The Fabulous Lord Nelson Hotel
Sunday 2nd July 2006
Venue
The Lord Charles Hotel *****
Club Captain
Graham Johnson
Tail end Charlie
Carl Koch
In Attendance
22
Now that we’ve just passed the middle of the year, it is actually getting lighter in the morning. Lighter – but definitely not warmer. 60% rain showers had been predicted but only towards the latter part of the day, seems like we’d be ok for a dry ride. So starting the day with a temperature hovering around the 13° mark, I made damn sure I was kitted out with t-shirt and Nomads long sleeved fleecy top covered by my jacket with full lining. Running a tad later than I would have liked to have been, I nipped off to fill up with fuel then made my way through to Damelin.
Arriving at Damelin I must admit I was rather surprised to find just two motorcycles and they belonged to Kevin and Kevin. One Kevin being our Vice Chairman and the other Kevin being a visitor. In quick succession, Graham Alders arrived with Carl hot on his heels. Then of course our Club Captain arrived as did all the other folk that intended riding with the Nomads – destination Simons Town.
After consulting his GPS (Graham’s Personal Shadow) the route had been decided and here is how it went: - depart Damelin, take a left onto the de Waal Drive, up and over Kloof Nek and through to Hout Bay. From there it would be to Constantia Nek, past Tokai Forest, then ou Kaapse Weg. Once reaching Four Ways we’d swing a right then a left at Soetwater, through majestical Misty Cliffs, over Red Hill and finally into Simons Town (thanks Carl, goodness knows I’d end up in Hermanus if it weren’t for him!!)
Riding along de Waal Drive is actually quite pleasant at that time of the morning, not too much traffic about with some good decisive motoring about. Going over Kloof Nek was equally as pleasant as was the rest of the ride through to ou Kaapse Weg. Once however we’d taken the turn at Four Ways I found the roads not only narrow and decidedly twisty but incredibly bumpy too. The kind of roads one experiences after loads and loads of trucks have done their damage, almost pitted. The group had split ages ago and it was three lonely cavaliers on the tar – Carl, Gary and Sharron and yours truly. Not that I mind. Quite the contrary actually. But it was here on the road to Soetwater with Carl in the lead that I noticed ahead a dog lying on the side of the road. Not our side of the road though, it was lying towards the oncoming traffic. At the dogs side was a young chap with yet another dog it tow and as we passed him, the second dog ran straight out into the road towards Carl, who took evasive action by swerving quickly. Not satisfied with one bike, the dog made a brave attempt at chasing me too, I braked heavily just as the dog’s owner called out to him. Gary and Sharon were witness to the incident and could well prepare themselves for this traffic unfriendly monster.
Red Hill, is well. . . . . Red Hill. Three amazing hairpin bends, wet roads, sand and stones hanging about, and in my opinion has only one good thing going for it – the bottom of Red Hill!!! A right turn into Simons Town and The Lord Nelson Hotel awaiting us. What a fantastic venue. The staff, who incidentally have only been managing the hotel for a month, welcomed us with open arms. A wonderful pub area – smokers allowed – leading into a casual dining area beaming with rays of sunshine. A full English breakfast was the order of the day offering bangers, three of them, with two fried/scrambled eggs, rashers of bacon, mushrooms and tomato. Toast baskets arrived with blocks of butter, plus bottomless pots of tea/filter coffee – all this for the purse breaking cost of R35.00 per head. What fantastic value!! And such friendly staff, from the head chef to the barman to the waitrons, ok ok enough already. The chef was so obliging that for Yvonne he whipped up a cheese omelette, and I decided on a totally vegetarian breakfast, yup Apple pie with cream!! I didn’t hear one complaint and the breakfasts were devoured without delay.
We then got to chatting about the ride to the venue and discovered the story about the dog on the side of the road. It seems that Peter and Jacqui were riding along at the given speed of most of our club rides – a hundred and plenty – when all of a sudden Peter gasped words of fear into the motorcycle intercom that he was about to hit a large tan dog. Jacqui remembers fleetingly seeing something resemble a brown piece of cardboard perhaps flying out at them? How the two of them stayed on that bike, Lord alone knows. For as that dog ran out at the bike, Peter hit him with such a force that he could only have killed it instantly, perhaps breaking it’s neck and sending it to the other side of the road. It happened so quickly, as most things do, that Peter had no time to swerve or brake. Mark P was travelling behind the Cowman’s and stopped to investigate. Yes, the dog had died immediately and put the fear of God into anyone travelling on a motorcycle!!!! But that wasn’t the only thing to make one nervous. Ja, chatting to Graham Aldis who actually knows the folk who run the Lord Nelson Hotel, he told me some very informative rumours. Apparently in the very early 1900’s the Hotel was a house of ill repute – know what I’m saying?? Then of course there are two spirits on the first floor accommodation, and we’re not talking about Gin or Vodka!! Hhhhmmmm, seems there is a little girl and an older chap that can make one’s hair stand on end. Doesn’t frighten me one bit . . .ooops gotta go!!!
Mark’s a very interesting bloke you know, he served in the navy for a good couple of years and even sailed undersea in a submarine after many many weeks of gruelling psychoanalysis sessions. Yvonne listens intentively nodding as the good wife does, reminding with much affection that Fats has overlooked a detail or two.
Time to go home. It must have been midday when we decided to call it quits. Coming home was so straightforward, over ou Kaapse Weg, Ladies Mile through to Milnerton and the West Coast Road. But as we turned into our very own street where we live we were met with an accident that had just happened. Ambulances and rescue vehicles were lending hands to an unfortunate victim of yet another senseless road accident claiming a statistic – and so close to home.
But in closing Graham – what a wonderful day. Fantastic venue and a ride with a difference. Thank you – it was awesome.
