We begin our road trip story when Roger gets a call from Warren:
WJ - “What you doing this Thursday, fancy a ride with me to pick up a new motor I’ve seen on the net? It’s a truck so we can ride there, put the Vespas in the back and travel back to Essex in comfort. It’s for sale up in Brampton, Northumberland near Carlisle.”
RS - “That sounds like fun, count me in. It’s 320 miles away, I’ll work out a route to get there, no dual carriageways if poss.”
Roger continues the story below:
So come Thursday at 7.30 am, there we are riding over to Roydon, Warren on his Motovespa 200DS and myself on the Rally 200. Up the A10 to Royston, across to Huntingdon, Peterborough and then A15 all the way to the Humber Bridge, with a short break at Lincoln. Noticeably more traffic & heavy along the Humber. Cut across to York, onto Thirsk, now into late afternoon. All going well, time to think about where to stop. Warren likes to push on, no limits, just keep going!. We agree that once we are in the North Yorkshire Moors we’ll find a B&B out in the countryside.
So Barnard Castle is the next town up on our route, let’s go into the centre and see what’s there (some ‘sight’ seeing perhaps ?). It’s a lovely old market town, stone buildings, derelict castle commanding the river Tees valley. Even better the square has a pub with two rustic rooms vacant, just the job! It has a chalkboard sign outside something about ‘why don’t you cumming’. (Of course, this is the place where Dominic Cummings began his decline).
It’s been a beautiful sunny day so we have an alfresco supper nearby and then take some exercise to the grounds of the local museum, it’s massive and looks like a French chateau.
Friday morning, breakfast at Greggs, all fuelled up and ready to go at 7.15 am. No sun today, we are taking a scenic route 35 miles across the moors to the pick-up point for Warren’s new truck. Our road climbs and we ascend into the clouds, visibility is down to 30 yards and it’s really cold and damp. Brief gaps in the cloud reveal a wonderful view and welcome sunshine but only momentarily.
The pickup point is here at last, 330 miles ridden from home. I leave Warren to inspect the truck whilst I try to warm up, waiting for my body to return to normal.
Warren knew that for the price being asked the truck would have some issues. What he had not expected was the amount of corrosion. On an old Vespa, it is seen as just part of the patina, not so on a 5-year-old Mitsubishi. It is now obvious that I should have enquired from WJ some 2 days earlier as to what was the contingency if the truck purchase was unsuccessful (which it was).
So we commence the return journey, turn the Vespas around and leave the truck behind. The onus is now on me as to how far I am able or want to ride back in a day. I ducked answering that question, lets just see how the day develops. So we head back to Barnard Castle, have elevenses in Greggs again - just three hours after our first visit.
We retrace the previous day’s route back down to York and then hand over control to Mr Garmin.
This is fine and takes responsibility away from us, just do as you’re instructed. The journey back was a bit of a slog and Mr G annoyingly kept pushing us towards the A1. We got home to Warren’s just before 8 pm, 360 miles but most importantly safe & sound.
Warren may not have gained a truck in the end but it was a good trip.
Well done to the Vespas, 650 miles in 2 days, up to 50mph for most of the time and they didn’t miss a beat!
Warren J & Roger S
