Wales - Take Two

Our first trip to wales Easter 2017
This was a mini adventure for me and Andy.  We set off on my 1953 Indian Brave and the 1929 Indian 101 scout.  Destination Llwyngwair manor, Pembrokeshire,
This trip was very challenging as the little braves clutch rod kept disintegrating while riding down to wales. So we had to stop every now and again and do an adjustment,  so 11 hours later,  and I can’t remember how many break downs, we arrived.  On the way back it was 12 hours, (a farmer and his screwdriver, cut as a replacement rod, helped us make the journey back). Everyone did say you must be mad going on a brave.
However Roger was over the moon.  I had made him a promise to ride down on the brave and I had fulfilled this promise. Roger took us to see some beautiful places. We enjoyed it so much we decided to do it all again but on the bigger bikes.

2nd trip to wales September 2017
After talking to peter and Anita, we all booked in on the camping field at Llwyngwair manor. It’s going to be a fun few days ahead.  A double birthday for me and Peter.
So Peter and Anita drove to ours late Thursday evening and stayed in our caravan  situated down the side of the bungalow. On Friday morning we set off fresh as daisies. But this time me and Andy didn't take the two little bikes we went on the chief and me on my Polaris scout. Anita on her beautiful chief and peter on his Harley Davidson. The weather was kind to us all the way. We only stopped for fuel so we made good progress.  It was really nice for us to be riding with Peter and Anita, as every rally Anita is up front and Peter is the tail end Charlie.  We never see them much on rally ride out as there is always around 20 bikes on each ride out.

I somehow ended up the lead lady of our little group and I must say I loved it. Me and my Polaris scout loved blasting up the hills to allow the old bikes to get a run up and then slowed to wait for the old bike's to catch up at the top. We finally arrived at Devils Bridge for tea and cake and a well-earned rest. it started to get cold and show signs of rain so we set off again hoping to beat the weather.  Shortly after leaving we got absolutely drenched.  I have never been on a bike in rain like this before.  It was that bad all the cars came to a standstill. We plodded on as best we could till the rain stopped.  Just after the down pour Anita's bike had got far too wet and we stopped a few times as it kept cutting out but she kept going right until we got 4 miles from the manor.  At the petrol station, she finally gave up, the bike that is not Anita hahaha. An hour later, Peter and Andy are still sorting the bike out, carburettor off and most of the electrical bits. Finally she fired up.  Me and Anita blasted off and left the boys to pick up all the mess and tools in the garage forecourt ....we had finally arrived.

We booked in and decided to have a well-earned drink before setting up camp.  We let Anita pick the spot to set up for the 4 night’s stay.  She picked the driest spot, right next to the river and close to the facilities.  Well what can go wrong, the hard bit was done.  Just set up camp and relax. Unload the bikes and put up the tent. Easy. NO.  Only 3 poles to our tent.  The second pole snapped in half as it was being fitted and that was the pole for the sleeping compartment. We spent so long trying to fix the damn thing it had starting to rain and get dark. Well, we needed to go for dinner and recharge our own batteries so we left the tent, still not up and still broken , Anita had pre ordered our dinner and it was in silver foil at the table when we got there.  I can’t say I remember eating it, it defo didn't touch the sides.  After dinner, a long think and I had worked out how to mend the tent.  All we needed to do was just move the broken pole to the bottom of the tent instead of the top, where it wouldn't be under any tension. Simple.  If only I had thought of that hours before.

The next day we went round the shops at Fishguard, and did some food shopping, then relaxed on site. Saturday evening Martyn turned up after doing a show at Kempton.

The next morning I cooked full English for us all. Then 2 full days of riding was planned we did all the trips we did earlier in the year on the brave and 101. So we went to see the Pentre Ifan monument. We had an ice cream on Poppit Sands beach, the little village you ride through to get there is just stunning. We had a pit stop at Tafarn Sinc, a railway pub situated in Rosebush, Pembrokshire on a disused railway line.  It is a spit and sawdust pub (literally) and outside are period statues waiting for the train that will never come.  Great place for a shandy or cider and enjoying the views, the highest licenced pub in Pembrokeshire.  We also went to Cenarth Fall, where we recreated the same pictures with the bikes under the bridge. We had lunch here at the little café. Then off to find Ceibwr which has stunning views along the rocky coastline. Amazing.

Andy was soon to be nicknamed the anorak as he had remembered all the places with no satnav or names just his memory of roughly which direction they were. After an amazing day riding we had a meal in the bar at the manor in front of the log burner. On the second day we went to see Tony at his lovely home and then rode miles looking for a fish and chip shop for tea.
 
After finding one open in Fishguard, Andy, me and Martin ate in as we couldn't wait.  Peter and Anita took there’s back to base. They had pizza. When we arrived back Anita’s pizza was the wrong one. So after a moan to the shop and re-order the right one, she ate hers almost as a midnight snack. Lol and the left overs for breakfast. We went up to the manor for a night cap to find Andy and Anita had a surprise joint birthday cake for Peter and me as it was his birthday and mine was coming Tuesday. That was lovely.
So the long weekend is almost over, time to pack up and head off home, getting to spend my birthday on my motorbike is the best. We set off all was well till Andy, via the intercom, said he had a vibration through the chief that slowed us down to a 40mph crawl. As he was shaken to death, after a long stop the boys managed to find the problem.  The front engine mounting had come loose .All fixed.

We stopped for coffee, courtesy of Martyn from the back of his van.  We stopped, on what we now lovingly refer to as pissy layby, as someone had left a nappy and the heat from the sun had sent this nappy radioactive. Still, the view was beautiful.  Well it was till Martin parked his van and trailer in the way. Lol
We set off again and at a fuel stop we noticed Peter had a puncture on his Harley. Bad for Peter but good for us as we hadn't experienced one yet. All good knowledge for the anorak. Lol

We stopped off at the OK Diner at Cannock for lunch and a milkshake and to say goodbye to Martin as this was as far as he went on the trip home.  After the boring A5 we finally reached home. The last night with our friends. A Chinese and finally my birthday prezzies and the company of my daughters and a bottle of wine.  To finish off a wicked but exhausting trip.  A good night’s sleep in the caravan for Peter and Anita they set off in the morning back home.

I can’t wait to do it again, to be able to revisit these beautiful places is an absolute joy but some of them hills I can’t believe I did them and the distance on the little 250cc Brave earlier in the year. My Brave is not everyone’s cup of tea but he's is so much fun.
Which bike will I do the next Wales trip on??

Vera Townsend