Manchester

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Manhoc ride Sunday 21st December 2025 was to Knott End

starting from Mac’s at Rising Bridge, Haslingdon at a start of 10.30am. The weather looked good with maybe a little rain in the morning, but it missed us. Though somewhat cool the roads were relatively dry. It was an inverted route than was shown on the Manhoc web map.  We now headed first through The Forest of Bowland, via Dunsop Bridge with a coffee stop at the Post office café. Then continuing through the Trough on to Knott End for an excellent lunch at the biker’s pub The Bourne Arms. Return was south and our Sheperd then surprised us with a change of plan, to take us on some excellent country backroads to Guys Hamlet, just south of Garstang, for final hugs and wishes for a merry Christmas.

 

Manhoc ride out Sunday 30th November 2025 to Hetty’s Tea Room

Started from Poplar Services at 10.30am. It was a replacement ride for the closed Ponderosa.  However, the early week’s forecasted weather was wintery, so our Shepherd may have had alternative route plans to take us into warmer Wales but it was not that bad on the day, dry and quite often with a very bright sun. So, following discussions, the original plans stayed the same.  It was a ride to Hetty’s Café in the beautiful Peak District, down to Macclesfield, over the misty Cat and Fiddle, past Buxton and south to the café, especially famous for its scones, according to Lyn!  Yes, a café to visit again with huge breakfast barms. Return continued in the Peak District to Leek, past Congleton, and up to Pops for final coffee, cakes and hugs. Again, a shorter overall ride than usual taking in account the Autumn conditions. Great to be out and in good company. You just had to get wrapped up and
enjoy.
Soreass riders 55mls

Malcolm Lunn, Gary Fisher & Richard Cairns

Manhoc ride out Sunday 9th November 2025: Ride to the Open Air Working Museum at Blists Hill.

Starting from a sunny, dry Poplar Services at 10:30am our Shepherd advised us of a change of plan!! So, it was the scheduled run down to bikers A49 to Whitchurch and turning left southbound past Blists, which is just before Ironbridge, and to the Water Rat pub.  What a great venue with landscaped gardens overlooking a small river and what a fab meal in their dining room.  It was then back to the bike park to meet the forecasted rain.  A decision was then made to go back the same way and up to our famous Grey’s village of Whitchurch again. A coffee and cake stop here at McDonalds and final hugs before departing home. It was a shorter overall ride than usal, as this was our first Autumn ride. Another excellent day Manhoc ride out.  

Manhoc Ride Sunday to Castle Howard 19th October 2025

Starting from Rising Bridge Haslingdon at 10.30am. It was an early morning surprise of a warm sun and no previously forecasted rain. However, on checking, rain was now forecasted at 3pm.  It was a run over the tops to A59 and over the moors, passing York, to the famous and majestic Castle Howard and its beautiful landscaped grounds. There was a coffee and cake stop half way at the Kestrel pub.  By now we had run out of time with our stops so made the café at Castle Howard much later than expected. After finishing lunch at 2.30pm there wasn’t enough time left for a house or garden visit, so a decision was made to head home to beat the darkness and forecasted rain.  It was up to Thirsk in constant light rain, skirting the North Moors, on to Ripon and a stop at the A49 cafe for final goodbyes and hugs and onto the motorway for home.  A special welcome was given to our new riders, Jason Bradley, Steve Bailey and pillion Susan Austin. An excellent blast with a promise that the ride will be rerun in next years calendar, giving time to visit the house and gardens and return over the Dales. – cheers

Soreass riders 85mls

Malcolm, Gary, Peter K, Steve Bailey, Jason Bradley, Soreass pillion 85mls Susan Austin 

Manhoc weekend visit to Clarkson’s Pub and Farm 11th/12th October 2025

The Farmers Dog and Diddly Squat.

We, 9 bikes and 2 pillions, set off from Manchester early morning down the M6 onto the M5 to exit at Junction 6 – then to take excellent biking roads to Evesham and onto Jeremy Clackson’s “The Farmers Dog”, south Cotswolds. However, we did a comfort stop at Frankley Services, and hit our eta for 2.30pm. Weather was great, though cool, it was dry and fresh and remained with us all day and the following day. Clarkson’s set up was very busy but well organised and they found us some hard standing for our bikes. We could not book a meal as they had all previously been booked up, but we were allowed a visit inside and to enjoy the attractive external timber patio with bar . (If you wish a meal then you have to book from his web site). It had a very nice country feel, and you could see money had been well spent, which included a surprising tractor hanging from the ceiling as you enter. Everything was expensive, but high quality and nobody seemed to complain. We resorted to the adjacent large “top gear tent” where there was more food with some of us experiencing a beef burger at £14 and a pint at £8 from the menu! Having collected our food, there were a couple of large areas with picnic tables overlooking the vast flowing countryside. Later that afternoon we departed for our Premier Inn, 4 miles down the road, at Witney, which turned out to have an excellent meal deal of dinner and all you can eat breakfast for £26.50. 

In the morning we set off to Clarkson’s farm shop, Diddly Squat, some 16 miles up the road. Again, packed full of people, but the organization was good. Having coffees in the barn.

Following our farm visit, we set off for good country roads and home via Worcester and Shrewsbury and the famous A49. Having a lunch stop at a new venue to us, the excellent bikers Poolehall Café, overlooking a park and lake, just after Kidderminster.

An excellent Manhoc weekend.

Malcolm