Classic Motorcycle Show.

This blog today is all about the"Bristol & West Classic motorcycle show". This is held annually at the Show ground at Shepton Mallet. Each year we, the Honda "CX-GL MCC" have a stand here, to show off our old Honda V Twins built from the late 70s into the 80s, not only that but we usually manage to sign up a few new members. The very best of the Worlds Classic bikes are shown here. This picture below shows our stand with about 10 of these classic V twin bikes on show. On the centre table of our stand is a CX 500 engine cut in half to expose its complete insides.
Please do click on any picture to enlarge it.
This CX500 below belongs to one of the clubs area managers, he has been busy rebuilding this right up until the show, now its virtually complete. On our club banners we have the words "I used to have one of those".
Below we have a nice example of a Triumph 110.
This Ariel was a fabulous condition, I suppose I should point out that i could not find a programme anywhere for this years event, so I cant give year, model etc.
A fine example of a Norton here.
Below, a 1921 Triumph model H.
This outstanding 1958 500cc "Gold Star"won a best in class, as you see by the Rosette.
The really well kept, class winning "Royal Enfield"below, is taxed and regularly ridden.
You don't see many of these about any more,Italian bikes aren't known for their longevity. This class winning 100cc three cylinder "Laverda Jota"was in its day the fastest factory street bike, with a top speed of close to 140mph, that in around 1976 !!!. Nice clean lines too but a bit of a heavy animal apparently.
Below, this classic "Triumph Boneville" was one of the later ones as its a 750cc model.
A fine example of a "Royal Enfield Bullet" this is a 350cc model.
Below, if I remember correctly this fabulous pair of bikes were "Tritons", these comprised of the famous "Norton Featherbed"frame, with a "Triumph engine.These bikes gave the handling of the famous "norton" frame with the extra power of the "Triumph" engine.
A very early model of "Royal Enfield".
With 4 large halls full of Motorcycles, Parts, Club stands and accessories this is a really good day out for motorcycle enthuiasts all over, with plenty of food and Tea outlets too. Sue and I bought our Grandson a Crash Helmet, plus ourselves a few things that we needed.
Joke of the day.

Catch 22

A lawyer's dog running about unleashed, makes a b-lines for the local butcher shop and steals a roast off the counter. The butcher goes to the lawyer's office and asks, "if a dog, running unleashed, steals a piece of meat from my store, do I have a right to demand payment for the meat from the dog's owner?"
"Absolutely," the lawyer responded.
The butcher immediately shot back, "Good! You owe me £7.99 for the roast your dog stole from me this morning."
The lawyer, without a word, writes the butcher a check for £7.99. A few days later, the butcher, browsing through his mail, finds an envelope from the lawyer.
The contents reads "Consultation: £25.00."

Just a little now.

So then after a very bad winter (for us in Devon) the snow has just about gone down in Teignmouth, probably because of the Salt air. Up here on Dartmoor its a different story, there was still quite a bit left last Sunday 15th. Most of the main roads up here were clear so we thought the Snow that was left should make for some good photographs, so it proved. We left Teignmouth, through Newton Abott, on to Bovey Tracey then up on to Dartmoor itself. Most of these pictures were taken on the road from Bovey, Postbridge and through to Widecombe.
Altogether Sue took well over 100 pictures, the ones we picked to use here we were both very pleased with.This first shot was taken on the main road toward Two Bridges, and is a favorite of ours.
Please click on any picture to enlarge it.
Again (below) still on the main road. Still quite a lot of snow laying about as you can see.
This picture (below) was taken looking out from the back of "Haytor". We were so lucky with the Sun today.
Below, again from "Haytor"rocks.
It really doesn't matter when you come up here, there is always something beautiful and great to photograph.
More road side views, I think these Snow pictures are really nice, making every where look clean and tidy.
In the dips between Tors (where the Sun doesn't get) it is still quite deep.
This picture below is one (of two) of my favourite pictures on this blog.
We also took a Video whilst travelling along this piece of road but eventually left it out as I thought this long enough already.
Now this picture below is of the famous Dartmoor "Postbridge", this has been seen and photographed like this hundreds of times before.
But I bet not many of you have seen it like this before!!!.
So there you have it, some great pictures came out of the adversity of Snow. This is probably the last large amount we shall see this Winter.
Joke of the day.

Need a Push

A man is in bed with his wife when there is a rat-a-tat-tat on the door.
He rolls over and looks at his clock, and it's half past three in the morning.
"I'm not getting out of bed at this time," he thinks, and rolls over. Then, a louder knock follows.
"Aren't you going to answer that?" says his wife.
So he drags himself out of bed and goes downstairs. He opens the door and there is man standing at the door. It didn't take the homeowner long to realize the man was drunk.
"Hi there," slurs the stranger. "Can you give me a push?"
"No, get lost. It's half past three. I was in bed," says the man and slams the door. He goes back up to bed and tells his wife what happened and she says, "Dave, that wasn't very nice of you. Remember that night we broke down in the pouring rain on the way to pick the kids up from the baby sitter and you had to knock on that man's house to get us started again? What would have happened if he'd told us to get lost?"
"But the guy was drunk," says the husband.
"It doesn't matter," says the wife. "He needs our help and it would be the right thing to help him." So the husband gets out of bed again, gets dressed
and goes downstairs. He opens the door, and not being able to see the stranger anywhere he shouts, "Hey, do you still want a push?"
And he hears a voice cry out, "Yeah, please."
So, still being unable to see the stranger he shouts, "Where are you?"
And the stranger replies, "I'm over here, on your swing."

Walk to Hangmans Hill, Combe Martin.

This blog is all about a walk we did back in October. From Combe Martin I had always wanted to try to walk up above the village and the long steep hills past "Little Hangmans" then on up to "Gt Hangmans hill". "Little Hangman" is just under 800 ft high, rising to "Gt Hangmans" 1023ft.The actual cliff face on Gt Hangmans is 820ft high. I know a fair few able bodied people who havn't managed this, so I always knew it was going to be a struggle. We picked October because it is a little cooler then, the day we picked was very overcast too. The first picture was taken at "Sloley Farm high above "Berrynarbor"looking down on Combe Martin. Little Hangman is in the middle, Gt Hangman to the right.
Please click on any picture to enlarge it.
This picture below was taken on the main road from Ilfracombe to Combe Martin in the area of the Sandy Cove hotel.Those are the Hangman hills in the centre.
The picture below was taken just above the car park at the far side of Combe Martin harbour, just as we set out.I should probably say at this point that we knew it would be a long hard struggle for me, so we packed a sandwich and my portable Oxygen cylinder.
Below, the first hurdle over, the field corner of possibly the steepest part of the climb.
Another 100 feet or so higher, just before we took our first real rest. There is a look out shelter around here, but I'm afraid it has been let get into disrepair. This was a pity because the views from here should have been fabulous.
Below just left the shelter here, the walk starting to tell a bit by now.
Below,well over half way height wise but much less in walking distance, that is Little Hangman a long way ahead.
Over three quarters of the way now. I have to admit that from here on in I stopped every 100-150 yds.
Now just about at the summit of "Little Hangman", below I think that took about one and half hours. It is the distance walked as well as the steep climb that takes it out of you.
The very top of Little Hangman is where Sue took this picture from below, I walked down to give you some idea of the height. By now we both realised that I was just not going to manage the extra walk to Gt Hangman today.
Sue pictured here "On top of our World". It was just so high, wild, quiet and beautiful up here.I took a little oxygen we ate a sandwich then started the return journey.
Just before the peak of Little hangman, you have to fork off right if your going to "Gt Hangman"and follow the wall.This picture was taken from close to the summit of Little Hangman and shows how much farther we would have to have gone.
So after around a one hour forty minute climb I had to give best to the "biggy", I was (and still am) bitterly dissapointed but perhaps this year. The complete round trip took us over two and three quarter hours.
Joke of the day.
KINGS RANSOM
Once upon a time lived a beautiful Queen with large breasts. Scott the Dragon Slayer obsessed over the Queen for this reason. He knew that the penalty for his desire would be death should he try to touch them, but he had to try. One day Scott revealed his secret desire to his colleague, Horatio the Physician, the King's chief doctor.

Horatio thought about this and said that he could arrange for Scott to more than satisfy his desire, but it would cost him 1000 gold coins to arrange it. Without pause Scott readily agreed to the scheme.

The next day, Horatio made a batch of itching powder and poured a little bit into the Queen's bra while she bathed. Soon after she dressed, the itching commenced and grew intense. Upon being summoned to the Royal Chambers to address this incident, Horatio informed the King and Queen that only a special saliva, if applied for four hours, would cure this type of itch, and that tests had shown that only the saliva of Scott would work as the antidote to cure the itch.

The King, eager to help his Queen, quickly summoned Scott to their chambers. Horatio then slipped Scott the antidote for the itching powder, which he put into his mouth, and for the next four hours, Scott worked passionately on the Queen's large and magnificent breasts. The Queen's itching was eventually relieved, and Scott left satisfied and hailed as a hero.Upon returning to his chamber, Scott found Horatio demanding his payment of 1,000 gold coins. With his obsession now satisfied, Scott couldn't have cared less and, knowing that Horatio could never report this matter to the King, and with a laugh told him to get lost.The next day, Horatio slipped a massive dose of the same itching powder into the King's underwear. The King immediately summoned Scott.

The moral of the story...Pay your bills.

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Water Water every where.

Today Sue and I were just so bored after being inside for days during the bad weather. After breakfast we decided to see if we could get out onto Dartmoor, from our front we can just see it and could see quite a lot of Snow still there. We set off out past Newton Abott, heading over drum bridges toward Bovey Tracey and Ashburton. What became clear very quickly was the amount of flooding there is around. When you consider how much snow fell high on the Moors, followed by heavy rain melting it, it isn't surprising it soon swelled Rivers and Streams causing problems.
This picture is just one of many we took on some of Dartmoors village roads. It shows that there is still a lot of snow up here. My next blog wil have some nice pictures of Snowy Dartmoor.
Please click on any picture to enlarge it.
The picture below is of what 10 days ago was a farmers yard and field. The "Lake" in the back ground in actual fact is just a grazing field for Horses swollen with flood water.

Below again normal fields, part of the same huge false lake in the above picture.
The local bird life soon find the abundant food in these type of waters, arriving in great numbers.

Below, again the same inland temporary lake, I think due to melting snow and a forecast of more rain it could even get bigger !!!.
As you can see, like its title Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink (a bit mucky).

This final picture was taken on the way down just outside of Ashburton, we had to go through several fords of flood water, this was just one of them.
At the end of all my blogs I always do a joke of the day. Today I decided that, after seeing all this water that as a mark of respect for the plight of the Australian people i would not do one. Lets hope they get just a little of our rain to help put out those terrible fires.

ALL IN ONE.

This blog is all about the weather here in Teignmouth. During the last 8 to 10 days we have had it all, a few really bright, sunny but Crisp days, like the ones in this photo, showing the sea front and the railway line Teignmouth to Exeter taken last week. I have almost the same view taken just last Sunday in force 7, gusting 8 gale.
Below, this picture was taken from my bedroom window lasr Friday morning, quite a change for us to get White frosts like this, perhaps 6 or 7 most years.
The picture below is the of the same view as the first picture.This one again taken during our recent Gales.
Below, Just a sprinkling of snow this evening (Monday) on my front garden.
The picture below is a view from my bedroom window looking toward the Sea front. Just enough Snow to show that Winter is here.

Below are a few video's. This first one was taken from the car on Teignmouth's Point car park.Just look at those waves washing across the park and cars !!!.

This Video shows the small (Rubber) inshore Lifeboat practising in the rough sea's, the people in the wet gear are also lifeboat crew, they have to practise in bad weather to make sure men and machine are up to the job.


Are these people (in cars) and a few more mad?. Certalinly not good for a car, all this Salt water!!!.

Joke of the day.

Granma

I was out walking with my 4-year-old granddaughter. She picked up something from the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away from her and I asked her not to do that. "Why?" my granddaughter asked. "Because it's been on the ground; you don't know where it's been, it's dirty, and probably has germs," I replied. At this point, my granddaughter looked at me with total admiration and asked, "Grandma, how do you know all this stuff? You are so smart." I was thinking quickly. "All Grandmas know this stuff. It's on the Grandma test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Grandma." We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently pondering this new information. "Oh.....I get it!" she beamed, "So if you don't pass the test you have to be the Grandpa." "Exactly," I replied with a big smile on my face.

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