Friday, June 29
From the Benelux-harbour in Rotterdam I left on a Townsend Thoresen ferry
to Felixstowe in England to visit my oncle and aunt on Stonehousefarm in
High Hurstwood in East Sussex.
In the waitingroom at the port I met Paul and Jen, an English couple from
the Isle of Wight who were on their way home on a Norton.
I had booked a sleeping chair for the trip but I won't do that again. It
is much to noisy on the ship to have a good night sleep so it is better to
spend a little more for a cabin and a real bed.
The ferry left at midnight and arrived in the port of Felixstowe around
ten o'clock in the morning.
Townsend Thoresen ferry from Europort Rotterdam to Felixstowe
I was one of the last passengers to leave the ferry and the first thing
Paul and I did was finding a petrolstation to fill our tanks.
Paul was riding in front because Jen, who was riding pillion, could read
the map.
From Felixstowe we went to Ipswich and then we took the motorway (freeway)
to Brentwood. At brentwood we left the motorway, had a cup of coffee in a
nice motel-restaurant and used the Dartford tunnel to cross the river Thames.
We had to "filter" between the rows of cars ao I was glad we were on bikes.
After we had payed the toll for the tunnel, Paul stopped suddenly at a
roundabout. He thought that his clutch cabel was broken but is was not.....
While we were looking what the problem was, A BMW rider stopped and told us
that on the Brands hatch racing circuit, four miles from where we were, people
were racing classic bikes, including Norton Commando's. Paul and I went to
the circuit on my bike while Jenny watched the Norton.
At the circuit we were not allowed without buying a ticket and the we
still would not be allowed in the paddock but just a we were leaving, an
old man told us to go to the back of the circuit and to talk to his friend
there and tell that he sended us.
We did and in the paddock, we got tools and advise from a Norton rider and
returned to the bike. Unfortunately we could not fix it so we went back and
got a towing line from someone else and with that line I towed Pauls Norton
more then three miles to the circuit but then the Yamaha was running so hot
that I did not dare to go on so Paul pushed his bike for a while.
Paul pushing his Norton
Then the road was going up and it was to heavy to push the big loaded Norton
so for then I towed the Norton to the Brands Hatch paddock.
In the paddock at Brands Hatch
While Paul and the other Norton rider repaired Pauls clutch (something
inside the clutch meganism was broken) I had the chance to walk around
in the paddock and watch the bikes and the races.
Watching the races from the paddock
They were racing with all kind of bikes. Classics like the Norton and
Triumphs but also single cilinder offroad bikes, converted to racers. Very
spectaculair were the sidecar races with a great sound from the big fourstroke
engines.
Sidecar races
At half past six in the afternoon, pauls Norton was finaly repaired and we
could continue our journey. Before we left the circuit, I bought a badge
for my vest and a toy car for my nephew.
From Brands hatch to Sevenoacks, paul, Jen and I traveled together and
then I left them on my way to High Hurstwood. I arrived at Stonehouse Farm
just when they started the BBQ so my timing was good !
During the week
While I was at Stonehouse Farm with my uncle, aunt and nephews I made some
trips and helped a lot on the farm. Stonehousefarm is situated in a very
beautiful part of England, East Sussex. It is a hilly landscape with forests
and farms and picturesque little villages.
The view from Stonehouse farm
On of the trips I made was to Eastbourne, the famous seaside resort on the
English South coast. it was nice to ride on the boulevard with the typical
English hotels.
Eastbourne
Ofcourse I had to walk on the beach and the wooden pier
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