So last year I'd taken my bike across to the Island for the Manx Grand prix. It had been great and my friends Rick and Judy were off again this year and suggested I came along. I was slated to do the YD200 on the first weekend of Manx week but I figured I would be done with this on the Saturday evening, could recover on the Sunday and then sail across on the Monday evening.
As with last year the ferry ticket was a mere £50 and the bike free. I was on the late night sailing so had a lazy day Monday before cruising down to Heysham, abandoning the car on a suitable side street (scoped out on streetview to be away from the front of someone's house but on a street with plenty of other cars parked.) Also as per last year I got onto the boat first and was soon sipping a pint of Okells bitter prior to the boat sailing. At the other end I again got off the boat with zero hassle, although the cafe was busy so I cracked onto Peel via the old railway line.
Once again there was plenty of space in the campsite where people only doing the bank holiday weekend had left. This was the first try of my newly acquired Six Moons Designs Deschutes tarp tent. I've been thinking of getting something like this for a while as although my trusty Vango Helium 100 has served me well, it is a bit like sleeping in a nylon coffin. The Deschutes is far roomier, the all mesh inner giving a sense of much more space, and best of all it was 200gs lighter and took up a fraction of the space. Up it went and in I got for a few hours sleep.
It was sunny when I woke so jumped on the Jones and headed out along various trails in the low hills behind the coast, riding back on the beach.
The sky was darkening as I got back and by the time I was showered, the rain had started. I got in sharpish and actually snoozed for a while before realising I needed to go to the supermarket for food. By this time the wind was blowing a gale and the rain that dense horizontal dreich that can be very unpleasant. Once again I was camped in the Isle of Man in extreme weather! So a good test of the Deschutes, in any case. I got back from the shop and discovered the first benefit of this tent - plenty of space to get under cover and out of water proofs before getting into inner. On my Vango, you had to try to get out of your water proofs and into the tent at the same time. This never worked and water always came with you making it impossible to stay dry. As I cooked tea I became aware of a single drip from the peak of the tent landing on the mesh inner. It was fairly slow and just ran down the mesh so hopefully not an issue. Its not taped, being silnylon and although I'd seam sealed it, this stress point was obviously leaking a wee bit. After tea I was at a loss as I'd hoped to wander down to the Creek Inn but the rain made this a bit of a mission. Instead I headed for the other pub we used to use - the White House which is just down from the campsite. I wandered in and spied a few guys I'd gotten to know from previous visits so sat and had a good chin wag and several good ales. I got a bit of flak for my pedal powered arrival but on describing the boarding process (and the fare) they were all impressed. Like me they like their motorbikes and are die hards of the Island but also don't care for the bullshit that has built up around motorcycling in recent years so are quite open to people doing it a different way. They left soon after but I hung on, on the strength of the weather forecast which indicated the rain would stop at 9. When I rolled out at 10 it was indeed dry, with stars appearing. I wandered up to the site and was pleased that my new shelter had survived 6 hours of rain and wind with nothing but a few drips.
The next morning dawned sunny so I opened up everything to air and dry out. Then off on the bike to meet up with Rick and Judy at one of the Vintage Club meets. The Jones truss fork drew a few comments, with many mistaking it for a girder fork, but of course it ain't as it's rigid! The dude playing drums for the Jazz outfit that follows the vintage club do's around the place was a single speeder so we chatted for a bit. He noted that SSUK was on at Carnforth, just up the road from Heysham. Curses, if I'd known that I'd have gone!
I only had three days but as with last year, this enabled some good bike riding, a bit of race watching and plenty of socialising and beer drinking. The journey home was a mirror image of last year as Rick and Judy were again on the same boat. I was planning on spending a few more days in the Caravan as Mum and Dad were due to arrive so cruised back there from Heysham (car still in tact) and then spent a day doing a good circuit round some oft ridden trails.
I didn't know it at the time, but this would be my last stay in the caravan. A month later, the new site owners wrote to Mum and Dad stating they would have to pay £3000 rent for next year (as opposed to £800 for this) and buy a new van for the following year (£30k plus.) We had much heartfelt discussion but the money was just to much to justify, particularly as Mum and Dad were starting to struggle with the old vans lack of heating and felt £30k for a new one was about £30k more than they could afford! So that was that - the end of an era that took me back to 13 years old when I used to pedal from home to Hawes on a Friday evening after school to meet up with Mum and Dad who would drive down later for a weekend stay. Plus many, many good trips over many years with many good friends. Looking back, the 'caravan years' were some of the happiest of my life. Hawes remains a place I have a great affection for so hopefully I'll still be able to visit.
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