My beloved Derbyshire
Well after what feels
like years of not riding Mr T, which in fact is just 3 weeks, I eventually
managed to get out yesterday. I had a perfectly viable reason too, I needed to
drop off some documents near Sheffield just off junction 33 of the M1. From
there it was to be just a short jaunt South down the M1 to visit my Dad &
Ang in Alton 8 miles from junction 29.
Now I’ve just spent a
few minutes surfing the net (how modern does that sound?) to find a few
interesting facts about my beloved home
county of Derbyshire. I say home county
as that is where I was born and lived until joining the army at the age of 21
back in 1984, as I now live in Lancashire
but that’s a story for another day.
To be honest there are
not that many noteworthy facts but here’s a few I thought worth sharing with
you:-
1)
The Peak
District was the first national park in the country and the Arboretum park was
the first public park in Britain.
2)
It contains
over 50 reservoirs and several villages had to be submerged to make way for
them, including Derwent and Ashopton
3)
Buxton is
the highest town in England at 1000 feet above sea level. That
elevation means the average annual temperature is below 8 degrees Celsius,
which is a full 20 degrees below the temperature of the geothermal springwater
which flows from St Ann’s Well in the town.
4) Barnes Wallis, The creator of the famous bouncing
bombs during World War II, was born in Ripley in 1887. Bouncing bomb crews
carried out practice runs over Ladybower reservoir.
5)
Legend has
it the world famous Bakewell Tart was
created accidentally by a cook in the town’s Rutland Arms Hotel in 1820? It is said the almonds, sugar and eggs which ended
up as a custard layer above the jam were intended by the landlady to enrich the
pastry of a jam tart.
All interesting stuff
don’t you think, but absolutely nothing to do with me riding around Derbyshire.
Pulling off the drive
at 9.00am the temperature showed 11 degrees Centigrade, inflated by the fact Mr
T is kept in a garage attached to the house. Within half a mile the temperature
dropped to 6 degrees, so I pulled into the lay-by near to where I was about to
join the M62 and plugged in the trusty Gerbings heated jacket. Within 5 minutes
I was really pleased I had. Visibility dropped to 100 meters, the temperature sat
at just 2 degrees as I climbed the hill that takes the M62 to its highest point
of 1,221 feet or 372 meters making it the highest motorway in the United
Kingdom. Riding over the 140 foot high Rakewood Viaduct I always have to smile
to myself.
I remember my Mum
coming back from the campsite shower block with the news “They are going to put
a toll booth on Rakewood Viaduct!” As
far as I can remember some campsite regular had got chatting to my Mum and
convinced her 100% categorically that the council planned to charge people for
travelling over the viaduct, which ran behind the campsite. She would not have
it that it was the M62 and there was no way on earth after 40 years the council
would build a “Toll Booth”. She took that belief with her when she went, God
Bless you Mum, you still make me smile as much today as you did back then.
(Love n Miss You, so bloody much.)
Anyway, after
negotiating the 50mph average speed limit (if only) M62 car park I eventually
hung a right and headed South down the M1. Dropping the paperwork off near
Sheffield, I was back on Mr T and heading further South without delay.
Now this is where my
ride truly takes on its very own persona. As you may or may not have gathered
by now I simply adore riding around Derbyshire. The reason is simple, the roads
I was about to ride around are the very roads where I learned to ride my Suzuki
T125 Stinger way back in 1979.
Pulling off at junction
29 of the M1, Sutton Hall was clearly visible through the morning mist on my
right with Hardwick Hall a little further along on my left, both of which were favourite
destinations as a lad on my pushbike. A quick left and left again and it was
time to take the first photo of the day and Mr T’s first photo of 2013.
Tyre deep in frost & loving it
Pulling back onto the
road, the wheels were coated in the thick frost, it was 1 degree. My right hand
middle finger which I use to pull the front brake on with was going numb,
heated grips or no heated grips. Still, the sun was blazing into my face so
down came the internal visor on the Shoei Neotec, thanks to Jeannie for yet another
great birthday present, it’s a lot more snug around the cheek area and around
the ears but so much lighter feel than the Mulititec.
Sadly it was just at
this point that the Garmin 660 “Low Battery” alert flashed on the Garmin 660!
Strange as its hard wired in, that prompted me to check my mobile, 68% damn! That
meant that my Fuzeblock was dead. Hay ho and on we go. Heading parallel to the
M1 Mill Lane took me towards my next destination, Hardwick Hall. Stopping at regular
intervals to take photo’s I found the single track road to be fine where the
car tracks were so stayed “in the groove” so to speak.
Hardwick Hall
A view that will vanish in the summer
I just love Hardwick
Hall, having spent many happy hours riding around, up and down, and through the
estate both on motorbike and pushbike. Now the road is a one way affair so you
can no longer have a quick ride straight up the hill to the halls and then blatt
straight back down like I had done 30 years ago. Passing Hardwick Inn my memories
came flooding back, Ozzy Osborne on his Yamaha 125, me on the Stinger, two of
the other lads from Holmewood on the Kawasaki 175 Trials bikes all parked up
having a pint then off around the estate. Riding like lads possessed, how we
ever survived beggars belief, the lads on the 175 Trials bikes flying off the main tracks
and just blasting straight down through the sheep! Game keepers always finding
us in the pub and giving us a right old lecture about the wild life. Not appreciating
our “We are the bloody Wild-Life” comments,
to which we would all just fall about laughing.
Hardwick Inn
I've spent many a happy hour on those benches
over the past 35 years
Cutting up towards
Hardstoft I felt the back slip out, a touch too much for comfort. A quick check
of the display confirmed it -2 degrees in the shade. Heading back over the M1
bridge I was really starting to suffer with the pain in my right hand. Just
then I noticed in my mirror a brilliant
photo opportunity of Hardwick Hall sat amongst the trees. I pulled on the front
brake, suffering much discomfort in the process and the front end just slid. Luckily
straight forward, putting my feet down I realised why. Sheet ice!
A guy following behind
pulled up on my right hand side,
“You all right lad?”
“Yes fine thanks, I was
going to take a picture but it’s a bit icy underfoot”
“Aye, tha can say that
again lad. Been following you an’ expecting to be pickin thee up any minute, me
traction controls been having a ball in here”
“No problem, I’ll sack the
picture, thanks anyway”
“As long as tha’s awl
rayt, just be watch thissen” It’s great listening to the broad Derbyshire
accent, it just reminds me of Grandma & Granddad Walton.
I pulled off steadily keeping
my feet just off the deck, something I never do and instinctively put my feet
back on the pegs within seconds. The friendly local followed me all the way to
Hardstoft and gave me a wave as I pulled up outside the Shoulder of Mutton,
where he turned left and drove on. Don’t you just love it when total strangers
actually care for your welfare instead of just ploughing on past.
The reason I pulled
over was to take a picture of the Shoulder of Mutton but seeing the rear now
converted to flats, exactly where I used to work in the old function suit
kitchens saddened me, and so I left the photo for another day.
Interesting fact here,
did you know 1 mile down the road towards Tibshelf is where the first oil-field
proper in Britain was extracted? It was discovered by the Mexican Eagle Company
in 1919 & was the first commercial oil-field in this country. The pump is
still available to visit although now within the grounds of the local Garden
Centre, if you ask any of the staff they will escort you to the site. I never
knew this until I visited the site whilst competing in the 2011 Britt Butt
Rally, now how mad is that?
A nice meander through
Pilsley and then up into Eyam to the second hotel I worked at Eyam Farm Hotel,
now called something else which I cannot recall. At the bottom of the car park
is a viewing platform which was built after I’d left to join the army in 1984
but affords excellent panoramic views out towards the edge of the Derbyshire
Dales.
This was my view for 2 years
before leaving to join the ACC
Taking a couple of
photos proved to be very interesting as I actually had to use the little finger
on my right hand as all three fingers were a deathly shade of creamy white and numb!
Time for a brew at CMC Motorcycles in Clay Cross.
Bacon & egg butty (small)
with a coffee= £3.95, bargain of the day!
As many times as I’ve
visited this bike shop I have never ever found a better bike shop yet. The
selection of bikes is just brilliant, they even have a Suzuki T125 Stinger in
the back right corner of the show room with a selection of “Not for Sale”
classics. The loo’s are good too with a
hand blower that works a treat bring life back into numb fingers.
Coffee, butty and a
chat with a chap in the café who was amazed a) how creamy white my right hand
fingers were & b) that I’d ridden down from Rochdale in freezing
conditions. Still I was happy as Larry and after a look around the new discount
outlet that open in December, I was ready to head over to see my Dad & Ang.
Dad & Ang were
fine, Uncle Neil was there too and when the double glazing chap turned up I
knew it was time to mount up and carry on my ride.
Brownhills Lane leading to
The Fabrick
Heading up and over towards
the Fabrick then across all the back lanes towards the tail end of Matlock, missing
the village and traffic in the process. I re-emerged at the side of the Grouse and Claret on the main Bakewell road and followed the well-trodden tourist route up to Monsal Head.
Can you spot Bottomhill Lane?
Instead of following
the road Ashford Lane that turns into Castlegate Lane I headed down into the
valley and rode the full length of Monsal Dale arriving in the picturesque
village of Litton.
I simply adore
Dry Stone Walling
All that was left to do
now was to ride over toward Chapel en Le Frith, Glossop, Ashton-under-Lyne and
into Manchester to “bag” my first Motorcycle History Trail 2013 photo as I’ve
signed up to the Grim Rider’s annual fund raising ride in aid of Warwickshire
& Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.
Finding the DOT
Motorcycle factory less than a mile away from where I used to work in
Manchester again made me smile. I’ve driven and ridden past it literally 100’s
of times in the last 9 years and never even knew of its existence. Who says
these photographic trails are not worth doing? If you’re still looking for “something
to do” this year take a look at The Grim Riders MCC site and I’m sure you will
find some interesting rides to tickle you taste buds.
Number 1 DOT Motorcycles Manchester
Motorcycle History Trail 2013
Once I’d got the photo
with the all-important Motorcycle Placard clearly displayed it was time to head
home. I had a cracking day out and loved every minute of it.
As a foot note – I’ve
been asked what I think to the Akrapovic Slip-on Silencer. Here are my thoughts:-
Weight saving
is phenomenal as it weighs next to nothing
Fitting
takes 30 minutes start to finish, literally!
No
re-mapping required as the silencer was developed directly for and with the
cooperation of Yamaha Motorcycles.
The sound
is a deep throaty growl which vanishes altogether over 30 mph
Performance
is instantly improved, the easiest way to explain is T (touring) now feels like S (sport) and S is just in a
world of its own.
The bike
pulls smoothly through all of the rev range and redlines easily.
Roll-on
acceleration is instant, therefore reducing if not eradicating the need to change
down.
All in all, I am very
happy with my investment and I’m looking forward to many happy miles together.
If you’re toying with the idea of buying an after-market silencer I personally recommend
the Akrapovic Slip-on Silencer whole
heartedly.
My favorite photo of the day
Hardwick Hall in the Mist
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