It was at it again. Precipitation monumental. Simon confessed later that he turned over in bed, went back to sleep and high tailed it down to the hotel in LLandrindod Wells when the weather improved.
It had actually improved probably before he started snoring, and the road from Rainbow Motorcycles in Rotherham to our first stop at Blaze Farm between Buxton and Congleton, for a welcome coffee, was dry.
Meeting some more of our group at the farm, we had a good run down on some scenic roads towards the Welsh border. A slight altercation between one member of the party and white van man resulted in an unscheduled stop and with what looked like a broken wrist it was a slightly subdued group that arrived at the hotel later that afternoon.
The relief when Lesley arrived from the hospital with only a severely wrenched and swollen thumb was audible and lots of liquid nectar had to be consumed in celebration of her survival. As Mick is often heard to say, there are only two sorts of motorcyclists – those that have fallen off and those that are going to! Welcome to the club Lesley, may that be the only ‘off’ you have.
From Holland, Arnold and his son Bob had travelled especially to join the tour. They had heard that not only could they expect good company, cracking roads and decent weather; they could also improve on their Yorkshire dialect.
They didn’t reckon on the added entertainment though, when the fire alarm went off during dinner. With true British restraint, we all looked at each other, thinking “no, that can’t be the fire alarm” and carried on 
eating, much to the consternation of the management. The hotel was finally evacuated with not a sign of smoke, twenty six motorcyclists finishing their starters and beer on the pavement along with eighty bewildered geriatrics on a bus trip. Two firemen laconically descended from the fire engine and disappeared into a possible raging inferno and re-appeared several moments later to confirm that those who had ordered their steaks well done, were in fact now having them very well done!
With such an interesting start to the weekend could 
things get even better?
The weather was kind; the roads quiet, the Cambrian Motorcycle Rally provided an added interest on the forest trails. The rally is an on/off road event for road legal trail type motorcycles. It was good to see a couple of brave souls riding the BMW 650 GS’s, and an even braver bunch riding the 1100/1150 and 1200’s. Mick noticed an old BSA motorcycle and remarked how sweet it sounded. This must have been its ‘kiss of death’ because ten minutes later we came across it broken down, the rider kneeling at its side with an array of tools laid out.
Our team of Yorkshire and Dutch motorcyclists were having a ball of their own, and the record for eating Anthea’s scones, with jam and cream, now stands at eight!
There are so many roads to explore in mid Wales; a week end is certainly not long enough. The heavy rain overnight on Saturday had cleared away by the time we headed for home on Sunday morning, but had left plenty of mud, gravel and larch pine needles on the roads, but hey… it’s autumn, what more can we expect?
Sue
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