Op Storm Wales 11-13 Sept 2015

[AMCQ46]

With tony running dry at 70 miles we already decided all non storm owners riding with us need to be fitted with these

[MacV2]

OP STORM WALES RHAYADER 2015 FRANKS LOG.

Pt 1 Fri 11/09/2015...'Wales here we come !'

So Friday morn set off from Grainsville at 09.05 hrs...



Head out on the highway destination Rhayader, at the second fule stop I saw this...



Not something you see every day in a fule station...Not real mind a fiberglass replica...
Any way I went from the forecourt to the main car park for a comfort break, so I'm standing there havin' a smoke & a guy pulls up on a 750 Kat Pop up loaded with camping kit. We had a chat, 'I know someone who has one of these...' ''Is he on the Kat owners club I might know him ?'' 'Yeah a guy called Malc Sampson I know him via the Storm forum...' ''Oh I know Malc used to drink with him when he lived in Bromley...Where you off to today then ?'' 'Wales, Rhayader in fact...' ''Rhayader, I used to live there, where you staying?'' ' Wayside camp site...' ''Yeah I used to live more or less opposite that...''

Small world innit.

So back on the road the joys of the M4, not to busy but did hit some road works which slowed us down a bit, over the bridge & into Wales left the M-way @ J24 & switched on the MACNAV. One more fule stop @ Crickhowell & the last leg to the camp site.

Pulled in about 15.00 met Will 'Camo' Darkmember at the gate, paid up for two nights camping & headed down the track...Straight away I'm confused as Bennys Bench has moved from where it was last year...Any way not very crowded so far just Ade & Lee (UKbiker...whos name I proceeded to forget for the rest of the weekend so was either Dave or Dereck... Sorry Lee...)

I set up the huge tent, changed & decided a cup of tea was in order so Me, Ade, Lee & Will strolled down to the tea shop...Instant hilarity when as we were siting down one of the staff was coming through & said ''excuse me Madam...'' to Ade... But we did promise Ade we wouldn't mention that...so forget that you just read that...

Tea supped, into the Spar for supplys, mainly beer, crisps & Jaffa cakes & back to the site. Al & Virt had arrived, Steve, Jack & Kev turned up followed by Budd, CheekyKev Ad's & Sue. (not quite sure but Shaun arrived I think Sat morn...)

A plan was hatched to head to the Eagle for some grub. Geo put in an apperance & Tony finaly made an apperance Via Swansea at the pub about 10.00 a bit Damp but here none the less. The rain had started to fall whilst we were siting down to eat...& it continued all night from then on.

Good grub in the pub a few beers & we headed back to the camp site, gathered around the bench oppend a few cans & bottles & toasted Benny...

Retired to our homes for the night most snugg being Ade, Lee & Will all crammed into Ade's tent... The rain kept a falling...


Pt 2 Sat 12/09/2015... ''Sat's ride the forgotten 4 !'' will appear shortly...

[popkat]

Any way I went from the forecourt to the main car park for a comfort break, so I'm standing there havin' a smoke & a guy pulls up on a 750 Kat Pop up loaded with camping kit. We had a chat, 'I know someone who has one of these...' ''Is he on the Kat owners club I might know him ?'' 'Yeah a guy called Malc Sampson I know him via the Storm forum...' ''Oh I know Malc used to drink with him when he lived in Bromley...Where you off to today then ?'' 'Wales, Rhayader in fact...' ''Rhayader, I used to live there, where you staying?'' ' Wayside camp site...' ''Yeah I used to live more or less opposite that...''

There's no getting away from me

Popup Paul (as he's known) is a top bloke and wears some really weird shirts at rallies, likes a drink too, usually disappears in his tent late afternoon for a couple of hours kip then stays up all night drinking.

I should have been either with you lot in Wales or at the Katana rally but in the end I couldn't make either, mainly due to someone owing me some money for some tyres and not showing up, but there were other factors in it too


.

[agentpineapple]

With tony running dry at 70 miles we already decided all non storm owners riding with us need to be fitted with these

I bought one of these for the spain trip, luckily we didn't need it in the end, useful piece of kit tho...

[uk13iker]

My pink air bed was comfortable thanks for not telling anyone Al haha. Nice to meet you Mac glad you got my name in the end I quite like dereck now

[MacV2]

OP STORM WALES RHAYADER 2015 FRANKS LOG.

Pt 2 Sat 12/09/2015...''Sat's ride the forgotten 4 !''

So Saturday the day of the big ride out...It rained all night not really heavy but wet enough thanks...

Woke up ridiculously eary as is the way, poked me head out of the tent & it looked a bit grim, still a bit of drizzle with bouts of persistant thrown in for good measure...



As we all eventually rose from slumbers/spooning/tossing & turning...(delete as ness...) the rain continued to fluctuate between drizzel & downpour, plans were being hatched as to hold on till later before leaving...By the time Steve & Kev64 showed up (B&B non campers...) a small patch of blue appeared over the camp site, a brisk wind was pushing the clouds away...So around about 9.30 we all saddled up & headed for breakfast at the Halt.
Fully fuel'd up guts & tanks off we headed as one group due to numbers...Progessive group would have been only 4 bikes...All was going swimmingly well until...

Tony M run out of fuel...DOH ! lack of reconection of fuel sender no RLOD...the fact that we had only done 60 miles or so since filling up is another matter...

Anyway due to the lets say precarious point at which he stopped some of us moved on a bit to find safer parking...Not long after the group reformed & headed to the nearest service staion...Refueled we head off...Now this is where it went a bit Pete Tong...Cheeky Kev who was tailgunning mistook that Tony was last man out & followed him out leaving Me, Budd, Will & Shaun behind... the station was on a busy junction & there was a fair bit of traffic... Anyway me & Budd rode off came to a big roundabout did a few laps of that then headed off...No marker so we had no Idea... Will & Shaun had still not appeard...So Me & Budd ride off 'ahem' lets say quite progressively...after some miles of boring straightish road I pulled over...Budd somehow knew where the group was headed so we turned round & headed back (Saw Shaun & Will heading the way we came & waved but at that point we weren't sure if A/ It was them/ B/ They had seen us ...So we didn't stop...
So with Budd leading we doubled back & found the turn off for 'Dolgellau' (Hint for best pronunciation...Say it & cough up some lung butter at the same time... ) Now the roads got a bit twister & up & down... Good fun following Budd & the snorting RSV...Sounds raucous...

Anyhoo some more progressive miles later we spot a filling station with a load of Storms on the forecourt...

Cheeky Kev was looking very sorry & did apologise...s'alright these thing happen...Still no Shaun & Will...

So we left them & headed to 'Betws-y-Coed' for lunch...(NB various txts & calls were made to alert Shaun & Will of the destination & they did meet up with us eventually...)


Lunch stop at Betws-y-coed.


Note the Granada Owners club in the background...


Moody mountain shot The Red Brigade. Cheeky Kevs, Mine & Jack's.




CheekyAd's possibly looking guilty at colluding with CheekyKev in the 'left behind saga' or maybe not
he is still a teenager afterall...'Wotever'...'your so crule' ect ect...


Virt didnt eat his greens...Tony was impressed for some reason...

Anyhow after the respite of lunch we headed off again...More great roads & stunning scenary esp down past the slate mines...No pic's as just coulndn't stop to take pic's...I'd still be there...

So we finaly regrouped with Shaun & Will back at Dolgellau & ALL headed off on the last leg...first in line behind Leader Steve I was soon marking a turn & ended up at the back & spent the next god knows however many miles behind a bus, Virt, Lee & Will... In the end I got bored at wondering why Virt wouldn't overtake the damm bus & at the first opportunity done the lot of them in one go...I think they took the hint...

Back at the camp site all was chatter & laughter, discussing the ride, the 'moments' & the roads.
Personally last year I did the weekend on a rather past it's best tyre & didn't enjoy some of it...This year the far better tyre (Mich PR3) transformed the ride' much better confidence even durring the morn's run out when the roads were still a damp.


Budd 'did you see that slide ?', Jack trying to warm up, Shaun listening & not talking for a change
Al & Ade looking bored Kev & Sue.


Cheers Benny.

For Sat nights entertainment Al had booked the local curry house...The poor buggers took the booking for 20
not know what was in store for them...

So into town we all head via the Flag & Lamb for a pre curry pint as you do...


'Reservoir Dogs' minus the Reservoir...


Virt insisted on a selfie...god thats scary...


Geo's appered again for the food & drink...


The calm before the Storm...

After a fine meal, good chat, (strange that me Will & Kev64 are all the same age 51...
Kev's obviously had a much harder life & looks about 90... ) we left the shell shocked staff (poor Jemimha 17 from Rhayader...COR ! Jack was smitten... ) & headed to the Eagle for more beer & then back to the camp site at the end of a fine day...

Pt 3 ''The Currys revenge, Dew, Bins & farewells...' will appear shortly...

[Virt]

Mate, the selfie was your idea and you know it

Sent from my PE-TL10 using Tapatalk

[lloydie]

Virts finally reach puberty [WEARY CAT FACE]

[budd]

Mac I seem to remember you having a close call with an historic truck when we were playing catch up, there must have been a classic truck meet in the area because there were loads of them, most of which were dropping diesel all over the road which made the journey interesting to say the least, diesel and damp roads are not my favourite thing

[MacV2]

Mac I seem to remember you having a close call with an historic truck when we were playing catch up, there must have been a classic truck meet in the area because there were loads of them, most of which were dropping diesel all over the road which made the journey interesting to say the least, diesel and damp roads are not my favourite thing

Yep I did indeed...Bit silly of me being impatient went for an overtake through a little right left I could see it was clear...The truck cut the corner just as I was going for it...

I was trying to forget that...

[kev64]

And I remember another close overtaking move (it was either the lorry or the bus ) when I was backmarking (I probably would have done the same, it was getting very tedious)

Nice write up Mac, keep it coming

[tony.mon]

Rogue's gallery:






Sorry for anyone I missed, you must have been in the toilet, weeing on the floor as per the instructions....

[geodude]

[youtube][/youtube]

[AMCQ46]

Nice one George... Sorry about running over your baldrocks

[geodude]

Nice one George... Sorry about running over your baldrocks