6th May 2008
06/05/2008 by admin.
Just 3 days to go and were all excited just cant wait to go now. Started packing and sortring out spares and tools required. Dont think we will have much trouble carrying what we need as Nicks bike is now in “Full Tour Mode” Panniers, Top Box, and Tank Bag. A Big Man on a Big Bike with Big Bags hope he doesn’t drop the thing as well never pick it back up.
Just a few Thank’s to people for their support this weekend :-
The Five Roads Sports Society Dinner raised over £200 last Friday where Pete’s Plumbing bought a signed photo of Stephen Jones in the auction.
Our local Motorcycling Club has also made donations they can be found at:- www.mcawales.co.uk
We have a CBT motorcycle test available for auction donated by SMART Motorcycle Training located at Busters Motorcycles in Llansamlet.
Again many thanks to all who have contributed.
Charity Collection - Carmarthen
28/04/2008 by admin.
Well we ventured to Carmarthen last Saturday armed with our collection boxes, and the first outing as the three amigos! We strategically placed the bikes and a banner and spent the day collecting money.
Everyone seemed in good spirit and a very big Thank you to all the people who contributed, we rose £514 Great Stuff!
It was however astonoshing how many people approached us who knew of someone who has or has had Motor Nerone Disease and more so not knowing that the West Wales Branch convene monthly and assist be monetry contributions or bys providing support and advice.
Therfore the South West Branch Contacts are:-
Glynne Jones(chair)01554 757135
Lesley Foster(sec)01792 865571
Maimie Davies(tres)01554 777993
Carol Thomas-Wyllie(RCDA)08453751853
www.Itwillbeamiracleifwemakeitround.co.uk
25/04/2008 by admin.
Think we need to revise the title of the Trip!! to
www.ItWillBeAMiracle ifWeMakeItRound.co.uk
The first hotel that we are due to stay in has now closed, so we have had to find new accomodation for the first night. but more so whilst working in the Garage last night, I heard a little stepthrough aproach, when it approached the rider and the stepthrough were looking sorry for themselves, Broken Indicator, wing miror, bent footpeg and the new back box full of scuffs and a crack!!! The Honda C90 Bites Back!! Barries trowsers ripped at the knee, well I did try my best not too laugh but what the hell he only gone and fallen off on the Pembrey Mountain Road!! I straightened his footpeg for him to get home, and as he was leaving he said I’m not too sure about this fuel gauge I think its faulty the gauge is showing empty but there is fuel in the tank, So I offered him some fuel but he was sure he had enough, but Barrie “sheene” Davies ran out of fuel on the way home!!! and had to phone his wife Jules. All this and we havnt even left yet. I’m sure we will be able to fund this trip after we come back with clips onto “You’ve been framed” and “Thrills and Spills 104!”
21st April. Big Thank You.
21/04/2008 by admin.
Saturday saw us with a fund raising stall in the St Elli Center in Llanelli. Nick and Gary prowling the center with buckets begging for money, Jo (Nick’s Wife) and Julie (My wife) supplied the charm and surprisingly giving advise to a number of people who were interested in possible support from Crossroads, Anouska (Gary’s wife) also brought their son Owain to make it an all family affair. I in the mean time hid in the background and supplied the Coffee.
We raised £300 and a Massive THANK YOU must go to the people of Llanelli for their Generosity. With news this week of redundancies in various local industries things are getting a bit tight but the support and the good wishes we received was fantastic.
Monies are also starting to come in from several local businesses to many to mention but again a “Big Thank You” to you all.
Next Saturday we are hoping to take the bikes down to Carmarthen Town Center with our collection tins to see if we can rise some more funds.
11/04/2008 by admin.
4 Weeks today and we should have been in the saddles for around 5hrs(ouch!!) on day 1, so hmm this is coming around fast
Well as usual time is passing by so quick and we seem to be constantly doing something for the trip, Barrie falling off his bike!! hahha and was on stop!! but we have been on radio Cymru, speaking welsh with a dictionary along our sides(not quite but not far off) , Had front page publicity on the Evening Post, and also in the Llanelli Star, so this has definitely helped the money side with people actually coming on to us to give donations, still no where near where we would like to be but it is rolling in. Many thanks to all those that have already donated much appreciated, we have sent letters to numerous companies that we hope can also make donations its all gratefully received.
We are in The Llanelli Elli centre on the 19th April with a stall again to raise money by guessing the proposed mileage, with the signed rugby balls as the prizes, and prior to this we are due on The wave radio station to raise awareness. We did received some great news from Wedi 7 the Welsh Television Studios who are going to film our departure and spend the day with us on the last leg returning through Wales,
So all in all we are more or less ready to go, Barrie has had a trial run filling his back box with clothes, or should I say two pairs of pants, because they don’t hold much more than that, think we need to have another look at what we are going to use for carrying clothes.
Many thanks to the boys in the Silver Seat Ibiza in five roads who tried to knock me off the other night, just loved that and that’s before we leave!!
The bike are more or less ready to go but we have been trying to get the jetting sorted out, they have been running lean and we are still making adjustments, Barrie’s suspension springs im sure have come from a Bic pen, (Brave man) , Nick our 3rd man support / camera / you name it nick will have to do it man has made an excellent effort in raising money throughout Carmarthenshire County Council Offices, Thank god for the Skip like top box he has fitted to his ZX9 so that we can carry some extra pairs of pants in!!
So looking forward to the Elli centre please call in, we have managed to rope the wives attending to the stands with a night out arranged after.
18/03/2008 by admin.
Well just over 7 weeks to go!! can’t believe how quick this is coming around.
The bikes are now starting to take tour mode, with additional temporary fuel tanks fitted to both bikes, we think we know where we are going with luggage holders and all in all bikes are hopefully ready to go, we need to get some more milage under our belts and run them in, thats run us the riders in not the bikes! not sure if we realise how long we will be in the saddle.
More so we seem to be more concerned with raising money for the selected charities, and with only 7 weeks to go this we need to get a decent amount collected although we are going to hold a cpl of charity nights when we get back, probably one in Barrie’s local The Stag Five Roads, as they have been kind enough to offer their help, and another will probably be held in my local Rugby Club Mynydd y Garreg so all will be welcome although dates and final formats for the nights are yet to be sorted, We have finally arranged a day in the Llanelli St Elli centre on the 19 April where we will have the bikes and a stall to promote the charities and raise money with Guess the milage, and are due on Swansea Sound a cpl of days prior just to raise awareness.
Think our mugs are in the Llanelli Star and Carmarthen Journal this week, Hopefully the Welsh Ruby Ball that we have been given being the actual match ball in the Wales Scotland 6 Nations game this year will now be more sought after, now being a Grand Slam Ball - Well Done Wales!!
So if you see us riding around please give us a wave or a toot on the horn and more so if you see a sponsor form please please sponsor these worthy causes or contact us on here if you could take a form too your local/or workplace or anywhere!!
Gary and Barrie
01/03/2008 by admin.
Well we have had our first outing today and covered prob 60 eventful miles!!!
Left Mynydd y Garreg caught up with Barries teenage daughter in the centre of Llanelli and no she didnt know we were going to turn up on the Cub’s, as you can imagine the look on her face to see her father on this, priceless! onto M&P’s quick look if barrie still has any footpegs left , can’t believe how easy it is to scrape these, through to Cross Hands quick run on the A40 Dual Carriageway, the looks we were having to see two almost identical bikes together, so funny all I can say is miles of smiles but the best was yet to come as we travelled through porthyrhyd we wound the bikes to a whopping 50mph and caught a guy on a Truimph Rocket III, he must have been sleeping, but when two stepthroughs passed him with both riders crying laughing, he soon chased us and finally passed us when we got back onto the dual carriageway, my speedometer then packed in, must have been what my 19month son Owain fiddled with(thats my excuse any way), every morning we have a ritual he wakes with wm wm! bike and we have to go straight to the garage for him to see the bikes, but barrie tells me we did manage 60mph down Nantycaws Hill , but then came the headwind and back to 45, not too worry all in all a great day.
Friday 28th February 2008
29/02/2008 by admin.
These last 2 weeks have flown. Every night we have been messing about with the bikes getting them up to scratch but its been worth it. Both bikes are now running and road worthy. Gary has had his MOT both of us have had Insurances and my bike will be Taxed on the 1st of March. Sunday we are planning our first little outing on the Road to see what these little steeds can actually do. I have never ridden one of these before and cant wait to see how Fast or should that be SLOW they are.
We have also had a lot of help getting these bike ready this week not least from Gary’s father Mike and my father Gor. Thanks guy’s. Some generous donations have also started to come in, Please look on our sponsor page for details.
We’ve also had a photo shoot this week with Councillor Pam Palmer, Pam Edmunds of Crossroads and Glyn Jones of Motor Neurone which is due to be published in local newspapers next week.
A charity night is also planned but details have not been finalised as yet but we will have Three Rugby balls to auction off:-
A signed ball from The Scarlets, A signed ball from The Ospreys and One of the actual match balls used for the Wales and Scotland game in Cardiff this year signed by Man of the Match Martin Williams and Captain Ryan Jones.
Saturday 16th February 2008
16/02/2008 by admin.
Been busy this week stripping the bikes and changing Garys forks. Hopefully we will start putting them back together tomorrow and maybe being road worthy by next week. Colin in Scorpion Motorcycles Trostre has supplied us with some engin oil and will probably be able to get his hands on the other little bits we need to get the bikes up to scratch.
Some sponsership has started to come in as well we have received a signed ruby ball from The Scarlets and The Ospreys and also One of the actual Match balls used for the Wales and Scotland game at Cardiff this year signed by man of the match Martin Williams and Ryan Jones. We plan to auction these balls at a venue that is yet to be arranged.
Tuesday 5th Feb 2008
05/02/2008 by admin.
Gary’s had his bike (See the Photo Page) and apart from the bent forks it looks good. Next weekend we plan to start stripping and checking the bikes out in full.
“THE” Date has been set Friday 9th May 2008 departure day. The exact route has now been finalised and the timescale set. Friday 9th May to Monday 19th May with 10 overnight stays.
The cost of a backup vehicle was getting too expensive with petrol etc. and carrying tents and camping equipment on these little bikes would seriously slow our progress. Result Nick has managed to book us 10 nights in Family rooms in Travel Lodges all along our route, the cost of this was belive it or not cheeper than piching 3 tents in campsites along the way. This would also allow us to carry less equipment and to be able to dry out our clothes and equipment overnight. (Not that it rains much in Britain).
The overnight stays are:-
Day 1 Friday night 9th May Barnstable
Day 2 Saturday 10th May Exeter
Day 3 Sunday 11th May Hastings
Day 4 Monday 12th May Kings Lyn
Day 5 Tuesday 13th May Newcastle
Day 6 Wednesday 14th May Aberdeen
Day 7 Thursday 15th May Invernes
Day 8 Friday 16th May Inverness (Round Trip to John O’Groats)
Day 9 Saturday 17th May Kilmarnock
Day 10 Sunday 18th May Bangor
Arrive home hopefully on the Monday 19th May 2008.