November Club Run (The other viev) Glen Parkinson The run started from the Hillside Café on the A36 just outside Codford, where some of us (Pete Toghill) started with a cooked breakfast. The run was to be lead by Ted Spires on his trusty Husky 410, joined by Les Packer (XR 250), Pete Toghill (XR 400), Dave Gower (Beta 450) and myself Glen Parkinson (TTR 250). Ted looked a little worn as he explained he had led a couple of lads from Sussex on a run the day before.

 

We headed south over the Great Ridge, crossed the A303 and continued south towards Sixpenny Handly. The track conditions were best described as greasy but the weather was fantastic, after a grey start it turned sunny with light winds, and that’s how it stayed all day.

 

Dave decided to find out how soft the scenery was by having a lie down on the track, it was soft but a little muddy. Ted was struggling to stay sunny side up due to the lack of rubber on his back tyre, entertaining us with a lot of impromptu sideways action. Dave decided to try another lie down in the track, unfortunately in front of Pete, who could not avoid the horizontal Beta!

 

I am sure Ted was not impressed with snapping his clutch lever when he accidentally knocked his bike into gear as he dismounted to talk to Steve Gunning, who we met as we joined the A303, with inevitable consequences. I am sure he was even less impressed when he slid into the bank some time later and snapped a rear indicator stalk!

 

Martin Down

 

After visiting Martin Down we started to head back north, stopping at Barford St Martin for fuel and something to eat. We took our snacks up the trail heading back towards the A303, stopped on top of a rise just off the byway and ate our lunch in the sun overlooking the rolling Wiltshire landscape. Pete told us various jokes along the way, each one was worst than the last! Ask him to tell you the one about the Mortuary Technician!

 

Above Barford St Martin

 

Once back to the A303 we rode west to Willoughby Hedge and on to the byways that dropped us into Brixton Deverill. Ted and Pete rode to the other side of the ford by road to get some pictures of the rest of us crossing (Pete was using the excuse that XR’s and deep water are not a good mix) Dave and I got through without major incident (it was over front wheel depth), Les was not so fortunate, as his engine died two-thirds the way across, at the deepest point! Once pushed out, the airbox was checked and found to be dry. Les was looking slightly tired at this point so Pete volunteered to start his XR.

 

Glen at Kingston Deverill Ford

 

The light was fading fast, so Les departed to collect his van back at Codford. The rest of us assisted Ted in putting up some notices on a right of way close by, before we all went our separate ways. Pete via the Longbridge Deverill petrol station to purchase a new tail lamp that had failed minutes before.

 

Many thanks to Ted for a great run, which was blessed with fantastic weather and gave us all a lot of face muscle exercise.