Haberdasher's Arms and the "biker's breakfast run" April 2nd - 4th. 2004 

     This was to be a "test run" for this particular pub seeing as we had never camped there before.  Like it's neighbour, "The Anchor" at High Offley, it's a bit of bugger to find, but find it we did.  Before too long a few of us had settled in and proceeded to feed, as we normally do.
    The rest of Friday passed with much drinking and much eating of home made pickled onions, which happen to be a pub speciality - this eating of onions carried on outside until the wee small hours.  With hardly any wind, and an almost full moon, it was indeed a most pleasant night. 

    Saturday morning saw us heading into the nearby town of Newport.

  I needed petrol so I pulled in at the local garage.  Would you believe it, the locking petrol cap decided to remain locked.  It took me a good twenty minutes to persuade the thing to release its death grip and let me feed the trike.  Needless to say it was given a good "seeing to" later on, which resulted in one fuel cap that will need to be replaced at the first opportunity.
    Gordon and Roy managed to attract the attention of the local vicar - obviously they were up to no good, I mean, bikers are not to be trusted.  I always thought the Christian ethic deemed that you didn't judge folks by their appearance - or am I being cynical as per normal ?  Having persuaded the vicar that we weren't demons from the lowest regions of Hell we carried on with our tour of Newport, which mainly consisted of feeding again.  Liver and onions, steak pie and chips, apple pie and ice cream, rice pudding and jam - no wonder we're a bunch of fat bastards.
    Just as we returned to the site, the rain started, and it carried on raining for the rest of the afternoon / evening / night, it stopped around one in the morning, so at least you didn't have to try and sleep through the sound of raindrops hitting the tent. 

    Sunday morning, and the sun makes a welcome appearance.

  Now there just happens to be a gathering of bikes at a nearby cafe, well, it's fifteen miles or so up the road, but that's near enough.  Knowing that if you don't get there early, then you'll be queuing for hours for food, I decided to cook breakfast before setting off.   The rest of our motley crew decided not to bother with the run to the cafe, so I finished breakfast and took a leisurely ride North.  As per normal, there was a great variety of bikes in a great variety of conditions, which makes a change from the over restored shiny examples that you tend to find at more conventional bike shows.  I walked around for about an hour, then noticing the sky was rapidly turning a nasty shade of black, decided to make a move before the rain came.
    On my way back I happened to notice a bike stopped in a lay-by, now this same bike was there earlier so I reckoned that the rider hadn't just stopped for a quick smoke or to stretch his legs.  I pulled the trike over and walked back to see if he needed any help or tools.  Oh dear, it seems the unfortunate machine had dropped a valve and the recovery service was already on their way.  The bike's owner wasn't too upset so I left him happily reading his copy of "Classic Motorcycles" - probably searching the small ads for BSA exhaust valves.     Weather wise, it wasn't a perfect weekend, but it was enjoyable all the same.  I have a feeling we just may be using this pub again in the future.

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