The Portmeirion Weekend in November is becoming an established event in the calendar for folder enthusiasts. This year we are hoping - technology permitting - to send an illustrated report to our web site each evening of the event.
Mid-week, and I think I deserve to enjoy the holiday, so this is going to be a shorter report today. We took some pictures, but nothing of great significance, so we'll save these for the full report at the weekend.
The main outing was to Caernarfon, a round trip of about 48 miles. 10 of us did the ride, using quite a variety of cycles - 3 SP Bromptons, 2 Bike Fridays, 1 Birdy, 1 Panasonic Traincyle,1 standrad Brompton, a Longstaff tricycle and Phillipa Wheeler on the motorised Micro (using pedal power most of the way). We used the main A4085 on the way up - very little traffic, no really fierce inclines and some good views. Our morning coffee stop was at Beddgelert. Lunch was taken in Caernarfon itself, before returning mainly by a good cycle path. We suffered a puncture on the Birdy (16 inch Primo tyres), and as the patch did not hold, a second repair was required. With the light fading, and some riders having not particularly powerful lights, we had to press on rather faster than we would have liked on the return journey.
As the above report indicates, the Traincyle was operational again after the punctures reported yesterday, but the attempt to patch the original plastic tube was unsuccessful, and Paul had to substitute a new conventional rubber tube bought in a cycle shop in Porthmadog.
While some of us were out on the Caernarfon ride, Pauline and Gary Lovell were also having an exciting day - they were chased by a huge, ferocious dog for the whole length of the Porthmadog causeway; when the dog was captured, the police refused to take any interest! While in Portmadog, Pauline and Gary found a book by Peter Henshaw (on Harley Davidson motorcycles) in a bookshop. After all this, Gary needed a Mars bar at dinner (not accompanied by Marianne Faithful, much to his disappointment).
Folding Society home page | Event reports
Copyright (C)1999 Ferrets Anonymous
Last updated: 1 December 1999
URL: http://www.whooper.demon.co.uk/foldsoc/pmrep99w.html