Think Once, Think Twice, Think ...CATERHAM !

.........not bike, and certainly not bicycle, despite the entire 'Tour de France' being out on 'our route'!

They say three's a crowd, but in Sunriser terms it is the perfect number for an blat of epic proportions



Our merry sunrise menage-a-trois blasted off from our usual rendezvous point, at our usual speed.

However, there were differences on this particular run......unusually high numbers of roadkill, both already dead, and some that just got away with being mown down by 3 small Caterham shaped 'death missiles!' ....this was not helped by my wingmen throwing up dead rabbits behind them (I also caught sight of one very large stag beetle, banking hard over my nosecone, and then exploding somewhere behind me).



Our route took us over the Portsdown Hill ridge line, past Forts built to defend Portsmouth and it's dockyard from inland attack, and the 'Portsdown Odeon' sadly part-way through demolition as it is MOD property and subsequently not protected by building regulations (Some guys from the Urban Exploration Forum 'broke in' a while back and took some good photos that give you an idea of it's grandeur !)

In its heyday – from the 1950s to the 1970s - over two thousand scientists and technical staff of the Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment (ASWE, later renamed ARE) contributed their immense inventive and creative skills to the nation’s defence.

Also notable is a naval test station building , that looks like the top of a ship, but on the top of a hill:



Meeting up at 6.00am guarantees an almost empty route, as we headed down to Delias Diner on Hayling Island, now JR's Diner as Delia has moved on. A fantastic biker cum greasy spoon cafe run by a brilliant bloke who always seems to make time for a quick conversation. JR's is the absolute opposite of the 'Big Bucks' and Costa Packet' , and believe me that is a GOOD thing....too many of these gems of English culture are being swallowed up big chain cafes.



Owning a Caterham is quite an experience, from the NIMBY's always telling you to 'slow down' to meeting a guy on Hayling island who has a Jaguar D-Type replica in his garage - what other cars give you this !!!!

Another blat-scratch itched. Thanks Steve and Ian for organising.

Pics HERE

Camera: Olympus VR-310 & iPhone with Hipstamatic App


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