July 2000

This will be a somewhat shorter newsletter than usual as time is of the essence if we are to tell you WHERE & WHEN to meet next weekend. Next run will be Sunday 30^th July led by Kevin, Fiona & Anna Coleman from Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay. Join the Colemans at 10am for an excursion into the hills and a ride along the ridge. Will be hilly to start but worth it for the views. Kevin is going to hand out route sheets which will suggest a longer or short ride after the lunch stop. For more information please ring Kevin & Fiona 01492 513358. You may want to meet us for lunch so please ring to find out where we will be eating.

With the last newsletter you should have received a booking form for the late September meet at Llangollen YH. If you are still interested in taking part then please try to meet the deadline date of July 31^st for returning your booking form and payment to Martin Gray. We have reserved beds, these are rapidly being taken up by people keen to come along!! They have heard about Les & Hazel’s excellent Treasure Hunts, Hugh & Anne’s Old Time Favourites slot and much more entertainment. It is NOT to be missed. You are always welcome to come along just for the dinner on the Saturday night but we will have to book you in so please do send in your form. For information and replacement forms give us a ring a.s.a.p.

We were on our way to Corwen last Sunday, almost at the meeting spot when coming in the opposite direction were Hugh & Ann. Whoops, they are not sure where to meet, does this mean we will be spending the next 30 minutes passing each other on the A5! Does anyone read their newsletters?!! 8 tandems and 1 solo were eager to set off with Les & Hazel but not so eager at the end of all those hills! Llanarmon yn Ial and the Ponderosa Café are not down in the valley so some serious pushing was to be had to reach our eating spots. Don’t ask Martin & Julie Gray about the day – they will probably never want to come on a run again! And no help from Les either with the pushing! Richard did very well on his solo (once he had put his crank back on) as the family had just completed the Welsh 3,000’s.

Our other guests from the North West section, Bill & Mable were heard to say on one of those hills "it must be 3 years since we pushed up here and it will be another 3 years at least till we feel the need to do it again"!

It was great to see the safe return of Ken & Pat, having just cycled back from Nice!

We all enjoyed the day really Les – many thanks to you and Hazel.

August will be vacation time for us so you will all have a rest and we look forward to seeing everyone on September 10^th for Gerald & Sue’s ride into Cheshire. Nice flat country lanes, ice cream and donkeys, not a ride to miss! For further details ring Gerald & Sue on 01978 310602

If you would like to contact us electronically – we are now online!

Lukeandbecky@ukonline.co.uk

Or

Tandems@ukonline.co.uk

Some of you may already have noticed you received your last newsletter on line or at least part of the newsletter as Luke had PC rage and lost some of his work! Others members should have received the newsletter by snail mail but even that we failed to get right as Les didn’t get his newsletter and so had to ring us up to find out where his run was from!

Seems best to ring us! 01286 870653

There are some photographs from the Builth weekend and other runs of which Gerald is going to select a few and put them on the website - so look out!

You have heard of "Road Rage", Luke suffered the whole weekend from "You name it Rage". Therapy to follow, for the rest of us that is!

Luke’s weekend started Friday morning, having taken the day off work he revved up ‘Stanley’ and, greatly assisted by Delia, made a bread and butter pudding to take with us. It resembled the bottom of a mice cage, very brown with ominous black spots on top! Went down a treat with cream.

Having shopped till he dropped in Safeways (10 minutes), he drove to Nant B.H. for lunch and waited for me to finish work early and off we set fully laden for Builth. After a pleasant 3 hour journey we were met at the show ground gates by the Taylors who had arrived at lunch time and were eagerly awaiting the campsite entertainment which came in the form of "Stephenson - Tents are Us".

The first evidence of this "Rage" affliction started when the man on the gate warned us that the first arrivals had been very confused by the neatly pegged out camping area and had pitched ad lib. Needless to say, when we drove over an almost deserted area to pitch numbers 16 and 17, these had in fact already been taken by a poor unsuspecting man who became the first victim of Luke’s Tent Pitch Rage. He was given a few choice words and dirty looks but onwards to the next task.

We had borrowed Claire’s large frame tent (previous carefully marked by Luke for easy erection) but in the period of time since last using this mini marquee, Claire had re-marked the poles in such a manner as to cause maximum confusion to the next user.

Watched on from afar by the Taylors the tent went half way up, canvas on, then fully up and all seemed to be in fine order but Huw felt compelled to investigate as we hadn’t emerged for 10 full minutes and the tent was leaning at a precarious angle. Once inside he discovered

Becky standing with her arms fully stretched up to the sky while Luke was heard to say, "something is wrong, I don’t like the look of this, it isn’t right". Five more minutes later, Ann, having awoken from a short snooze looked in alarm as this large orange object veered from side to side and no sign of Huw or Luke or Becky for that matter. On further investigation she looked inside to see Huw AND Becky arms fully stretched to the sky with Luke saying "no, this is still not right, I don’t like the look of this". The suggestion of taking the canvas off and starting again was met by deaf ears and so we all 3 stood there holding up the tent which by now was so heavy that head room was greatly reduced and Luke was fast approaching serious tent rage when he shouted out "Stuff it, I’ve had enough of this". Luke was having a major sulk! Much moving of poles and joints and still the situation did not improve. It was getting very serious as we were soon to be flattened by a large orange canvas bag.

With much relief we convinced Luke of the virtue of starting over again in the day light - what was left of it! Much scratching of heads and it was time for the canvas to go back over the newly arranged poles. Up the tent went again, cheers from the crowds but NO, it wasn’t right!

Eventually …………… "home sweet home" and a cup of much deserved tea.

The evening was rounded off by more tent entertainment from the Russells as Geof demonstrated Reg Molehusband manoeuvres in the gathering darkness. Several bottles of wine and a few whiskys and we were ready for bed.

Next morning dawned damp which gave rise to evidence of a visit to York Rally, Mrs Taylor sporting a luminous tangerine number.

Over breakfast Luke observed typical CTC members behaviour patterns. In astonishment he saw a Safeways bag being cut into neat squares and carefully put into shoes to give a waterproof membrane, obviously this punter had not been to the York rally.

Next - where to go today?

Route leader dismayed at the very damp weather conditions was heard to say "I think we should go to the cycling museum today - in fact we could DRIVE there!! Weather Rage!

In the event we cycled to Llanwrtyd Wells in improving conditions joined by Steve from the Mold section and Doreen and her grand daughter Hannah from Criccieth and were well rewarded with our efforts by splendid en-ride entertainments. Sid vicious the deformed turkey, Winston the over weight Vietnamese Pot-bellied Pig and Hazel the blind wild boar cross to name but a few animal rescues at a farm park where we found ourselves for coffee. There were all sorts of animals from hamsters and mice to self de-feathering parrots, rabbits, angora goats, mini ponies and postman attacking peacocks. When Kevin asked if there were any Siberian Hamsters Luke had to leave the room!

Onwards to Llanwrtyd Wells and a visit to the local bakery for home-made sandwiches. Then up the valley towards the Devils Staircase where we met Morris in the Forest! Morris dancing in a wheelchair had to be seen to be believed! We declined the beer and cycled off towards Abergwesyn and back via Beulah. Another Grand Day. Steve will probably never ride with us again, not only did he do less than 120 miles, he stopped several times to eat and drink, started mid morning and got back before dark, and found himself in some very strange places.

Back at camp the race to get the Bar Be Que began and Gerald took the lead. Before you knew it Sue had cooked chops, sausages and other unmentionable things (to a vegetarian that is) and Luke was happily enjoying a feast of charred meat and brown sauce. All accompanied by liberal helpings of alcohol yet again!

The Josie Dew lecture was attended by a few of us and it was enjoyable but not brilliant. Luke had mobile phone rage when a ringing tone was heard in the audience, on the front row in fact, not only did this brain dead individual take

the call but she had the audacity to return to the lecture room as if nothing had happened.

Back at the camp site boules were thrown and drinks were drunk until it was obvious we were the only people up and about.

Sunday dawned indifferently, at 5am for Luke for some unknown reason and all the mountain bikers got ready for the start of the 100km marathon.

We on the other hand sallied forth along the Wye valley toward Llandrindod Wells and the cycle museum.

Unfortunately Geof wasn’t going any where. In his haste to release a box of beer from the car the night before he’d wrecked his back and so curtailed his cycling activities for some days/weeks!!

Luke and Becky nearly ran over a baby rabbit but some how it managed to get through the bike, hard to tell who was the most shocked really.

We all enjoyed looking at the old bikes though it has to be noted that for some reason the male element lingered longer.

Once refuelled from the lovely sandwich bar next to t he museum we set off in the cloying heat for Builth’ anticipating the glorious novelty of taking home a dry tent, but alas it was not to be just as we arrived back at the camp site the heavens opened and we scattered for shelter. When it was safe we made our way back to a wet tent. Becky noticed a large dip in the roof of the tent which was in fact several gallons of water which Luke tipped off before finding another reservoir at the other end of the tent. SPLASH!

Spotting tea and more importantly biscuits being offered from the Taylor’s mobile catering van Luke decided to join. Time was of the essence, biscuits beckoned, so hurriedly Luke got the umbrella out but in his haste he forced the catch beyond its normal stay and he was left with a limp coloured cloth which wasn’t going to twirl. It was thrown to the ground in a fit of temper - definitely umbrella rage!

We had our tea and said our goodbyes and so we packed up our soggy selves and went home having had a remarkably good time considering the dodgy weather.