Leaderboard

About 3 years ago I was just riding about in a windy part of Essex when I shot past a sign with a weird name and saying it was a railway museum. I turned around and went back for a look. There was a long access road, but no gate, so I rode up it for pure nosiness and found myself in a gravel car park. I could see a few wagons the other side of a farm building and a large wooden framed railway building sitting on blocks looking very battered and like it had been left there by one of those ring and runaway delivery companies. The place was shut up so I thought I would come back another time. Well there was a bit of a virus thingy for a few years and other stuff got in the way, but on Saturday I decided to go and have a look. A quick search found their old fashioned website and it said that the 4th February was actually there first day open of 2023. I got up late and dithered so it wasn't until about 11am that I set off. Because I had to get fuel I started from a weird location so my satnav took me the whole way on back roads. For the first 20 miles I think I only passed about 2 cars coming in the opposite direction. The roads were dry, but covered in dried mud from all the meteorological grimness of January. They also tended to have dirty great gouges of asphalt missing from frost damage, so you had to pay attention. By the time I got closer I realised I was heading into an area heavy with 2 wheel coffee/bacon sandwich tourists. I have no problem with the riders themselves, it's just that where they gather there tends to be a police or speed van presence and that always makes me nervous. After giving my 100th nod back, I thankfully got sent down a side road with the delightful name of Tinkers Hole. I stopped for a picture, there were actually two signs, the other one said Tinkers Hole Road, so I ignored that one. This time when I arrived and there were about 4 cars in the car par, the wooden building delivery was gone now. All were on the only small area of asphalt, so I crunched around in a careful circle on the deep gravel to park so at least I would be facing the right way when I left. I walked up a ramp and found a long parcel van inside a barn. The only door was a heavy sliding one, I fought with the thing, it was a real effort to open it. Finally I got it open and stepped inside trying to look like it was no effort at all. There a woman was standing behind a grill and she took my money for entry. I asked where to next and she pointed at the entry door's opposite number. I had another fight with a door I wasn't manly enough for and arrived out the other side into what looked like two huge barns joined together, rammed with old railway stock. There was even quite a lot of Canadian stuff, not sure why. This was obviously written by someone having a stroke.

There were even tube trains here, including some I went on as a child, they ran them for so long.

I work with a Dr Richard Cockshot, who is also at our local surgery in partnership with Dr Jan Knobloch. Dick is used to it and doesn't bat an eyelid, but Jan, who is a german chap, thinks we are all a bit weird. Jan is a lovely fella but just doesn't get our sense of humour at all.

End of the day at the local. Ahhhhhhh...

no but you can see where they have been

Was having a dilemma about which bike to take, the 9T and the Bandit have both been idol too long for my liking and I’m imagining fluids congealing and stuff clogging up so I want to ride them both- insert own joke about getting your pipes cleaned here Mr Slowly offers to ride the Bandit so long as I don’t “piss off overtaking things” until he’s familiarised himself with it. Fair enough. A sedatish ride in the chilly sun. Pulled over specifically to get a shot for you keepeeon bastards. Rumwells Farm Shop and Cafe. Have driven/ridden past it many many times but it never appealed so I never went in but I googled best cafe near Taunton and there it is with rave reviews and an apparent love of doughnuts. 100’s a week they make. Put your order in by 12 the day before and they make them fresh that morning for collection or you can wing it and see what bakes are available. After taking my gloves off twice to take photos they’re now icey (see how I suffer for you ) Rumwells are fully booked, outside seating only for a cup of tea/handwarmer. Mr Slowly has an iced bun that’s so nice he starts smiling (and you lot know codgers don’t smile) so it must of been goooood. Then one last car park photo (especially for @Pedro) and home. Forgot how much fun the 9T is so we rode back the same way agreeing to enjoy our own pace, except by now Mr Slowly is clearly ‘familiar’ with my bike and suddenly I’m playing catch up Stopped at my Pops house on the way home with surprise doughnuts. Muchos happiness, his daughter, doughnuts, a motorbike to look at and I wasn’t stopping- his favourite type of human contact! Back home for Mr Slowlys shepherds pie (excellent) and doughnuts. Bonus, Rumwells have a dedicated gluten free kitchen (unheard of) and I’m made up to have my first doughnut in over 15 years! Bit too sweet aren’t they! Went to the Triumph garage to get you some pics but it was closed. Next time

Yep, by quite a margin. Fair play to Italy not rolling over at all. Mind you I have missed two tries already.

average usage on the tiger I'm getting 280km to a tank. loaded and or autoroute, more like 200. I think they improved the feul consumption on the later models though. @Saul nice bike, you won't regret that move I reckon.

According to the website, it is the farm owners doing it on their own land (The Jolly family, I kid you not) and volunteers, which would be the cars in the car park. I was on my own most of the time until two families turned up on the train ride.

There were no areas they were ashamed to represent. An Essex wagon. Designed for the absolute shit state the clay roads get in during the winter.

Didn't bother going out last night. Since Mandi came back sh'e been fighting an allergic reaction. It's got worse and she's scratching herself all over. The doc has given her some medication but she's very nervous to take it as she has previous with it and ends up with migraines. So she went and sat in a hot bath last night which seemed to work for a while. Cinema could be fun this afternoon.

I had Allspeeds and Boyesen reeds on my RD250DX , I also had 20mpg

I know Delilah has been banned by the WRU for the choirs playing in the stadium but not banned for the crowd to sing. But I think this is great. Bye Bye Bye Delilah So they’ve gone and banned Delilah, I can’t believe their moans, They don’t want us to sing it, What an insult to Tom Jones ! It’s been sung by millions, For years it’s been the top, But if you ban one song like that, Then where does it all stop? Should we give in to pressure? And listen now to others? Should we ban Land of my Fathers Cause it doesn’t mention Mothers? Should we not sing Stereophonics, ‘Cause their lyrics are quite odd? Or should we ban Bread of Heaven, ‘Cause not all believe in God? Should we not sing Hymns and Arias? Attacking England to the core, Should we not sing Men of Harlech, Cause it mentions going to war? Should we not sing in our language? They must be having quite a laugh! Should we ban our ‘Sosban’ song, ‘Cause the cat scrammed Johnny Bach? Should we ban Myfanwy, About a lost love sung? Or should we ban The Green Green Grass, In which a man is hung? Whenever Wales are playing, We’ll travel to the ground, And we’ll stand and sing Delilah, So the song rings right around. It’s just a song for goodness sake, And what I say is true, That there’s plenty of Brains in the Cardiff pubs, But there’s none in the WRU!

Jesus H Christ what do you think of me, I would never be so low. I never go dogging on a bike, strictly cars only, real class.

I know someone who married a Jolly. Her names Jo. Jo Jolly She doesn’t seem the find it as funny as I do

Happy Sunday Got to get myself a new sewing machine by the end of the day or face not completing my chair in the upholstery course and I can’t let happen. I’ve replaced so many mechanical/electrical things recently I’m starting to wonder whats left to break The time constraints are now tight, too tight so I definitely shouldn’t be going out for a ride today but

That’s the rolling stones leg syndrome

Love your man’s jacket, proper cool! Although I think his glasses might be upside down! Classy bike too, the BMW! I am not a fan of frosting on cakes but it is great to see a couple on a Sunday morning ride out. Who knows, maybe there’s a change of you two eventually making a ride report or two. PS: still think that 9T would be my preferred travel bike choice out of your stable.

But would it? Sugary bun and sharp coffee. Lovely. If you like coffee. I don’t

have you seen that programme on telly called dogging stories its been on about three times now

Bloody hell the penny's just dropped, your frightened to post them because you were dogging wasn't you and your scared @Six30 will recognise the spot

she is not to jolly about it then

I’m wondering if @Slowlycatchymonkeyis even real or just a bot

Two hours. I decided to ignore the pain by changing a tyre this morning. Pain is gone now, I’ve got fingers crossed for tonight

Post the post them post them. Otherwise it never happened

That will depend on whether you actually post it saying your going to post it and don't gets you -1

Hmm That brassica’s not a cabbage in the uk. I’m thinking maybe it’s what we’d call Collard Greens.

Yeah I agree SA should not be on to join the 6 nations in a relegation way if anyone should be joining the 6 nations it should be Georgia if its going to be anyone.

I went on a little ride on the trains shown at the platform and according to google maps it was about a kilometre each way. Looking at the maps, there is no connection to any other railway so everything must have been brought in by road. There has never been a railway there as far as I can tell, everything you see has been moved there. The railway to the town which is to the east of the site was used to transfer nuclear waste until recently but the line goes nowhere near the museum.

Literally a Spanish Flu

0 for effort.

I’ll see if I can manage a car park photo (Pedro’s favourite ) cos thats the only time I’m going to even consider taking my gloves off

Well I wudda but now I’m going to be thinking about the pasting I’ll get when I as usual return with no photos

You should never ban Myfanwy, that's against the law

Yep, definitely a wrong 'un

Nope just cool. So far you’ve cornered the old school wrongun market

Sadly not, got too much work on to go imbibing. Must of been someone else

nope sorry .... i have no clue.... Cider night last night was it ?

There's no flys on you Lionel

For me it was learn or have a heart attack.

Oooh look, there's a ghost there. The ghost of Tinker’s Hole In the pitch dark of a new moon, so the tale goes, about a 100 yards south of the s-bend (also known as Hellfire Corner), take care, for you may see a young girl in a white dress run out in front of you, trying to cross the road. She was, reputedly, a gypsy child knocked down by a coach-and-four over a century ago. Her spirit still haunts Tinker’s Hole…

Got a slappable face I heard.

I think he was a comedian and his name was Chris