Sammy Miller's Royal Enfield Day

[Grantboy]

So last Sunday Sammy Miller's had a Royal Enfield Day at the motorcycle museum in the south of England just on the edge of the New Forest.

Initially I wasn't going to go, but I had the day off and the weather was beautiful sunshine so thought a trundle down on the Guerrilla would be nice.

About a 60 mile ride, I tried to avoid the main A roads as best as I could and so instead of following the main A36 between Warminster and Salisbury, which runs south and is extremely busy, I followed the small road that runs alongside the river Wylye and through a few quintessential English villages.

It was lush.

The gem of the day was a little coffee stop situated right on the wetlands of the river Wylye with a fantastic terrace.



I arrived at Sammy Miller's about dinnertime, just in time for a bacon bap. It was busy, lots of 350's and interceptors although I only saw 2 other Guerrillas, a yellow ribbon and a white/blue one.



And then a trundle home, through the New Forest (which is more brush land than forest) and home.



All in all a very pleasant ride.

 

[BSA Biker]

Looks like a 'grand day out' as our northern friends would say.

A little bit of history about the New Forest - set up by William the Conqueror as a hunting estate, many 0f the Saxon villages were destroyed and the surfs etc moved on so he could have complete access to the land.
Later his half brother, Bishop Odo, was allowed "all the wood he could cut down in a day' for the building of Winchester Cathedral, thinking it would not be very much, but Odo gathered all the labour from miles around and ended up deforesting a considerable amount. William was horrified when he saw the devastation later so the story goes.
Charcoal burning for iron smelting and even later the wooden ship building at Bucklers Hard also removed most of the decent trees from the land.
Over grazing, poor soil and no replanting added to the woes and eventually you have open heath land which the 'Greenies" think is natural.
After WW1 when the Forestry Commission was set up a large planting programme was put into effect, unfortunately because of the coal mining industry at the time needing pit props etc it was decided to plant quick growing pine plantations which you can see the second generation of at various places around the forest area.
There are still native hardwood trees (oak, ash, beach and holly etc) in areas around the forest but they are in the minority now, elm trees were devastated long ago with the Dutch Elm Disease.

So please do not look at how the land is now and think that its natural.
Sorry, rant over but it was very dear to my heart because I lived on the southern edge of it for most of my life.
If you want a beautiful ride pick up off there A31 the Ornamental and Rhienfield Drive ( it changes name when you cross the A35) to visit (if still open to the public) Rienfield House. A Victorian pile on a site of (one of many) King John's hunting lodge.

 

[Grantboy]

I do love the New Forest, it was one of those places we went as Children on a regular basis and up until recently my old man had a caravan at Holmsley so my daughter also has some amazing memories from nights away.

I looked at your recommendation of route BSA and unwittingly rode in the area you suggested. I went along the A35 from Sammy Miller's and then left up the Bolderwood Ornamental drive.

It was much more pleasant on a bike as last time in our car I drove down a massive pothole at dusk and broke a spring!!

 

[vectinterceptor]

I was going to go the Sammy`s but I looked at the ferryy costs , £62 for a couple of hours in the museum did not seem to be good value.
The good news is that the government does not think the ferries need regulating, and the prices are okay. The 2 main companies owe half a billion between them
which is why the fares need to keep going up to pay off the interest and the dividends to the shareholders.

 

[Grantboy]

I was going to go the Sammy`s but I looked at the ferryy costs , £62 for a couple of hours in the museum did not seem to be good value.
The good news is that the government does not think the ferries need regulating, and the prices are okay. The 2 main companies owe half a billion between them
which is why the fares need to keep going up to pay off the interest and the dividends to the shareholders.

I guess you're on the Isle of Wight? What you need is a bridge across from somewhere like Hurst castle.

 

[vectinterceptor]

A bridge would block the island roads on a sunny day. What we need is a fair price for residents that does not go up for every day they are away. Go away for two nights, and the price doubles.

 

[timcannock]

So last Sunday Sammy Miller's had a Royal Enfield Day at the motorcycle museum in the south of England just on the edge of the New Forest.

Initially I wasn't going to go, but I had the day off and the weather was beautiful sunshine so thought a trundle down on the Guerrilla would be nice.

About a 60 mile ride, I tried to avoid the main A roads as best as I could and so instead of following the main A36 between Warminster and Salisbury, which runs south and is extremely busy, I followed the small road that runs alongside the river Wylye and through a few quintessential English villages.

It was lush.

The gem of the day was a little coffee stop situated right on the wetlands of the river Wylye with a fantastic terrace.

View attachment 27868

I arrived at Sammy Miller's about dinnertime, just in time for a bacon bap. It was busy, lots of 350's and interceptors although I only saw 2 other Guerrillas, a yellow ribbon and a white/blue one.

View attachment 27869

And then a trundle home, through the New Forest (which is more brush land than forest) and home.

View attachment 27870

All in all a very pleasant ride.

I was also present at this event, a 'grand day out' indeed, and probably the biggest RE event this year?

 

[Grantboy]

Dicky mint, a YouTuber did a little vlog of the day for those that care to watch, and if you look really closely at 30:44 you can see me stood in the back ground, so I'm internet famous .