Red Kite 2022 - A new era in my motorcycle life

This post is ostensibly about the Red Kite Rally 2022, which is my first rally for a few years, but it's also about a new era in my motorcycle life, a big change after 22 years, which I will come to in due course.

 I had last went to Red Kite, run by Moto Guzzi Club GB, a year or two before Covid hit the world (2018 I think). I had been attracted to the great location near Hay On Wye, surrounded by good biking roads and the very good facilities. On that occasion, I had ridden up on the Saturday and home on the Sunday, having left work in London Friday late and stayed in a YHA near Goring that night. Then I had bike trouble....so yeah got there late on Saturday but enjoyed my short time there. 

This time I was doing it properly, riding up on Friday from here in Devon, and then going to Cheddar Sunday afternoon so that I could ride the Gorge road, which I have never done. Naturally packing was done Friday morning...as I worked late until 9 the night before...but the ride up was OK and I had a decent lunch at the M48 Services (yes its true - Katsu Chicken and Rice). I have ridden the A40 and once it gets off the dual bit I rather enjoy it, and the A479 is even better. It's just special to be riding among hills, or even mountains, which SW Devon is sadly lacking. The rally is at Baskerville Hall just off the A438 and by the time I arrived mid afternoon there were a good few bikes  present, some really beautiful classics. 

                                                        Tidy V50

I put up my tent and got talking to the neighbours, who were friendly in the usual Guzzi way.  Robert lent me a hammer which made getting pegs into the concrete hard ground a bit easier. As my most recent camping trip had been ruined by not being warm enough, I had brought the bulky but warm sleeping bag - more on this later.  After a bit of a walk around and chatting to a few people, and registering so I could use the facilities in the Hall, I went up to the bar in the Hall and spent the evening in very fine company. I wish I could remember the names but it was that kind of night! My choice of meal (sticky toffee pudding and custard) was much remarked upon, as the bar was serving all sorts of mains to the rally goers - we had a dedicated room and serving area. It was all I needed. 

And so to bed. I won't say too much other than to say that I was quite cold all night and started coughing. I think I didn't sleep longer than 1 hour before needing the loo. I might be 56, but this was not usual. One of my worst nights sleep ever. 

Next day I awoke after almost no sleep but apart from that OK. Although I had reserved a full English breakfast in the bar for later, I boiled water and made coffee at about 630AM and that did make me feel more alive. Started chatting to a few other early risers over coffee. There were to be 2 rideouts that day, one a long one and the other short and easy. Me I fancied neither, so I decided after breakfast to walk in Hay to get a sleeping bag liner, wooly hat, and maybe buy a book or two. It's probably not a long walk in good shoes, but Crocs make it seem that much longer! I spent long enough in Hay to realise that I will have to go back to really get a few books. I asked for a few things in a rather large bookshop, but they had none of them - fair enough they are quite obscure titles. Got a sleeping bag liner at a very posh huntin'shootin and fishin' shop, and a hat, got some stuff for dinner and brekky at the CoOP and walked back to the Rally. 

I then decided to do the ride I had planned to do - The Gospel Pass the highest tarmac road in Wales. The weather looked threatening but I did not feel like sitting around the rest of the day so I set off. Through the back of Hay and then along a creek or river before it starts to twist and turn, getting quite nadgery. There is a surprising amount of traffic so its careful going, and the road is not in great shape. When you get to the top however, the views are pretty spectacular, very much worth it. Paragliders and hangliders were packing up for the day, I assume having soared the ridge lift. The drop down to Capel Y Ffin is steepish and narrow and broken up in places, but awesome views reminiscent of something out of LOTR - maybe the entrance to the Vale of Rohan? At Llanthony there looked a very nice pub, but also a dog show was going on and a steady stream of caravans and campers was against me. Finally onto the A465 at Pandy, then on to Abegavenny for the posh petrol my bike demands, and back to the Rally along the same route as yesterday. 

                                             On the Gospel Pass at the top. 

I cooked my own dinner of pasta, coffee, and creme caramel and then sat with my neighbours and talked, before going into the Hall bar at about 7ish. Again I found great company, but the band was a bit loud for my taste, though they were good. A bit tired I hit the sack at about 1030 after talking to some folk around a fire. I got a little more sleep, and only had to get up 5 or 6 times in the night, but still shivered and coughed. 

Next morning I had porridge, coffee and a Mars bar and the people next to me gave me a bivvy bag cover which they said would definitely keep my sleeping bag warm enough. I left late as I always hate packing up, but when I got down to it was able to get it done quick enough. The idea was to have lunch in Usk, as that's on a good road between Abergavenny and Chepstow. When I got to Usk, I was a bit hungry so I went into the first place I could find. That was a mistake - it was expensive and the food was mediocre, the menu paltry. Oh well. The riding down to Cheddar was nothing special at all, the M5 being possibly the most boring road in Britain. 

The campsite I stayed at in Cheddar was excellent, I got there at 4PM or so, set up, then walked into town to get supplies for dinner from the Tesco. The campsite is Petruth Paddocks - highly recommended. They have a good set of showers, a library tent with USB points (bring own cable), portable firepits for hire plus wood, and a relaxed attitude. There's a quiet paddock and a noisy paddock. I went for the quiet. I had a decent camp dinner and having no fire, and it starting to rain, went to bed about 8PM. Just in time as it started tipping down. I tried to read something but couldn't so tried to get to sleep and at least managed to do so while coughing all the time. Bearing in mind I now was in a sleeping bag liner, sleeping bag, and a bivvy bag. Still cold. At least I only woke up 3 times in the night and therefore got some sleep. The wind and rain howled outside, and er some got in as well, but oh well. 

When I woke up it was raining lightly so after making a quick coffee and eating a power bar I packed up quickly, loaded up, and set off to ride Cheddar Gorge before heading home. Only to find;

"GORGE ROAD CLOSED TO MOTOR TRAFFIC"

Just my luck. As I was feeling quite rough by this stage, there was no way I was walking up it. In bike gear. In the rain. No. So I just rode back home, in the rain but it eased off a little getting towards Exeter. When I got home I tested myself for Covid and got a strong positive - of course - and went straight to bed. For a week as it turned out.  

I will be going again, hopefully next time fully fit. The people I met were great, it's a fantastic setting, and of course the people that ride The Eagle of Mandello are the best. And I can never get enough books. 

CODA

The person I did much of my motorcycle travel with, and who features in many earlier posts in this blog, is no longer a part of my life. And can never be part of my life. It has formed a great sadness in my life this year; the death of a friendship. We maybe don't have so many truly deep friendships - this was one such. It's gone. Life goes on. I ride alone. My adventures on the bike will be solo ones from now on. So the way I started in 1996 will be the way of it all from now on. Cest la vie. 

PS - I have a few more photos to post to this entry but my phone and the laptop are in a state of war. So I will do a work around in the next few days.