Slowlycatchymonkey

I met her once. Nice enough. Married to Austin Vince.

Yes I think it’s called Lone Rider

@skyrider happy for you I’d like a tree that doesn’t look like crap that opens n folds like an umbrella, with space in the storage bag to leave all the baubles attached.

Yes she’s pretty cool. She told me they are interested in buying the rights to make a film about her trip. Now that’s something I’d like to see! The towers impressive and an enormous undertaking for anyone let alone a single mum. When I first met her about 3 years ago I told my husband about her and he expected a little old lady!

Side stepped putting the decorations up today but they’re keeping on and on about it so I will have to get in the loft n drag em down tomoz. Such a lot of hassle for a couple of weeks. How much do those house decorator people who come in an do your decs for you cost? @rennies just won the lottery, maybe he could help?

Can only be a a good thing ay. I understand the main protagonist of all that was arcane has retired now so perhaps the old boys club is changing. Nothing wrong with a blokey feel to something but rude and dismissive.. @XTreme They wrote Elspeth a patronising humiliating letter telling her she couldn’t do it, I think she touches on that in her book, can’t remember! Elspeth returned put the bike away and never thought about it much again until donkeys later when BMW told her she was the first British woman to go round the world on a motorbike. MCN never published anything about it. The article they did publish was for someone else recently they’d dismissed who they at least apologised to. Problem with keeping the old guard in place is that by our very nature as we get older we like things to stay the same, particularly if the same is in our favour.

Yer that one wasn’t surprising though given the year. The fact it’s the same now is what makes you go you whaaa?

Keep at it fastbob you’re needed here!

A lot of jobs to do today, first going to seek out that perilous rowing machine because in spite of my distaste for exercise machines I am annoyingly already fitter see yous later.

If they’re truly Swiss they’ll volunteer to be rolled, hard as nails the Swiss people I’ve met!

Looked up monster trail bikes cos it’s a great name and now it seems to be all bicycles. Different times indeed, now the range of bikes, articles and mags dedicated to touring and off road routes is bigger than you can shake a stick at!

Warning off topic. Embarrassingly (although I don’t know why I find it embarrassing, probably because of the micky taking than ensues after I reveal it) I belong to a sewing circle I was finding doing something tricky so looked for a tutor and ended up at Dillington House (one of those beautiful old piles that are somehow owned and run by the council that they use for educational days a lot like Missenden Abbey) and while I was there I was invited to join a sewing group a bit closer to home. The tutor was so lovely, one of life’s rarities, kind, gentle, extremely knowledgeable and a natural teacher so I had to go along. There was some hesitation when the offer was extended and when I arrived I could see why. They’re all in their late sixties early seventies and being over 20 years younger there was some concern I’d fit. They are all indeed genteel ladies. I love that twice a month I’m propelled into the quiet, gentle world where everything is peaceful, it’s easy to forget you have that part to your personality, it’s a balm for the soul in a different way to motorcycling, I highly recommend it. Haha on a motorbike forum recommending everyone takes up sewing and joins a sewing circle, let the slaughter commence

Why? Because it’s not very good?

You know almost every time you post I learn a knew word or meaning? I’m thinking you’re far more deviant than you let on Dynax will have to up his game! So this is what Google throws up a sewing circle is? Nazimova, believed to have coined the expression "sewing circle" for a group of bisexual and lesbian performers who hide their sexual orientation

I was chatting to someone who went round the world on their motorbike and they regaled the tale of how rude and patronising MCN were to her, decades later the same dinosaur attitude allowed them the luxury of being extremely rude to a friend of mine. Along the lines of haha silly girly you can’t possibly go and do that. Although the on the last one they did eventually apologise and publish a piece because she went and she did. So even though I still enjoy reading it, lighting the fire with it and watching it go up in smoke makes me smile a wee bit but not quite as much as using it as puppy litter

Hehehe. Big difference between pubs in the New Forest and the Forest of Dean then The Forest of Dean pubs were very different, they had been taking part in ‘selective breeding’ for so long they had a special look in their eye and extra fingers to help count the change.... Back then quite extreme regional price differences still existed that meant they really did charge pennies, you’d probably have to have stayed there a year to empty your wallet... if you dared! @S-Westerly you’d be checking the sacrificial lamb was still knocking about rather than the “Your my wife now Dave” type of look!

Depends, there’s a certain friendliness if you look like you might cook well

@S-Westerly I’ve been there a few times to visit a friends grandmother so you’d think I’d remember but no We have vulnerable immediate family where we live so are also working on a general AVOID policy at the moment My overwhelming memories of the Forest of Dean is how frightening the pubs were (a far cry from the Cotswolds) it was a cross between the American werewolf in London and the League of Gentleman. I’m half convinced he must of based some of the characters on folk from there!! In the olden less connected days it was quite possible to walk into a pub or place somewhere unfamiliar and get the feeling they practised the dark arts and human sacrifice may still be on the cards

Hmm me thinks a case of reading what you think it says rather than what it actually says. Oops. Not that it matters lump or no lump everyone (bar the odd person who maybe on there 15th test might want to consider it’s perhaps not a good idea) gets there in the end.

Passing mod one first time would suggest perhaps you’re not

If you’ve ridden a bike before and you’re not an uncoordinated lump Im sure you’ll be fine. Then again I did get a 125 which I needed and I’m not an uncoordinated lump

I looked at the map and had a good chuckle, I always mix it up with the Forest of Dean Let you know when riding free range again

Cowboys driving buses? Id like to see that.

Dunno, thought I knew a minute ago but it’s gone now..

I don’t think it’s that difficult, just involved. You couldn’t point at any particular part of the test and say it’s difficult it just has a lot of components to consider. Don’t clutter your mind and take one bit at a time, which is all you can do anyway. The necessary bits of paper eventually accumulate and the shiny new licence will be yours.