Christmas - Dartmoor (inc the Prison) Devon,Cornwall

We had our Christmas just 20+ South of Bristol in Weston Super Mare and on the Saturday we drove down to the border of Cornwall / Devon to our Sister in Laws for just a couple of nights. As they live just a little South of Tavistock now we drove across Dartmoor which never fails to win me over with it's beautiful views. I know my camera can never really capture what you see,but I still can't help myself.

A Clapper bridge

Dartmoor Prison -1809

The view from Jo's, our Sister in Laws, in Gunnislake

At the bottom of the hill from Jo's and by the river,probably a Land Rover
enthusiasts worst nightmare

Madelyn and I had never been to Horsebridge before

........or this lovely pub 'The Royal Inn' built in approx 1480/90'
apparently originally as a nunnery

The bridge was built in 1437 by Benedictine monks
and the nunnery 50 years later

On our way and a quicker route back across the moor.
The Highwayman Inn at Sourton Cross and probably one of the most unusual pubs around

Even more unusual from the front
Originally built as a Inn in 1282

This derelict cottage is directly across the road from the Highwayman
and I don't remember ever noticing it before probably because we are always so
busy looking at the pub

Out of the hundreds of thatched cottages around the country
I don't remember ever seeing one like this before,especially with
the passageway 

Off of Dartmoor and across Exmoor.
Occasionally do a few hundred miles round trip from Bristol
on the Guzzi in the warmer months

Some People - a Sixties Film

I went into Fopp Records today looking for a couple of Christmas presents and came out with a purchase for myself, a dvd of the 60's film SOME PEOPLE ( propaganda film for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards  scheme ) which I've been looking out for on dvd

 for quite a few years.
  We saw this approx 20 years ago when it was on at the local 'ART 'Cinema and our interest was partly that it was filmed in Bristol and had bikes in it.
  It was on release around the same time as 'The Leather Boys' which was centred around the The Ace Cafe and is a better film in more ways than just the amount of  motorcycle related footage,but for £3 it's worth adding to our film collection.

Moto Guzzi S3 ...............

..................and a trip to the West Coast of Wales to pick it up, as Adam of Italian Motor magazine had bought it as a crash damaged project for repair. He mentioned it a week or so ago and asked, as he'd be driving past Bristol "did I want to accompany him and to be able to give a hand loading it onto the van?"
  It was approximately a 300ml round trip from Bristol plus another 200mls for Adam.
  Adam knew that he was buying back his old bike that he'd sold - in bits - back in 2005,but the weird coincidence was that the T3 engine currently in the bike I'd sold to the owner approximately 14 years ago. This didn't actually come to light until we'd all met and introductions made. What a Small Moto Guzzi world we live in !
   John who sold Adam the bike has a blog about his current rebuild,plus other stuff, of his V7 Sport which he's owned since 1978  -  http://racingrhino.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/retracing-my-steps-part-2/

Crossing into Wales over the Second Severn Bridge

Port Talbot Steel Works on one side and.....

......the Welsh countryside on the other

We can see the sea !
Funny how you can still get excited when you see your first glimpse of the sea,
even when, as in my case, you only live 20 - 25 miles from it anyway

The S3 doesn't look too bad from the back,but as is usually the way
the front end doesn't look quite so clever. 

Bent frame,forks,wheel,broken disc etc.

John's in the middle of restoring his V7 Sport

Newquay Harbour

A couple of signs for practising your Welsh

Is Adam dancing ?

Old  worn stone steps are fascinating 

I couldn't help but smile at some of the items/prices
listed for I guess what were handling charges for getting things on
and off boats.
'Pianoforte or Barrel Organ - 5 shilling' particularly caught my eye 

SIDEBURN'S DIRTQUAKE

My friend Nick and his mate Chris have been to a few of the Dirtquake events over the past few years. I never have, but does look a bit of a laugh though.