16-3-08 FOUND OUT THE WEIRD CAMERAS & INFRA-RED THINGS AT BLACKBECK ON THE HILL TOWARDS CALDERBRIDGE (A595) THAT I INITIALLY THOUGHT LOOKED LIKE NUMBER PLATE RECOGNITION EQUIPMENT (A.N.P.R.). THEY ARE APPARENTLY A ROAD MICRO WEATHER SYSTEM CAMERA, TO SEE IF THE ROAD FREEZES ON THIS SECTION OF THE A595. THEN THE HIGHWAYS FOLK DECIDE IF THEY SHOULD SEND OUT THE GRITTERS........Raj

Well May 11th 2008 saw 300 odd bikers riding through West Cumbria from barrow to Carlisle, to demonstrate about motorcycle test centre closures at Barrow-in-F' and Workington, and their relocation to one multi purpose centre in Carlisle making it difficult for less experienced newly passed CBT riders to travel to from the rest of Cumbria! MAG helped marshall the Egremont to St Bees to Egremont route. Some of the marshalling beyond was a bit hairy, at least two spots on the A595 were used as bikeparks! All in a good ride out, and hopefully the DSA might listen!

         photos copyright R.Sood 2008

Got a B'Log ? E-mail it in for inclusion.

Sat, 12th July 2008 - Anne & I went over to Scarborough to watch the Cock O'The North Road Racing at Olivers Mount. As we'd not been before we were pleasantly surprised - proper petrol head in yer face road racing! Awesome - worth the long drive threw several tens of miles of 40mph limits in the car, also getting diverted round an accident on the A1 as well! See this link to watch some racing there! Well worth it would recommend to every bike fan!

photos copyright R.Sood 2008

Sun, 13th July 2008 - BMF Kelso Bikefest. We had a good ride up to this event. Despite the landslide diversion a few miles from Carlisle, we made good time and enjoyed the alternative route. Stopped in the borders, at Jedburgh, for a bite to eat and a cuppa at a Cafe selling strange teddies (Annes take on it!). Then onto the Bikefest which we've done several times before and enjoyed. Alas all was not well as we queued to get in. There were one or ten moans in the queuing procession of bikers ahead of us as we neared the ticket point. We could see why - the gate price had jumped considerably compared to previous years despite us both being B.M.F. affiliated via our West Coast (Cumbria) MCC membership. Bumped in to a lad who I used to work with, who was marshalling, we said a  quick hello as he had several more bikers to park after us.  We then parked up, had a natter, and went to see the 'Fest showground. Always well turned with local & national biker club & group stands, as well as trade stalls, and usual bike show fare. Didn't get much this year, usually end up with something I'll never use! Once it got to 4-ish we decided to head home, and enjoyed the return journey. Think I took a wrong turn and ended up at the official English/Scottish Borderline, but that's half the fun of biking! The Borders A &B roads up to Kelso and beyond are great, full of scenery, culture and history. Try them if you've never been before!!

14.7.08 Monday night ride out An overcast dark evening greeted Anne and I as we pulled into the layby at Egremont for Whitehaven MAG's 4th Summer ride out & supper evening. Craig (from Kindred Spirits) was there on his new bike, a Blackbird. Then Mike turned up. Cal (ironing clothes to go camping - typical girl!), and Steve couldn't make it. Then Steve turned up looking chuffed at getting a pair of Kylie tickets for a gig in Manchester and then had to go to tidy up his bachelor pad (what!?). Mike said Crud had forgot and was having his tea! So 3 down, but the 4 of us who weren't scared by the darkening clouds headed south. Craig had said to take it easy as his rear tyre was getting squared off - all those straight line miles to Sellafield? The ride down was dry and clear, not too many 4 wheelers to hold us up, so we took a nice steady pace. We ended up in the seaside village of Haverigg. By now the cloud line was being pushed inland, ending the threat of rain. We stopped for a few minutes and had a quick crack with each other. Anne didn't want to leave the bikes as a bunch of kids crowded round the bikes asking us "How fast does it go?" etc. Suddenly we were heading North again, as Anne reminded me as lead rider the time we were booked in at the Park Head pub for supper at Thornhill. We were a little late, Cal was already there having managed to drag herself away from the ironing, looking a little strained from a busy day at work and cramming everything in before she heads off the Faro for the rally out there later in the week. We ordered our various meals from the wide ranging menu of traditional pub grub. Mike got Prawn sandwich which was literally a plate full, Annes chicken pie was a good slap of pub fresh fare. My Parkhead special, a favorite of mine, was as usual, a good dish of local Sausage, steak, mushrooms, onion rings & salad. The crack was good, and since none of us were too far from home, we all tootled our separate ways.

21-7-08 MAG meetings, always good for a crack and catch up with fellow bikers. Caroline, Brian, and Jude had come to the meeting straight from Coming home from Faro, in Portugal at the bikers rally, they had ridden.....er...sorry... flown hundreds of miles and still made it to the MAG meet to see their pals, they looked tired but well partied! Poor Cal suffered a reaction to tree sap, Jude managed not to break owt, and Brain took a test flight from Cals hammock, and thankfully survived the crash landing. Looks like a few of us are going to the new Storming rally this year, Terrys organising tickets. Just need to get Brian to go and we have our tea tent should it rain!Pic of bikes at the MAG meet. We're an eclectic bunch that ride all types and sizes of bikes! Come down to a meeting and find out what we're up to!

27thJuly 2008 - Whitehaven MAGS treasure hunt - I was late allegedly........everyone else has left...only Mark, Anne & Samuel...Tammys there to .......Annes tapping her watch as I do a quick off road section (over a blade of grass and a twig) in the Haven Club car park on the l'al XT. Money paid to Mark - this years Treasure Hunt organiser', taking over the reigns from Tammy - so Marks work was cut out for him after several years of Tammys' Cryptic clues and mentally challenging treasure hunts! First port of call to  find answers to clues was to Bigrigg and then Egremont to lay-bys, churches, post & phone boxes, signs and back roads, the weather got warm and soon we were head scratching wondering who, why, when and when!

Onto Wasdale and Santon Bridge, and then to Calderbridge, over scenic Cold Fell into the mythical Ennerdale - journeys end, where Simon & Becky & Co had layed on food for us at the Fox & Hounds Pub (Copper Dragon is a great pint!). Great day well done Anne (winner) and everyone else - it was a close run treasure hunt, and thumbs up to Mark Bailey for a great 2008 Hunt.! A great run round the western Lake District!

21-9-08 - We looked out the window and after several months of truly crap weather the sun, like a beacon of well....sunshine (!) broke through the dawn mist over the brow to Picket How & Catgill Hall. This was a day to get the bikes out for a sunny days ride to Devils Bridge. I texted around all our friends, even the ones who said they might be working, so 10 or 12 people..... We got one reply, off Ian Jones, who we hadn't seen for ages. By some strange coincidence he too had planned to ride to Devils Bridge with his missus, Rach. At the 11th Braggy said he might come too, then he wasn't, then he was, then he didn't. So met Ian Rach & Anne, who had all gone to Egremont to fuel up, at Blackbeck roundabout. We moizied on down the A595, Ian set a nice pace, as a serene countryside passed us, it was probably as happy as we were to get some sunshine! Yes dear reader, such rides often lend themselves to a more spiritual experience for the rider. You feel at one with the road, your bike, the air, the plethora of greenness that shoulders our Cumbrian highways and by-ways is truely impressive. Onto the A590 and we had a chance to ride the new High/Low Newton dual carriage, a smooth piece tarmac (probably the only one in Cumbria!) that eventually joined the rugged, rutted dull (sorry dual) carriageway at Lindal brow down the hill toward Grange-over -Sands & Kendal. I took the lead here, as I let Ian & anne know I needed fuel, so we stopped at the BP petrol station on the A590 towards Witherslack. I fuelled up and paid. Ian said his brother and family and been on the phone & were at Devils. We tootled on and crossed the M6 junction 36 on to the A65 (are you listening Braggy ;-) ? ), and down the meandering roads to Kirkby Lonsdale and right onto the A683 onto Devils Bridge. We've been going there for nearly 20 years, but the buzz from a Sunday ride to it is still great, and its never a dull place even when the weathers poor. It wasn't as busy as usual for a sunny Sunday, as we all got parked up without the usual 30 point turns to get a place! This made us think several hundred other bikers weren't sure how the weather was gonna fare for them from their homes across England. I went straight to the queue to order food and cuppas (priorities and all that!), as it takes around 15 - 25mins to get food, cuppas about 5-10mins at the food place on the Bridge. Anne went to say hello to Steve and Anthea and their kids (Jasmine and Matthew) who were parked on the west side of the bridge for cars, as the east side is exclusively or bikes on Sundays, due it being a historical meeting point for bikers, steeped in mythology about the devil and a women making a deal to cross the bridge - go Google it to found out!!! We had food, cuppas, and ice cream for the kids and went and spent a few lazy hours down by the River Lune (I think?). After playing in the rock pools with the kids and catching up with Ste & Anth, we said our goodbyes and headed onto the highway northbound for CA22. However, as it was such a nice day, we hung a right near haverthwaite and headed up some backroads that brought us out at Hawkshead, then Coniston. I pulled over for a cuppa in Coniston as we'd decided we'd do, but Anne passed by not seeing us parked up, we caught at the Petrol Station in Coniston, but then decided to push on to Bootle's new-ish cafe. We got there after a nice pootle there, but it was shut, so we went home. Braggy came round later and told us he ended up in Keswick, and got a parking ticket :-( . Should have come to Devils Steve!! THE END

W/E 28-9-08 - Did a 3 day run to the highlands last week. Skye day 1.Right the way up and along the very north of Scotland day two. A little chilli but dry and weirdly no dew on the tents in the mornings, kind of spooky that one!! Back home via fort William day 3. 800 miles all in and a good time had by all. Hope your all well and hope to see you next year when you have some events.Can’t see me making any Xmas do as I'm working right thru but try me I may be on my 6 days off. - by Des Denman an ex West cumbrian  biker, now based in Scotland.