The Great Escape...well to Suffolk anyway.....
Its been a very strange year for motorcycling for me. After the highs of last year in Italy, and a few winter rides, I returned from a visit to my family in Australia in early March to a much changed UK. The government was giving different kinds of advice every day, and there were rumours of a “lock-down” - whatever that would entail. There was one reasonably fun day on the Guzzi and then that was it. We were not to ride unless it was essential. So apart from a socially distanced delivery of medicines to a friend with a serious life threatening illness, that was it for about 2 months I think. The bike went on the Optimate and that was the end of riding for a while - apart from 1 trip to pick up a laptop so I could work from home.
I well remember the guys busted for riding 100 miles to get fish and chips - that wasn’t me - I didn’t take the piss. I work in Environmental Health and some of the stuff that was coming through to us was pretty frightening, so myself and my family stuck to the rules.
When we were finally able to do pleasure rides a while later (and towards the end of the glorious ten weeks of sun) I enjoyed my fairly local Devon and Cornwall rides. Yeah nothing was open but an iced coffee, pork pie, bag of crisps and a chocolate bar up is still a decent lunch in he circumstances, and Dartmoor still looked pretty good. Apart from the mess left by idiots - but that's another story.
Desperate to meet up with my riding buddy Jeff and to have a weekend away, we both watched for announcements that camping was on again - and when it was started planning a camping long weekend. All the places we contacted were either not taking bikes, and mostly taking fully self contained camper vans - the big ones. All our traditional haunts were not available; Wales was not open for camping in late July, and The Peak District seemed to be booked up. So we went the other way, to the Suffolk Norfolk borders and found a place called Klabang Ecological Camping in the village of Laxfield. It had apparently “primitive showers” but that was fine by us. We were desperate for a bike weekend away, so that was of little consequence. Jeff was bringing the bell tent - so plenty of room.
I live near Plymouth and Jeff lives near Newcastle, so it was going to be a fair old ride for both of us. Having had a gut full of the M3/M25 in 2017-18 I planned a different route to avoid both. The idea was to go up the A303 until I hit the A34, then up to Oxford and just past it, then go due east avoiding big towns if I could and sticking to back roads. “No plan survives contact with the enemy”. Wise words indeed.
Day 1 - Wembury to Laxfield.
I packed some of my stuff the night before, but as usual for me there was still stuff to do in the morning, so I didn’t get going until 8:30 or so. Good thing I put my waterproofs on before I left as I had only got as far as Honiton when the rain started. Up the 303 and the going was good, using the special motorcycle lane was great around the usual jams of Stonehenge.Refuelled in Winterbourne Stoke and didn’t have a mask on - but flip front helmet (my first trip using one) I just closed up 100% and said “will that do?” Well she wasn’t happy but took my money. Getting on the bike I notice someone chatting to her, and then going in - no mask. Clearly locals are different! Once I hit the A34, one leg had been completed. The A34 is boring. Very boring, but it served a purpose. I turned right at Bicester on the A41 and headed towards Aylesbury. Just outside I stopped at Aylesbury Motorcycles to stretch my legs and have a wee break. I was hungry, but unfortunately the burger van left 10 minutes before I got there!! I used the facilities, had a look around, and saw my first V85TT in the flesh - very impressive looking and sounding. A man had ridden his California over to have a test ride, and signed up on the spot. Lighter, more nippy, better handling was his verdict. On from there, just past Aylesbury I turned at Aston-Clinton and headed for Luton with the idea of going around it. NOT in the plan was going into the centre of Luton, getting lost in the traffic hell, and getting a great view of the Vauxhall factory. Eventually spat out, I headed for Royston then past Duxford,and onto smaller roads which turned out to be fun, and I had left the rain behind in Wiltshire ages ago, so fun was had. At Bury St Edmunds turned onto the A14 (fairly horrible) and with great relief turned off at Stowmarket and it was fun roads from there to Laxfield. They really do like their 90 degree bends in Suffolk don’t they?Point and squirt stuff sometimes. And quite a bit of top dressing as well, not rolled in just left there…so had to be aware that the surface you go into may not be the one you come out of.
Got to Laxfield found the camp site but Jeff wasn’t there. Total miles about 280. About 30 minutes later Jeff turned up and we set to putting up the tent which JUST fitted into the space we chose. Pretty private. Klabang has good hot showers, washing up facilities, and the owners will sell you a big lot of firewood well seasoned for £10, and they encourage open fires. Great! A large part is an abandoned orchard, and we were on the edge of that. They also do glamping, with large bell tents, beds, fridges, open barbie cookers etc. Looked quite nice.
A quick change and down the pub it was for a light meal of chips and real ales, outside as the weather was OK. Jeff heard a familiar accent - yes its true Geordies get everywhere! So we chatted to this fellow and his son, and had a few beers, and it was good relaxing evening. Back at the tent before lights out we planned a ride to Great Yarmouth and up to Cromer for Saturday.
Day 2 - Laxfield and yes, Its Still Raining Here In England.
Bad nights sleep, having laid my sleeping mat and bag on a miniature boulder field. Well that's what my back and hips were telling me. Hot shower made me feel better. It may have rained in the night, but the tent was dry and the morning sky looked vaguely promising of decent weather. Camping food always tastes great and the sausage sandwiches were perfect with black coffee. We set off at a civilised time to wards Great Yarmouth passing a huge estate not too long after leaving Laxfield, and then through the home of the Giant Pygmies and up the A143. The back roads we took were quite a lot of fun, but most unlike where I usually ride around Devon and Cornwall. All straights followed by right angle bends and another straight. Not so much of the higher speed sweepers. Plenty of bikes out, some of them making rapid progress. Eventually got to Great Yarmouth and met some friends of Jeff for coffee and cake on the beach. Many people there, about half trying to observe social distancing and half not. We did linger a bit and by the time we left for Cromer it was later than we would have liked. The weather was starting to turn to the west, and we went through Winterton, Horsey, Sea Palling. The dunes were the largest I had seen in the UK, with a cottage at the foot of one for scale it looked 20m high, maybe more. Around Happisburgh a decision was made to not go to Cromer. The weather was now looking ominous. A few miles before Wroxham the heavens opened. The rain went down, then up again for a few inches, then down again. This was Malmedy all over again a year later! Flash flooding crossing the roads. It was all over after 30 minutes, and the water definitely got in big time. Oh well. There was a stupid closed road at some town that had no diversion directions, so people were going every which way up the tiny country lanes, some of them at speed. Eventually close to Laxfield the rain lashed down again, and the riding was tricky, nearly lost the rear a few times. Instead of going back to the camp site we rode straight to the pub, where we had booked a 6:00PM table. The beer was again excellent, and Jeff's meal was very good too - mine was so-so, but it was my fault. I rarely order fried fish in batter as its so variable, and this time the dice were not in my favour. Still, we enjoyed our time in the pub and got back to the tent contented fellows. I was hoping for a better nights sleep…..
To be continued....
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