The bend where I met Perth's 1st Polish biker

[Man-of-Mystery]

Not that have anything bad to say about Poles. Stout fellows to a man, salt of the earth, a fine nation! Solidarnosz and all that. But...

Today I think I met the first Polish biker in Perth. You know you come off the A90 just before it becomes the M90, the Perth turn-off at Walnut Grove, and then the road describes a wide right-hander under the Friarton Bridge. It's the last fast bend before the 40 mph area, and would be faster except for some deformed surface under the bridge. It's a 60mph bend at the very least.

Not the place you would expect to find a bike coming towards you. It's one way. He looked at me as if I was mad!

M-o-M

[scotty]

And a great place to bike too MoM. Perthshire - the gateway to the Highlands and biking paradise. The Highlands and Islands are full of Polish folk at the moment although I've not met many on bikes.

[stoney]

I was up that way last week with my mate

Absolutely fantastic roads.

Can you spot where this is? I'm not sure its in Perthshire but its within 45/50 mins of Perth and one of the best roads I've been on in ages. There is a huge clue in the shot!

[scotty]

Hi Stoney

I'm not sure. Is it somewhere on the Cockbridge/Tomintoul road ?

[Man-of-Mystery]

OK I give up - I know it's my part of the country, but where's the huge clue?

M-o-M

[stoney]

Hi Stoney

I'm not sure. Is it somewhere on the Cockbridge/Tomintoul road ?

Spot on! Just passed the ski-centre! I thought that wee white castle (I can't remember its name) would give it away.

What a road though eh!

[Man-of-Mystery]

Oh a "wee white castle" is a "huge clue"? It's not like we are short of castles in Scotland, you know!

Are you near the sharp bend by Well of the Lecht?

M-o-M

[stoney]

Oh a "wee white castle" is a "huge clue"? It's not like we are short of castles in Scotland, you know!

Are you near the sharp bend by Well of the Lecht?

M-o-M

Told you it was a clue - spot on!

[Man-of-Mystery]

[scotty]

There was actually two things that gave it away.....the wee white castle and the snow poles. The picture is looking back torwards the Ballater side before the road leads up to the lecht ski centre. Nice run apart from the horendous power lines that run right through the glen on the right hand side of the road as you head torwards the Lecht. Thats a whole new issue so I won't start but the current threat is wind turbines.

[Man-of-Mystery]

Thats a whole new issue so I won't start but the current threat is wind turbines.

There's nae such thing as a free lunch. No' roond here!

M-o-M

[scotty]

MOM

Don't mind missing out on free lunches.....just don't like us trashing some of the best areas in Europe.

[Man-of-Mystery]

Two ideas:

1. Brownfield sites bring the turbines closer to the communities which need to use the power. Personally I would much rather look at a wind turbine than the Angel of the North anyhow.

2. Relax planning regulations, so householders can put up small masts with "domestic" turbines. I'd like that - it would mean more scope to put up ham radio aerials too, piggy-backing the turbine masts (my other hobby - sad!).

We'll have to do something. We can't go on being "bananas" for ever more.

M-o-M

[scotty]

What on earth is the Angel of the North ?

Radio hamming sounds interesting though.

[Man-of-Mystery]

http://www.emc.org.uk/images/angel-north.JPG

Yeah, radio-hamming can be fascinating. I said "can be"

M-o-M