTMphil]

Good luck Ron, I'm sure you're going to have a great adventure.

 

[2wheels]

This for breakfast, which is why I now realise why Aussies have Vegemite!



Today's cruise around the Southampton area.











Now to the garage to awaken old 'Bluey', warm the engine and change the oil and filter.

 

[2wheels]

'Bluey'.



1991 SuperGlide 1340cc

 

[Captain_Slash]

Welcome over Ron, you landed on the hottest day so far this year, hopefully you will enjoy good weather for your trip. How are you enjoying the beer?

 

[2wheels]

Thanks Colin.
So far my favourite drop is 'Stella', apparently a Belgian beer.
But I'll probably try some local brews as I go!

 

[garethw]

I think there is a steam railway in Swanage about an hours ride from Southampton........ If you find yourself in York there is a railway museum there, I remember my Dad dragging us round there as kids.

 

[bsacbob]

Have a bacon butty for me Ron, safe trip.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

 

[The Bigfella]

Good stuff Ron. Watch out for those English roses.

 

[monsterman]

Thanks Colin.
So far my favourite drop is 'Stella', apparently a Belgian beer.
But I'll probably try some local brews as I go!

stella has never been anywhere near belgium ,, its a generic crapy lager thats sold for huge profit in UK brewed in an industrial plant somewhere in Liverpool or slough...try some real ale for a true british beer

 

[Ally]

You have landed in style I can see.

Forget the beer Ron, stick to Scrumpy.

Ally

 

[Russ McDermid]

.... and you find we often refer to Stella as, "Wifebeater".
See u later, Ron .... & welcome !
Did u have to bring the rain

 

[lakota]

Stella or a pint of real Ale overlooking Lymington Estuary ..... Wonderful ! .... Perfect . Thanks for sharing

 

[2wheels]

Thanks all for the advice.

Stella; 'brewed in Belgium and the UK' (Wikipedia)

Off to the the Beaulieu Motor Museum now, Saturday morning, thick clouds rolling in!

 

[2wheels]

3rd August


A short ride from Tim's home to the Beaulieu Estate this morning, which incorporates the National Motor Museum, the magnificent Beaulieu Abbey and Palace House. ('Beaulieu', a fair place. 'Fair', as in nice.)


Beaulieu National Motor Museum, House and Garden in the New Forest


The Estate has been in the Montague family's ownership since 1538! and the Palace House was opened for visitors in 1952.

The Abbey was founded in 1204 by Cistercian Monks on land granted by King John but was mostly destroyed by King Henry 8th during the 'Reformation'. Bastard.
I learnt today that King John was the brother of Richard the Lionheart. We didn't learn this sort of stuff in Aussie schools.

We put aside the entire day to take it all in and walked from 10am until 5pm.
The whole day was fascinating, if tiring.

We managed to get in for FREE, thanks to one of Tim's many conatcts. This saved us 42 quid, but we spent quite a lot of that within the grounds.



OK, to the magnificent Abbey.

What you'll see here was originally the Refectory. This was saved during the vandalism of the Reformation and subsequently became the Abbey Church.











These magnificent windows are actually 19th century.













"Small amounts of wine and large quantities of beer were drunk .... "







Visiting this magnificent Abbey was, for me, an unforgettable experience.

Next; displays of Falconry at and near the Abbey.

 

[2wheels]

We saw three displays of Falconry and enjoyed an educational chat with the handler (who has been Falconing for 28 years).
This was a thoroughly entertaining and professional show.

Here are some of the dramatic birds of prey which entertained large crowds during the day; Peregrine Falcons and a magnificent Eagle Owl (largest in the world, with a five feet wing span.









http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Eagle-Owl

 

[2wheels]

We spotted this at the entrance to the complex.
Must be 125 or less because it was wearing L Plates.
Anyone know much about this make/model?

 

[Lone Rider]

As they say, Google is your best friend if you need info. Sinnis is made in China and they do make a whole ranges of bikes. More info here: SINNIS Motorcycles - Main Page and here: SINNIS Motorcycles | Motorcycle Range

 

[Captain_Slash]

Thanks Colin.
So far my favourite drop is 'Stella', apparently a Belgian beer.
But I'll probably try some local brews as I go!

I said beer Ron, that's not beer its lager, the same sort of poor excuse for beer that is all you can get in Thailand

 

[Captain_Slash]

stella has never been anywhere near belgium ,, its a generic crapy lager thats sold for huge profit in UK brewed in an industrial plant somewhere in Liverpool or slough...try some real ale for a true british beer

My sentiments exactly Jerry

 

[2wheels]

Next, into the National Motor Museum where we were greeted at the entrance.

There's lots of 'staff' in period costume floating around the entire complex and vintage cars, buses and a Penny Farthing bike as well;
this all adds to the atmosphere and character of the place.

























I last saw Donald Campbell's 'Bluebird' when it was in South Australia in 1964 during its assault on the world land speed record; a very frustrating time for the man due to unusually heavy rains in the Lake Eyre area.





From the Monorail we spotted these familiar vehicles which had arrived the previous night from the farcical 'Top Gear' show.





Their Landrover mobile home.





'Jeff' their electric car experiment.

The Museum is a wonderful, if crowded, place to visit.
Maybe a bit 'over the top' with Top Gear and James Bond exhibits, but I guess this attracts the crowds.

Lots of sculptures around the grounds, most for sale at outrageous prices.

 

[Gnasher328]

As Monsterman says, UK Stalla has been 'neutered'. Now it's more 'wife tickler'.

 

[2wheels]

Next, to the Palace House which has been the the Montagu family mansion since 1538.
The fabulous interior is now centred on the workings of a Victorian household of the late 19th century.



The Montagu flag.











The drunken Butler and the Maid.



'Live' recitals added to the character of the place. Brilliant.









Tim 'chatting up' the Maid.













Seven hours of walking around, mostly in sunshine, took a toll on both of us.
Tim recharging.



An excellent day at Beaulieu.
Now time to head to the seaside for a meal and some ales/beers.

 

[2wheels]

Some brilliant pics of the monstrous Eagle Owl from Tim, using his new Nikon Coolpix 18x.









http://news.stv.tv/highlands-island...lood-following-eagle-owl-attack-in-highlands/

 

[2wheels]

Recovery time, so we went to the Spinnaker Bar at Calshot which was an excellent choice.
Good food, a range of booze and pleasant people.

The Queen Victoria and Queen Mary were there to greet us.





And, in the name of 'research', I sampled more of the local stuff; all excellent (IMHO).









The quaint little beach shacks along Calshot beach.

A bit more work on 'Bluey' is required tomorrow!

 

[KTMphil]

Looks like you're acclimatizing perfectly well Ron, nice choice of beers & it looks like you got control of the new Macbook Air.

 

[bsacbob]

Hope your starting a collection of beer matts of each brew you consume on the trip

 

[2wheels]

Luggage weight restrictions Bob!

Phil, I'm meeting up with Jeff Pikey tomorrow on my ride to Stonehenge.
Then off to Cornwall (Looe) and Bath.

Loving it!

 

[2wheels]

England swings.

Some have never heard this.
Some have and regret it.
Others have and 'feel good'.

Sing along with the attached lyrics folks!

ROGER MILLER- " ENGLAND SWINGS " (W / LYRICS) - YouTube

 

[2wheels]

4th August

Some last minute 'fine tuning' jobs on Bluey today, then to Russ McD and Dawn's delightful thatched cottage at Cadnam.



Then, fulfilling my obligation to this site in researching brews, it was to a Bangladeshi restaurant for a nice meal and something
a bit different.

 

[2wheels]

5th August.

On the road!

Russ McD and Dawn kindly offered to escort me to Stonehenge .. on a damp and miserable looking day.
Weather was kind to us along the ride through lovely back-roads to the stones.



Thatched cottages at Downton.



Stonehenge.
Pity the sun wasn't shining.
Pity there were so many cars and people.
Pity we couldn't get any closer than this fence-line without paying a large entrance fee.



These guys didn't have to pay in 1885.





Trying to hide the hordes behind the grass so the stones can be highlighted.



Dawn and Russ.
Thanks for your pleasant company R&D.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge

"Another theory, brought forth in 2012, suggests that the monument was intended to unify the different peoples of the British island. This theory suggests that the massive amount of labour involved in the construction of Stonehenge necessitated inter-regional cooperation,[SUP][21][/SUP] especially as many of the stones were moved over very long distances, for example from quarries in Wales.[SUP][26]"[/SUP]


Then my companions headed for Bath and I headed for Torquay.
Lots of traffic and many 'bottle-necks' at roundabouts.
And the skies opened and the only life form having fun were ducks.





Soaked to the bones and trickling along in dense traffic to the sea-side resort.



Every time I hear the name of 'Torquay' I smile at the memory of Dear old Mrs Richards in the 'Fawlty Towers' episode.

"This is Torquay madam; it's there between the sea and the horizon".
"Well it isn't good enough."
"What do you expect to see? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon?"
"Herds of wilder beast sweeping majestically across the plains?"

Or something like that.

Too crowded and intense for my liking.

So onward to Looe.

 

[2wheels]

The ride was mostly along the A38, with a few narrow one-lane tracks thrown in for variety.
The ride into Looe from the A38 is delightful and the rain had passed.
'Bluey' was cruising along comfortably and I was happier after the disappointment of Torquay.











I already like this place, which is good because I'll be here for two days.





I booked in to the first interesting place I could find that offered ocean views and interesting walks.

That is the 'Hannafore Point Hotel'.
Very expensive but it's all about 'location, location, location'.





Monday nights at the Hannafore is ballroom Dancing night! Wonderful.



Today was 10 hours in the saddle and the knees needed to be exercised, so a walk along the esplanade, sucking in the fresh, salty air.




One of the reasons I'm in Looe is to sample some of their legendary Cornish pasties. That will be breakfast and lunch taken care of.

 

[The Bigfella]

I'm loving it Ron. I've alerted a friend from another forum about this thread... he's restoring a Dragon (keelboat) named LOOE.

edit.... and I've been asked to warn you.... another mate ended up in hospital in Falmouth after eating a Cornish pastie in Looe.

Re Stonehenge... you've got it easy mate. I was there with three kids in tow, when the Pound was 33p to the Aussie. Ouch. Back in the days of that wagon shot, they used to hire hammers out to tourists, so that they could chip a bit of rock off as a souvenir. My daughter, 16 at the time, rated Stonehenge and Duxford air force museum as her two picks of the trip

 

[KTMphil]

Lots of blue skies so far, you picked a good weather window.

 

[2wheels]

6th August

Good rest last night, helped by the fact the room has a deep bath and the hot water is hot.
That helped prevent pneumonia, which was a risk given the drenching I soaked up yesterday.
Up and onto 'Bluey' nice and early and off to explore Looe and the area.

But I needed to break my fast and I was in Cornwall, so there was no other choice really.
In fact this is the main reason I'm here!









I hadn't tasted this delight since dear old Mum used to bake them in the 1960s.
Hers had a top 'crimp' though; connoisseurs amongst you will argue that the 'crimping' must be around the side of the pasty.

 

[2wheels]

Cornish Pasty Origins | A Brief History of Cornish




It was said that the devil would never dare to cross the River Tamar into Cornwall for fear of ending up as a filling in a Cornish pasty
It was said that the devil would never dare to cross the River Tamar into Cornwall for fear of ending up as a filling in a Cornish pasty

"It was said that the devil would never dare to cross the River Tamar into Cornwall for fear of ending up as a filling in a Cornish pasty"

 

[2wheels]

So there I was, busily devouring my pasty and at the same time protecting it from marauding gulls when Malcolm appears for a chat.



Malcolm arrived on his ancient Kawasaki to collect his morning 'paper' and was about to return to his wooden shack on top of a Looe hill-top. But he apparently thought it was more fun to chat and chat and chat with me for a while. Many anecdotes of flying over Vietnam, of Uncle Ho, of R&R in Bangkok but, most interesting, his story of his ancestry of some 500 years including centuries in the Looe region. Malcolm is a true local.

Back to the Hannafore to awaken 'Bluey' and I discovered some old photos on the walls.



(I heard a ghost story from the manager in connection with this place which I'll share after)

'Bluey' came to life and off we went to explore beautiful Looe.



















Then I stumbled upon this old Church, still providing a service to the local congregation.



St Martin's Church was built in 1882, although there was a Church on this site as early as the 5th century! Doorways date back to 1140.











I met Mary, who was raking the Church grounds.
She was born here and has never left here.
Mary is happy with her lot.
We spoke of many things.



Looe is so rich in history and the locals are so friendly.
Love it!