I’m quite proud to be labelled as an “All Weather Rider.”
Now normally, to most people, this would indicate I am some kind of mad-man who enjoys riding in the rain! Well, not exactly thank you, like most sensible folk on two wheels I would really much prefer to ride in dry daylight, but when you do long distance road trips you sometimes have to contend with what nature throws at you.
Over the years, weather-wise, I think I’ve just about collected the set, ridden in everything that there is and yes had a few “Squeaky-Bum” moments along the way as well. Sometimes though, it’s the conditions that appear the most benign that can catch out the unwary and hot days are right up there!
The hottest temperature that I’m aware that I’ve ridden in was last year in Provence, South East France, when the mercury was nudging 40 degrees Celsius, that’s about 104 Fahrenheit. Add into the mix a whopping big V-Twin engine between the legs and you can appreciate that it was bloody hot! The biggest problem with days like that is fatigue, you quickly get tired in the heat which screws your reactions and clouds judgement. Dehydration can be a real issue too.
Now all of this is very predictable if you are riding in countries where high climatic temperatures are the norm. Here in the UK though, we don’t have a climate… we just have weather!
On Tuesday this week Mrs Dookes had a business meeting in Plymouth, that’s the famous sea port city about 25 miles from Dookes H.Q. and as her meeting would be over by lunchtime we decided to meet up for a bite to eat. All good so far.
I thought it would be nice to take “Baby” for a little ride around and enjoy some of the good weather. I set out and rode a nice sixty mile loop taking in the lovely A374, with its twisty bends from Trerulefoot to Torpoint, before taking the chain-ferry across to Plymouth.
Torpoint ferry, not high on the list of best looking ships!
Our rendezvous was the old Royal William Yard in Stonehouse, a part of Plymouth that lies adjacent to Devonport Naval Base on the Hamoaze estuary.
The yard was a major victualling depot for the Royal Navy from 1826 until 1992. It’s an amazing 16 acre site that is all historically protected and although now in private hands still very much retains it’s identity and heritage.
Once a store for beer, spirits and vinegar; now expensive apartments.
but largely most of the restoration is now complete. It is, however, one of the most impressive industrial monuments in the whole of the UK.
The scale of what this place did in its heyday is amazing. On site was a flour mill, bakery, slaughterhouse, butchery, brewery and cooperage, not to mention dozens of other smaller workshops and storehouses. Worthy of note is that the flour mill could produce 270,00 pounds/122,500kilos of flour every week, that’s an awful lot of bread and ships biscuits!
Part of the brewhouse, now a restaurant.
The impressive buildings were designed by the architect Sir John Rennie and are built of local limestone and granite. The whole site is also paved with similar stone cut to engineered precision, these are not common cobbles! 
Anyway, we had a super lunch with great views up the river towards Cornwall
…..then it was time to start-up Baby and cook a bit more!
Next day, it was ten degrees cooler and today it’s been raining!
Like I said, we just have weather!
Catch you soon.
Dookes
Hogrider Dookes 
I can sympathise with you melting. I’m just back in from walking the dog at the lake and its blooming hot! We’re under a heat advisory till Saturday afternoon. Only mad dogs and Scottish(wo)men go out in the midday sun.
Your lunch place looks lovely. A very nicely restored building.
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Yes, it is very nice. I had an excellent crab salad and Mrs Dookes a steak club sandwich, al fresco of course!
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Well, here in South Carolina, we have climate. Roo and I just back from a weekend road trip in the mountains where the temperature difference was 30 degrees. Arriving home at 11:30 AM, temperature 91 degrees with almost as much humidity. Dog days of August a wee bit early! Great photos and a beautiful lunch stop, HD.
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Thanks Bob. Yep, lunch was pretty good too!
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OMG – we melted when we were in Barcelona and Provence! It was well into the mid-90’s F everyday and I was pushing Hubs in a portable wheelchair and soaked through several outfits. I had many two shower days on this trip! But coming home to Georgia was not any better – we are in our 45th day of temps being in the 90’s. Have mercy…
Fabulous pictures by the way Dookes! Plymouth looks like it should be on my list…
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We are funny aren’t we? We moan when it’s cold, complain when it rains, despair at dry spells and can’t cope with the heat! It’s the one thing that unites the world – the weather!
Plymouth is OK to visit, but to be honest two days and you’ll cover all bases. It does make a good staging point for Cornwall or a base for exploring South Devon….but it does have a great Gin Distillery!
Thanks for the nice comments about the pictures.
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G’day Dookes, when I had the Road King I used to cook in the summer heat. It was the only Harley I’ve ever owned that I just couldn’t wait to get rid of. Every other King rider thought they were the greatest. Weird.
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It is strange how we get so personal about different bikes.
I’ve ridden BMW RT1200-P models quite a bit, soul-less tractors as far as I’m concerned even if they did go like stink, but colleagues raved over the things!
The Ultra Limited does kick out the heat and is bloody hard work in the mountains, but on the whole I love it!
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Here in my part of Texas at 11:40 PM it is still 91 F. I’ve lost count; but I think we’ve had 12 or more 100+ F days. And the “feels like temp” is usually 6 to 10 degrees higher. I expected to spend my retirement days somewhere in the cool of the mountains. Of course, I didn’t know I’d get to retire early and I do want to spend time with my grands. LOL As you can tell, I can relate to your warm ride to lunch. The location looked interesting; so I bet it was worth it. 🙂
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