Ireland Day 2 – Old School

Simon was up early, opening up the community centre for a market, returning later to take his BMW motorcycle for a MOT. This allowed me a little time to waffle on for your entertainment, hopefully. I’m trying not to get behind but forgive me dear readers if life gets in the way

Bruton, in Somerset was almost on my way, perhaps a bit too close for my meandering ways. Continuing the tenuous theme of revisiting my past I decided to go see the institution where I’d spent some formative years, learning the things that they couldn’t teach me. School was out thankfully, seeing my latter day equivalents might have triggered stronger feelings, as it was the stench of my teenage loneliness and despair still lingered in the air. It might have been the maggot farm on Creech Hill.

On to Chippenham to visit another friend from that different country, temporally remote and strange in its customs. He’d laid on a spread and was understandably miffed that my indirect progress made me later than expected. A relaxed and rare opportunity to eat well and catch up, another reminder that there is life outside London and it dances to a different tune.

My hip was giving me grief, a dull ache building to stabbing, screaming pain after 30 mins or so in the saddle. Nothing to be done for it, I stopped frequently on the long and congested haul down the M4 meeting the same group of friends on bikes (Andrew, Stuart and Michael from Minehead I think). I had considered heading up to Brecon for some more scenic action and perhaps to camp but in the end I gritted my teeth and did the miles to Haverfordwest where the Hotel Mariners provided a bed, bath and base for bar crawling.

Crawl I did, experiencing karaoke at the Farmers Arms, banter with the bouncer JD at the Three Crowns (where Guinness was cheeper than 3 crowns) and on to the Greyhound where I befriended Karim. Apologies if I’ve got his name wrong it was late. He bought me a pint and shared his rum and coke ( literally a bottle of rum and a can of coke) and stories, on the bench outside and then later back at his place around the corner. So late was I back to the hotel that I had to ring the bell, I slept well.