On Saturday 16^th April I woke up very excited, as I was going on the famous Leg and Hairy Taffia Fish and Chip run, a 280 mile round trip from Chepstow (South Wales) to the promenade in Aberdyfi (West Wales coast) with the Lotus Seven Club.

As I pulled the curtain back, I stared in horror at the falling snowflakes that were the size of 2 pence pieces. My house, being situated at over 1,200 ft above sea level does have its own microclimate (cold and wet usually) and so my panic subsided, I was sure it would be glorious in Chepstow.

As I got my (many) layers on, it dawned on me that the A465 road closure had been rescheduled for today and it was published as part of the route! I pinged a quick message to Alan (the orgnaiser), along with a photo of the snowfall (for maximum effect) and advised that a last minute adjustment to the route would be required.

I left home with the snow still falling and now settling and headed 45 minutes down the mountain to Chepstow. On route, I found out that the member who had offered me a lift in his Seven had been in an accident in the snow (he was ok thankfully) and so I just hoped someone would offer me a lift when I got there. It was pretty chilly with patchy sleet and sunshine on arrival and I headed into the pub for a quick cuppa. I was warmly welcomed and member Julian Hart came up to me, introduced himself and offered me a ride in his Seven. I was very happy to accept (but made him confirm he had a screen on his Seven first!)

Julian had travelled up with 2 fellow Seveners from his local group in East Sussex and we left in convoy. We travelled up through the stunning Welsh mountains and valleys, stopping for a cuppa and cake at a garage along the way. We arrived in Aberdyfi and I couldn’t help but delight in the Sevens parked up on the seafront carpark, bonnets gleaming in the sunshine with the stunning back drop of the colourful seafront buildings behind and in front, the golden sand, estuary and ocean beyond. There was a lot of chatting and laughing in the chip shop and I had the pleasure of meeting some more club members, some travelling from as far as Europe to join this fantastic day out. 

The journey home was just as beautiful with every kind of weather the Wales has to offer: sunshine, wind, rain, hail and snow! Due to the A465 being shut, the diverted route excluded the amazing EVO route over Llangynidr moor. Having great knowledge of the local area because I travel these marvellous roads both on my commute to work and for pleasure on my motorbike, I thought I would treat my new friends and navigate them back to Abergavenny via this route, to which they were delighted.

We got back to Abergavenny early evening and I was left happily exhausted by the adrenaline of the day. Many thanks go to Alan and the ‘Taffia’ for orgnaising the run and to Julian and his group for welcoming me and giving me a truly wonderful day!