Went to the Moon Rally, hosted by the Rusty Sprockets MCC on Friday and Saturday night. Rather over-achieved on the cider front on the Friday night, although I feel my hangover was disproportionately large even for the amout I drink. The only cider they had in was strongbow which is loaded with aspartame sweetners, something I have been actively avoiding for a while now. That's what I'm blaming in any case.

Met up with a couple from the Black Jacks MCC, Chris Hunt and his lovly wife. They are up for doing the dragon Rally next february so I'll maybe meet them again.

I'm currently sitting outside a youth Hostel In Welsh Bickerton in the Forest of Deane waiting for the office to open at 5pm. I can get a slow internet connection but no phone signal, technology is a funny thing. It's a very picturesque place, quite and pacefull with a good view over the River Wye.

I made the mistake of going to Ross on Wye earlier in the day. I'd booked onto the campsite there and had my tent half up before getting a feeling this wasn't the place I wanted to be. Now I'm not superstitious, but the whole place gave me a "bad vibe", it was making the hairs on my neck stand up. I packed the tent and left forthwith. The feeling persisted until I was a good 5 miles out of town. Weird but who am I to argue with the hairs on the back of my neck?

Middle England is a funny old place. I'm sure it's about to sink beneath the weight of prohibitary notices. Don't park here, no camping here, THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY!!!. It makes you realise how Scotland and England really are different countries, the whole attitude to land ownership has become totally overbearing. I could never see something like the Land reform Act coming in down here. Not when you have people who get SO anoyed by someone who's become lost occasionally turning their car in the end of their drive that they went to the time and effort of errecting a sign telling people not to. Then went about placing a row of large, white-painted rocks in the way which they have to undo a chain off every time they want to get in and out of their drive.

I feel like wild camping somewhere just to get up someones nose. When they come to tall me to get off and it's private land, I'll just tell them that noone was using it when I came along and it'll still be there when I've finished with it.

The road signs are as bad. Earlier today I drove past a 20ft x 10ft illuminated matrix sign with flashng amber lights on. I was expecting it to be carrying essential information about roadworks ahead or an accident or lane closures. No. "DRIVE CAREFULLY!" it screamed. Well, good job they put that up, it would never have occurred to me otherwise.

I must slow down, drive carefully, keep out of private property (tresspassers will apparently be prosecuted, for what exactly it didn't say) and stick to the footpath more. I almost feel like I should have a dog to keep on its lead at all times.

Gloustershire tomorrow, hopefully via a council tip so I can change the oil on the bike.