2014 rally
Journey Down
Finally, it was time to set off for the rally. Weather was cold and damp…perfect…but at least it promised to dry up as I headed South.
I set off on time (7:30) and a fairly routine run down the A701 and M6 to Penrith for my first stop at a Round Britain Rally checkpoint (rules of the rally mean that I can’t disclose anything about it in public). I can say that I arrived 4 minutes earlier than planned, so it was
looking good for my timetable.
Next up was a detour to the first of the Brit Butt Tour (BBT) checkpoints. These are simply the rally checkpoints from last year’s Brit Butt rally, in this case the Cross Keys Temperance Inn. In 1902 the Inn’s liquor licence was removed after a death caused by alcohol, hence Temperance Inn.
Finally, it was time to set off for the rally. Weather was cold and damp…perfect…but at least it promised to dry up as I headed South.
I set off on time (7:30) and a fairly routine run down the A701 and M6 to Penrith for my first stop at a Round Britain Rally checkpoint (rules of the rally mean that I can’t disclose anything about it in public). I can say that I arrived 4 minutes earlier than planned, so it was
looking good for my timetable.
Next up was a detour to the first of the Brit Butt Tour (BBT) checkpoints. These are simply the rally checkpoints from last year’s Brit Butt rally, in this case the Cross Keys Temperance Inn. In 1902 the Inn’s liquor licence was removed after a death caused by alcohol, hence Temperance Inn.
After a quick fuel stop, it was a long run down the M6 to the next Round Britain Rally checkpoint, with a quick bite to eat and fuel top up on the way. As I pulled up to the location, there was already another bike parked up. It just happened to belong to Bob Badger, a fellow IBA UK member and quite obviously also taking part in the Round Britain rally. We’d already arranged to meet up later on that night, as Bob was also taking part in the South West, but there’s still time for a chat before we headed off on our separate routes. In fact, I met up with Bob twice more at the next two Round Britain checkpoints (although he’d squeezed one more in so I was leaving as he was
arriving). By the second of these, I was 14 minutes behind schedule, so I decided against heading into the centre of Taunton and went straight for Cleers View Farm, my base for the weekend, arriving 15 minutes earlier that the planned 18:30. I can highly recommend the
farm as a base for the Somerset area.
A quick shower, change and a very kind lift to the Halfway House pub from the landlady, saw me sitting down with a pint by 7:00. Bob and Phil Weston (President of IBA UK) joined me for a sociable chat and bite to eat, then it was back to base for a good night sleep.
Rally Day
After a very full breakfast, it was 5 mins to the rally start point, at the Kelways Inn in Langport. It was damp and cloudy but no rain…yet.
I had three routes planned, a basic route which only does rally checkpoints and would see me finish at 21:45, a yellow route, which takes in 5 extra checkpoints from Grim and Round Britain rallies and gets me back for 23:00 and a red route, which takes in 9 extra checkpoints, but gets me back at 23:50 (only ten minute to spare).
After checking in, I got my list of unmanned checkpoint questions to answer and off I set (only 5 mins later than planned). The first couple of stops, at Ilchester (Who made the weighbridge?) and Bishops Caundle (what's the fine for causing nuisance?) were easy
enough, and then it was a detour for a Round Britain Rally checkpoint and a Grim Rider one in Dorchester, before reaching the first manned checkpoint in a car park. Instead of sitting down in the nice warm café, they had the poor guy standing in the smoking shelter
instead. After getting my rally card stamped, I was 15 mins ahead of schedule and looking like going for my “red route”.
arriving). By the second of these, I was 14 minutes behind schedule, so I decided against heading into the centre of Taunton and went straight for Cleers View Farm, my base for the weekend, arriving 15 minutes earlier that the planned 18:30. I can highly recommend the
farm as a base for the Somerset area.
A quick shower, change and a very kind lift to the Halfway House pub from the landlady, saw me sitting down with a pint by 7:00. Bob and Phil Weston (President of IBA UK) joined me for a sociable chat and bite to eat, then it was back to base for a good night sleep.
Rally Day
After a very full breakfast, it was 5 mins to the rally start point, at the Kelways Inn in Langport. It was damp and cloudy but no rain…yet.
I had three routes planned, a basic route which only does rally checkpoints and would see me finish at 21:45, a yellow route, which takes in 5 extra checkpoints from Grim and Round Britain rallies and gets me back for 23:00 and a red route, which takes in 9 extra checkpoints, but gets me back at 23:50 (only ten minute to spare).
After checking in, I got my list of unmanned checkpoint questions to answer and off I set (only 5 mins later than planned). The first couple of stops, at Ilchester (Who made the weighbridge?) and Bishops Caundle (what's the fine for causing nuisance?) were easy
enough, and then it was a detour for a Round Britain Rally checkpoint and a Grim Rider one in Dorchester, before reaching the first manned checkpoint in a car park. Instead of sitting down in the nice warm café, they had the poor guy standing in the smoking shelter
instead. After getting my rally card stamped, I was 15 mins ahead of schedule and looking like going for my “red route”.
By this time, the weather had taken a turn for the worse, with mist and drizzle turning into heavier rain…oh joy. The ride to the second manned checkpoint at Princetown in the Dartmoor National Park, was via Abbotsbury (What saint is the church named after?), Lyme Regis (When is the bowling green open?), Bridford Mills (what acts are on the sign on the chapel?), Bovey Tracey (what is written on the waterwheel sign?) and Widdecombe in the Moor (what art form is used for the school sign?). As you can see, the Bridford Mills chapel had changed the sign to something completely different...apparently there was a plaque on a wall instead.
I always stop for a chat here with Graeme Tulloch, one of the rally volunteers, who’s a fellow Scot. Graeme’s wife is originally from Balerno (Edinburgh) which is where my son was at school…strange the sort of things you find out 500 miles from home.
By now, I was 30 mins ahead of schedule, and I wanted to keep it that way, so it was only a short stop before heading for the final manned checkpoint in Perranporth, via Milton Abbot (How many pillars support the gate roof?). At Perranporth, there was also a BBT checkpoint, which was handy. Again, I always stop for a chat here, as only those going for Land End tend to visit this checkpoint and the guys remembered me from previous years (it must be the accent). I’m sure I also saw Phil pulling in as I was leaving, so apologies if it was Phil!
By now, I was 30 mins ahead of schedule, and I wanted to keep it that way, so it was only a short stop before heading for the final manned checkpoint in Perranporth, via Milton Abbot (How many pillars support the gate roof?). At Perranporth, there was also a BBT checkpoint, which was handy. Again, I always stop for a chat here, as only those going for Land End tend to visit this checkpoint and the guys remembered me from previous years (it must be the accent). I’m sure I also saw Phil pulling in as I was leaving, so apologies if it was Phil!
It had taken a while to find somewhere to get the right angle for the Brit Butt photo, and combined with a longer stop that I expected, I was now 10 mins behind schedule so the red route was not looking good. In fact, given the mist and the fact that the BBT locations were in more remote areas, I felt that I wouldn’t be able to get a decent photo anyway, so I decided to miss the next one out and see how my time went from that point.
So onwards towards Land’s End via Portreath (How many capping stones at teh bus stop?) and a Grim ride checkpoint, the Bucket of Blood pub. I almost managed to lose my rally card when I dropped it and the wind tried to take it out to sea, but managed to catch it and get it stamped at the hotel.
So onwards towards Land’s End via Portreath (How many capping stones at teh bus stop?) and a Grim ride checkpoint, the Bucket of Blood pub. I almost managed to lose my rally card when I dropped it and the wind tried to take it out to sea, but managed to catch it and get it stamped at the hotel.
Turning for home, it was all unmanned checkpoints and BBT/Grim locations that were left. The last non-rally location was going to be Gwenapp Pit, as my original plan to get two more towards the end was, in hindsight, not realistic as it would be dark and with the mist, there was no chance of getting a photo. So it was Cripplesease (what colour jacket of the man with wheelbarrow in pub sign?), Grim - Redruth, BBT - Gwenapp Pit, Nanpean (What event was stone monument for?) and Winnards Perch (what's the website?) next up.
By the last location, I was 10 minutes ahead of schedule, having only missed one planned location, and would be further ahead by the time I’d missed the final two…famous last words. En route to St Neot, I was planning to get some fuel, so with the petrol station set as my destination on the sat nav, off I went. 15 minutes later, I came across flashing lights and two police cars blocking my way. Two cars had been involved in a crash and the road was closed, so I had no choice but to go all the way back to the last location and detour around the accident. Hopefully no-one was seriously hurt. I arrived in St Neot’s (Who is the bench seat in memory of?) 15 mins behind schedule, but at least I’d filled my tank and should still get back in time.
The last stage was a long run back along the A30 and M5 to the final two locations at Upottery (what animal is on the pub's coat of arms?) and Chard (what scale is the airplane statue?). This is when I always start to struggle to find answers to the questions as it gets harder to spot things in the dark, plus I was now soaked and the weather wasn’t getting any better. In fact, I couldn't even get the camera on the phone to work at the last location.
Coming out of the last location, I’d got back to 20 mins ahead of time and was looking good…until my sat nav route to Langport came across another road closure. No idea why this time, but the one drawback with sat nav is that it will insist on trying to put you back on the original route until you get far enough of course for it to decide otherwise. I did try following the diversion signs, but there were only two, after which no indication at all of where to go. I was certainly glad by the time the sat nav gave me a route back to the finish, arriving at 23:50. The volunteers were still there and very kindly gave me a round of applause as the last one back. I even got my chilli con carne!
So 3 manned, 15 unmanned, and 6 other rally checkpoints later I was soaked, but happy to have finished the rally pretty much on schedule. A huge thank you to everyone involved in running the rally, it’s a great excuse to ride some nice roads in a part of the country I wouldn’t normally see.
Journey Home
I decided to take things a little easier the next morning so a more leisurely breakfast saw me head off at 9:00 instead of the planned 8:30. I had already decided to miss out some of the Grim checkpoints (as these aren’t year specific) and the final two Round Britain ones (they’re close the Edinburgh anyway so I can pick these up anytime). At least the weather forecast was for cloudy but dry.
The first two stops, Haynes Motor Museum and Stonehenge saw me drop to 40 minutes behind schedule as I had to make a fuel stop as well. With the new visitor centre, you can’t get close to the stones anymore, so had to make to with a photo of the sign
So 3 manned, 15 unmanned, and 6 other rally checkpoints later I was soaked, but happy to have finished the rally pretty much on schedule. A huge thank you to everyone involved in running the rally, it’s a great excuse to ride some nice roads in a part of the country I wouldn’t normally see.
Journey Home
I decided to take things a little easier the next morning so a more leisurely breakfast saw me head off at 9:00 instead of the planned 8:30. I had already decided to miss out some of the Grim checkpoints (as these aren’t year specific) and the final two Round Britain ones (they’re close the Edinburgh anyway so I can pick these up anytime). At least the weather forecast was for cloudy but dry.
The first two stops, Haynes Motor Museum and Stonehenge saw me drop to 40 minutes behind schedule as I had to make a fuel stop as well. With the new visitor centre, you can’t get close to the stones anymore, so had to make to with a photo of the sign
Next up was a Round Britain location that was described as a“short walk”. Twenty minutes is not what I would call short, especially in bike gear! Mind you, when taking a location photo to prove that I was in the right town, I realised that it was also a BBT location so I snatched a quick photo of the Alton White Horse as well.
Two more Round Britain locations saw me to the first fuel stop at Elstow. I was still 40 minutes behind schedule but quick stops at a Bier House (Two Wheel Poker) and a final Round Britain location made up 10 minutes
Two more Round Britain locations saw me to the first fuel stop at Elstow. I was still 40 minutes behind schedule but quick stops at a Bier House (Two Wheel Poker) and a final Round Britain location made up 10 minutes
At this stage, it was simply a straight run up the M1/A1 to Edinburgh. After fuelling up in Wetherby services, I thought that I’d take the chance to see how far I could get between fuel stops. According to the sat nav, I had 208 miles to go, and when planning routes, I tend to build in a fuel stop every 180 miles. My bike has two low fuel stages, according to the manual, the first flashes at 60 miles to go and the second at 10. I've also set my sat nav to let me know when I've got 50 miles to empty.
So off I set on the motorway and sure enough, the first flashing indicator went after 150 miles. By this time, I was thinking that, when
the second one is due to go, I’d be on the edge of Edinburgh, with plenty of fuel stations nearby, so rather than look to fuel up, I decided to carry on. I might even get all the way home with 3 miles to spare, but maybe that was cutting it a bit fine. The second indicator went a bit earlier than I thought, with 15 miles to go, so I pulled in for fuel. I’d managed 195 miles and filled up with 17.5 litres so still had 1.5
litres in the tank. I think 180 miles between stops is a good range to plan for but at least I know that I can go a little further if I have to.
Overall, a good weekend, just a shame about the weather on Saturday. It’s a rally that is well worth taking part in.
So off I set on the motorway and sure enough, the first flashing indicator went after 150 miles. By this time, I was thinking that, when
the second one is due to go, I’d be on the edge of Edinburgh, with plenty of fuel stations nearby, so rather than look to fuel up, I decided to carry on. I might even get all the way home with 3 miles to spare, but maybe that was cutting it a bit fine. The second indicator went a bit earlier than I thought, with 15 miles to go, so I pulled in for fuel. I’d managed 195 miles and filled up with 17.5 litres so still had 1.5
litres in the tank. I think 180 miles between stops is a good range to plan for but at least I know that I can go a little further if I have to.
Overall, a good weekend, just a shame about the weather on Saturday. It’s a rally that is well worth taking part in.