Now I'm committed, as many people say I should be.

I don't know how Geoff finds the time to write these blogs. I'm busier than a one-toothed man at a corn on the cob eating contest. I do know after reading his blog that he obviously has an inferiority complex with my physical stature. It probably started when he first met Mark Wallis 6'4'' and myself 6'6'' at the Motochallenge. Many a time I get asked what the weather is like up there, I'm no meteorologist but I'm sure Mark has his own weather system. If Im 'Herman' he's 'Sherman.' Mark was kind enough to let us sample his culinary skills at his house one weekend. A marvellous chef indeed (unfortunately he obviously keeps those skills to himself too often). Keep the pies warm Mark, for when we collapse on your doorstep looking like illegal immigrants that just fell out of the back of a Parcel Marceau lorry.

Anyway I digress. Geoff informed me that as a way to relieve the guilt of selfishly travelling the world, he would be raising money for St. Teresa's, his local hospice in Darlington. An excellent idea. It was only fair I should do the same for my local hospice in Braintree. Farleigh Hospice is based next to Broomfield hospital in Chelmsford and has two satellites, one in Braintree and Maldon. The Braintree one is closing at the end of March as their lease at the old St. Michael's hospital site is ending. As a result they are starting a scheme called the HOP-Hospice Outreach Project. The first mobile hospice in the country. For information please read this page- http://www.farleighhospice.org/supporting-farleigh-hospice/the-hop.cfm

The total amount we need to raise to purchase and equip this specially designed vehicle is £155,000, with a further £77,000 required for the specialist nursing and healthcare staff needed to operate the HOP and its services for a whole year.
Please sponsor me to help to make this possible!
Thankyou.
http://www.justgiving.com/alankelly1

Pies have a crust, earth has a crust, coincidence? These are some of my favourite things.

'It's a small world mate...' I suppose it is if you live in your own small world. Your home, workplace, social circle, maybe the odd holiday in Spain. That's your world. On a tourbus in Ibiza, we were told of a 90yr old lady who lived three miles from the sea, and in all her years, never left the village to see the coastline. The world is huge and I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to experience as much of it as they can.
It's the same with pies, what's the point of having a pie if you can't experience as much as possible? The quest for pie started after Geoff, my brother Steve and I rode our motorcycles to Scotland last year, only to get as far as the Lake District. The village of Boot in Eskdale, just south of the Hardknott Pass, without a doubt has the best steak and ale pie in the country, served in the Boot Inn. If you try it and think you know better then please let us know!
I blame pie for forcing Geoff and I further afield in our quest. He suggested every capitol city in Europe, and I prefered the idea of the U.S.A. You only have to look at the average American to know the pies are good.
Pies aside, (please never let me say that ever again) Geoff noticed a convenient piece of land that almost connects Europe and America. Russia. My pint glass was empty so I raised an eyebrow. After several colourful metaphors were exchanged, I discovered there is actually a road being built across the whole width of Russia. People have crossed it on motorcycles before there was a road (read the book Mondo Enduro) so it should be relatively easy.
I've never been one to do things by half, so that was that, we are going around the world. All we needed was money and two bikes. Simple. I keep a spherical glass paperweight as a reminder to keep things simple. A sphere is the shape that has the smallest surface area compared to its volume. It requires the least amount of energy to form. A perfect minimal surface structure. Just like the Earth itself. Nature often does things the easy way or by seeking the lowest energy level. Just like most bikers I know. We are riding our bikes in a full circle. The circle of life. It all ties up nicely like a Scooby Doo ending.

If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand.

Those black clouds look ominous, I hope they aren't...too late, hailstones large enough to sting through my leathers. To be in England in the summertime... A quick glance at the clocks caked in ice begged the question, 'Why am I doing this?' I was on my way to Santa Pod raceway on my Triumph speed triple to begin Nick sanders Motochallenge 2004. I must be mad. On the contrary, I said to myself. Happiness is all about finding the right balance. A motorcycle is the perfect example of balance. Balance to stay upright, between pleasure and pain, between sane and insane. It doesn't matter what life throws at you, there is no better way of experiencing life than on a fast motorcycle. So many people assume bikers must have a death wish. The exact opposite is true. We are well aware of our mortality. We experience the environment first hand, most car drivers are aware of nothing. When you're alone inside your head on a motorcycle, it only takes a few minutes to remind yourself that however mundane life can get, it is glorious. That was why I spent the next eight days travelling nearly 3000 miles around Britain with a group of like-minded motorcyclists.
The Motochallenge of Great Britain was organised (for 'organised' read 'chaos') by the fastest man around the world on a motorcycle Nick Sanders. It was like a treasure hunt without the treasure, incorporating drag racing, hill climbing and short circuit racing. I was fortunate enough on the first 'organised' day to get lost with Mark Wallis, who enjoyed a laugh as much as a pie, his laughter lines and waistline proves my theory, Lee Crahart whose bike was as unsuitable for touring as mine, (we both adopted the idea of follow someone and blame them when we got lost,) and Geoff Thomas, who lived only two miles from me and being avoided by most because as a courier, we concluded he must ride like a nutter. Geoff had proudly visited as many Hein Gericke stores on his way to Santa Pod, gaining as many points as possible, without realising this was unneccesary. The idea was dropped after the first motochallenge of 2003. His competitive efforts were admirable. As were his efforts to ask everyone if they would be so kind as to extract themselves from his immediate vicinity. I concluded this bloke could prove to be a rich source of mirth, and to this day, still is.