he became the special man...

I took the album cover to my mums hairdressers 

on our local estate and asked him to do my hair just like that...

My hair ended up dyed blond at the front graduated back...

I went home got my platform shoes (I'd hand painted), black high waisted oxfords and a white cheese cloth shirt and hit the town at lunchtime.

Peterborough town centre

People just stopped and stared, I got called a queer, haha

and then just outside our hip pub, 'The Bull Hotel' I met another 'ladd'

he had dyed his hair green...

after that there was no stopping us, the girls loved it,

even the eye make up I bought in Boots...

what a difference a day makes...

Friday

 

Joshua tree

Sunday

white stuff  

grey stuff

 try hard enough... 

you can fill your boots...

bollocks

The sun came out and we went for a ride 

and Mr Plod was waiting to fuck our day up

We blasted by totally unaware and after our little outing 

I posted 'sun is shining' on the first sunny day of March.

Where the road can sometimes take you...

I took the bitch inland for a change with no route planned

and a village name nudged memories of the past today...

we passed a sign for a local farm,  

and turned around, like fonda did in the end of that movie...

no rednecks here though, just a lovely farmhouse...

After the great war, I'm told that my grandfather and his brother 

owned three farms in this area... 

I found the other two farms a long time ago, I think this is the other one.

A story was he went bust and his brother died after falling under a cart ...

I also heard that wasn't so, that he had debt and sold up...

He and my gran moved to Boston (Lincs) and ran The Indian Queen Hotel...

Funny where the road can sometimes take you...

sun is shining and the patina of coastal life...

 carb and air filter off, to fit a large .295 intermediate jet...

maybe she will start easier - and keep running...

 rust never sleeps on the coast...

maybe less than twenty kicks... 

Kurust time...

she fired on two and took eight to run...

 brushes on blue... 

so I got my gear and... then she wouldn't start again...

and dries black...  

finally a lovely ride in the first sun of March...

rust and pitted alloy - the patina of coastal life

testing, testing, one, two, three, testing... is anybody out there?...

 strange, very strange, (the orford ness)
pic http://jennyantillsblog.blogspot.co.uk

Christine is festering in the garage...

I miss having her around the house, to contemplate over a beer...

mostly there isn't a mobile signal , some may find that a blessing...

the local roads are covered in pig shit and road salt...

you do get bigger bones for your dog here...

the laptop went pop, just as the broadband was installed...

used all the logs I bought feeding the log burner...

got a new iMac and found it won't run my old software...

junked the (two) storage heaters and bought rads to get some heat... 

took johnnie to the vets and they removed a lump on his neck... 

(he's OK, its not malignant, thank fuck)

my first cleaning job on monday, two months since moving here...

eaten crab, pheasant, smoked hams, glorious pork, smoked kippers...

and drunk a lot of Adnams bitter...

its not all bad, not bad at all...

had enough charlie?

 virgin whiteout

oooohhhhh

the view to the east 

Smile

castle frolics

awake! fire! fear! foes! awake!

aladdins cave found in fishing port... well it was... back in the day...

A seventy mile round trip on a cold but crisp Saturday up the coast

to Tod Monks emporium in Lowestoft, Britains most easterly town

featured a couple of Iron Heads, and his
84' early evo engined chop with shovel gearbox

The shop was an old electricity sub station and features this walk in safe! 

Most of the floors were covered in original intrically patterned victorian tiles...

Tod's T140 chop, a veteran of cross europe jaunts, waiting its turn.

A veritable aladdins cave, room after room of parts and workshops...

 

Tod tells me he's managed to clear some of the bikes and engines and parts he has collected in the last sixteen years... - haha
no shovel stuff though...

Coffee and a chat with led to a bit of a tour, he mentioned that Chris Ireland of 'Desperate Dan' fame comes in from time to time and also bikes of harley chaps from the 'smoke' who've found their wonga goes a bit further up here.

and (fan fare) - the bitch started first kick!

greetings from the east coast brothers and sisters

So a preliminary visit to a local test station and told that they had no issue with the the rear seat and no footrests - result. 

But the morning of the test I realised that without a chain guard, the so-called rear seat had to come off. Fuck, and a last minute wheel removal too.

And a Fail! 

Handlebar bushings loose, funny how you get used to somethings 

 The one old year old rubber crap above, 
replaced with new polyurethane bushings 

a £3.50 fix and a Pass,

and a celebratory trip down the road to the coast

Suffolk time

Not a day to be repeated in a hurry

 Me, the bitch and two likely lads of Mr Reliable Removals

home sweet home

A slightly stressy day

Mr Reliable were an hour late (due to traffic)

and it rained all day.

Loaded and off by 1.45pm we then got a phone call in the car at 4.00pm  to say the funds had not been transferred by the solicitors bank.

 Loyds TSB that had nationwide problems.

We could not get a regular signal on the mobile in the car.

At 4.45pm we were granted a licence to move in with permission 

of the property owner.

We arrive at 5pm we arrive and so do the agents with Keys, thank fuck.

No Removal Trucks in sight.

The luton van with the bitch on board arrives at 5.30pm

fortunately the guys had picked up another mate on route to help unload.

At 6.00 pm th big truck arrives and we are all unloaded by 8.30pm.

Still pissing down with rain.

Then at 9.00 pm Mrs Arcadian and I walked down to the local pub and had

a few drinks.

Pheeeeewwwwwwwww.

I finally succumbed to the siren call...

Orford, Suffolk

So the bags are packed, the bitch, the dogs and mrs arcadian 

are off tomorrow morning for good.

They tell me there is free wifi in the local so catch you all later.

and remember...

a Shovel is not just for Christmas

Beer is best

its my birthday and I'll ride if I want to...

now we've got 89 years between us...

Bugger.

Newlands corner, strangely devoid of choppers - or other bikes

'Fuck I've got no cash on me for a cup of tea!'

I got off Christine, not realising I'd voiced my thoughts out loud

And this chap in the van said 'here you go mate' and gave me two quid.

And then this other bloke came up, asked if he could take a picture of Christine 

and told me how much he liked my bike.

Its not all bad.

I had two cups of tea too.

why does it hurt when I pee...

my rocker screws are always weeping, no matter what I try

 it may be because the brass oil kit flows too much oil

brass and steel fittings can be a problem, I managed to cross thread this one

 

 and a half hour job turned into two hours...