Page 17 - Shining On Newsletter - Autumn 2022

only about 50 mins when avoiding the tolls. This meant that we could enjoy our last night together in the
comfortable hotel bar and not worry about time.

Day 12 – St Omer to Home
The short run avoiding tolls to the
terminal was uneventful, although
Andy was concerned when I turned off
the main road and went cross country
to another Eurotunnel approach
without tolls. I’d taken that route
before so knew the satnav could be
trusted but there is always that
lingering doubt when taking point.
All’s well that ends well as we arrived
in good time at the terminal so that
Lucy could buy a topbox full of cuddly toys for her kids and the rest of us figure out how to spend our
remaining coinage!

Check in appeared to be working with our group all together in the queue, but the process went a bit
awry when only half of us progressed to a train that was late but on our intended schedule, and the
remainder of the group got on the intended train that was inevitably late!

Welcome back to the UK!!! The roads were as anticipated, busy, roadworks, speed restrictions and it
rained too, to ensure we knew we were back! This time I rode back to Banbury with Andy and Caroline.
We stopped twice, Clackett Lane on M25 and Oxford services on M40. The first stop was to dry out,
have a coffee and comfort break. The second half of our Eurotunnel group caught up with us here doing
the same thing. The second stop was a safety stop as I was tired and beginning to lose concentration.
Safely arriving in Banbury, we settled down to a few drinks, Lasagne (all sandwiches had gone!) and an
early night. Following morning, after breakfast Andy and Caroline completed their run to Southport and
we all cleaned our bikes (really?!)

*Footnote: Five out of the six Nancy taxi occupants, and nobody else, tested positive for Covid within a
few days of getting home. Never knew where it was sourced but we do know when it was spread!
(I’m sure I saw posts from someone during the 3-day extension ride following Leysin, but nobody has
come forward with pics or text? It’s not too late for someone to pen some words for the Winter issue,
thanks. Ba)

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12-15th August 2022: Hauenstein weekend
The German meetings have been a regular annual event for some years now, and their hospitality is
legendary. Usually held at Whitsun, this year because it clashed with our AGM (which many attended)
they rescheduled it until after the Swiss International. Alex is writing this up as we speak and his report
will be in the next issue. Ba

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From Hauenstein to Rudesheim and beyond (Mike Batchelor)

After a wonderful weekend in Hauenstein enjoying the hospitality of our Ulysses Deutschland colleagues
Peter Read, Alan Hilton and I took the short ride north to Rüdesheim am Rhein - the little wine town with
a big heart that sits at the southern end of the Rheingau (the Rhine Valley).

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