Page 20 - Shining On Winter 2022

roads and decent scenery to the first coffee stop at the Mohne reservoir then onto the Mohne dam for
photos (with the dam busters tune playing in your head). We needed to get some miles done so it was
onto the autobahn and head towards Holland. A stop at a motorway service station for the last currywurst
lunch before a return to the Dutch road system.
The autobahn just merges into the
Dutch motorway so you have to be
on the ball and slow down rapidly,
as an unrestricted autobahn
suddenly becomes a 60mph
motorway with cameras every few
hundred yards. A coffee stop at the
world heritage historic windmills
then a short ferry crossing to a
restaurant near the Hook of Holland
ferry terminal for our last European
meal, before boarding the overnight
ferry to Harwich which docks at
6.30am - whoopie.

I really enjoyed the trip, it was very well organised and the hotels were excellent (even if they were in
cities). The tour team ensured everything went smoothly. As I haven’t done a trip like this for quite a
while I found the 265+ mile days a bit much on a couple of the days, probably because of the 30 plus
degree heat and city rush hour traffic. I met some great people and had a laugh - especially when I
couldn’t work out why some lunatic was walking straight at me in one hotel, before I realised there was a
full length mirror on the wall! I would recommend the trip if you're into BMWs, the noisy Americans were
a bonus.

Member’s Articles

The Round Britain Rally 2022 and 23 (Brian Eccles, Barry Croft)
You may recall several issues ago I published an article by Brian on
the Round Britain Rally, which he regularly attempts. He has sent me
this year’s newsletter and results report, which I’ve summarised here,
and a link to the entry form for next year.
This is like a giant UK-wide treasure hunt, which you can do alone or
with pals, and take months over. You have to interpret clues to
deduce, locate and visit - as many as you can off a long list of out of
the way landmarks, with extra points for the more remote or hard to
find ones (there’s one on Skye for example!), taking photos of each
with your bike and your official numbered control card in-camera for
proof, and at the end of the year everyone is “marked” and points are
awarded. The real aim is to raise money for Air Ambulance, but also
to get us out on our bikes and visiting lesser-known spots.

2022 examples included:
● The Warwickshire Vulcan XM655 (which ran off the runway while one guy was visiting)!
● Derbyshire’s Old Market cross
● Dumfries & Galloway - the Dalbeattie Motorcycling Mural
● Mennockhass Water Tunnel, North Portal
● Denbighshire’s Old Railway crane

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