ianfsimmet Posted May 25, 2008 Report Share Posted May 25, 2008 sorry folks for late post, but raiding group catching 09.45 ferry at ardrossan for a rumble round arran..and across.. nothing spectactular apart from catching the views etc, and of course perhaps a cafe stop..... or two all welcome, plan to return on ferry about fourish or nearest to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott D Posted May 27, 2008 Report Share Posted May 27, 2008 Hi Ian. Did you manage Arran yesterday? Arrived at 935, too late for the 945 ferry with Zane. Headed to Largs to kill time, went around Mullport, then returned to Ardrossan for 1230 ferry. We headed to Lochranza intending to cut across the string road to get back for the last ferry (1920). Passed en-route by a bunch of 6 going anti-clockwise (noticed an EK road jersey amongst them).. maybe you saw them later? Sunshine and love of cakes won over though, and we didn't make it past Lochranza Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DavieR Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Scott, Ian Simmet, John Duffy and me caught the 9.45 ferry for Brodick bathed in glorious sunshine. Ian and John had not been on our last trip to the island, Ian has just come back from a shoulder operation, this was to help an injury he sustained a few months back, when at a cafe stop a woman in front of him was about to buy the last remaining slice of banana cake, in a blind panic Ian attempted a shoulder charge, slipped on his cleats and charged head first into the cake display injuring his shoulder on a rock cake. His only consolation was that he ended up sitting on the slice of banana cake, so in the end the woman in front of him never did get to taste its delights. John was more of a worry than Ian, he had been given a week end pass from Carstairs, the doctors assured me he would be ok as long as he took his medication, 8 tablets every 4 hours!!! It being a holiday week end the boat was full, and bikes were lashed together at every available pole on the car deck. By the time we found somewhere for the bikes, the ferry was already off and we had lost sight of John, we eventually found him on the top deck sitting next to 2 Swedish girls, Olga and Helena, he had told them his name was Stevie Blom and he was a successful psychiatric doctor working at Carstairs Hospital for the criminally insane, a quick check of his pockets confirmed he had not taken his 9.30 medication, he was frog marched to the cafe by 2 Cledonia MacBrayne members of staff who stood over him until he swallowed his pills. By this time we were at Brodick, Ian and me cycled off the ferry, John was thrown off. We decided to ride the coastal route in an anti clockwise direction, a brief stop at Sannox for the toilet facilities and then off again heading for the climb before Lochranza. The first half of the climb was quite hard as we were protected from the wind and the temperature was high, we took it steady and stayed pretty much together, as we rose up the wind could be felt but fortunately it was at our backs and felt like a gentle hand pushing us along, if only it could always be like that. We all felt so good we did not stop at the top, now for the good bit, the descent, from top to bottom we did not encounter any traffic except half way down an elderly couple coming the other way on bikes, we passed them at a small bridge, where the road dips and turns slightly to the right, we were going so fast that he stopped at the bridge wall, I did not know he was there and just as I passed he stuck his head out from behind the wall and was going to wipe a snotter from the end of his nose, but there was no need, I did it for him with my right shoulder. Once we were at the bottom, Ian told me I had wiped the guys nose at 50mph, and he didn't even say thanks. On through Lochranza and back to the coast where the wind was in our face and gusty at times, but the road is fairly flat with only one uphill bit which is fairly short before we hit Machrie for lunch. Coffee, rolls and cake were the order of the day. John said he would take care of the bill, so Ian and me waited outside, after some time there was a bit of a stramash inside the cafe, John had told the owner his name was Stevie Blom and he was a well known celebrity chef in London, and was thinking of buying the cafe so he could turn it into a soft furnishings showroom. A quick check of John's pockets confirmed he had not taken his 12.30 pills. Two officers of Arrans finest stood over him until he swallowed his pills. Ian and me walked out of the cafe, John was thrown out, in all the confusion he did not pay the bill, he said, "told you I'd take care of it." Now for the second half of the island, which is a bit lumpy to say the least, but I have to say we all found our own pace on each climb and made it round as far as Whiting Bay where we found a shop to buy water as our bottles were completely dry. A brief stop to fill them up and off again heading for Lamlash, once there its only three miles to Brodick but there is a mighty climb before escaping the clutches of the town. Rehydrated, and full of confidence, John said "nae bother" and off he went at the foot of the climb, of course from previous experience I know that there are three climbs one after the other, so Ian and me took the softly, softly approach at the beginning, at the top of the first rise the road levels for about 100 meters, half way along sits a bus stop, and standing there was a rather attractive female, unfortunately, attractive, was not the best way to describe John, at this time. As John tried desperately to look as suave and debonnaire as possible in front of the young lady, I rode past and said those immortal words, "nae luck ya dobber," as I climbed the second rise all I could hear was, "you're a dead man Raymond, and I've no taken ma pills yet." We arrived in Brodick at 4.15, and Ian very kindly bought the coffee and cakes while we waited for the ferry. Due to the number of cars, bikes and passengers we left Brodick half an hour late, we found three comfortable chairs in the lounge and spent the crossing with our shoes off and eyes shut, as we approached Ardrossan the captain announced over the tannoy that he wished Ian and me to join him on the bridge, John was nowhere around. We made our way to the bridge and found John already there, he told the captain his name was Stevie Blom and he had once been the captain of the QE2, and that he was sailing into Arrdrossan with the ferry facing the wrong way! A quick check of John's pockets showed us he had not taken his 4.30 pills. Once again two officials stood over him until he swallowed them down. Ian and me cycled off the ferry, John was thrown off by the captain and told, " you will never set sail on a Cal Mac ferry ever again Mr. Blom." We had such a good time we are thinking of doing it every Sunday, and invite everone to join us, except Mr. Blom of course, just can't behave himself, that one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 What a brilliant report Davie The scary thing is, it's all believable! Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
man5e Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Once again Davie excellent reading. A good laugh. I met Mr Blom who told me he once owned a Colnago. Aw haud on, that's the real one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianfsimmet Posted May 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 what a wopper ,, davy yer talents are wasted on that bike ....stick writing, glad to see yev mastered the paragraph thingy ...brill stuff my man cheers ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DavieR Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Frank, Of course its all true, it would take me at least a week to think up a story like that. What is really scary, is I so enjoyed the day I'd gladly do it again, just don't know if I would do it with Duffy/Blom, or whoever the hell he was again!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Blom Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Messrs Manson surely this post has to be one of the best since this forum has been up and running?? Took me an hour to read it right enough but every part simply superb. Who needs George Stewart!!!!! Stevie B. P.s. Pick oan some other Nugget Raymond Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DavieR Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Stevie, It took you an hour to read it!! It only took 15 minutes to write it!! Whats the matter with you? Madonna, the Beckhams, Jordan would all pay thousands of pounds for this kind of publicity. Another couple of stories like this and we'll be reading about you in the gossip columns of the People's Friend! And all you can say is, "gonnae no dae that" yer aff yer heid man! And by the way, don't shoot the messenger, it was Duffy who was using your name all day to get himself out of the scrapes he got himself into, tell him to find another nugget to pick on.(this should now show a little smiley face, but I cannay get it to work) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DavieR Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Stevie, It took you an hour to read it!! It only took 15 minutes to write it!! Whats the matter with you? Madonna, the Beckhams, Jordan would all pay thousands of pounds for this kind of publicity. Another couple of stories like this and we'll be reading about you in the gossip columns of the People's Friend! And all you can say is, "gonnae no dae that" yer aff yer heid man! And by the way, don't shoot the messenger, it was Duffy who was using your name all day to get himself out of the scrapes he got himself into, tell him to find another nugget to pick on.(this should now show a little smiley face, but I cannay get it to work) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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