Road Crew Bonding Weekend

30th March to 1st April 2007

With a bigger and allegedly better Road Crew we are going to bond.

Friday 30th March 12:00

A biking day.  Oh what joy.  A whole day off with no set instructions from 'She Who Must be obeyed'; so it's wall to wall fun with me mates on the Road Crew.

Just Harleys was a hive of activity with people turning up from all over, if you build it they will come.  Our industrious leader, Greg, had circulated an exciting route but an offer of coffee in Brompton on Swale was to good to resist so a quick change of plan and six of us were soon sitting with Graham enjoying a free coffee.  Graham, as the local lad, new a good route to our bunkhouse barn at Ingleton, Yorkshire Dales.  On the way over we stopped at Hawes where a Bikers Cafe dealt a fine lunch.

The riding was excellent, a very good pace had us soon making friends with Tallulah and her chickeny friends.  S**t, Shave and Shower and off to the Masons Arms for a fantastic meal and back to the Bunkhouse for a 9pm bed time - right!

Saturday 31st March

What a ride!  I counted 'em out and I counted 'em in, we only lost two, not bad for a days work.  The route Graham picked had everything from off road  conditions to Motorway and all roads in between. 

Back fed and watered but off to the arms of Morpheous; yea right!

Graham took us all to another bat for our supper, the food was brilliant but the service was desperate and even the mild mannered Tony uttered several expletives - they blew their tip which spoilt an otherwise lovely meal together; the night was young and some went back for lap top humour in the lounge whilst others stayed out to the pub.

From 12 midnight to 3am I was serenaded in my bunk to a small family of elephants stomping around the lounge which was a thin sheet of plasterboard above my head.  At about 03:15 I had a sense of humour by-pass and went to visit the heavy footed elephants and explained to them that the 14 souls beneath them would like a few moments peace to drift off into Morpheous's welcoming embrace perchance to dream.  I think my Anglo Saxon monosyllabic dialogue hit the spot and it was soon 8am and the inevitable whiff of bacon assailed my nostrils.

Sunday 1st April

Luckily the children amongst us had not realised it was all fools day and I got away without being caught out 'till I met Barry at the Tan Hill Harley Davidson Riders of Great Britain Rally!  You have to be seriously deranged to sleep in a tent at the highest Pub in Great Britain in March!  It was bloody freezing but these hardy souls were full of bon hommie!  The pub even had resident lambs in the bar - I guess health and safety do not venture into the wilds of the Yorkshire Dales in winter.

So with Lamb off the menu it was a fast ride North to Just Harleys birthday bash and one of Burt's Burgers and very nice it was too.  Since my sense of humour by=pass I had ridden alone today but met all the lads at Just Harleys so the weekend could end with us all once more together, the way a road crew should be, together.

Lovely start to our riding year -bring it on.