I love these Royal Weddings. You get the chance for a full day trip out without getting any grief from the wife. We set off from Ilkley at 7.30am on a beautiful sunny day following the River Wharf almost to its source then over the top and down for breakfast at Hawes. Then east along Wensleydale to Askrigg then over the tops to Swaledale, then over the tops again to upper Arkengarthdale, then down through the Stang Forest to Barnard Castle. Leaving the single track roads we followed the sweeping roads to Alston and on to the Kielder Forest. From there we set off back home through Brampton, Kirby Stephen, over the single track Coal Road at Garsdale to Ribblehead, Horton in Ribblesdale to Settle. Then over the single track roads past the highland cattle to Airton, Winterburn, Hetton and Rylstone back home to Ilkley at 6.00pm. We covered 297 miles on the day, me on my T120 and my mate on his tiger 800 XRT. The wife enjoyed her day and I enjoyed mine. Pity there's no more Royal marriages in the offing.
