APROACHING THE CLOCKS GOING BACK, AUTUMN INTO WINTER
Most if not all the birds have left the uplands in order to avoid the harsher weather approaching and then setting in.
Badgers are busily intensifying their foraging which began early autumn. They are now about to become heavily focused on fattening up. Whilst they don’t hibernate in the strictest sense they nevertheless spend most of the colder months reducing their activity and in a state of torpor.
Throughout Autumn, especially early on, earth worms remain a significant part of their diet along with windfall fruit, nuts and any remaining cereal crops especially maize.
As the clocks go back healthy badgers should now weigh a third or even half more than in summer.
Milder winters mean they are less dependent on fattening up as they can still during most nights leave their sets to find food.
Hedge hog too are bustling around often as part of family groups.
AUTUMNAL, SOMETIMES PRIMEVAL SOUNDS
At this time of year the rural palette is often at its richest. A variety of species will make their presence in a most impressive way.
In October the largest mammals roaming wild in the UK are in their annual rut. Red Deer are mating. Their primeval energy is impressive, dramatic and noisy.
They are quite plentiful along parts of the Welsh border or on Cannock Chase. A few can be seen in Shropshire although here there is a much larger population of Fallow Deer. Check out Mortimer Forrest near Ludlow.
Both Red and Fallow Deer have similar habits this month. Stags emerge from the undergrowth ready. Muscles primed after many days preparation. Their antlers polished through being rubbed against shrubs and especially trees.
To attract females and assert dominance animals engage in guttural displays that echo and reverberate over hills, pastures and through woodlands. Their vocal roars are not just about bravado. They help avoid unnecessary physical combat, warn of a potential rival’s strength and thereby avoid injury.
Nature isn’t very kind when it comes to injury.
A rut is full of tension, respect, patience, power and activity. It is raw although respecting space. An appropriate distance is essential. Battles are rarely fatal. They are nevertheless intense and exhausting. The strongest and most experienced beast usually gains access to a group of hinds.
(Will Wolves (Wolverhampton Wanderers) finally secure their first win in the EPL (English Premier League) this season?)
SUMMER BEEN AND GONE
Rolling hills, waves of grass rippling in the wind, juxtapositioned against brown scorched fields accompanied by the warm smell of green. All of which supported by the twitter of a robin and the aerial finesse of swallows, house martins and dragon flies over still pools of water.
All coming to a winding down end.
A robin having reared a brood in now once again clicking to demark its territory. High above are house martins still voraciously collecting food for their final broods. They are now accompanied by those of an earlier hatch. These small agile groups dart after midges and other flying insects. Their chittering fills the soft golden air. An unmistakable accompaniment to the warm summer atmosphere. August in an urgent time. Each must feed and be strong enough to make a formidable sub-Saharan migration.
Woodlands with older decaying trees support a green woodpecker . It can be heard and seen. Unlike its drumming cousins, green woodpeckers have a distinctive laughing call – a yaffle which echoes through the trees when perched in an open area near the wood’s edge.
August is a time to watch them foraging on the ground probing with their long tongues into anthills. Ants constitute a major part of their diet. This behaviour leaves behind disturbed soil and scattered mounds.
Insect predators also come in the form of other insects. With its metallic green sheen and almost other worldly appearance the green tiger beetle is a marvel. They can be found on bare sandy patches of soil. They are extremely fast during bursts of speed when chasing down prey.
Close to water the last of this summer’s dragon flies can be seen. Species such as the emperor and southern hawker dominate riversides, canals and ponds during August. These aerial hunters with stained glass wings and jewel toned bodies are dazzling. Males are fiercely territorial. Hovering with precision before chasing off a rival or when courting females.
Peat bogs may seem bleak but during summer time their soggy habitats support fluffy white cotton grass and a large variety of yellow or white wild flowers. All making up a succulent tapestry housing and feeding a mass of wildlife species.
‘Nothing ever becomes real ‘till it is experienced.’
Letter from John Keats to George and Georgiana Keats.
Autumn next and,
Who Has Seen the Wind?
Who has seen the wind?Neither I nor you:But when the leaves hang trembling,The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the tree bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.
Christina Rossetti
‘We read fine things but never feel them to the full until have gone the same steps as the author.’
Letter from John Keats to John Hamilton Reynolds.
BRECON BEACONS AT SUNSET
Definitely worth a celebratory pint.
CAT OF THE DAY
Here my two cats Chidi and Kojo are watching CAT OF THE DAY.
Chidi and Kojo arrived by way of an accident; that is, there conception was an accident or ignorance on my behalf. Their mother Molly a Siamese had I thought finished her season so allowed her out. Chidi and Kojo along with four others were the result.
The injection of a blood line from a local moggy however has proved a blessing. Not only for the company they provide but also the inherited Siamese characteristics of being very vocal, intelligent and some might say dog like features. From the father’s side they inherit physical sturdiness. Both seemingly have avoided the physical flaws of constant inbreeding – asthma, heart and kidney problems. If anyone is interested Google images of Siamese cats from 50 plus years ago and compare with those displayed at cat shows today.
As individuals they are diverse too. Chidi the smaller one will cross the road for a fight with another cat no matter how big or wild the opposition. Significant bills from Vets are testament to this. Kojo on the other hand, although significantly bigger has no interest in feline combat but after finding a nest of rats each, one at a time, will be found on my door mat next morning (presumably for breakfast). Consequently, when one appears I never for a few mornings enter a room without first turning on a light!
And lastly Tom Tom demanding his share of my spag bol
Gus – The Theatre Cat
by T. S. Eliot
Gus is the Cat at the Theatre Door.
His name, as I ought to have told you before,
Is really Asparagus. That’s such a fuss
To pronounce, that we usually call him just Gus.
His coat’s very shabby, he’s thin as a rake,
And he suffers from palsy that makes his paw shake.
Yet he was, in his youth, quite the smartest of Cats–
But no longer a terror to mice and to rats.
For he isn’t the Cat that he was in his prime;
Though his name was quite famous, he says, in its time.
And whenever he joins his friends at their club
(Which takes place at the back of the neighbouring pub)
He loves to regale them, if someone else pays,
With anecdotes drawn from his palmiest days.
For he once was a Star of the highest degree–
He has acted with Irving, he’s acted with Tree.
And he likes to relate his success on the Halls,
Where the Gallery once gave him seven cat-calls.
But his grandest creation, as he loves to tell,
Was Firefrorefiddle, the Fiend of the Fell.
“I have played,” so he says, “every possible part,
And I used to know seventy speeches by heart.
I’d extemporize back-chat, I knew how to gag,
And I knew how to let the cat out of the bag.
I knew how to act with my back and my tail;
With an hour of rehearsal, I never could fail.
I’d a voice that would soften the hardest of hearts,
Whether I took the lead, or in character parts.
I have sat by the bedside of poor Little Nell;
When the Curfew was rung, then I swung on the bell.
In the Pantomime season I never fell flat,
And I once understudied Dick Whittington’s Cat.
But my grandest creation, as history will tell,
Was Firefrorefiddle, the Fiend of the Fell.”
Then, if someone will give him a toothful of gin,
He will tell how he once played a part in East Lynne.
At a Shakespeare performance he once walked on pat,
When some actor suggested the need for a cat.
He once played a Tiger–could do it again–
Which an Indian Colonel purused down a drain.
And he thinks that he still can, much better than most,
Produce blood-curdling noises to bring on the Ghost.
And he once crossed the stage on a telegraph wire,
To rescue a child when a house was on fire.
And he says: “Now then kittens, they do not get trained
As we did in the days when Victoria reigned.
They never get drilled in a regular troupe,
And they think they are smart, just to jump through a hoop.”
And he’ll say, as he scratches himself with his claws,
“Well, the Theatre’s certainly not what it was.
These modern productions are all very well,
But there’s nothing to equal, from what I hear tell,
That moment of mystery
When I made history
As Firefrorefiddle, the Fiend of the Fell.”
Homage to the Proletariat
You will note the name awarded to the entrance of this tunnel. Presumably members of this small rural lead mining community fort and dug tunnels in the Somme during World War 1.
Those who returned and were fit enough to work presumably went back to mining in a dark, damp, cold environment whilst breathing poor quality air. Lead poisoning for example was not uncommon.
Lead mining ended here in 1922.
SOCCER AND BALLET INJURIES AND A TIP FOR THE NEXT SOCCER WORLD CUP
When in the pub after the Wolves v West Ham game and listening to fellow supporter talk about injuries to plays my thoughts were drawn to the world of ballet.
Because of a drive to jump higher, spin faster and stretch further along with a busy work load and a desire to succeed in a very competitive world gym work, sport’s science and the management of injuries are becoming more prevalent. Is the beauty of movement and interpretation of the music being replaced by physicality? Or, back to the world of soccer is the drive for increased stamina, power and pace along with balance and speed of thought damaging players? Is too much being left on the training field in the gym or in the last performance?
For an impression of where we are now Google ‘Carmen. Solo’, Nicolai Tsiskaridze, 2007 for beauty of movement and interpretation of music; for team work explore La Bayadere – le Royame des Ombres – 1ere partie (2 and 3 partie are worth a look too); also, dive into the recent match where Argentina smashed Brazil. Note in particular the speed of thought, movement and accuracy of Wolve’s star Matheus Cunah’s goal and the Argentinean midfield.
If anyone fancies a bet on the upcoming world cup look no further than Argentina; providing their defense holds up – assuming it remains the same. Are they better with or without Lionel Messi?
SOLO HIKING AND COMMON UPLANDS
Common uplands stretch for miles. They represent areas of outstanding natural beauty. They are free for everyone to enjoy with idyllic views and challenging terrain.
Our Upland Commons are grazed and managed by commoners and landowners for us all.
They have a huge diversity of wildlife and forma, fascinating history and archaeology. For those of us geekish towards pre-history there are few better places to explore than Shropshire’s Long Mynd, Stiperstones and just over the boarder Corndon Hill.
A little further into Wales and there is Dolanog with more exhilarating landscape and an iron age hill fort below which there is a spectacular water fall. Possibly significant to iron age folk through not only providing water and food but also water representing a gateway to the afterlife.
Other areas to explore include,
- Langstrath Valley, Lake District
- Combestone Tor, Dartmoor
- Brant Fell common, Yorkshire Dales
And of course there are the lochs of Scotland in particular and subjectively speaking the west side and top third of the country.
Some of Scotland’s most evocative landscapes are common grazings; for example,
- Cuillins and Quirang of Skye
- The machairs of Uist, Tiree and Iona
And,
- Much of the Shetlands
(For those of us a bit short of Gaelic especially those living in and around Wolverhampton a machair is a fertile, low-lying grassy plain, a unique habitat and one on the rarest in Europe. It occurs on the exposed west facing shores of Scotland. Thank you Google.)
We have right of access to almost all common land, where its unenclosed nature offer a sense of escape and freedom, fresh air and physically demanding terrain.
Many of Britain’s National Parks contain extensive areas of common land; for example,
- The Brecon Beacons
- Dartmoor
- Lake District
- New Forest
Also,
- Clwydian Range
- North Pennines
- Surrey Hills
I hope I’ve wet your appetite. A word of advice if I may though: don’t try and do too much too soon, wear appropriate clothing, plan the activity to include taking account of the weather; for example, areas such as Snowdonia.
You’ve unlikely to get Snowdon to yourself. Winter is probably your best time. Then, the mountain railway and summit café are both closed until March and it’s a difficult proposition in the cold.
If covered in snow you may/will need skills with an ice axe and crampons. It can be slippery when frosty too. Also, don’t forget, it’s much colder up top along with encountering rain and high winds. When at the summit though, it encourages a sense of achievement along with amazing views of North Wales.
Be prepared
Ensure you are suitably prepared as these locations can be inhospitable with the. weather changing quickly too.
I have walked Condon Hill in Powys many times in the winter. Like Snowden it’s empty of people then. On a crisp, frosty and bright morning it can feel harsh so appropriate clothing is important. You can then adjust layers in small increments. Remember, if too hot you can take a layer off but if cold or worse wet and you haven’t prepared removing and adding or replacing layers isn’t an option. The event can then quickly become unpleasant or even dangerous. I’ve been close to the top of Ben Nevis when the weather suddenly changed. I was surrounded quickly by thick damp cloud and unable to see much further than an out stretched hand. The way back then became a much more demanding event.
I also carry a shovel in my car. This doesn’t stop me being stupid though. This year I parked my can in the snow on what seemed like a slight incline. It was miles from anywhere – including farms. When I got back it had been snowing again and the fresh fall stopped me getting traction and reversing back up to a lane. The shovel then became an invaluable saviour.
Walking in winter opens up the possibility of experiencing a freeze hot cycle. When stopping to rest for example or to enjoy a view accumulated sweat can soon become chilling.
Such times though can still be exhilarating when suitably dressed. A sturdy pair of boots are important, along with a rucksack for spare clothing for example T shirt and pair of socks, along with map, compass, mobile phone and possible something to eat and drink too. Then, even extreme weather can be enjoyable. Personally I’m not inclined to buy expensive and trendy thermal gear. Most of my top layers including anorak and boots have been bought from charity shops. They are also worn when for example attending an International Moto X meeting at Hawkstone Park in February.
I do use crampons when necessary but for those who are not tackling very demanding terrain a pair of less expensive boot grips may be suitable. They have chains of sharp angled studs which fit under your boots held on firmly by rubber straps.
It’s colder than it looks.
To come
At another time I’ll share experiences when tackling Snowden from non tourist routes along with relaying sole hiking experiences encountered in other parts of the UK.
Taken from the top of Caradoc, Church Stretton Shropshire. The peak in the very distance is the Wrekin. Both Caradoc and the Wrekin housed a queen or king during the iron age.
An iron age hill fort at Dolangue Powys. Many people refer to these as fortified farm steads. A more apt name given they were more about for example, protection from the elements communicating with other group and status. Things perhaps haven’t changed a lot. Why do people choose accommodation now a days?
Fancy a Curry?
After all that walking fancy a curry?
My neighbour came to the UK from Jamaica via North America many, many years ago. Recently she passed. So, in memory of this amazing person I offer her recipe for chicken curry, rice and peas and ginger beer. Enjoy.
These and other culturally diverse recipes are available in my THE WOLVERHAMPTON COOKBOOK.
Pearl’s Chicken Curry
Serves 4 – 6
Ingredients
4 – 6 pieces of skinned breast of chicken
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of all-purpose seasoning
1 teaspoon of chicken seasoning
½ teaspoon of course freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoon of mild Madras curry powder
2 onions
2 spring onions
1 Scotch bonnet chilli
1 red pepper
2 sprigs of thyme
50ml of vegetable oil
300ml of water
Method
- Peel and chop the onions
- Cut the tops and bottoms off the spring onions and discard
- Chop the spring onions
- Chop and deseed the chilli (its seeds will significantly increase the curry’s heat)
- Deseed and finely chop the red pepper
- Rinse the chicken in cold water
- Sprinkle the chicken with lemon juice and drain off the excess liquid
- Put the chicken in a non-metallic dish and sprinkle with thyme, salt, all-purpose seasoning, chicken seasoning, black pepper, curry powder, onions, spring onions, chilli and pepper
- Using your hands rub all the ingredients into the pieces of chicken
- Cover with cling film and place in a refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan (duchy) until hot
- Add the chicken and cook for 3 – 4 minutes to seal the meat
- Add 300ml of cold water and the remaining ingredients used for marinating
- Bring back to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender
Comments
- This Caribbean recipe shows us food derived from a great many cultural influences arriving in the Caribbean with indentured servants and slaves.
- The flavour will be better if you marinate ingredients overnight.
- Serve with Rice and Peas
Rice and Peas
Ingredients
240g of cooked red kidney beans (1 tin)
200g block of creamed coconut
1 – 2 teaspoons of salt (to taste)
Knob of butter
1 Scotch bonnet chilli
1 spring onion (green end only)
1 fresh spring of thyme
1 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon of all-purpose seasoning
500g basmati rice
2 litres of water
Method
- Drain and rinse the kidney beans and put into a large pan
- Grate the coconut
- Mix the coconut with 2 litres of hot water and add to the pan
- Chop and use the green end of the spring onion only
- Peel and finely chop the clove of garlic
- Rice the rice several times under cold running water and drain
- Add to the pan the rice, garlic, salt, butter, chilli, spring onion, thyme, all-purpose seasoning and stir
- Bring ingredients to the boil and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes
Comments
- Once the rice is in the pan never add water because it will clog.
- Generally speaking, you need just over twice the amount of liquid to rice.
- Importantly, do not lift the lid during cooking because you’ll release the moisture.
- When the rice is cooked cover with tin foil to seal.
- Scotch bonnet chilli peppers come in yellow, green or red. They can be extremely hot. The heat comes from the seeds so remove if you want a milder dish.
- Creamed coconut is compressed coconut flesh with the water removed and sold in blocks. It should be crumbled or grated into liquids to add flavour.
- All-purpose seasoning is a commercially prepared blend of spices. Depending on the brand it may include salt, paprika, chilli powder, celery powder, ground coriander and onion powder. It may also contain allspice, garlic, thyme and pepper.
- Note therefore, that all-purpose seasoning contains salt and possibly pepper. This should be born in mind when seasoning and potentially adding more salt and pepper.
Ginger Beer
Ingredients
¼ teaspoon of brewer’s yeast
225g caster sugar
2 tablespoons of peeled and grated ginger
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon of honey
Sterilising tablets
Method
- Sterilise a 2L screw cap plastic bottle using sterilising tablets
- Sprinkle yeast into the bottle
- Using a funnel pour in the sugar
- Mix the lemon juice with the grated ginger and honey
- Pour the mixture into the bottle through the funnel
- Pour water into the bottle until ¾ full
- Screw on the cap and shake until the sugar is dissolved
- Top up the bottle with water leaving 2.5cm gap to allow gas production
- Cap the bottle tightly then place somewhere warm
- Leave for about 48 hours
- Once the bottle feels hard and has no give in it the beer should be ready
- Place the bottle in a fridge for several hours to stop the yeast working
- Once the beer is thoroughly chilled pass it through a fine sieve and serve
Comments
- Buy and use a 2L bottle of still water. It should already be sterilised thereby saving you the trouble.
- Use the bottled water to make the beer.
- Ginger beer is popular in many places from Africa to the Caribbean. Join those enjoying it from Jamaica, Kenya and Tanzania.
- Ginger beer highlights one of my book’s themes. Years ago British soldiers took ginger beer with them to the Caribbean to drink and remind them of home. Many years later people from the Caribbean emigrated to the UK and brought with them ginger beer to enjoy and again remind themselves of home.
Spring
Stiperstones, Shropshire
Three lambs, one ewe! Longmynd Shropshire
Which is the black sheep of the family? The Bog Stiperstones Shropshire
Songs of Innocence
Spring
Sound the flute!
Now it’s mute.
Birds delight
Day and night:
Nightingale
In the dale,
Lark in sky
Merrily,
Merrily, merrily, to welcome in the year.
Little boy,
Full of joy;
Little girl,
Sweet and small;
Cock does crow.
So do you;
Merry voice,
Infant noise.
Merrily, merrily, to welcome in the year
Little Lamb,
Here I am;
Come and lick
My white neck;
Let me pull
Your soft wool;
Let me kiss
Your soft face;
Merrily, merrily, we welcome in the year.
William Blake
Solo hiking and Common Uplands
Common uplands stretch for miles. They represent areas of outstanding natural beauty. They are free for everyone to enjoy with idyllic views and challenging terrain.
Our Upland Commons are grazed and managed by commoners and landowners for us all.
They have a huge diversity of wildlife and forma, fascinating history and archaeology. For those of us geekish towards pre-history there are few better places to explore than Shropshire’s Long Mynd, Stiperstones and just over the boarder Corndon Hill.
A little further into Wales and there is Dolanog with more exhilarating landscape and an iron age hill fort below which there is a spectacular water fall. Possibly significant to iron age folk through not only providing water and food but also water representing a gateway to the afterlife.
Other areas to explore include,
- Langstrath Valley, Lake District
- Combestone Tor, Dartmoor
- Brant Fell common, Yorkshire Dales
And of course there are the lochs of Scotland in particular and subjectively speaking the west side and top third of the country.
Some of Scotland’s most evocative landscapes are common grazings; for example,
- Cuillins and Quirang of Skye
- The machairs of Uist, Tiree and Iona
And,
- Much of the Shetlands
(For those of us a bit short of Gaelic especially those living in and around Wolverhampton a machair is a fertile, low-lying grassy plain, a unique habitat and one on the rarest in Europe. It occurs on the exposed west facing shores of Scotland. Thank you Google.)
We have right of access to almost all common land, where its unenclosed nature offer a sense of escape and freedom, fresh air and physically demanding terrain.
Many of Britain’s National Parks contain extensive areas of common land; for example,
- The Brecon Beacons
- Dartmoor
- Lake District
- New Forest
Also,
- Clwydian Range
- North Pennines
- Surrey Hills
I hope I’ve wet your appetite. A word of advice if I may though: don’t try and do too much too soon, wear appropriate clothing, plan the activity to include taking account of the weather; for example, areas such as Snowdonia.
You’ve unlikely to get Snowdon to yourself. Winter is probably your best time. Then, the mountain railway and summit café are both closed until March and it’s a difficult proposition in the cold.
If covered in snow you may/will need skills with an ice axe and crampons. It can be slippery when frosty too. Also, don’t forget, it’s much colder up top along with encountering rain and high winds. When at the summit though, it encourages a sense of achievement along with amazing views of North Wales.
Be prepared
Ensure you are suitably prepared as these locations can be inhospitable with the. weather changing quickly too.
I have walked Condon Hill in Powys many times in the winter. Like Snowden it’s empty of people then. On a crisp, frosty and bright morning it can feel harsh so appropriate clothing is important. You can then adjust layers in small increments. Remember, if too hot you can take a layer off but if cold or worse wet and you haven’t prepared removing and adding or replacing layers isn’t an option. The event can then quickly become unpleasant or even dangerous. I’ve been close to the top of Ben Nevis when the weather suddenly changed. I was surrounded quickly by thick damp cloud and unable to see much further than an out stretched hand. The way back then became a much more demanding event.
I also carry a shovel in my car. This doesn’t stop me being stupid though. This year I parked my can in the snow on what seemed like a slight incline. It was miles from anywhere – including farms. When I got back it had been snowing again and the fresh fall stopped me getting traction and reversing back up to a lane. The shovel then became an invaluable saviour.
Walking in winter opens up the possibility of experiencing a freeze hot cycle. When stopping to rest for example or to enjoy a view accumulated sweat can soon become chilling.
Such times though can still be exhilarating when suitably dressed. A sturdy pair of boots are important, along with a rucksack for spare clothing for example T shirt and pair of socks, along with map, compass, mobile phone and possible something to eat and drink too. Then, even extreme weather can be enjoyable. Personally I’m not inclined to buy expensive and trendy thermal gear. Most of my top layers including anorak and boots have been bought from charity shops. They are also worn when for example attending an International Moto X meeting at Hawkstone Park in February.
I do use crampons when necessary but for those who are not tackling very demanding terrain a pair of less expensive boot grips may be suitable. They have chains of sharp angled studs which fit under your boots held on firmly by rubber straps.
To come
At another time I’ll share experiences when tackling Snowden from non tourist routes along with relaying sole hiking experiences encountered in other parts of the UK.
Corndon Hill
Path already trodden moving towards Corndon Hill
INTERNATIONAL MOTO CROSS HAWKSTONE PARK FEBRUARY 2025
I mentioned earlier attending the International Moto X event at Hawkstone Park. I’ve included a few snaps from the event. Can anyone tell me how to capture the speed and courage of the competitors? Suffice to say they travel at great speed seemingly fearlessly.
Fear
I once listened to Casy Stoner, an outstanding and some would say under rated Moto GP world champion who spoke about fear. He did experience it but channelled the experience to become what he was. He won on a bike that even the brilliant Valantino Rosi couldn’t successfully handle. And, before fans of the Doctor chirp I do remember him passing Stoner the reigning World Champion amazingly at the Corkscrew Laguna Seca 2008 resulting many would say in Stoner falling off. For those of you who haven’t seen it Google should be your first stop. You won’t be disappointed.
Anyway back to Hawkstone and the fresh but dry conditions. The event usually features the best riders in the world.
Bike and competitor
For me the outstanding rider was a French teenager Valin Mathis who was riding in his first official 250cc event for the Kawasaki KRT Racing Team. He dominated and lapped several seconds faster that the opposition.
During the Super Final i.e. the closing race his 250cc machine competed against more powerful 450cc units. He was again brilliant and took full advantage of the 5 second start bonus given to smaller bikes. He led until half distance and finished a close runner up behind one of the MXGP riders who managed to pass him on the long hill climb – an amazing feature of the circuit.
Rgds
Clive
Watching bikes go round and round and round and round is not everyone’s cup of tea. But a flask of coffee, a pack of sandwiches and a bucket of patience helps.
Courage!
Many of us have heard of ‘dog burgers’ but has anyone tried ‘fried dogs’?