12 months since retiring from riding - how has it gone?

In my early 60's on the Blackbird - a tad light on good skills

Regular readers will remember that I made a series of posts in 2010 and 2011 about motorcycling, the ageing rider and what steps might be useful to prolong one's riding in a competent manner. I was in my early 60's at the time. The posts attracted the attention of well-known U.S - based motorcycle author David Hough and some lively correspondence followed.  In a direct but constructive manner, David called me out to actually do something concrete about future-proofing my own riding.  The first step was to sell the heavy, tall Blackbird and get a lower, lighter bike in the shape of a Triumph Street Triple.  No loss in performance for the type of riding I did and many benefits.

Leaving for the 1600 km in under 24 hours Grand Challenge event - 2010 

From occasional incidents over the years, there was clear room for skills improvement.  I'd never had an independent assessment of my riding and to cut a long story short, I decided to enroll with the NZ branch of IAM RoadSmart UK, which uses Police Roadcraft as the basis of its advanced training.  The initial assessment in early 2011 was quite a shock to the ego but I stuck with it and passed my Advanced Test in late 2011.  The total benefits from taking this option can't be understated and they were detailed HERE .  The journey of upskilling continued, eventually becoming a mentor and Examiner.  As well as a massive increase in my skillset to keep me safe, other benefits such as the value of humility and helping to upskill others had a much wider personal impact and will continue to do so.  Making lifelong friends with people on the same journey was a genuine privilege too. Without doubt, continuous upskilling enabled me to keep riding longer than it would have otherwise done.  I still find myself informally assessing other road users which is a good means of  remaining sharp and staying out of trouble.  You will understand that my wife is excluded from assessment as I don't want to be sucking hospital food through a straw.

IAM trackday 2016 on the GSX-S 1000 (courtesy Barry Holland)

The other critical part of discussions with David Hough and others was about the difficult decision of when it's time to consider retiring from riding. In hindsight, this discussion was to be incredibly useful because there was plenty of time to plan for an angst-free retirement from riding at a future point in time.  Reaching that point very much depends on the individual rider and their circumstances but sooner or later, it's something that all of us are going to face.  Surely it's better to plan for that eventuality than suddenly being faced with the end of a lifetime's passion?

In a nutshell, having a fallback interest or two seems to be the most appropriate means of softening the inevitable change.  In my case, owning a runabout for sea fishing was to become one of the options as it was a pastime which Jennie enjoys too.  Ok, let's be honest ....  she's actually better at it than I am!  Travel is another interest which we both share although that has been partially screwed up by the global impact of Covid.  

Ready for another day of being out-fished by Jennie

However, Covid lockdowns were also largely responsible for some serious thought about retiring from riding sooner rather than later.  There wasn't a "lightbulb" moment but a dawning realisation that I'd achieved all I wanted from a 58 year riding career.  Enjoying a series of challenges during that time through competitive drag racing, long distance endurance events, track days, occasional trail riding and formal upskilling had largely satisfied the urge.  My role as an IAM Examiner often required 500 km days in all weathers and they were becoming less attractive - the one downside of living in a remote rural area.  Also at the back of my mind was the fact that if I did have an accident, a body in its 70's wasn't going to recover quickly.  A serious consideration not only for me but the potential impact on the wider family. 

Out with fellow IAM member Tony and his wicked MT10 SP

Having some fallback interests meant that I could now seriously entertain the thought of stopping riding with no regrets and perhaps surprisingly, the prospect didn't feel like a big deal at long last.  I'd like to think that was largely due to the planning mentioned above.  It was made even easier by an almost throwaway comment by Jennie that we should look at buying a classic car so that we could have even more fun together.  My best friend in the UK is a classic car owner as well as a motorcyclist and after some conversations with him, it seemed like a great way to keep occupied, given my interests and background.  Bloody hell, actually choosing something which appealed to both the CEO and me was a major mission, resulting in sulks and pouty lips for a few months but we finally settled on an MGB GT, a choice never regretted.  The difficult background to that acquisition has been detailed in previous posts but it was serendipitous in one respect.  1972 was the year of manufacture and also the year we got married!

A fine day on the Coromandel Peninsula with the MGB GT

With the decision having been made, the KTM was advertised for sale and the delivery ride to the new owner was surprisingly unsentimental.  I guess this was due to all the prior preparation for retirement, even if the actual endpoint wasn't known.  After retirement, another potential interest also popped up, partially as a means of staying fit as I got older.  I had owned an old road bicycle for at least 30 years but the steep hills in our area combined with age was an issue.  What about an e-mountain bike which would enable me to use it on the many bike trails in our area whilst being kind to my damaged knees?  I took delivery of the Giant E+1 in June 2022 and it's been huge fun, having covered just under 2000 km since then.  Ummm.... we'll skip over falling off and breaking a rib just after taking ownership due to getting a shoelace caught on a pedal.  That won't happen again due to a change of shoes and pedals!  Riding motorcycles has been a real bonus for riding an MTB though, despite the mishap.  Situational awareness, balance and braking to name but 3 benefits.

The Medlock MTB trail, Coromandel

So in summary, giving up a passion (an obsession according to Jennie) hasn't been as difficult as it might otherwise have been, thanks to a bit of planning which effectively started a decade ago. The year since selling the bike has passed quickly with plenty of interests to keep occupied.  I'm still interested in motorcycles but quite happy not to own one.  Not the slightest regret and I guess that it's as close to a perfect outcome as one could hope for!  Still have most of my riding gear, but I'll get round to selling that in due course.

I hope that this post has been of interest to anyone else who has similar decisions to make in due course.

How new challenges normally start!

2022 - Ringing the changes

It's the time of the year when many moto bloggers traditionally review the previous 12 months.  For me, it was a significant time for several reasons - stopping motorcycling and meeting some people for the first time that I'd corresponded with for well over a decade to name but a couple of things.  I've noted some items which had the greatest personal impact, accompanied by previously unpublished photos where appropriate.  

January

Retirement as an Examiner with the Institute of Advanced Motorists was on 1st January 2022 after joining in early 2011.  My standard of riding when first joining fell woefully short of the UK Police Roadcraft standard which was used to assess my skills at that time.  The Chief Examiner called them "Opportunities for Improvement". He was right, but he could have said that I was crap and put myself at risk - I wouldn't have been offended as that's what joining was for.  Passing my Advanced Test, then the Observer (mentor/instructor) Test and finally becoming an Examiner over those years were all something I didn't think I was capable of.  Awarded Life Membership of IAM in 2021 which still doesn't sit particularly comfortably.  Being able to pass those skills on to others gave enormous satisfaction and has also enabled me to safely extend my driving as I age - all part of the plan.  No downside at all.  I still find myself assessing other road users which is a useful way of staying safe. Unless of course, it's a loved one.  In that case, better to keep one's mouth shut or risk death.

The KTM 790 - a real hoot!

February/March

Near as dammit to 58 years since riding my first motorcycle. During that time, I'd done tons of road riding, successfully campaigned a drag bike, enjoyed some track days, done some trail riding and raised my personal riding competence.  Still loved riding but there was nothing new I wanted to achieve.  For some years, I'd had highly productive discussions with Australian moto blogger Jules Pearce of Tarsnakes fame and eminent American motorcycle safety author David Hough about the ageing motorcyclist and appropriate strategies.  Approaching 75, I decided to retire from motorcycling whilst near the top of my game, rather than being forced to by declining health or competence. All the planning over the previous decade made the decision surprisingly easy.  It might have been different if motorcycling was the only passion but I had some strong fallback interests to build on plus a new one in the wings, so to speak.

A social outing with great friends

In early March, the KTM was advertised for sale and I was amazed at the considerable positive demand.  The first caller was the owner of a motorcycle business I'd used to service my bikes for decades.  International supply chain issues were impacting on their ability to procure bikes for sale.  He offered what I was asking and the deal was done.  That last ride to the dealer was unsentimental, probably because of all the preparatory thinking and planning for retirement over multiple years.  All done and onto the next stage of life.  Well, I still have my riding gear, helmet, comms units and so on to get rid of but no urgency!

April

With the bike gone, it was time to put some effort into the maintenance of our 1972 MGB GT.  Overall, it was in superb condition but the twin SU carbs were showing their age.  They were sent to an Auckland classic car specialist for a full rebuild.  

Carbs locked together to stop linkages flying apart during removal

The rebuild was a tad over NZ$1000 - would it be value for money?  The difference was like night and day!  Much easier to start and heaps more bottom end and mid-range power - great result!

A nice photo opportunity also presented itself.  My mate Paul had successfully bid on a 1971 Seeley G50 Matchless ultra lightweight racebike being auctioned online by Bonhams in the UK during the pandemic.  It had been raced by well-known UK rider Dave Croxford.  Shipping delays and then having it restored in NZ meant that he had only recently taken delivery of the finished bike.  Here's a photo of Paul's 51 year old Seeley Matchless alongside our 50 year old MGB GT.

Two classics from the same era

May

Good weather offered Jennie and I the chance for some fishing from our runabout and we were able to re-stock the freezer with some nice snapper.  Honours were even for a change, even though she traditionally catches more.  Gracious about it?  No way!

A spectacular day just outside Coromandel Harbour

That's dinner taken care of!

I'd procrastinated for decades about having a couple of watches restored which sat at the bottom of a drawer.  One was an Omega wristwatch owned since I was 21.  The other was a pocket watch and chain given to me by my maternal grandfather.  Time to spring into action as we'd recently discovered an elderly watchmaker who was prepared to restore them.  There was quite an international search to find parts which were no longer manufactured but finally, they were both ready.  Collection was surprisingly emotional because of the memories associated with them.  Wonderful how inanimate objects trigger forgotten memories eh?  An unexpected surprise was the valuation which the watchmaker put on them.  Quite a shock actually and they'll be heirloom items for our adult kids.  Hopefully, not for a good many years!

Memories are made of these....

June

In March, I ordered an e-mountain bike which was delayed due to international supply chain issues.  Ordinary cycling (at least to this old geezer) is a challenge on the Coromandel Peninsula as there's stuff-all flat land near us.  Getting an e-mountain bike would give access to the many off-road trails and help to maintain my fitness.  Not everything went to plan though.  Although fairly proficient on the dirt, I displayed stunning incompetence on our property. Returning from a ride and catching a shoelace on a serrated pedal right outside our garage saw me hit the deck and break a rib - bugger!  No sympathy from Jennie, ego damage for me and no riding for a few weeks.

Hill climbing on the Giant Talon e+1

July/August

July saw both high and low achievements.  The high was very high - our Golden (50th) wedding anniversary.  Still can't believe what a lucky guy I am, not least for Jennie's tolerance and our 3 wonderful adult kids who have clearly inherited their mother's brains and looks.

       1972 - Morris 1100                                     2022 - 1972 MGB GT 

Something special about 1972!

The day after our anniversary celebration lunch with friends and neighbours, I tested positive for Covid and Jennie tested positive the following day.  Apparently, we'd picked it up at a pub quiz a few days beforehand.  Embarrassingly, about half the people attending the lunch became infected but fortunately, none of us were seriously affected.  We had to cancel celebrations with our family scheduled for the following weekend but were able to hold them shortly afterwards.  Much of August was spent taking it fairly easy, recovering from Covid and my damaged rib before tackling anything too strenuous.

September

It is 60 years since the MGB was first manufactured and there were international celebrations to mark the occasion. We drove to Auckland to take part in a gathering of around 100 cars, representing virtually every year and model type.  A great day.

Some of the MGB's on display in Auckland

I also belong to an international MG internet forum and was told that a photo of our car had been selected for their 2023 MGB calendar, October to be precise.  An unexpected and humbling result.  This is the photo they chose.

"Miss October" 2023

October

Three notable events this month.  The first was that I turned 75 - eek... 3/4 of a century!  I guess you're as young as you feel.  Jennie once said that it was like living with a 5 year old but I don't think she was referring to youthful looks!  I'm just glad that we both enjoy pretty good health and are still active.  Also associated with my birthday was a present from my closest friend, Rick in the UK.  We'd grown up on motorcycles and Rick is also a classic car owner.  He'd managed to find a genuine service and repair manual issued to dealerships for our MGB.  So much better than the Haynes manuals in every respect and I was extremely moved to receive such a rare and useful gift.

Engineering porn - an official MGB service manual 

The other noteworthy event was meeting someone from the UK for the first time whom I'd corresponded with for over a decade.  A keen motorcyclist, Roy Blunt had been a spectator at drag race meetings back in the 60's which I'd competed in.  After coming across the blog, he got in touch and we'd corresponded ever since. Roy and his wife Dawn are classic car enthusiasts, owning a Hillman Imp and a Triumph Spitfire.  Covid disrupted their plans to tour NZ but this year, they finally managed an organised tour of Australia and NZ.  There was a narrow window in their schedule which allowed us to get together for a few hours mid-point between Coromandel and Auckland, thanks to a member of the NZ Hillman Car Club, Brian Baylis.  Brian drove them to the meeting point in his classic Sunbeam Rapier and we all hit it off together with much laughter and irreverence.  Wonderful that we'd finally been able to meet and get along so well.

Jennie, Dawn, Roy and Brian at Kaiaua

A while back, Roy sent me a photo of him sitting on a supercharged Hillman Imp-engined drag bike called Impulse.  I knew the original owner from competing at the same meetings.  Impulse held a number of records back in the 60's and has recently been restored to its former glory by new owners.  Here it is:

Roy on Impulse (courtesy: Roy Blunt)

November

Cycling on the e-mountain bike has been a lot of fun, giving access to a lot of out of the way places and keeping me fit, progressively using less power assistance.  Despite the enforced layoff due to a broken rib, Covid and a horrendously wet winter; I racked up over 1000 km since the purchase in June. Farkle purchase has been limited to higher quality pedals and a carbon fibre drink holder (just 'cos it looks cool) but need some better cycling shoes for longer rides over summer.

About to cross a ford in the bush and get a wet arse

December

Everything seems to have happened in December!  We celebrated Jennie's 75th birthday which has stopped her calling me "Old Man" since my 75th in October.  Whilst on the classic car theme, here's a photo taken in 1971 with her first car, a Morris Minor.  Wonder if it's still about?  Probably not, given winter salt on the roads in the UK.

Arty (so 70's!) pose at sunset on Jennie's Morris Minor

We spent the Christmas period in Australia with our daughter and her husband.  Video calls excluded, we hadn't seen them for 18 months so it was a special reunion. Visiting a wildlife sanctuary north east of Melbourne, I had a close encounter with a wedge-tailed eagle. These are seriously big birds with a wingspan of up to 2.8 metres.  Trying to take a photo whilst it was approaching a tree perch right behind me, it actually brushed my hat.  Seeing huge talons and a large beak at that range is something best avoided but got a cool shot!

Preparing to duck!

One of the "must do" summer events is to attend the Boxing Day international cricket test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, aka the MCG or "The G".  Australia was playing South Africa and with nearly 69,000 spectators, it was quite an occasion.  On the downside, the heat was brutal and despite all normal precautions, I felt rather seedy that night.  However, a spectacle not to be missed.

A great occasion

Pre-match activity at the MCG

One genuine privilege of our visit to Australia was meeting another moto-blogger in person for the first time.  Jules Pearce writes the Tarsnakes blog and rides a wicked Kawasaki ZX (ZZR)1400.  We've corresponded for well over a decade and as mentioned earlier, we had some very productive sessions with US motorcycle safety author David Hough on strategies for the ageing rider.  Jules has also done some motorcycle trips in NZ but we've never met in person......... until now.  

The day before flying back to NZ, Jennie, daughter Victoria and I booked a ferry trip across Port Phillip Bay to Jules' home city of Geelong. What a wonderful day it turned out to be.  Spectacular weather, a great ferry trip and finally meeting Jules.  A lovely lunch all together, then Jules and I sat under a palm tree and set the world to rights whilst the girls went into town.  It was like we'd known each other forever, with relaxed, delightful conversation and was over far too quickly in order to return to Melbourne.  Jules, thanks for a very special day mate and there will be good food, a comfy bed and dodgy company whenever you cross the Ditch!

Jules Pearce and yours truly at Geelong

So that concludes the year.  Fifty eight years of motorcycling now over, no regrets and lots of other interests to look forward to over the coming years.  Meeting old friends in person for the first time, celebrating a special anniversary, catching up with family and more besides.  Hasn't been a bad year, despite all the international doom and gloom.

Looking over what I've written and despite the deeply unpleasant things which are happening in the world, it's still possible to have a positive spin on life and try to pay it forward and help others.  I wish everyone who reads this blog a wonderful and safe 2023.  May it be the light at the end of the tunnel!

A new chapter beckons

It's been as near as dammit to 58 years since I got my first motorcycle.  I clearly remember cycling as a UK schoolboy to the nearby coffee bar to watch riders on their British twins sticking a record on the jukebox and trying to complete a lap of the town centre before the record finished!  The freedom to do exciting stuff and explore new horizons had a massive impact on a hormonal teen.  It wasn't just me who was smitten long term with bikes.  My close friend Rick whom I grew up with is still riding at the same age (74) and was also a classic car owner long before me.

Regular readers of the blog will know that back in 2011 aged 63, I joined IAM RoadSmart NZ to learn Police Roadcraft advanced riding techniques.  This was principally to safely extend my riding as I aged, following some lively correspondence with US motorcycle safety guru David Hough.  In simple terms, he challenged me to actually do something formal to lift my game rather than just talk about it.  The 11 years that followed were the most rewarding of my riding career.  For the first time, I had tools to measure my own skills (or lack of) and once formal qualifications had been acquired, was able to pay it forward by helping other riders to upskill.  I've made some wonderful friends as a result and so many people to thank for helping me along the way that it's not possible to name everyone.  However, one person who I can never thank enough is Philip McDaid.  At that time, Philip was IAM Chief Motorcycle Examiner and also my principal mentor.  It goes without saying that Philip's riding skills are sublime but his teaching ability and complete lack of ego makes him very special indeed.  That humility and a passion for excellence is something which every IAM mentor in our region has personally adopted and built into the culture of the organisation.

 

Mentor, rider extraordinaire and friend, Philip McDaid

The on-going correspondence with David Hough before joining IAM morphed into discussions about "the ageing motorcyclist" and when it's time to stop riding.  Those discussions are HERE and HERE .  We also strongly agreed that when someone has had a lifelong passion which is coming to a close, motorcycling or otherwise; a fallback interest is necessary to stay mentally and physically healthy.  So to cut to the chase, that time has now arrived.

It would be very easy and enjoyable to continue to ride and the decision to stop is always going to be a personal one in terms of reasons.  I think that it would be good for me to document those reasons and perhaps it might trigger some thinking among "other riders of a certain age".

My riding career has been lengthy, varied and massively enjoyable.  To be forced to give it up at some indeterminate time because of future health issues or a decline in the standards which I set for myself would seem to be a completely inappropriate and sad way of ending a lifelong passion.  Surely it would be better to celebrate on my own terms with no regrets whilst still somewhere near the top of my game?  Having fallback interests to keep mentally and physically exercised was also a big contributor in the decision-making, otherwise it would have been far more difficult.  Come to think of it, I pretty much used the same approach when stopping competitive sailing in the 80's!

Interestingly, I hadn't been out on the KTM since mid-December due to competing priorities but had an early morning ride the other day in perfect conditions.  It took a few km to dial in but the grin factor was still there throughout the ride. However, despite the huge enjoyment; there was no second-guessing as to whether the decision to stop riding was the correct one.  That sort of sealed it.

Early morning ride on the Coromandel Peninsula

So what now?  Well, the bike is shortly coming up for its first fitness warrant after 3 years from new.  We'll get that out of the way and then put it up for sale.  Whether it sells quickly or takes a while doesn't really matter as there is no immediate urgency.  Those discussions with David Hough back in 2011 have enabled a pretty seamless transition away from motorcycling with no regrets and a lot of fond memories.  Here's to you David and enjoy your retirement from motorcycling too!

It's probably a sensible time to stop the blog too with classic cars, sea fishing and hopefully travel appearing on the horizon again but you never know. A decent e-bike is also on the shortlist as there's very little flat land where we live! The one thing I'll cherish is the interaction with other bloggers and people who left comments and actually meeting several of them in person.  It's been a wonderful window into other's lives from around the world.

Just to finish off,  I've had a sort through all my motorcycling photos and have selected a few of them to represent some of the milestones in a long motorcycling career.

This photo is me on the right aged 5 or 6, wearing Dad's helmet and goggles.  Clearly influenced at an early age.

Motorcyclist in training, circa 1952/53

Taken at the Isle of Man TT in 1969.  Just dressed in my "civvies" for cruising about in the town of Douglas on a non-race day.  I was riding my Tiger 100 and the Trophy belongs to my great mate Rick.  The young lady was on holiday from Scotland!

Quarter Bridge, Isle of Man TT 1969

Drag racing my supercharged short stroke Triumph at Santa Pod Raceway, UK. Details are in an early blog post.  It was in the top 3 of its class nationally for the quarter mile and world standard over the only standing start mile that I took part in.

Icarus at Santa Pod Raceway, 1969 (courtesy: Pete Miller)

Getting married then moving to New Zealand in 1975, starting a family and taking up competitive sailing put a stop to riding for a while but I started again in 1987.  I was in Auckland to buy a new sail but also ended up putting a deposit on a new bike from the motorcycle shop next door to the sailmaker.  Jennie wasn't best pleased and bought a piano at twice the price of the bike!

The Honda GB 400TT

Although I'd already bought the GB400, I found that my UK bike licence had expired and had to sit the NZ test.  The only small capacity bike I could borrow was a step-through Yamaha 50 belonging to a mate's wife.  I'm sure that the tester smelt a rat with me turning up in full riding gear and a full face helmet but he didn't say anything!

Heading off for my test - oh the shame!!

In the 90's, our eldest son was keen to ride a bike, much to his mother's disapproval so we bought an old Yamaha TS100 trail bike to ride on the local forest roads and fire breaks.  Naturally, I had to get one too, a second hand Yamaha IT 175 Enduro.  It had an exceedingly narrow power band and used to regularly spit me off on slow, tricky stuff in the forest. I was regularly covered in bruises but it was good fun for a few years until our son went to university.

Off-roading fun in the 90's

1996 saw the start of taking part in the Grand Challenge 1000 miles (1600 km) in under 24 hours organised endurance rides by the Rusty Nuts motorcycle club.  The first of 5 was with a bunch of workmates in what turned out to be appalling weather.  We made it with nearly an hour to spare but were physically wrecked at the end of it!  The bikes I did the events on were a BMW K100RS, a Honda Blackbird and a Triumph Street Triple.  The Triple was the most comfortable of the lot when doing my last 1000 miler in 2010!

1996 - middle of the night and about 500 miles to the finish!

I owned the Blackbird for about 8 years.  Unbelievably fast and in 2005, I completed the Southern Cross round NZ endurance challenge on it, covering around 4000 km in 5 days.  In 2007, 4 of us on Blackbirds toured the south island and had a ball over all the mountain passes.  Jennie was also a regular pillion on the 'bird and we had some real fun trips on it.  However, I do remember a rather public dressing-down when out for a ride with some friends and their wives with respect to us going a little quicker than the pillions were happy with.  That invoked applause and cheers from the onlookers where we stopped for a drink.  It would have been fatal to smile so we just looked at our feet and shuffled about a bit. 

Blackbirds galore

Retirement aged 60 in 2008 and a move to the twisty roads of Coromandel saw a lighter bike purchased in 2009 - a 675 Triumph Street Triple.  It was huge fun and proof that you didn't need a large capacity bike to make good progress.   The Triple saw me through all my IAM training and the photo below represents one of my proudest motorcycling moments - passing my Observer (mentor) Test.  This was something that I thought was completely out of my reach when first joining IAM but 3 years later, I was appointed as an Examiner.  Shows what's possible with a bit of determination and a fantastic mentor.  I might add that the 2 1/2 hour each way trips to Auckland, plus the training itself was "character forming", especially in the winter!

Philip McDaid and yours truly at the conclusion of the Observer Test

After having owned the Street Triple for a few years,  I made an uncharacteristic impulse purchase of a Suzuki GSX-S 1000 in 2015.  Amazing performance but I never connected with it.  It just goes to show how important an emotional connection is when buying a bike, not just the specifications or looks.  Having said that, I really enjoyed trackdays on the Suzuki where it was in its element.

Hampton Downs international race track, 2016 (courtesy: Barry Holland)

2019 saw me looking for a replacement bike.  I thought that it would be the 765 Street Triple but a test ride on a demo KTM 790 saw me laughing out loud inside the helmet.  Emotional connection well and truly established!  Three years later and I still laugh every time I ride it,  It can be ridden sensibly but it's one of those bikes that wants to misbehave.  Barring the Suzuki which didn't do much for me (how do you call a bike like that bland?), all the bikes I've owned have been enjoyable but the KTM has been so much fun.  An excellent way to end up.

Bad girl Lola - the KTM 790

So there we are, decision made, 5+ decades of fun and a lot to be thankful for.  A new chapter opens with more sea fishing, a classic car, an e-bike before too long and hopefully a bit of travel thrown in too!

Ready for another fishing expedition

With the 1972 MGB GT out in banjo country