Experienced a little rock and roll lifestyle today. No I didn’t trash any rooms or snort cocaine etc etc, but I did take the bike for a good old run along a beautiful stretch of road on a glorious Autumnal afternoon and then had a glass of wine in an idyllic village pub listening to a tribute band play ‘Freefalling’ by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ – one of my husband’s favourite bands!
It was one of those Sundays that are best summed up by one word – ‘bliss’.
My hubby kindly offered to look after the kiddywinks while I had a blast on the bike to Chichester. My destination? Goodwood for a well earned pampering session with my girlyfriend from good old skooldayz. We were at a strict all girls convent school (but didn’t conform to the stereotype – unless the stereotype is heterosexual tomboys with a love of all things on wheels and gee gees). I lost my virginity at sixteen so was legal – I think my friend was a little later. OK it did take me a little while to get used to testosterone in the class once I graduated to a co-ed sixth form college but I didn’t go mad.
Despite the fact my birthday happened at the beginning of the year, my friend bought me a professional back massage at the Goodwood Health club and then we gossiped our little hearts out in-between sauna (too hot) ..take a shower….turkish bath (too suffocating) …take another shower…and then a gentle swim like a pair of old grannies trying not to get our hair wet. I only had a small back-pack on the bike to fit everything in so didn’t bring a change of shoes. Hence the raised eyebrows when I stomped into the restaurant for afternoon tea in my biker boots but …they were comfy.
When we had said all that could be said between two girls after every topic of conversation had been covered and lots of tea drunk…we departed. She in her FMBs (fuck me boots) stepping into her MX5 and me (after grabbing my lid and jacket from her boot) astride my beloved little Honda CBF500. I then enjoyed winding my way through the Sussex countryside and enjoying the view (which you just don’t appreciate as much in a car) and practised my lines round bends (a little out of practice as don’t get out much).
The only problem is my six and a half year old daughter sees her mummy and daddy on bikes and is now starting to think about bike riding herself . I even caught her eyeing up the mini bikes in the Honda dealership the other day. My husband and I both have the same opinion when it comes to our daughter (and son for that matter on bikes) – NO WAY. Yet I roll my eyes when my Mum says to me to be careful when I go out. Its one rule for us and an entirely different rule for our children. Yes that is unfair but when is a good time to say “Okay give bike riding a go?” As any bike rider will tell you its the other fuckers you’ve got to worry about. I wear hi-vis yet I read a policeman on a bike (about as hi vis as you could get) was t-boned because the car driver ‘just didn’t see him’. Since learning to ride I have become a much, much better car driver. I think all car drivers should do a CBT to get a better appreciation of road awareness. Young drivers particularly would benefit from this. Even if my children don’t pursue bikes when they are older I think I will still encourage them to do their CBT. So that dumbos like my Step-dad get the message that ‘only a fool ignores the 2 second rule’.
Hope your Sunday was a good one too.
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Thanks for reading.
tommarter 