Wales - 18th to 20th June 2021

[Red5]

I've not sorted the 18th off work yet... I'll see what's happening tomorrow, Monday. If I can't get it, I'll come and find you Friday evening after work

[royb]

Friday ride up, who's joining where:-

12.20 M5 junction 27 services (petrol forecourt)- EX16 7HD 50.916409,-3.354124
ptolemyx
DaveH
rik
Ming


12.50 Sedgemoor services (outside services building main entrance)- BS26 2UF 51.269776, -2.923410
Wendy n' Phil
Chris & Ang
royb

13.20 Aust services (outside services building main entrance)- BS35 4BH 51.603558,-2.620318
John n' Nicola

[Robbo87]

Well you Wales bound chaps and chap-esses; it's 12.30 p.m. on Friday the 11th and I'm stopped for a tachograph break at Sedgemoor services M5 south bound, on my way back from Brum. The traffic on this side has been solid from the M5/M4 Almondsbury interchange to W S M. The northbound traffic is at least as bad, if not worse; it too has been solid from the M5/M4 interchange - more stopped than moving. It looks to be at least as bad as when we caught it in 2019. It ain't going to improve any weekend soon and if I was Wales bound next weekend I'd be making an early start i.e. around 7.00 a.m.-ish from Devon. That's when I left this morning and had a decent run past Bristol.
Whatever, the weather's looking good for it so have a great time next weekend. Wish I was with you - next year for sure.

[Ming]

Cheers for the heads up, Phil. We're away in Frome area and the roads are so quiet, I'm going to plan a ride out up this way soon. I'm happy to start earlier or even take the roads less busy, but it's Brian's call and I'll do whatever he wants to do. I'd defo be going early if I was in a car, but at least we can make some progress on 2 wheels

[royb]

I'm up for going early if the need arrives ; filtering for such a long time is stressful at the best of times. As Andy writes, it's Brian's call.

[Ming]

Had a call from the owner of the hotel we're staying at. He's sending me over a menu and needs everyone's food order for the Fri night dinner, as he has to get the right quantities in.
I'll post it on here so please keep an eye out for it.

[ptolemyx]

So we can expect bad traffic on the M5 Friday. Cannot guarantee going the long way will be much easier trafficwise so I'll stick to the M5 route. I will not be getting up at the crack of dawn so do we leave at the time previously posted, an hour earlier or two hours earlier - opinions please gang?

[Tvrv37]

Utter guesswork. Yesterday was terrible due to accidents which we may or not get next week and can happen any time.

Wendy and I will go with the flow as makes no difference to us.

[Ming]

I have to work first thing but will be finished by 9am, so anytime from 10am at Jctn 27 would be OK for me

[Red5]

So we can expect bad traffic on the M5 Friday. Cannot guarantee going the long way will be much easier trafficwise so I'll stick to the M5 route. I will not be getting up at the crack of dawn so do we leave at the time previously posted, an hour earlier or two hours earlier - opinions please gang?

Happy to get going... 2 hrs earlier, if we get ahead by miles, it'll be nice to have a leisurely stop for lunch some where and get to the hotel and chill, maybe even an unplanned early evening ride out. Beats filtterring as a group for hrs on end, that gets messy.

[ptolemyx]

But we'll likely be filtering along the M5 regardless of what time we go
I'll give it a bit more time for folk to add various tuppenceworths and make a call no later that Tuesday morning.....bound to get it wrong

[Red5]

But we'll likely be filtering along the M5 regardless of what time we go
I'll give it a bit more time for folk to add various tuppenceworths and make a call no later that Tuesday morning.....bound to get it wrong

At least we know it's going to be wrong

[ptolemyx]

Thanks for that note of incontinence Nick

[ptolemyx]

Saturday ride out stops:-

First coffee at the Ponderosa on the Horseshoe pass.

Lunch stop at Olivias in Llanfair Talhaiarn (near but not in Abergele), aiming to be there about 13.00. She'd like to know if we want meals or will it just be coffee & cake. I've asked her for a menu if we do want meals. I want to get back to her soon so please let me know. Personally, after a big breakfast and looking forward to a 3 course evening meal I will not need a big lunch, but if you greedy barstewards will need a midday bellyfull, I'm happy to watch you scoff

[ptolemyx]

Not the most salubrious of menus for Saturday lunch, but the cakes are excellent and it is a nice location. Please let me know what meals are wanted as it's easier for them if we pre-order:-

Olivias Menu web800.jpg

There is also an alternative with the Black Lion pub in the village, but I haven't had a reply to my enquiries from them yet and they've had bad reviews on Tripadvisor recently..