Plans.

No sooner am I back, then I'm off again. This time though, it's for Cubbie's Counties business. The last 4 counties need to be ticked off sooner rather than later, which is a shame, 'cos if I left it a while, then Little John from Bikeshite.com would be able to join us. By 'us' I mean me, Cubbie, Slim, Alan in the GCMCC, Kawa, maybe Captain Bill if his bike is fixed. Just gotta add Geoff & Julie to the list now. I can't seem to get anyone else to want to join us. Maybe it's the word CAMPING that's putting them off, but Alan's not bothered, he came to Skye with us on the very first Cubbie's Counties leg and simply found himself a B&B. Maybe it's Cubbie's perfume putting them off ???? Talking of bad little Cubbie, I idly flicked the light switch as I walked past, just to make sure all is well in that department, and the main bulb has blown. I mean, when I left it there before I went to Skye on my WORK trip, it was fine. Maybe Mrs BC has been fiddling with it. Or maybe it was the lambs. Now where am I going to get one of those before Friday? I've nearly planned the route. Not quite sure where to stay yet though as I can't make my mind up between Tain, Dornoch, Golspie and Brora. Dornoch was my first option, and it's only 125miles away, but the B&Bs in the area look a bit pricey. Then as you get further north, the availability of campsites and B&Bs with websites gets a bit thinner making it harder to find somewhere. Not only that, but I've got to stop off in Nairn on the way. There doesn't seem to be much in Nairnshire, apart from quite a political history to do with districts and regions, but I'm sure I'll find something of interest.

The bits circled in black are the last 4 counties...the red dots are the intended route, well, sort of.

So that's this weekend taken care of, then on Sunday 31st I think I'll head to Crieff for the VMCC Intersection meeting. 'Tis a new event the Stirling Castle section are organising to fit in every other year between the 'official' round the sections rally. I reckon Mr Prodger might accompany me for that one. Just in case anyone thinks the VMCC Area Rep for Scotland is slacking, the 7th June is the Ayr Classic Show, and although I won't be exhibiting Cubbie, I will be presenting the Awards in my Official Capacity as GBC so you can come along and say 'ello and talk about all things VMCC or anything else to do with bikes, or sheep, or sheds, or whatever you like. The weekend after that - yes, it's me birfday - is going to be a bit busy. I quite fancy going to the Caithness club's 40th Anniversary Jamboree, but it's also the Loch Ness rally, to which I haven't been for a few years as it normally clashes with Ayr. I wonder if I can be up north on the Sat and make it down to Inverness on Sunday....hmmmm.....probably not on Cubbie but maybe on the old Skorpy....if I had it on the road....have o put a new pair of BT92s on my birthday list I think, and an MoT, tax and insurance, ha ha. Might get a weekend off after that, but was toying with the idea of going south to see the guys in the Clyde Vally VMCC section, I'll have to check what they've got on. The Northumbrian Gathering is at the beginning of July, but the Twister is racing at Knockhill on the same weekend, what to do? Don't know yet. Haven't entered the NG as I seem to have misplaced my chequebook - wonder if they take a card payment over the phone. Well I could go on, listing events I want to go to, but you're losing interest by now, and I've got other topics to cover.


This was the last time I went to the Loch Ness swim-athon.
The poor guy who volunteerd to give me a lift ran out of petrol. In the rain.

I was most surprised, not to mention very pleased, that while I was away, life on the blog carried on - the comment button must have been red hot! Mrs BC managed to publish both comments AND posts - and she even did some Internet banking for me. If I'm not careful she'll be taking over....or maybe she'll get her own blog on the go now she's had some experience of running one... Thank you and hello to Kathy Bantam Cub - great to know you pop in from time to time, please feel free to comment more often. And you too Shorty, nice to hear from you again on here, it seems like years, decades even, since you last left such a nice little note for me.

In case you're wondering where the pic of the Photo Comp Winner, sporting his Blog Tee Shirt is, then just to let you know the tee shirts are due to arrive in a week or so, and for all the lady readers, I'll be making sure MZ Mark sends in some shots of him modelling it. Maybe draped over a bike. Seems only fair when you see the garbage in some bike related magazines.

I think it's time to go and do some paperwork. Hope you all like the new piccy I posted of GBC on the left hand side, scroll down a bit and you'll find it.

PS, Skye was very nice, 23degrees on a couple of the days and 21 for the others - the hottest place in the UK during the week I was there. My days were long and hot and hungry, leaving the B&B before 10am each day, not having time or being able to find anywhere for lunch, and not getting back until 10pm, having driven a hundred or so miles during that time and managing to achieve a very good response to my work.


I still haven't got my head around the Free Church Continuing, or the Wee (Wii?) Free Church or the Free Presbyterians, or the Church of Scotland, although I did meet a very nice Minister man who tried to explain without converting me, only wish I'd had more time to quiz him. Met a guy called Norman who invited me in for a cuppa, only I don't drink cuppas, but we put the world to rights and he's looking forward to a visit by the Grampian Classic club in the future, and then there was the lovely elderly couple who speak Gaelic and tried to teach me some. Oh, and the guy at the local garage was a gem - he kindly offered me cups of tea every time I went in, and when I said I didn't drink tea he then offered me biscuits - no choc ones sadly. The family owned JJ's Bistro in Struan deserve a mention for accommodating me when I turned up just after service had finished....sorry and thank you, food was great too, especially that pyramid thing. Glad to get home though, and RIP Nutty who was ill while I was gone and Mrs BC had to make that really hard decision to send her on her way to the big meadow in the sky. I hope it's greener than our meadows.