XTreme

An 80 year old lady has turned up on Facebook with an amazing story to tell.....her name is Mary Sievier. She was unknown to the overland motorcycling community and her story has never been told. A woman going RTW in 1967 on her own on a BSA Bantam 175cc! As someone who owned a Bantam it was touch and go whether it would get you into the next postcode......let alone the other side of the world! And she still has the bike! Here's a brief summary in her own words: "Left UK October 1967 on BSA Bantam 175cc bound for who knows where, but wiv a bit of luck, India. 3 years later made it to Bombay. Worked Istanbul 6 months, saw a lot of Turkey, across Iran and into Afghanistan. Offered 3 admin jobs, took one with an American Foundation and stayed 2 years. Fantastic life! 1970 drove a landrover back to Dublin and picked up a Peugeot 504 from the French factory and delivered that to Afghanistan. On with m/cycle to Bombay, across Pakistan. Shipped to East Africa. Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Belgian Congo, Zambia, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) South Africa. Shipped to Australia. Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, (somersaulted over handlebars and bruised leg badly, rode on to Darwin and on Doc's orders told not to ride for 6 weeks so got work in lawyers' office, on the strength of having been a Court shorthand writer) Alice, Townsville, Brisbane, Sydney back to Melbourne. Canberra to Sydney and shipped to NZ after 5 months in Oz. 9 months all over NZ, working living in looking after children. 1973 Feb? shipped to Singapore, rode all over Malaysia, Thailand, into southern Laos, offered work but saw trouble brewing, back into Thailand and shipped to Hong Kong. Running out of funds. 3 years later 1976 shipped bike to Los Angeles, flew over later, and rode in a straight line to Charleston to ship bike back to UK, where bike took up squatters rights in my Mother's garage in Selsey, unfortunately to rust with age and a lot of salt in the air. RIP Bike awaiting a lot of tlc in a motorbike shop near Chichester. Bloody Sore Arse worn off, scarred shins and piles, a lot of fading memories, a book to be written perhaps. All part of life's rich pattern". I've been speaking to her and she's still full of life.......and planning to get the bike running again in order to ride it to the Oxford Overland event in September. @Slowlycatchymonkey @Grasshopper's Ride @Sofia.......this is someone you need to check out on FB! You can follow the conversation on the Adventure Bike Riders group page.

The internet never closes......it's not a case of closing the door and leaving work.

Yeh.....so it don't feel so bad! And I do have some work I've got to get through as well.

Send her a Happy Mother's Day from me Tym!

Thunderstorms overnight and more predicted for today. Today is my first day of freedom for 6 months......and I still can't go anywhere!

We've got a few things in common haven't we?

Have you ever known anybody else who received a written warning (which came direct from the top man in a major UK corporate) because the inside of the dumpster behind the building was untidy? That's the sort of shit I had come down the line at me!

It goes with the territory when you're a savage Pedro!

Oh yeh....I know the score! I got made redundant/worked out 4 or 5 times over the years by big companies because I wouldn't play their corporate/political games. I was always classed as a loose cannon who went by his own rules.......and was therefore too hot to handle!

I thought they were letting people in here Bob?

Companies will use you and burn you out......then drop you like a stone when you cease to be of use to them.

"Anyone have a sound system they recommend? I am hearing pros and cons about the Boss 2 speaker system and the MTX Road Thunder. Anyone have either or something else they recommend?"

Don't tell me......the Butler did it?

Here's something on the intellectual level that @Six30 might be able to understand!

Lionel can read? Why wasn't I told? Boys.....we got a fucking intellectual onboard now!

I've been saying that for 50 years now!

Portugal probably gets a marginally more discerning Brit than Spain though.

What did I say earlier? This is a tough audience! Though I do have a suspicion that @yen_powell might read books......cos he's very knowledgeable on graveyards and Victorian toilets!

As from tomorrow I'm FREE! I can go anywhere! So we'll have to meet up sometime......before the Wall of Heat comes down!

First off, apart from @Slowlycatchymonkey I can't imagine any of the genetic mutants on here having the intellectual capacity to read a book. As for Steph, she's a seriously tough girl......good to see her doing so well now!

Getting into the tough period for offroading Ray!