The Opel and the MINIs

Sunday 1^st July saw the Severns on their first Quad-biking outing. We had been warned that it would be muddy, not surprisingly since we had had the most torrential rain, and floods of epic proportions for the previous two weeks, but even driving down the potholed track to Reception didn’t quite prepare us for the parking area. We would have liked to have left our precious minis on the nice concrete but instead had to reverse into a mud pit! There were waterproof trousers and jackets for those that wanted them and helmets for everyone, and although Peanut found them all somewhat large (even though her trousers had only half a leg) she settled for a full red helmet which seemed to wobble on her head less than the rest. We listened to the rules, signed our lives away, had a brief introduction to the bikes and soon set off for our trek. The bikes were strange to steer and needed turning hard to respond, and the brakes…well, they worked, but the mud made it impossible to stop, so we sometimes bumped into the chap in front. After a slowish trek from the yard, we got up steam and started the fun over rough steep tracks, through woods, then across fields, up and around hills and through water. It was only with about 15 minutes to go that it started to rain and by then were we on our way back. In the end the mud made it more fun; on a hot, dry and dusty day I would think it would have seemed hard work. As it was, it was all tremendous fun and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely– so much so that the cry has already gone up for the next outing. The trip was rounded off by an excellent lunch in the Old Ferry Inn at Beachley, with panoramic views of the Severn and its bridge.