I've never been there, but perhaps there are too many bikes functions available these days for the punters on the weekends.
I imagine it got busier. Bikers pass by my house on the way to Aber and it’s sounding very busy this morning
The Oasis is usually a great place to stop for a brew and a chat. Last time I was there though it was closed due to covid restrictions. Wales is operating on slightly more limiting rules than us I found out when over in Aberystwyth last weekend. The Ross - Skenfrith - Abergavenny road is one of my favorites.
Last time I was there around 2-3 months or so ago, there were 4-Multistradas, + 3 other bikes. One guy that stopped as we were stood there chatting, asked if it was a Ducati convention!
First trip on the Duke - 3 months ago - I headed for Hereford, via Ross, but at Ross I saw the sign for S. Wales so went there instead. About a week later I decided to go to Brecon, and took B roads, first to Abergavenny. Had no idea it was 'a destination', just I'd never been there. Then again, I originally went to Ross confusing it with Hay, and was going to Hereford because I misremembered Slater Bros as being there.
Yeah. I came back through Hay, then Hereford, then saw the sign for Bromyard and twigged. (And remembered that Hereford is 'SAS Town')
Are you implying I'm lucky I didn't get thunderflashed for stalling at the lights? (This was still in the regular stalling period)
Slater Brothers alas became a 'side-show'. Ed Cosker Superbikes took over their main showroom until he went bust in 2018. Slaters ran out of a small unit at the side of the building. I think Slaters then closed their operation there and now operate, as web/mail order only, from Knighton in the Welsh Marches.
Les Williams isn't in Warwck anymore, either (or Les Williams this side of the grave, of course). Apparently Wileman's is no more. I'm afraid to look up the others.
Vale-Onslow, where I used to buy Triumph and BSA bits while visiting my aunt and uncle. 'Course the old guy was about 100 then. Len, as I recall. The Robin Hood is something like a Toby carvery now.
Well, basically I went as fast as the sheep in the road let me! In England we have lines in the road...
Llandovery > Lampeter (once off the A40), which is a cracking road, has now been reduced to 50mph. Only real option if heading that way, most tend to ignore the limit to a greater or lesser degree TBH. Like Gloucestershire trunk roads all being 50 due to the council deciding that's what they should be, ignoring the national guidelines, it seems like they're assuming that it will make peoples real limit 60mph... I don't know but that's how it feels to me. Bits of the Abergavenny > Brecon road (A40) is 50mph in places but those always have been in my memory though frankly I don't go that way. Plenty of bits off the beaten track that are NSL and pretty decent.
Yeah, I was quite surprised the other week when I saw the reduction on the road from Burford to Stow. A councillor once explained that the lower the speed limit, the less repairs they have to do. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know, but it would explain why so many roads have had their limits reduced.
For my entire school career one family were always our close neighbours, and for the first half of that the two sons were my best friends, and their dad was SAS (no, really). He used to take them into the country to run round and round one particular field, and one time I went along. He saw a mole, and jammed on the brakes, and jumped out to go after it. He came back with a seriously bleeding hand. He was a character, and I haven't met anyone remotely like him since.
