Fun Map

From brilliantmaps.com The European Union re-drawn with 28 countries of equal (18 million) population. I think I'm in the "Celtic Union" a scattered country comprising Western Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, Devon & Brittany. I would live in a border town, about a mile from "Northland" (actually Lanarkshire)  

Coincidently I walked to the "border" (White Cart Water) on Sunday on my way to the pub.

Waterfoot Bridge & Dripps Mill

Looking from the Celtic Union into Northland.

Blinded by the Light

 

A low sun and wet roads created difficult riding conditions in Ayrshire today.

Every Picture Tells a Story #5 - Tyre Trouble on the Road to Austria, August '83

It's August 1983 and we're on another tour of Europe on a Suzuki GSX750. We went to France, Germany, Austria & Northern Italy. On the tour there were some problems with punctures.

The first was on the M2 motorway between London & the ferry port of Dover. Gwen's strange hand gestures are because she's being attacked by insects.

I look happy fixing another puncture, this time in Bludenz, Austria.  

 The punctures were just blips in an otherwise great tour. Here's some epic scenery in Austria.

Scottish Speedway Museum - Part#2

American bikes on display.

 1974 Maely

1975 Track-Master with Ricksson engine

1934 Harley Davidson

1929 Harley Davidson

1934 Crocker

1929 Indian

 

1978 Harley Davidson XR750 Flat Tracker - possibly the coolest bike ever made.

And from Japan a 1957 Meguro

Scottish Speedway Museum - Part#1

At the start of this month I visited the speedway museum located in a precast concrete works in Loanhead in the south of Edinburgh. I wasn't expecting much but it was superb place with a huge collection of bikes in immaculate condition. An excellent day out even if, like me, you don't have a great interest in speedway.

The place was jammed full of bikes

1929 James V twin

1939 Excelsior "in action"

 1930 Francis Barnet with 175cc Villiers two stroke engine

1973 Jawa Ice Racer

 You don't want to be run over by this bike!

 

You've got to be kidding!…

 ..rocket boosters?

1960 Nyholm with JAP engine

 1939 Scott

Vincent engined Vampire from 1947

Cinder and shale from tracks around the world.

Tight Squeeze

I snapped these bikes (mostly scooters, actually) near London's Liverpool Street Station yesterday. There are many well-used bike parking places in the financial area or "City". In fact I can't think how they get them in or out.

 

  

When Things Don't Go As Well As Planned….

It's been foggy here recently. Generally it clears by late morning and the sun comes out. So, based on this assumption, I set off for a run to the Duke's Pass. As it turned out my confidence was misplaced and the fog hung about all day.

 Outside my house at noon.

I've got some anti-mist treatments - they don't really work any better than washing-up liquid. I should have worn contact lenses rather than specs today.

The Duke's Pass - a great road with beautiful scenery. You'll just have to take my word on this. Near this point a van driver gesticulated to me in a "what the hell are you doing" sort of way. I checked my headlight and found that the dip beam & sidelight had blown - I continued on main beam. 

I took the Three Lochs forest trail. This is the splendidly named Loch Drunkie.

The CBF would have been better here - trail riding isn't the FJ's forte.

 Loch Achray

To brighten things up I took some High Dynamic Range (HDR) photos

 Highland Cattle grazing

 Horses stick close together in the fog

Misty helmet

 Returning over the Campsie Hills I got above the fog and could see it lying across the city.

***Update*** My good lady informs me that Kilmarnock, 12 miles in the opposite direction, had clear skies.

***Update #2*** The weather lady rubs it in by telling me that Eskdalemuir (60 miles south of here) had its warmest November day on record.