French Run 2009

OK, peeps, as stated elsewhere, it's going to be the first Bank
Holiday of May: Friday and Saturday nights, 1 and 2 May, returning
Sunday 3 May, as ever.

At the moment, the venue looks like being here:

http://www.le-relais-de-la-poste.com in Pithiviers, which will allow
us some time to explore Orleans, which is definitely worth a visit, as
long as we don't mention Joan of Arc.

This is quite a schlep from Calais: about 250 miles, or a similar
distance to Sedan, for those who remember the trips there. There are
some lovely roads if you skirt around to the west of Paris. Sunny
weather is guaranteed this time.

Costs: I'll be budgeting at around £150-160 per head, based on two
people sharing. Single room sociopaths and snorers: extra. The hotel's
working out the pricing now. For that, as ever, you will get your
return ferry Dover-Calais, and both nights including a four course
dinner and breakfast. Booze extra, and everyone will be responsible
for settling their own bar bills before departure.

The ground rules are the same. This is not an organised tour, nor is
it a profit-making venture. I'm merely booking your ferries and hotel.
I'll be looking for a non-returnable deposit of (probably) around
25-30% because the hotel will require a deposit. The choice of menu is
down to me, as we all eat the same. Vegetarians, Muslims, Red Sea
Pedestrians, allergics etc can be catered for: those who say "Oooh, I
don't like fish... or shellfish... or cheese... or beans... will have
to lump it.

What I want at this stage is an email to chateau dot murray at idnet
dot com to say if you want in. Then I'll be sending out the usual
booking form for the deposit, probably before the end of the year. As
ever, first come, first served.

To the newbies: the French Runs are a hoot. There's usually some silly
behaviour on the outward run, but I don't think anybody's actually
been nicked yet, have they? The dinners are invariably good, and the
hangovers on Saturday morning terrible. Saturday afternoon/evening,
before dinner, is the traditional CIHAGM-fest when we all try and
break each other's bikes.

I usually manage to wangle two free places (hotel, not ferry). I take
one of these because I'm DFV'ing it, and we draw the names out of a
hat for the second one, so some lucky sod gets a freebie. This year it
was the Female Monotreme.

OK, let the emails flood in.

 

You got stopped by the Gendarmerie once, and the rest of the group
travelling with you obediently stopped too. They just checked your
papers before sending us on our way, IIRC.

 

I was tugged on the Cliquerun to Verdun, just after crossing the border
back into France after a day of idiocy in Belgium. As above, all they
did was check my paperwork and tell me to scoot, with a thinly veiled
suggestion that I might want to not ride like a twat for a while.

 

Actually, that reminds me: I got stopped and breathalysed just after one
of the toll booths, on the way back from Duclair, IIRC.

 

<emailed>

 

In communiqué

Crikey, that's half way to the 'chateau'. I could get a pre-emptive
mowing and brush cutting attack in (offers of assistance accepted in
exchange for accommodation). How negotiable on sailing time is the
return ticket - presumably no chance of leaving it until the following
Sunday?

--
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest * 2 Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

>,
says...>

great!

 

How negotiable on sailing time is the

No....

 

I think, if my lipreading served correctly, that they were more
advising you to take it easy so that the pile of shit you were riding
stayed in one piece.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (b.rogers at ifrance.com)
\`\ | /`/
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

:

TOG has tolerated people arranging their own ferries before so for
information:

if someone would prefer a Portsmouth to Le Havre crossing (170 miles from
LeH to the hotel) the rates are currently
£40 for the bike
£10 for a posh lay flat seat
£48 for a single berth cabin
£55 for a twin cabin en suite

That's for a return crosing leaving Portsmouth at 11pm on Thurs 30 April
and returning from LeH at 5pm on Sun 3 May. Arrives in Portsmouth at 930pm.

For a car, for someone with family or wanting to booze cruise, it's £98
return. Cabin/seat rates remain the same.

If you don't mind sitting in an ordinary chair overnight, or sleeping on
the main lounge floor then there is no additional charge.
http://www.ldlines.co.uk/

 

In communiqué

<Goes off to google for cheapest deal on a one way crossing back>
--
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest * 2 Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Heh. Cheeky sod. That 7R was in fine fettle at the time.

Kiran did report that one of the other plod had said the only reason I'd
been tugged was because the bloke in charge hated green bikes.

 

TBF it was in better condition than Daz's nearly new gixxer.

No, he misheard. "Merde" sounds very much like "Verte".

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (b.rogers at ifrance.com)
\`\ | /`/
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

By then, certainly, though the plaster and chewing gum look did add a
certain je ne sais quoi to the gixer.

 

<VVBG>

 

ukrm does wife-swap?

 

Good point, I'll ask.

 

/again/?

 

Is this an attempt to keep Cane from staring at other people's tits?

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Simon Wilson

Oh yeah, like *that's* going to work.