Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
North By North-East
by admin - 23:28 on 25 July 2010
The original plan had been that our weekend away, aboard Kawasaki San, would climax with the bike club camping weekend (without camping) at Austwick, just up the A65 from Giggleswick. Then dismal weather forecasts changed the plan.
But this morning I caught up with the happy campers at Dalesbridge Outdoor Centre who'd been fortunate enough to enjoy dry days for their exploration of the western Dales and the Forest of Bowland. Gossip took place in the mobile café that touts for business across the road from the site entrance. The owner must make a fortune.
The site won qualified approval from the biking masses, although its quirky decision to pair all the toilets with showers led to huge cross-legged queues every morning. Camping? I rest my case.
Matchgirl and I left them packing up dew-sodden tents and headed in the general direction of the Borders via Halton Gill, Kettlewell, Leyburn, Richmond, Piercebridge and West Woodburn. Not the most direct route but a great scenic drive.
Huge numbers of bikes zipped around the roads, which caused a bit of a pang, but all being well the GTR will be in action next weekend in the Highlands.
At West Woodburn we took a break at the Brandy Bank Tea Room, which now offers rooms and a restaurant too. If the accommodation is as good as the food it should be a great base for exploring Kielder and Northumberland in general. Matchgirl and I have it added to our To Do list.
From there, our destination was less than an hour away, but the scenery encouraged us to take the long way, past Otterburn Moor to Rothbury (where the mad gunman got his just deserts), across the border at Coldstream, on to Greenlaw and Gordon and then to Dee's mansion where Don was also in residence, having completed his latest epic running adventure in distant parts of the globe. Some people will do anything to be away from home.
Our welcome, as usual, was warm and featured much food and drink. A session on the Wii followed. Matchgirl still pines for one, although I did my best to discourage her by comprehensively (and modestly) beating everyone at bowling and golf. I was rubbish at cow racing, though.
Home tomorrow, where no doubt the resident moggies have yet to notice our absence. That's cats for you.
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