ULSTER GRAND PRIX - AUGUST 07-08-30 part 2.

It transpired that what we had heard was the warm up lap for the 600Supersport and that there had only been the one race before that which meant that we had not missed much by having the morning off. Apparently that morning there had been a huge debate as to whether the racing would take place at all with the final decision having
only been taken at midday.

I became very glad that we had not gone that morning for to have been standing around for three hours not being able to get out would have been no fun at all. OK our current location did not give a very good view of the racing but it was a small sacrifice for us having had a very relaxing and dry morning.

The first - Superstock - race had been wet and won by Ryan Farquar but the race underway was on a drying track and the first to scream toward us was Ian Hutchinson followed closely by Guy Martin. Normally the 600s can provide the best racing of all as the machinery seems more evenly matched than in the 1000s but apart from the leading two there did not seem to be the intensity that there normally would be. To be fair as the circuit is nearly 8 miles around it is perfectly feasibly for the tarmac to be drying where we were and still wet at other parts of the circuit. Also of course it would be precarious to move off the “dry line” for an overtake although this did not prevent Martin from passing Hutchinson toward the 4th lap only for the race to be over after only six laps - it turned out that it had been decided that all races would be curtailed to six laps in order to get through the programme before the roads opened  (there is a time limit as to how long the roads can remain closed).

Next out were the 250s but during this race the rain began again and the dry line was disappearing which began not to bode well for the Ulster GP the main event of the day which was to be next. The starting line up was like a “who’s who” of motorcycle road racing and with  Martin and Mcguiness having already had a ding dong earlier in the week in the Dundrod 150 (where Mcguinness despite raising the outright lap record to 131.7mph  was still pipped to the win by Martin by a mere half second) it would have been bound to provide some close racing with the likes of Hutchinson, Anstey and a few others having something to say too. Indeed it was Hutchinson who got the hole shot and was first past us  followed by Martin and a pack of bikes difficult to identify due to the spray. Conditions were worsening although I must be say that where we were it was not too bad but elsewhere on the circuit it must have become treacherous as after three laps the race was red flagged and stopped. What’s more the rest of the programme was to be abandoned and it was with mixed feelings that we returned to our bikes with some disappointment from my point of view mixed in with some sympathy for the organisers and the riders. At least they had experienced some good weather earlier in the week!

True to form on the way back to Ballymena we lost Rob, Clive & Steve in the traffic. Tony had been glued to my back wheel as always but although I thought the lights behind him were our illustrious friends I found out differently when one set of lights belonging to a Varadero overtook me. It turned out they had stopped as Rob had a fly or similar in his helmet plus they then made a detour via Halfords for something (fly spray I guess). Back at the hotel Tony and I did not wait guessing they would find their own way and we would meet up later in the bar where we would decide to walk across the road to a chinese restaurant rather than eat in the hotel again as although very good had turned out to be a tad expensive particularly with all the wine Tony ordered. The Chinese was excellent and we devoured every last morsel despite ordering extra portions and what’s more the short walk back to the hotel was just long enough as not only was it spitting with rain but also there was a definite chill in the air. Back at the hotel a wedding party was still in full swing and spilling out into the bar and it looked as if everyone was having a great time. Some of the boys stayed up but I was ready for my bed again !

Come Sunday morning the weather was an improvement on Saturday but not as good as forecast. It was dry at least but still overcast and definitely colder. The plan was to ride to Larne then follow the A2 Antrim coastal road which is a fabulous road to ride with magnificent views across the Irish Sea to Scotland and although in the weather conditions we did not see it at its best it was still very enjoyable. We stopped briefly overlooking the Carrick-a - Rede  ropebridge and across the sea the Mull of Kintyre but as Rob would be leaving us later to get the ferry from Dunlaoghaire as he needed to be back in work for Monday morning we needed to press on to the next stop which was to be the Giant’s Causeway. Here a bus takes us down to the causeway and after a walk around and some photos we return on the bus to the café at the top. By this time Rob has revealed that he has no fuel but luckily Bushmills is only a couple of miles down the road and we manage to make it before Rob splutters to a halt. Next on the agenda was Joey’s Bar in Ballymoney but when we arrive it is closed and looking as if it was permanently closed.

The main attraction in the bar had been the bikes the great man had ridden hanging from the ceiling but last year when I had visited these had been taken down and moved to a local museum which for me in itself had taken the attraction of the place away but maybe that was the prelude to closure ? Anyway there was still the memorial garden which is close by and worth seeing just on its own and is a great tribute to “yer maan”.
By this time it was time for Rob to be heading south and we all agreed rather than let him negotiate Belfast on his own we would go with him to the border  where he would pick up the motorway for Dublin whereas we would head inland for the more scenic route. Around Belfast there were quite a lot of road works and my Sat. Nav. which I have christened “Dopey Daphne” was having a turn but we succeeded in making excellent time giving us the opportunity for some lunch just north of Newry.

We said our farewells to Rob who now had ample time to make the ferry and we headed towards Armagh on the A28 then the A3/N12 to Monaghan which is an excellent road for bikes. Now we were back in the south again following the N2 which would eventually lead us to the capital city.

This road was very enjoyable with little or no traffic but after awhile I began to see signs that the “village” in Sloane was closed to all traffic and as Sloane was directly on our route I wondered how this would affect us. But a couple of things I have learnt about travelling in the south is first to always expect the unexpected and secondly not to always pay attention to road signs particularly temporary ones. On this basis and knowing we were in no particular hurry I decided to stay on course but I must confess to having some second thoughts the closer we got to Slane as there was obviously something big going on here. There were signs for car park No.13 !!!! and platforms that looked as if they were for TV cameras along with huge generators but true to form the traffic flowed freely and it looked as if whatever had taken place in Slane was over and we carried on to Dublin. As we approached the outskirts of Dublin we stopped for fuel which also gave me the opportunity to set the Sat. Nav. for Bachelors Walk where the Arlington Hotel is situated. Again I had chosen the Arlington because it has underground parking and is smack in the centre just by the O’Connell Bridge plus it is a very lively place at night in its own right. However it is a little tricky to find the entrance to the car park as it is in a cobbled lane to the rear of the hotel and therefore I was particularly anxious not to lose the others and this became more difficult than normal as the already busy Dublin traffic was being swollen by Gaellic Football supporters exiting Croke Park.

There were green shirts heading towards us (they had lost) and red shirts heading into town (they had won). We managed to stay together and a kind chef having a cigarette outside opened the garage door for us to ride into the basement of the hotel. This car park is available on a “first come first served basis” but it has always been possible to squeeze in a few bikes but this time it was exceptionally congested not so much with cars but with junk in the shape of old chairs, tables etc. but a helpful young man from reception appeared and guided us into some spaces only to disappear before unlocking the lift. This meant we had to find our way to reception up the stairs which turned out to be a bit of a maze. Anyway we all checked in and went to our rooms knowing the bikes were safe which is a huge positive in any city.

Accommodation in the Arlington is very good but it is beginning to show signs of wear and the first thing I noticed was the light in the bathroom did not work which in itself would not present a problem but on showering I found that the water did not run out of the tray but spilled out onto the floor. A quick call to reception found me in a new room within minutes with only one thing left to do and that was to congregate in the bar as arranged . Now it is said that the bar in the Arlington is the largest in the whole of Ireland and believe me it is huge. Also it has kept that old fashioned Irish look although the Irishness of it is totally destroyed by the foreign accents from behind the bar most of whom were either Asian of from Poland/Estonia etc. It is always busy and very popular with tourists who come to see the Irish dancing and a resident band. This night it was particularly jolly as the guys and gals in the red shirts (from Munster I think) were feverishly celebrating what apparently had been an unexpected semi-final win in the All Ireland Football. We decided to cross the Liffey to Temple Bar to seek something to eat and ended up in an Italian restaurant claiming to be family run but actually turning out to be a bit of a disappointment. Afterwards we walked around the bars but could not believe how busy they were and many were actually stopping more people entering. The Arlington now seemed a good option as we thought perhaps some of the “Reds” would have headed for Munster but on returning we could not believe how much more busy it had become and the red shirts were still there. At least the size of the bar meant we could get a drink and in fairness to the “foreigners” they do work hard. It must have been nearing midnight when I’d had enough but the other three I think ventured into the night club downstairs although I think that was short lived and a bit uneventful.

The forecast for Monday was good and we had agreed a 10.30am start which would give time to pop across the Liffey to Grafton Street for some shopping. After checking out I was first to the garage and the bikes were as we left them. I must tell you a couple of years ago when my wife and I had stayed here I had come down to find my bike had gone .. or so I thought ! What had really happened was that some wag had put all the empty crates from the night before in front of my bike so it was hidden . This time there was no such panic and I was even able to position Tony’s bike for him so all he had to do was load up and ride out. It is damn hot in the garage and I was glad to ride up into the lane to wait and this gave me time to set my Sat. Nav. for Blessington which was the first town on our route outside the M50 circular and from there I would know the way exactly . But as the others appeared one by one from the garage so it started to spit with rain until as we moved off it was coming down steadily increasing to a downpour.

By this time we were in the midst of the Dublin traffic and I did not want to stop if I could help it despite my only having my summer jacket for protection. It was important we stayed together which in these conditions was not easy but somehow we managed it and all credit to “Daphne” we did not make one wrong turn. Still the Dublin traffic is atrocious and it took us the best part of an hour before we approached Blessington and by this time I was feeling very wet and cussing the fact that I had not had the foresight to put on my yellow over jacket. The next part of our journey was to be over the Wicklow Mountains through the “WicklowGap” to Laragh but looking ahead it was obvious that there was rain in them thar hills and it crossed my mind as to whether we would be better off just heading directly to Rosslare. But then we would be in Rosslare in less than two hours with nothing to do until 3pm so the decision was made to go “onwards and upwards” and sod the rain. As we approached the summit at Wicklow Gap I signalled to the boys that there was no point in stopping as you could not see anything for the low cloud so we dropped down to the village of Laragh.

In Laragh there is a café which is very popular with Dublin bikers who use it as a stop off on their weekend runs and it was this café I chose for shelter and a warm drink to cheer us up. Amazingly the rain had not come through my jacket at all but I was still taking no chances for the rest of the trip to Rosslare so on went my over jacket and the others made some adjustments too anticipating more rain. But sods law you could say that the moment we exited the café the rain seemed to stop and as we meandered down toward Avoca (Ballykissangel to the TV pundits) it was actually brightening up a little. A quick stop in Avoca as Clive had still not been able to get a gift for his wife but really there’s nothing in Avoca except the blue and yellow pub and some nic nac shops. This route should have been the perfect ending to a journey I had taken weeks to plan but instead as we approached Arklow and the N11 my thoughts were that the weather had ruined yet another holiday. We moved on toward Gorey on the N11 but instead of going through the town there is now a by pass which actually gives the town quite a wide berth and took a lot of time out of the journey but all it really served to achieve was a bottleneck in the next town of Enniscorthy. Luckily on two wheels we are able to pass a long row of cars some of which carry GB stickers and are probably heading for the same fast ferry that we were and they must be getting somewhat anxious being stuck in this traffic. Not our problem though and we just roar on to the ferry port arriving with 50mins to spare.

As we had approached Rosslare the wind had picked up considerably so I was comforted to see the fast ferry in dock obviously preparing to go out as although I had checked that morning that it was running I know full well from past experience that a change for the worse in sea conditions would mean that it would not go out. Still there is a delay in boarding and I wonder if they have waited for the late arrivals as we are 30mins late departing. The crossing itself however is very calm with only a hint of swell as we approach Fishguard.
Back in Fishguard we decided to take our short cut again particularly as we had been one of the last off the lower deck and it proved to be quicker than the A40 as we re-joined the main drag ahead of all but a couple of the ferry cars. We all needed fuel and a stop was planned before Carmarthen and by this time I had decided to take a breather and become tail end Charlie for a change. Even after a short distance on the dual carriageway I felt relaxed without the constant looking in the mirrors for the others .

Maybe I relaxed too much as I lost site of the others at the first roundabout in Carmarthen  and at the second I filtered left to head towards Llandeilo and Llandovery as agreed only to glimpse the others on the roundabout heading for Swansea and the M4. I called out over the intercom that they were going the wrong way and carried on slowly in the hope they would turn around and catch me up but after awhile I guessed this was not going to happen. Still I stopped for a mug of tea in the West End café as we’d arranged but after half an hour or so they had not appeared so I made my way home to Usk. It turned out that Clive had set his Sat. Nav. to the quickest way home and that had led him onto the M4 then the A465 heads of the valley back to Abergavenny.

At the end I had covered 1233 miles and despite the weather taking the shine (literally) out of the Irish experience and ruining the 2007 Ulster GP we can all say that we made the most of it and had a good time. There were no mishaps and all five bikes ran perfectly (apart from the bits falling off the Beemers of course). Would I do it again next year ? ………..