600 miles on technical and demanding roads over just two days.  Oh yes, with a Class 1 instructor in your ear saying “drive, drive, drive”.  It was superb.

The Master Class was conducted by Dave Bruguier and his pupils were Alec Gore and myself.  The aim was to combine some fun with personal development.  Setting off from Stockbridge at 09:00 we made our way to the Bikers’ Retreat in North Wales - www.bikers-retreat.com.  The roads were varied, challenging and scenic.  The weather was fine, although it became a little mistier as we made our way deeper into Wales; at one point we were literally riding though the clouds.

Our overnight accommodation is highly recommended - and as the name suggests, it is completely geared around bikers.  Run by Nigel and Tiv, the food was first class and the facilities were excellent.  The Dolgellau location couldn’t be better for motorcycling roads with a combination of sweepers, mountain climbs and breathtaking views – not that we had much time to take in the views.

As far as realising the aims of the trip were concerned, it was definitely fun and certainly demanding.  From a personal perspective, it was also good to be stretched and reminded how our Associates feel each time we take them out.

(Photo caption:  Mike West, Alec Gore and Dave Bruguier take a break on day 2)