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In June 1979, I met Paul
and Jen in the port of Rotterdam, waiting for the ferry to England. They are
an English couple who lived on the Isle of Wight. I helped them when they
had some trouble with their Norton and now they invited me for a visit to
the British Motorcycle Society rally on the Isle of Wight.
Friday, June 4, 1980
I left home in Voorburg very early in the morning and at half past six I had
already traveled more then 200 km so it was time to fill the tank and get some
coffee.
About 20 km before Dunkerque I stopped again at a roadrestaurant for a coffee and
to go to the bathroom and then I drove on to Calais to get the hovercraft to
Ramsgate in England.
At ten minutes before nine I arived at the hoverport. The stewardes at the entrance
told me that I could catch the nine oçlock departure if I would hurry so I rode to
the ticket office, bought a ticket to Ramsgate and hurried to customs.
My ticket to Ramsgate
At the French customs office, they saw I tried to get the nine o'clock departure so
they waved me through and a minute later I was waiting till I could ride my bike
into the big hovercraft.
Waiting near the ramp to ride my bike into the hovercraft
A little to the left, the hovercraft from Dover had arrived. It is impressive to see
such a big machine coming from the sea in a cloud of water and dust onto the beach and
to the concrete platform of the hoverport.
The hovercraft to Dover
A little before ten o'clock, the hovercraft arrived in Ramsgate and I found a restaurant
to get something to eat. When I left the restaurant, a policeman told me I had my bike illigaly
parked on a parking for busses only but he did not give me a ticket.
After my late breakfast, I rode through Catebury and at half past one, I arrived at
Stonehouse farm, the farm that my oncle and aunt bought a few years ago.
That afternoon, I helped my oncle with some maintenance on a fence and in the evening
I made some pictures of the new calves on the farm.
At Stonehouse farm in High Hurstwood
Saturday, June 5, 1980
That morning I got up early and left the farm at half past seven on my way to the isle
of Wight. Through Lewis and Brighton I rode to Portsmouth to get the ferry to the Isle
of Wight. The South of England is a beautiful area to ride a bike. I enjoyed the nice
roads and the scenery.
A castle near Arundel, halfway between Brighton and Portsmouth
At ten in the morning, I arrived at the port of Portsmouth and bought a ticket for
the ferry to Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight.
The ferryboat to Fishbourne
On the ferry I talked to a couple from London who were going to the Isle of Wight with
their Honda CX500. We had a coffee and I made a picture of the ferry coming from the
Isle of Wight to Portsmouth.
The ferry to Portsmouth
I had to go to Ryde. the bikers who I talked to on the ferry showed me the way. It was
about 11:00 AM when I left the docks. In Seaview I filled my tank again at a Texaco
gasstation.
Filling the tank in Seaview
At half past eleven I arrived at the home of Paul and Jen. At their house I also met
a friend of them, Steve, who rides a nice Norton Commando.
Our bikes at Paul and Jen's house
Pauls Norton, Steve's Norton and my Yamaha
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