RBR - a late start, but I'm under way at last.

Following the Wing's pre-MOT problems, I'd decided to postpone
starting this year's RBR until after the Dieppe raid.

Started yesterday morning, with a determination to complete the East
Anglia segment.

Set off up the A12/M11/A14 in light overcast, then off onto the A10 to
Littleport in Cambs. The landmark here is the William Harley memorial.
Wm was the father of Wm S Harley, who helped found Massey-Ferg^W
Harley-Davidson in 1903. The memorial is a metal Harley sculpture, and
looks quite nicely done. I'd found it by accident, as I was simply
heading into the centre of town when I spotted it at the side of the
road.

From the it was on up the A10 to King's Lynn. Traffic was light and
once more, as I headed for the town centre, the landmark came into
sight. This one, the Greyfriars Tower, was a little more obvious. I
believe this was featured on Griff Rhys Jones'[1] TV programme
"Restoration". Whilst snapping away, I met a fellow RBRer, Andy.

We discussed tyres, and he told me of his BMW R1150RT being into the
dealers for new rear wheel bearing under warranty, because of the
grumbling sound and wandering handling. That didn't cure it, so they
replaced the bearings in the gearbox and final drive. No joy. In
desperation, they swapped the AV46 rear tyre for BT020, whereupon all
perceived problems went away.

Ho hum.

From KL it was a cross-Narfuck jaunt to Mundesley on the coast. The
landmark here is the memorial to the chaps from the bomb-disposal
units who died clearing the British coast of mines from the middle of
the war onwards. It is a German 500kg bomb set on a plinth.

The Suffolk landmark was in Southwold. I'd been there before, in 2001,
to get a picture of the lifeboat museum. This year the landmark is
"The Battery" - but I could find nothing about it on the Internet. On
arrival, I headed for the seafront, and saw a pair of old cannons and
a flagpole. That'll do, I thought.

A visit to the Tourist Info shop, and the lady behind the counter told
me that they knew of no "Battery", but that what I'd seen was the only
thing that fitted the bill. That's where they'd sent everyone else,
anyway.

From Suffolk, it was south into sunny Essex. The landmark here was St
Peter's Chapel, at Bradwell-on-sea. It was easy to find, as it's
marked on the OS map. Only problem, after allowing for the convoluted
route down winding country lanes, was that the road stopped about half
a mile away. So the Wing was abandoned, and I set off on foot.

A very simple chapel it is, too. Simple box construction. Looks very
odd out on the desolate Essex coastline. Not as odd as a nuclear power
station, but odd nonetheless.

From there it was a simple blast down the A127 to home.

356 miles, 100 points, and 5 out of 89 landmarks ticked off.

[1] Halfway through his autobiography - quite jolly read.
--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CBR1100XXX/CBX1000Z
|_\_____/_| ..89059../..24376.../..31896.
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 WG*
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 PM#5
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 YTC#4 two#11
'^' RBR Clues: 05 Pts:0100 Miles:0367

 

I'm not sure what RBR means ("Renovated Beyond Recognition"?
"Round Britain Ride"?)

This sounds something like a series of tapes I viewed
from the local library, _Danger UXB_. One of the chaps
gets married, and the bride's gown is made out of
a German parachute. Nice touch, I thought.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danger_UXB

Sean_Q_, Vancouver, BC Canada

 

In similar fashion to the Star Trek away team...

 

Very odd, indeed. Not that a tyre would simply be a bad match for the
bike, but that it would resonate and make it sound as if the gearbox was
nadgered. I suppose the dealer and/or BMW wouldn't have leapt into doing
the gearbox bearings for no good reason.
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

Teach a man to fish and he and his pikey mates will have the
river cleaned out in a day.

 

Got it on DVD, bloody good it is too.

--
'Chill Winston.......'

Nige

Subaru WRX (54)
Land Rover Discovery II (2001)
BMW GS1200 (2007)
Honda CBR900RR Fireblade (1997)

 

Mick Wittingham? Bet you didn't call in on him for a cuppa.

--
Ivan Reid, School of Engineering & Design, _____________ CMS Collaboration,
Brunel University. Ivan.Reid@[brunel.ac.uk|cern.ch] Room 40-1-B12, CERN
GSX600F, RG250WD "You Porsche. Me pass!" DoD #484 JKLO#003, 005
WP7# 3000 LC Unit #2368 (tinlc) UKMC#00009 BOTAFOT#16 UKRMMA#7 (Hon)
KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".

 

SD wrote:
Whilst snapping away, I met a fellow RBRer, Andy.

So, let me get ths right - Avon tyres are shite?

I'm sure something BAD is supposed to happen to you now.

 

I could have saved you the bother:

http://www.lowestoft.org.uk/attr_imgs/thumbs/southwold_gunhill_tm.gif

HTH

http://www.lowestoft.org.uk/attractions.htm

The maritime heritage of the area in considerable. Southwold has the
traditional Cannon battery at Gun Hill, Southwoldlighthouse dominating
the old town and a recently re-furbished pier, local longshore fishing
boats still populate the Blyth estuary, the museum in the Sailors
Reading Room records the historical past including the Battle of Sole
Bay and a battery of cannon still faces out to sea from Gun Hill.

 

Oh. Bollocks. 240 mile round trip needed. Ho hum.
--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CBR1100XXX/CBX1000Z
|_\_____/_| ..89059../..24376.../..31896.
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 WG*
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 PM#5
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 YTC#4 two#11
'^' RBR Clues: 05 Pts:0100 Miles:0367

 

http://www.lowestoft.org.uk/attr_imgs/southwold_gunhill.jpg

 

Galaxy Quest, episode 81.

 

And cue the oddly discordant orchestra-falling-downstairs sound with a
layer of violins to herald (or co-incide with) the breaking of bad news.

"It's Chuck - he's ... dead." <sob>
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

Teach a man to fish and he and his pikey mates will have the
river cleaned out in a day.

 

I'm sure Terry Thomas would, utter cad.
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

Teach a man to fish and he and his pikey mates will have the
river cleaned out in a day.