The Hailwood thread (that the forum suddenly starts pointing out to me that it is new today) got me thinking a bit. I have a memory that Coburn & Hughes may of been a sponsor for the Hailwood Ducati - but not sure. They were a big dealership in Luton(?). R they still going? Then there was a dealership somewhere on the South Circular that would of been Ducati (I think). Can't remember their name but I think that they may of gone. And then there was Oxford Motorcycle Engineers who I used to regularly visit from where I lived, near Swindon. They were at the top of a warehouse where you used to take a long flight of stairs to get to. They were Ducati dealers, definitely, because that is where I used to go for spares for my Darmah. The A420 from Swindon to Oxford was good fun but now,I think, the Fun Police have sanitised it. They gets me thinking of my old fun roads like the road between Wroughton and Avebury and in particular the road to M4 J17 from Wroughton and the "Lynham bends". To the background of RAF Hercules' practicing landings.takeoffs at nearby RAF Lyneham! Can't say things of got better in the last 40 odd years...
My best mate died in his Laverda Mirage on that road on Friday the 13th of Feb 1980. It was just before midnight and he had finished his shift at Lynham. So many years ago now.
Tough news... I've never done it in the dark and wouldn't fancy it. For me, it was a fun diversion coming off the M4 @J17 heading East with the Sun behind me but then no sense of danger! Going down the hill if you were heading West was much more difficult In the days when I did it, it was before they started putting up signs saying number killed or seriously injured on this road. Ignorance was bliss!
Near one of my favourite little laps round there; leave Yate, towards bath then left to Chippenham, then head over junction 17 up to Kemble then home through Tetbury. Lovely little run when it’s quiet
That's uncanny! There's me thinking that this was "my" route" In the latter days, I went round Tetbury - so past Dyson, coming from Wootton Bassett and cross the next roundabout and head west towards meeting the A46.
They’re cracking roads round there. I work in Maidenhead sometimes so often do a nice early run all the way along the A4, it’s lovely on a summers morning
That's the one passed the Thames Head Inn. From Ciren, were the road descends down to the Inn, it was possible to get airbourne off the steps. Not saying I did, of course, as it's 50 mph limit. On my Monster, I would have to doing 80, at least... That was also a car route back in the day. I Could get a train from Kemble to London and leave the car there all week.
Only trouble that I used to find was you are going into the Sun that would be low in the Summer at about 7 and coming back you'd be going into the sunset.
I did the lap yesterday afternoon, there was quite a few bikes out too. Traffic was heavier than usual but once I got over the motorway managed to pass a load and had a foot clear run for ages all the way up to Kemble airport. There’s a big dip along there with great visibility so if you get it right you can give it some beans
Agree re sun, can be a bastard, always make sure I have some sun glasses because it can get right in your face
Kemble used to be where the red arrows were based years ago. Like so many of the old airfields in Wiltshire, I think that they may of sold it off. Last I heard, some company was scaping 747s there.
My neighbour works there, he’s nothing do so with airplanes but his company uses one of the buildings there. You’re info is right, he tells me it’s used as a breaker yard for all commercial planes, they leaks their last landing there! Also used as a pick up and drop off for Prince Charlie too
Oh yeah. He's not far away - neither is Anne. I guess that the skies are a lot quieter now - with Lynham closed, Aerospace's runway at Filton shut, not much happening at Kemble, it's like Charlie's private airfield!
That sent shivers right up my spine..... I was at Lyneham when that happened.... I was one of the bikers at Lyneham.... He was a mate of my mate. We lost another guy on a Jota... I was with him at the time.... I binned a Honda 900 FA on Lyneham banks... Big time...went over the edge into the fields below.... I walked from that one.... Gerr
I had Darmah.. Red.... Then honda 900... Daytona orange R90s.... At one time there were three Daytona R90s on camp.... The copper who lived on the bend as you come out of Lyneham towards Swindon didn't know who to arrest for various misdemeanors
I had a red Darmah, "CFO 182V", I think it was. This is f***ing uncanny! I mention what I thought was my private race track and it turns out quite a few people know it! I never got a go down the Lynham runways but North Gloucester MCC did used to hire what then was RAF Hullavington (that Dyson bought) for a set up day every year. Dunno if aircraft still used it then but it was good fun as a race track! Now, Dyson's got it as his toy....
I used to race in NGMCC.... At Kemble.. Hullavington... Wroughton(brilliant).. Pembray.... Only did a couple of seasons.... But yeah my area.....
