Bevan Motorcycles R.A.T. Pack ~ Activity Schedule for 2010. Version 1 dated 27 Oct 2009
In addition to the monthly Club Nights, which are held at the Lewis Arms in Pentyrch on the third Thursday evening of each month, the following activities are planned for 2010:
Thursday 21st January: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.
Thursday 18th February: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.
Sunday 14 th March: Pack Ride-out to Kemys Commander for a pub lunch at The Chain Bridge Inn. This is planned to be a low mileage season opener and a gentle re-introduction to the bikes for those who have suffered a winter abstinence!.
Thursday 18th March: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.
Sunday 28th March: Pack ride-out for lunch at The Aberceiros Inn at Llangammarch Wells.
Friday 2nd April to Monday 5th April (Good Friday to Easter Monday): Join us for a Pack ride to the Devon/Cornwall border for a 3-night Easter break at The Coachouse Hotel & Restaurant, Tavistock. Hidden amongst rolling farmland on the edge of the tiny hamlet of Ottery, but only two miles from historic Tavistock, birthplace of Sir Francis Drake, The Coachouse is close to Dartmoor National Park and is is conveniently situated for day rides to any part of Devon or Cornwall.
The Coachouse Hotel, originally built in 1856 for the Duke of Bedford, was sympathetically renovated in 1989. Much of it's charm and character has been retained by the preserving of many old timber beams and the granite open fire in the Lounge Bar.
A warm welcome awaits you upon your arrival at The Coachouse, where guests can relax totally and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the rural setting. I have reserved 5 of the hotel's 12 bedrooms for our use (3 x doubles and 2 x twin-bedded rooms), at a flat rate of 67 per room per night B&B (incl VAT). Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to join us for this trip (I can probably increase the number of rooms to meet extra demand, but this needs to be known in good time).
Thursday 15th April: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.
Sunday 25th April: Pack ride-out to the Historic Dockyard at Portsmouth to visit HMS Victory and the nearby Spinnaker Tower.
HMS Victory was launched in 1765 at Chatham Dockyard and was commissioned in 1778. She continued in active service for the next 34 years which included her most famous moment-the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. In 1812 the Victory was retired from frontline duty and anchored in Portsmouth Harbour, on the south coast of England. For the next 110 years the Victory remained at her moorings in Portsmouth Harbour fulfilling a combination of practical and ceremonial roles. In 1922, amid fears for her continued survival, the Victory was moved into Portsmouth's Royal Naval Dockyard and placed in No2 Dry Dock. Work then began on restoring the Victory to her 'fighting' 1805 condition and continues today.
The Victory currently has a dual role as the flagship of the Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command and as a living museum to the Georgian navy.
If you choose to, you can visit the nearby Spinnaker Tower. Towering over the historic Portsmouth Harbour, this 170m (558-ft.) tower has become one of the biggest attractions of southern England. On a clear day, you can see for 37km (23 miles) in three directions. You can glide to the top in a panoramic lift or else take a high-speed internal lift. The panoramic elevator glides to the top in 90 seconds, the internal elevator in 30 seconds. Sightseers experience the thrill "walking on air," or daring to cross the largest glass floor in Europe. On the top deck, Crow's Nest, visitors are exposed to the elements. In addition to the open-air view, there is a trio of glass-enclosed viewing decks. On-site is the Tower Caf & Bar, where you can order and enjoy coffee, cakes, and sandwiches while soaking up the view.
The Historic Dockyard opens at 10am and the last tickets to the attractions are sold at 4.30pm and the Dockyard gates do not close until 6.00pm, so we will have time for a scenic ride to Portsmouth and then a more direct route home after spending time on HMS Victory and/or the Spinnaker Tower.
Sunday 9th May: Pack ride-out to Eardisley and Erwood. We will head over the Gospel Pass and Hay Bluff to Hay-on-Wye and then by mostly 'B' roads to Eardisley and Kington. From Kington we will ride to Burlingjobb and then take the B4594 to Erwood. A pub lunch will be taken en-route.
Sunday 16th May: We will try another 'Rhododendron Run' to Stourhead Estate - last year the ride was virtually rained off, with only 4 intrepid die-hards turning out to get soaked! However, the ride and the gardens are well worth a visit at this time of year.
Lying in secluded privacy in a valley just 8 miles south of Frome, Stourhead Estate is one of the finest landscape gardens in the world, quite often referred to as Paradise. Stourhead garden was created by Henry Hoare II in the 1740s. The River Stour was dammed to form a great lake. Around the lake Hoare laid out a landscape garden to entrance his guests with stunning views and pacify them with serene walking pleasure. As the garden developed, he added classical features, such as the Temple of Flora, the Pantheon, the Temple of Apollo and Gothic ruins to enhance the series of splendid and unexpected vistas. Such was the accomplishment of this wondrous garden that Henry Hoare II became known as 'Henry the Magnificent'. Hoares successors cherished his brilliant original conception, while enriching it with new planting. Today, Stourhead is essentially the same as Henry IIs vision a self-contained and timeless masterpiece.
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Thursday 20th May: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.
Saturday 29th May - Monday 14th June: 16-day Pack tour of France, Sardinia and Corsica.
Following the undoubted successes of the 2008 2-week Pack Tour of northern Spain and the 2009 2-week tour of France, I have put together a 2-week tour of France, Sardinia and Corsica for our 2010 tour. We are planning a 2-week tour down through France and across to Genoa in Italy, to catch the overnight ferry to the Italian island of Sardinia. We are planning to base ourselves at a coastal resort (possibly Alghero in the north west of Sardinia) for three nights and then take the one-hour ferry crossing to trhe French island of Corsica, where we plan to stop for another three nights near Bastia. Corsica is almost the perfect holiday destination, basking in the mediterranean sunshine, with perfect beaches, magnificent mountain scenery, fine towns and villages that simply belong in the surrounding landscape. Corsica enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate, with summers being hot and dry. From there, we will take the 5-hour morning ferry crossing to Nice or Marseilles, before heading north through the Massif Central and Bourgogne regions on our way back to Calais. The holiday will be planned to leave Cardiff on Saturday 29th May and return to Cardiff on Monday 14th June 2010.
The likely cost of this proposed 2-week holiday has not yet been assessed, but based on the cost of this years 2-week tour to Nice, it is likely to be in the region of 1500 euros for 2 people on one bike (based on 2 people sharing double or twin-bedded rooms), or 1700 euros for 2 riders on 2 bikes, sharing a twin-bedded room (i.e. 850 euros each). For a single rider who wants single accommodation, the cost is likely to be in the region of 1250 euros. These costs should include all ferries and 15 night's accommodation (mostly on B&B basis). The proposed costs do not include petrol, tolls, lunches or drinks.
If you are seriously interested in joining us for this planned holiday, please contact Chris Finch at Bevan Motorcycles, Cardiff, as soon as possible, so that we can gauge the level of support and therefore the accommodation requirements. Telephone 02920 227477 or e-mail rat@bevanmc.co.uk
Thursday 17th June: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.
Friday 25th - Sunday 27th June: Let's join the Durham RAT Pack's 4th Annual Ratbash at the Patterdale Hotel, Cumbria. Bookings are now being taken for the above event which is being organised by Durham RAT. For this event, because of the contract that Durham RATs have with the Hotel, you will need to book the accommodation yourself, over the phone. There is a plus side to this - it means that although you have to pay a deposit of 25 pp at the time of booking, the balance is not due until you leave the Hotel on the Sunday. Durham RATs have reserved all 57 rooms in the hotel; however, early booking is a very good idea as it is expected that the hotel may be full before the end of March. Check out the website on http://www.choicehotels.co.uk/patterdale-hotel/
To book, have your credit or debit card handy. Decide what sort of room you want. The Lakeland rooms overlook the front of the hotel and cost 112.0 pp DBB for the weekend. The Patterdale rooms cost 102 pp DBB for the weekend and overlook the fells at the rear.
Telephone "Choice Hotels" reservations at Blackpool on 0845 458 4333.
Tell them you require 2 nights DBB on the 25th & 26th June 2010. Tell them it is with "Durham Rat" otherwise they will tell you the hotel is full that weekend.In the event of any confusion the booking reference is 180610 and it is in the name of Stu McCarthy.
Pay 25 pp non refundable deposit on your card. Choice Hotels will send you confirmation in the post.
This is what you get for your money:
Over 100 Rats meeting in the perfect environment of a biker friendly hotel, good roads, good food and good beer.
Two, or probably three, guided rides around the beautiful English Lake District on the Saturday.
Advice on other local rides you can do yourself if you want to "go your own way".
Visits to some Local attractions, identified especially for the first time visitor, or for those who THINK they know the Lakes.
Good accommodation and first class food and some great (real) ale, for two nights.
Singer on Saturday evening.
Sole RAT use of the hotel, bar and restaurant.
Charity auction with proceeds to the Air Ambulance
Please E-mail me to let me know that you are going and I will co-ordinate a group ride.
Sunday 4th July: Pack ride to Devil's Bridge. Always a firm favourite - the scenery is fantastic and there are great biking roads for almost the whole journey. We may have done this ride before, but not by this route!
Saturday 10th July: Pack Barbecue. Bill and Sarah have again agreed to host the RAT Pack annual BBQ at their small-holding in the Brecon Beacons. This is always a most enjoyable affair, with overnight camping (Bill may even take your camping gear up there on the Friday and return it to Cardiff during the following week). There will be a ride-out in the local Brecon area on the Sunday - more details in due course. Keep your diaries clear for this.
Thursday 15th July: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.
Sat & Sunday 17th/18th July: Instead of the traditional annual ride to Harlech, I have changed the venue to the Fron Dderw Country House near Bala. We will retain most of the superb ride to Harlech, but will divert near Dolgellau and ride around Lake Vyrnwy to Bala.
Enjoying spectacular mountain and lake views, Fron Dderw is a fully refurbished early 17th Century dower house of considerable period charm. Fron Dderw has four double rooms, one twin room and one single room, all with en-suite facilities and one triple room with its own shower room - all rooms have colour T.V., hospitality tray and newly installed power showers. An emphasis on fresh Welsh produce can be savoured in the generous traditional breakfasts and imaginative three course dinners.The quality of fine wines available reflects the owners' interest in the subject with vintages stretching back to 1975.
I have reserved all seven rooms for our exclusive use on the Saturday night and I have negotiated a flat rate of 67 per person (incl VAT) for Dinner, Bed & Breakfast.
On Sunday, we will ride on the beautiful A4212 to Trawsfynydd, through the Coed Brenin Forest Park back to Dolgellau and then on through Newtown, Builth Wells and Brecon to Cardiff.
Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to join us for this trip.
Sunday 25th July: Pack ride-out to Tresaith for lunch at the Ship Inn. Afterwards, a ride to Mwnt, where we might be lucky enough to see the bottle-nose dolphins swimming near to the shore.
Saturday & Sunday 7th & 8th August: Pack ride and camping weekend to New Radnor.
We will ride to New Radnor by a scenic route on the Saturday and pitch our tents at the small (but perfectly formed) Old Station Caravan and Camping Park. The owners have attempted to preserve the tranquillity and history of the site and modernisation work has been in keeping with the character of the area. The site has only sixteen caravan pitches and has a new toilet block with showers; a laundry room will be open in the near future. Overnight rates are approximately 5 per small tent. Amenities include the local shop and the Radnor Arms pub can be found in the village of New Radnor just a short walk away. Barbeques (not campfires) are permitted, but must be raised off the ground.
On the Sunday we will ride in the local area and visit The Judges Lodgings at Presteigne. Once called the most commodious and elegant apartments for a judge in all England and Wales (Lord Chief Justice Campbell, 1855), decay beckoned Radnorshires disused Shire Hall into obscurity. Now, aided by an interior hardly touched by time and original furnishings discarded in attics, extensive research and restoration has re-awakened this Victorian fossil. From the stunningly restored judges apartments to the dingy servants quarters below you can explore their gaslit world. Damp cells remind you of the buildings true purpose, along with the vast courtroom where your imagination in captured by the echoing trial of William Morgan, local duck thief.
Although the owner of the campsite assures me that pre-booking is not usually required, I will nevertheless do so once I know how many people wish to attend the event.
Thursday 19th August: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.
Sunday 22nd August: Pack ride to The Cotswold village of Bibury, near Cirencester.
The area is actually made up of two villages, Arlington on one side of the River Coln and Bibury on the other. It is one of the "must see" destinations in the Cotswolds, and has a place on the itinerary of most tourists visiting the Cotswolds
Attractions in Bibury include Arlington Row, a row of weavers cottages built of local stone next to the River Coln, the Bibury Trout Farm and the Saxon Church, the Church of St Mary.The north Chancel wall of the Church is home to a stained glass window which was designed in 1927 by Karl Parsons and was featured in the 1992 Christmas stamp set issued by the Royal Mail.
The River Coln flows through Bibury sandwiched between the main village street and an expanse of boggy watermeadow known as Rack Isle. With Arlington Row as a backdrop, it makes one of the most picturesque scenes you will find in the Cotswolds.
The picturesque Arlington Row cottages were built in 1380 as a monastic wool store. This was converted into a row of weavers' cottages in the 17th century. The cloth produced there was sent to Arlington Mill on the other side of Rack Isle. The cloth was then hung on wooden timber frames on Rack Isle after being degreased at Arlington Mill.
Arlington Row is probably one of the most photographed Cotswold scenes.
Saturday & Sunday 4th & 5th September: Pack weekend at Much Wenlock, Shropshire. This ride was voted the best of the 2008 season by those who took part. Deserted roads, fabulous scenery and a great overnight stop at The Plume of Feathers. Please let me know as soon as possible if youy would like to join us for this weekend, so that I can reserve the accommodation.
Sunday 12th September: Pack Iron-butt ride to the Ace Cafe, London, to join the massed reunion ride to Brighton. This is an early start and is a 440-mile round trip. This was a fabulous 60s day out in 2008 and even more popular in 2009 when 16 Pack members on 15 bikes turned up for the ride. The ride is well worth the effort ~ just ask those who attended in previous years!
Thursday 16th September: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.
Sunday 26th September: Pack ride-out to the Penderyn Whiskey Distillery. We will have a group booking at the Visitor Center at 12.30 p.m. and follow this with a pub lunch in the Brecon Beacons. Entrance fees for the Penderyn Visitor Centre are 5 for adults or 3.50 for senior citizens.
Sunday 10th October: PACK RIDE-OUT CANCELLED - the Pack Leader will not be back from the New Mexico and Texas trip until 14th October.
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Thursday 21st October: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.
Thursday 18th November: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.
Sunday 28th November : Provisional date for Pack ride to the NEC for the International Motorcycle Show.
To book advance tickets, call booking line on 0844 5812345. Closing date for advance tickets is 5 p.m. on 27th November 2010. Please book your own tickets in advance - this will save unnecessary queueing to get into the show on the day.
Saturday 4th December: There will be another Pack ride to Bethlehem to get those Christmas cards posted early for Christmas, with the Bethlehem postmark on the envelope. A pub lunch will be taken on the return journey (with a big log burner to warm you through!) at The Trecastle Coaching Inn.
Thursday 16th December: Christmas Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.
During the spring and summer it is hoped to introduce short, mid-week evening rides to various pubs so, if you have a favourite, please let me know. Details of these and other events will be published on Bevans website as soon as they are finalised. New ride-out routes and ideas for events are always welcome, so If you have any ideas, please see me in the shop, telephone me on 02920 227477, or e-mail info@bevanmc.co.uk .
Chris Finch
Bevan Motorcycles RAT Pack Leader |
