Normal for Norfolk
This weekend was the X9 Forum Annual Bash, and also the tenth anniversary of my first attendance at same. Time marches on, we all get older and acquire different bikes, or in some cases cars, but the company remains stellar.
On Friday, Howard and I set off up the M11 through heavy showers to our lunch stop at Old Buckenham Airfield.
During the Second World War this was the home of the US 453rd Bomb Group, including one James Stewart after whom the café, Jimmy's, is named.
The café was very welcoming of wet bikers and provided a lovely lunch, after which we looked around the excellent little museum and I hung out with my real objective, the tank from Goldeneye:
We reached our home for the weekend, the Manor Hotel in Mundesley, Norfolk, in good time, and found the rest of the group, inevitably, in the bar.
Saturday brought good weather for the rideout, which took us along country roads to Wells-next-the-Sea for ice cream, then the City of Norwich Aviation Museum for planes. There was a lot to see at the museum, and one staff member in particular adopted me and let me sit in all the cockpits. As a grand finale, we were allowed to park under the Vulcan:
One flooded section and a horrendous muddy corner, followed by downpour for the last fifteen minutes or so of the ride, could not spoil what had been a fantastic day.
On Sunday we dispersed. After goodbyes, Howard and I travelled with forum member Paul to the Norfolk Motorcycle Museum, a huge collection of bikes crammed into a medium-sized shed. This here - look closely - is a dual control scooter, allowing an instructor or salesperson to sit on the back and steer:
We lunched at a transport caff, where I generously entertained everyone by squirting brown sauce into my lap, before going our separate ways homeward.
On Friday, Howard and I set off up the M11 through heavy showers to our lunch stop at Old Buckenham Airfield.
During the Second World War this was the home of the US 453rd Bomb Group, including one James Stewart after whom the café, Jimmy's, is named.
The café was very welcoming of wet bikers and provided a lovely lunch, after which we looked around the excellent little museum and I hung out with my real objective, the tank from Goldeneye:
We reached our home for the weekend, the Manor Hotel in Mundesley, Norfolk, in good time, and found the rest of the group, inevitably, in the bar.
Saturday brought good weather for the rideout, which took us along country roads to Wells-next-the-Sea for ice cream, then the City of Norwich Aviation Museum for planes. There was a lot to see at the museum, and one staff member in particular adopted me and let me sit in all the cockpits. As a grand finale, we were allowed to park under the Vulcan:
One flooded section and a horrendous muddy corner, followed by downpour for the last fifteen minutes or so of the ride, could not spoil what had been a fantastic day.
On Sunday we dispersed. After goodbyes, Howard and I travelled with forum member Paul to the Norfolk Motorcycle Museum, a huge collection of bikes crammed into a medium-sized shed. This here - look closely - is a dual control scooter, allowing an instructor or salesperson to sit on the back and steer:
We lunched at a transport caff, where I generously entertained everyone by squirting brown sauce into my lap, before going our separate ways homeward.
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