Does not get any better, even more holes in the road with worse to come.

Each day I get more and more frustrated with these utility companies, more and mor holes and even worse congestion. Just been down the street in Penicuik and there are new traffic light s up, not a workman in sight, no break to the road surface and aloneness of these traffic light operators sitting in a van !!!  Had myself a look at the Scottish traffic site and guess what, come Wednesday A702 will become a traffic jam/ car park.   The sooner they bring in some legislation to control this lot the better, and then charge them £1k an hour, they would be working all night to get jobs completed.
I see yet another fatal road accident in the Penicuik area, that is five deaths is as many weeks.
Clocks have gone back, dark nights drawing in, as are the mornings, but still these idiotic cyclist are totally dependent on motorists being observant enough to see them in the dark,  I wear a high viz jacket in the car in the morning, at all times on the motorbike,  was hoping to buy a nice new raincoat, have my sights set on a black one,  but have since changed my mind and will get a light coloured one. Whatever happened to the old adage, see and be seen!!   And gone are the days when the Police would stop and advise / report folks for lighting offences.
Mercat Grill doing well, keeping me occupied as long as I am not planning on retiring soon.
In the meantime , not sure if senility is creeping into my life!!   Searched high and low for one of my toys in the garage, not a trace so I bought a new one, so of course on Sunday I found the original missing item hanging up in plain sight!!! .   Latest missing item,  my recently purchased Canon Sureshot camera, last seen when I was up at Castlebrae eight days ago. Lord knows what I have done with it.
Had better not forget Mrs. B's birthday.

Is our City under siege by the Utility Companies and profiteers?

Put quite simply, bloody roadworks everywhere you TRY to go, it is easier to walk down the  street than to get into a car or on the bus make towards the City.  Latest hold ups where new roundabouts are being built at Rosewell and Wallyford to accommodate private home builders.  Several weeks of inordinate delays as the road works do not take priority over the house building.  Health and safety running riot with traffic lights , yet another excuse for bumping up the price of jobs.  Just like the Gas company charging a householder £600 to put up scaffolding because the engineers are not allowed to work from ladders as they used to.  We now see and hear, the new houses have a shorter warranty than some new cars !!!  and latest by Taylor Wimpey in Gorebridge is new houses riddled by mould. Busy week with work during the day and then evening meetings in Edinburgh, Denny and Bonnyrigg, no time to sample my current new batch of Red wines from Oz.
Mr MacInally heading over for the IPA meeting at Auchterarder on Sunday, so a nice wee run up there on the Steed for lunch and a bit of spectator participation.
Finally, just  while it is once again on my mind,  yet more high blood pressure trying to "spot the cyclist" in the town in the dark.  idiots, with no lights, dark clothing, ignoring traffic lights, etc.,  time for a new road safety campaign.  Stupid Councillors bringing in a 20 mph limit for cars when cyclists can travel faster than that.

so much for the farming forecast, yet more rain to slow down the Steed of Steel.

Not quite off at the toot,  bit chilly this morning , so headed west .  Good luck that I was not going to Abington via Biggar as the A702 was closed for two days.   reached Carnwarth, handed over the apron, etc from previous post.   Lucky for me that Hugh knew that the A702 was closed near Abington so he sent me across counrty on a better road, good man. I did come across numerous motorists who were obviously rather upset by the long diversion.

Took the old A74 south rather than the motorway, up over Beatock summit, before cutting off onto a wee back road .  Stopped as I had a really good view of the M74, A74 and the main west coast railway line.

 Arrived in Moffat, wondering where the Town Hall was,  I think the dozens of motorcycles were a clue to the location.   So much for the Dumfries and Galloway Volunteer Blood Bikers thinking they  might not get a crowd,  the Town Hall was packed, and many happy bikers were seen leaving with mega bargains after a good rummage amongst the many stalls. 

 Lots of support from Police Scotland, the ambulance service, and even the IAM.

 It was just unfortunate that the heavens opened and it chucked it down,  so rather than head home the long way by the Grey Mare's tail, St Mary's Loch, Traquair and Peebles,  it was up and over the Devil's Beef Tub, and home along the A701.   Round trip of one hundred miles, but a bit cold,  and having arrived home the sun had the cheek to appear and we had a nice afternoon.  Sods Law.

A piece of Carnwarth history return home, took its time though

Came across this yesterday, so tomorrow on my way to meet up with the Dumfries and Galloway Volunteer Blood Bikers at Moffat I will hand this over to the secretary at Carnwarth. It is stunning and there is a pre 1940 ritual booked tucked away with a life membership card.   Came to me, from South Africa, via London and then a friend in Penicuik - hopefully it will find a home in the Lodge museum at Carnwarth.

Not quite as old as it looks, but still an interesting motorcycle,

As you might notice from the sign in the background, this motorcycle, an updated version of the URAL, was parked at Whiterope Railway Heritage Centre, and was owned by one of the enthusiasts. Transpired that he was a bit of a serious motor cyclist in the past and had ridden with groups in the Borders including a former Traffic Officer from Hawick who was also a member of the IPA.

Certainly an alternative to fitting stabilisers to my motorcycle!!!!

Whiterope Junction, certainly a bit of history in the middle of nowhere.

As promised in an earlier blog,   I was heading home from Keilder area on Sunday when I managed to get slightly lost ( had not switched on the Sat Nav), and found myself heading south west instead of north east !!!   Anyway, spotted a sign for Hawick, 22 miles that a way, so headed up and over the hills.  Passed under a large bridge which I thought was off and short distance away spotted some old rolling stock near the side of the road, and a sign for Whiterope Junction, Railway Heritage Centre. In need of a wee break I decided to take a peek and found myself at a small railway museum, manned by five volunteers from the Border Union Railway trust.  The volunteers had managed, over the past few years to reinste about half a mile of track, from the now closed Whiterope tunnel south through the Whiterope Junction and onto the bridge I had previously ridden under.

They had a small metro type train, which had previously been based in the USA,  run on diesel which they ran up and down the track.

The Whiterope Tunnel has been closed off for the safety of the public, however, it is repairable and there is a suggestion that this route, formerly part of the original Waverley Line from Hawick to Cumbria could be reopened !!

In the refurbished Pullman carriage in the siding, there was a tea room and also a small museum which was full of interesting artifacts, photos, documents, etc.

 This part of the original line ran all the way from Edinburgh to Carlisle, meeting with another line just south at the Riccarton Junction which in its hey day was a small village of about one hundred and forty people who were all associated with the railway.   In the era of steam trains climbed from the tunnel up and over Whiterope summit before dropping down to Riccarton.

In all a very interesting stop off for me,  the Centre I believe will be closed to the public now over the Winter period until the spring.

No worries, Steed of Steel took the cross country route. and we did meet a few well kent faces.

Home now after a run to Sedgefield C o Durham,  met my cousin Peter who I had not seen for about thirty years,  met Jean and Barry, last seen ten years ago, and into Sedgefield where most of my former colleagues were last seen fifty to fifty two years ago.  Brilliant night last night bit of a shock trying to remember who was who, but name tags did help, although there there were a couple who have hardly changed at all.

 Photo here of Ian Hilton, Mike Straughier and Geoff Perry.   Ian and Geoff were in my year, but Mike's was a year later. His parents adopted me as their surrogate son and we have been in contact all these years.

Stayed in the Dun Cow Inn, Sedgefield where former PM  Tony Blair took former President G. Bush for fish and chips.   No sign of my former home at Hardwick Camp which is now a housing estate.
Today, needing a bit of test, took the long way home up over the moors through Crook, Riding Mill, Hexam , over Hadrian's Wall to Bellingham and into the Keilder Forest / reservoir, over the Border to near Newcastleton before heading north through Hawich, Selkirk, Peebles.   170 miles on a lot of single track roads,  took my time, confidence building exercise again.
Cross Border exercise,  wonder if there will be a check point here if Nicola wins her case.

More of my adventures and surprises to follow later. 

Steed of Steel champing at the bit, ready for the road again.

Not that I plan on going very far, but with the current political situation I might need my passport to either get over the Carter Bar, or maybe for the road back.   Making for Tony Blair's constituency in Sedgefield tomorrow to meet up with colleagues I was billeted with between 1963 and 1966. Should be interesting.    B &B organised at a local hostelry so not far to meander my way home on Saturday night, big difference being, that when I last drank there , a bottle of Light Carlsberg lager cost only 10 p. (two shilling old money).  Hopefully a bit more reminiscence work as I might have a sneak through the village I lived in with my Grandmother in 1955 !!!!!   More if I do make it.

Away and will be missing the Gin tasting and tapas at the Mercat Grill on Saturday Night, however I am sure Mrs B. and her friends will have an extra tipple for me.

Been a busy week, managed more tidying in the garden while the rain has stayed away, swimming when I can and up to forty lengths once more, target being sixty four (a mile) before next visit to cardio, and have to up my foot mileage also.  

Out with Mrs B for a run yesterday, spotted this sundial on a building, just wonder if you know where it was?

During the week eventually managed to visit the Saltire motor cycle village at Saughton, Edinburgh,  what a place,  lots of big boys toys, somewhere you could go for a couple of hours, what with the cafe, barber's shop, tattoo parlour, lounge and lots, and lots of motorbikes and accessories.

Somewhere to go back to on a rainy day.

Next weekend, Blood Bank Riders  sale of work and bike bits and bobs at Moffat Town Hall on Sunday.   Following Sunday, IPA meeting at Castlebrae, Auchterarder, with Major Tom flying in from his hideaway in France.   So far, so good.