December weather ok so far

Saturday spent in the garage fettling the trials bikes, almost there so realistically early January we should be back getting muddy (too much partying beforehand)! The sun this morning was streaming through the window so we got the chair out again and headed to one of our favorite cafe's at Gullane. We were early on the road and the temperature barely above freezing but it was dry, roads were quiet and the sun was out, whats not to like. We made it along the bypass (officially one of the most congested roads in Europe) before the lunatics hit the shops in the annual insanity that is Christmas shopping so even that was bearable. The Firth of Forth at Longniddry was like a millpond, still and very blue reflecting the blue sky in its mirror like surface.
The first (and only) shock was finding the cafe is under new management but good news is the tea and food is still excellent. We paid the £2 parking fee at Gullane very reluctantly, charging people to go to the beach is a poor show, there are facilities but I thought thats what we paid our council tax for, still I suppose we all have to chip in to pay the outrageous salaries of the blood sucking self opinionated and non accountable council executives. That negative thought never took away from a splendid walk along the sunny but cold beach and the most excellent day out!

£2 to park.......

For the 4th of December it was stunning

Pretty

People enjoying the beach in different ways, no fee for horses, think I'll get me a horse!

Fiona's Happy Birthday Sara message, happy birthday Sara!!

It all looked splendid

My "Just grey" for men is working

I thought santa had a reindeer? Mind you maybe they have to pay parking for reindeer? 

Sidecarring

A wee while since the last posting but the weather is turning wintry, the sidecar has been getting a bit of use though with the two of us sharing the riding. A trip to Coldstream today on a mix of small roads and even smaller roads, a nice but volume lacking cup of tea at the cafe at Hirsel estate, ancestral home to the Douglas-Home's. They charge £2.50 to park which is a bit of a cheek i think considering the land was probably stolen from the local peasants who would also have had to rely on scraps from the table from the big house to live. It has to be said it's a pretty setting though and the great thing about motorcycling at this time of the year is the small roads are much quieter, also much wetter and muddier but thats ok. 130 miles done and a grand day oot!
  

Outfit looking clean before the off

Fi piloted on the outward leg

Bike getting dirty

I'm always wary of golfers, strange people

Mist on the loch

Actually frozen over, swans standing on water

This guy thought he was getting fed and provided entertainment by falling about on the ice

Get off the grass!!

Nice bird watching

Coming in for a bombing raid

A stop for tea

Pinkie up of course

Off roading.........

We had a cup of tea while waiting for our turn at the car wash

Guzzi club meeting

Less motorcycling of late, not sure why, just seems to be the way it is however after a run in the car yesterday to pick up Fi's new Halvarssons suit from Perth motorcycles (always good service and a friendly smile) I managed to get along to the Guzzi club meeting at Boness today. Not a long run but enough to blow the cobwebs off and great too see a big turnout. It was cold but the sun was out so no complaints, the banter and food were excellent also so a fun Sunday out, pretty lucky that we have only just got salt on the roads and that the weather is holding up. Winter tyre required for the sidecar though in case it turns bad.
 

Lunch by Loch Leven yesterday, nice view

Early Guzzi arrivals

Derek's Cali

Russel arrives on the Falcone

A Breva eclipsing the Norton

A brace of 1200 sports

Ian's Griso

Late arrival on a nice mk5 Le mans

More eating than talking at this point

Nice turnout

The new

The slightly older, which do you prefer?

Tay Valley Norton Club Tullybannocher day oot

A great turn out at Comrie today for our end of season meeting, well it's end of season for the sensible but for the crazy one amongst us the riding continues throughout the winter. A bit of rain here and there but the Wormit boys who came mob handed with a big Commando turnout got drookit coming through, sorry lads, your bikes always look too clean anyway.
A big thanks to everyone who came along to spend some time drinking tea or coffee, eating rolls or cakes and talking bikes, great to see so many old bikes getting well used. Funny just as we were leaving a chap struck up a conversation saying he loved the older bikes and said "you never see these things getting ridden these days", quite the opposite from my perception, most of the places I go I see old bikes. The pics tell the story better than I ever can, enjoy.......

The roads were damp but who cares

Former TT racer Tam Willison laughs at the fact there is going to be a lot of bike washing going on later

Nice

Jakes mighty Falcone 

My Guzzi (I'll be on a Norton next year, honest)

Tam Broon joined us for a while

A brace of Atlas's

Bert's (of course)

Our latest Tay Valley member's nice Mk3

George Martin explaining to Sandy he had to start braking in Callander to scrub enough speed off on the A7

Wormit crew wondering why this bike is so clean

A great turn out

Nice Rotary air cooled makes an appearance

Geezers talking bikes

Lady's talking bikes

John H on his way home

Nice action shot

Worth a stop, excellent cakes

Chat about bikes I think

George explaining to David and Anne how to get 100 miles per gallon

Bert says bye

And so does Laurenne