A long slog yesterday round the outskirts of birmingham but three checkpoints done, had a puncture on my back tyre, simple nail in it. I had tyre levers and a spare tube but forgot to take a pump. A kind bloke saw me walking up the road and gave me a lift to a garage for an airline. I now have a pump.

Derbyshire today. land of the unecessary rural speed limit. If I was't on the Enfield it would be very frustrating sitting at 50mph on fantastic windy roads. I'll stop at the cat and fiddle for my lunch then onwards to York for this evening.

Did Worcester today. Found the landmark surprisingly easily although my efforts to time my picture with me jumping in the air on the timer weren't quite as sucessful. Also took a picture of the (Boer?) war memorial outside the cathedral to show I got the bike there.

Bit of an epic day planned tomorrow. Three landmarks, to polish off the West Midlands area. The third one is in Dudley so it's going to be a case of in then out, I don't fancy camping in Birmingham. Hopefully make it up to Derbyshire for the night which puts me within striking distance of Scotland for Saturday so I can go to a friends housewarming.

The bike seems to have used a fair bit less oil than usual today. I used castrol GTX in it this time (on offer in tesco). Maybe I should keep this up.

It's amazingly dry and warm still. I'm having problems with lens flare on my camera and gettig the rally control card to come out on the shots as anything but a white square. In fairness, that's what it looks like in direct sunlight with no sunglasses on. Can't fit a polarising filter to a handheld digital camera though. Annoying, because I have one on my SLR but it takes up a hell of a lot of space if you want to take it on a motorbike.

Well, that was a thoroughly relaxing stay at the hostel. They even sold local cider. Changed days, i remember when being caught with alcohol in a YHA hostel would have seen you out on your ear! Very handy for the forest and canoeing, may well have to come back some time.
hostel website

Todays checkpoint was tricky. The roundhouse is a private dwelling ad there was nowhere to get parked and have a decent view of it. Got it sorted in the end though.

Changed the oil on the Enfield today. Dropped it outside a civic amenities site. They are the same the country over. I was informed that there was no way I could walk in with my tub of used sump oil. I had to decant it into the old bottle, get on the motorbike and ride the 20 yards between the front gate and the oil disposal tank, where I then tipped it in and threw away the bottle before getting back on the bike and riding out again. I have taken a picture, the oil disposal bin is to the left of the picture with a number 5 over it. No ay on earth was he going to let me walk from the gate to there.

I'm stayin on one of the camping and caravan clubs own sites at Chipping Norton tonight. It's very pleasant, surrounded by trees. Off into Worcester tomrrow. the landmark may be a bit tricky to locate as it's in the grounds of the cathedral.

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.

Just a quick post because my battery is getting low. I'm camping near Mortimers cross tonight. I did three checkpoints getting here so I'm going to do a rally this weekend. There is one down at Penarth near Cardiff. Backtracking a little but I've got penty of time in hand

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