Slideshow of Charity Trip

Saturday - Grand Slam

Les has fed us the night before with veggie cawl and bara caws.
Now all excited about getting to Manhattan to watch game. 

Flag waving for Lesley before the off

Outside the Red Lion, Bleecker Street, NYC

Andy with Bryn - Half time Wales are in the lead.
Bryn hasn't played the Bowls Club, ODP, Richmond yet!

Lyndon with Bryn struggling for breath on the last big push - notice Bryn copes with it!

The man was dressed as a Leprechaun on the corner of  Times Square. Asked what part of Ireland he was from , he  had no answer, he had no English!

Five hours of walking the streets past very drunk amateurs has taken it out of us!
The parade goes on and on. We go in search of Cheesecake at Grand Central Station

Peint O Gwrw - Chatham

Day 6 in the saddle

After last nights gig we make plans on the way back to Pat and Wendy's for an early start for Andy and I. We agree a 7.30 breakfast and that we start to cycle by 8.30 and leave our support behind for an hour.

As it happens the fantastic hospitality keeps us at the breakfast table a little longer than planned and we get off at just after 9am. Prior to leaving there's an impromptu jam with host, Pat. Out come various guitars and Lyndon quietly belts out 'Treat Her Right' while Phillip tickles the drums and Andy acoustically plays the ukelele in his pyjamas.


 It's a little colder this morning and overcast but not so bad. There are some long steady climbs out of Chatham through Spencer's Town. At the top of the climb it starts to rain hard and the temperature feels like its plummeting. Having left Chatham with no gloves and only lightweight jackets we are soon soaked to the skin and freezing especially on the downhills. By the time we hit the 10 mile mark at Austerlitz I am in bits and have ice cream headache, my teeth are chattering and I cannot concentrate on the road. I tell the big man that I have to stop. We pull over and try again after a minute but the cold returns immediately.

We dive into an old wooden post office and the kind ladies there let us warm near a heater. There is no phone signal and we keep an eye out for the support vehicle. We've been out over an hour and haven't seen them.

Another 20 mins passes and still no sign. By now the big man is suffering as well.

We have cycled up and down the road trying to get mobile signal but have to go back to the post office and ask Suann to telephone our hosts from last night in case F troop are still there....they are.... Chatting and finishing off the bacon and pancakes... Andy explains to Gethin where we are.."you haven't got far have you" he says. It's freezing and we've climbed nearly 1000ft.

A Doctor comes in and asks us if we are having any hallucinations and diagnoses mild hypothermia.

When the support eventually arrive BFGUL gets out of the van and comments "bit chilly isn't it"!

We get into the van change into dry clothes and get some food and a coffee. Andy is so cold that he cannot hold his bowl of cereals and pours milk all over himself. Gethin has to dry him off with a copy of the Wall Street Journal including a quick dab around the 'man fruit'.

We do a few miles in the van and then cycle into Greenwich but not before missing our turning and doing an extra 8 miles into NY. We can't understand when we don't see the Connecticut state sign. We phone the support who reminiscent of the Tawawa incident declares that they are 'at Leslie's. Well we are not I explain and try to tell him where we are. ' you should have taken the 433 he repeats'. "shut up and listen to me explaining where we are" I say I the nicest possible way trying to avoid being mowed down on the main highway into NY.

He then suggests that we may want to cycle back up the 7 miles of hill to the turn. ' get in the van or car or whatever and get down here PLEASE' and I hang up.

The mono brow and Leslie turn up and give us a lift back to the 433 and we then cycle the last few miles through Connecticut and on to our welcoming party on Riversville Rd.

We're grateful to get to our end destination and get a shower and have great food and drink and a chat up with Les.

Tomorrow we're off into NY city to meet up with a number of expats and glitterati from Cymru for 'The Match' and a sing song hopefully with Bryn Terfel. Let's hope he can compete with The mighty larynx that is BFGUL....

Mae bys Meri-Ann wedi brifo,
A Dafydd y gwas ddim yn iach.
Mae'r baban yn y crud yn crio,
A'r gath wedi sgramo Joni bach.
Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tân,
Sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr,
A'r gath wedi sgramo Joni bach.
Dai bach y sowldiwr,
Dai bach y sowldiwr,
Dai bach y sowldiwr,
A gwt ei grys e mas.


Look out.........

Thursday 15th March (Cycle Day 5)

 After a night of homo erotic karaoke, catfish and ribs at Mo Mo's BBQ in Harrisburg which, BFGUL thinks is the murder capital of the States having watched the television news at the hotel we had an early start again. Up at 6am and out of the hotel before 7am and into the city traffic.

Chimp Boy is at the wheel and we're heading north for a while before cycling to Chatham this evening where we will meet our host Pat Barnett-Mulligan, his wife Wendy and their friend Tom  (pub landlord) and play an acoustic set (with accompanying screaming Strat and harp) at The Peint O  Cwrw. Let's hope they're into it and we put on a decent show.

We have a hard but great day cycling into and through NY State around the East Delaware reservoir (Pepacton). A massive body of water that feeds NY. There are some climbs as we are in the Catskill Mountains and even on the decents we have to pedal hard because our old friend the headwind is back. We do a twenty miler then move to tens for the rest of the day.

Lyndon says to me before one leg, "it's OK last day today!" but it's not we have more to come tomorrow.

Our last leg is from Hudson into Chatham and Teddy and I take a wrong turn in part due to our sketchy sat nav (thanks again Chris and Noelle) which took us down a dead end in a less than salubrious part of town. Turn around, turn around is the call and we make a hasty retreat.

We have a tough 17 miles into Chatham of climbs and small decents and are truly grateful to find the Peint O Cwrw and meet Tom the owner and Jim the barman and some locals for a swift cider before cycling back out of town to go meet our hosts. We also get a $200 dollar donation from Tom and the offer of free food and drink this evening...does it get any better.

We all get a much needed lovely hot shower and a bed each for the night. Now it's off to the bar to entertain and eat. Let's hope it's a good one and there are less male dancers around this evening compared to last nights outing......

Update 23.30hrs

BFGUL takes Chatham By Storm - Anglo / American relation suffer in the process

We arrive at the Peint O Cwrw at 7.45 and meet and greet everyone. BFGUL is clearly fired up for the evenings performance. Like a prizefighter he is bouncing on tip toes ready for action at the sound of the bell.

He's early into a cider and demanding to be plugged in and have stands, mic's, lyrics etc set up to his liking and then wandering off to bask in the affection and friendship of all around who are soon to be engulfed in his power vocals.



We open with a half dozen numbers and the maestro has to reign himself in but you can see he's straining at the leash. Fellow musos come into the venue bearing percussion, recorders, harmonicas and our host Pat with his Dobro.


 BFGUL floats like a butterfly between groups directing proceedings loosely and then disapearing into the crowd leaving others to actually sort things out.

We play numbers with all that arrive and then the BIG moment arrives......DELILAH.




 The strat is laid down, it's magic and work done for the evening, now its time for the vocal chords to man up and fulfil their destiny.


Within the first 10 bars of the song, the Pencoed Warbler has taken his mic and stand in hand a' la Rod Stewart and is doing press ups against the bar. He's then moved across in front of both the big man and I and is exercising his larynx to the max. All that was missing was the whipping off of a pair of  velcro'd together trousers to reveal leopard skin briefs. If he had I don't think anyone would have been surprised. In BFGUL world this was Wembley...

At the end of the gig it turned slightly sour with accusations of missing plectrums and mic leads with compulsory searches of everyone's bags that were leaving. " I can't play NY without a mic lead" he was heard to repeat over and over.

Lead located, tantrum reduced to manageable and we head back to Pat and Wendy's where we exchange gifts and count at least $200 in further donations in addition to what Tom had earlier given.

A great night in a great town with great people.


Nos da

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Momo's BBQ Bar, Harrisburg, Penn

Too late to get to the proposed open mic night, the boys decide to hit the Karaoke.

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus Ohio

14th March 2012 Chicago - New York (Day 4 in the saddle)

We wake early and BFGUL advises that he's not going to overdo it at the breakfast counter this morning as he's still digesting his Hoaggie and the half of my family size calzone or (Joe Calzagi in a pasty as its referred to). He comes back to the table with 6 egg mini omelettes and a mountain of sausage patties all dripping in a mix of ketchup and yellow mustard so as to provide a gravy of sorts. He piles through it at pace in between hasty phone calls back to his agent in Pencoed who's Birthday it is.

We are all ready to go by 6.30am leaving Pittsburgh in the RV to get to some quieter roads.

Teddy and I are on our bikes and at first it feels a bit chilly particularly on the decent's. The joy of downhill riding is all too soon forgotten and the first long slow climb of the day begins. During the first leg near a town called Portage I call the support team to advise them on directions. I get a load of yeahh, yeahh, yeahhs from Munchkin Mono Brow Jones. After 10 or so hot climbing miles  up towards the crest of the Great Eastern Continental Divide Teddy is asking "where are the boys then", then the mobile in my jersey starts ringing. "Uhhuhhh, uhhhhuhh we've taken a wrong turn but we think we're on the right road now and we'll come find you".

We take a break and then it's back on it. It's sweltering but we have a downhill section and then more hills... We're both in pain and suffering.

We climb through some hillbilly areas with some real oddballs looking on at us and me wearing a pink TFC jersey. The big man try's to read a sign in a window of a shack but can only read the first part which says TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT. "what does the second part say he asks". "SURVIVORS WILL BE SODOMISED" I Reply. I then add that I have visions of F troop getting in to trouble in a place like this that we passed through earlier and the pair of them having to reason their way out of a situation with BFGUL nervously hrrggh, hrrgghing and avoiding all eye contact and NIK NAK whittering on nonsensical yeah yeah yeah's to some big nasty mountain dude and his hound which has him wetting himself nearly while trying to cycle up a killer hill.

We do another few 10 mile legs and meet shaggy and scooby in the time machine near an old property in New Grenada where we have 10 mins break and take some photos.

We're back on again and our second climb of the day. The name of the road should have been an early warning "Broad Top Mountain Rd". It was hell.

We stopped for some food at a gas station and did another couple of legs towards Gettysburg but not before BFGUL decided we should call Aunty Fran and do an impromptu 4 part harmonising acapella Happy Birthday on load speaker. Not sure again what the locals made of us but at least Lyndon refrained from giving it the jazz hands and a big finish.

We then hit a busy road and had to jump into the van for a few miles. Uncle Lyndon was at the helm and seemed to have morphed in to Mr Sulu from Star Trek and seemed to insist on driving our lumbering wobbling RV at warp speed through all the twisty turns he could find, it was truly terrifying.

We cycled into Gettysburg to the area and memorial where the first artillery was fired from it was quite spectacular.

Then it was onto Harrisburg for the night. We followed the un-trustworthy Sat Nav that Chris had given to us. The Geth had programmed it and we followed all the way into another 'hod'. What appeared to be 'business ladies' hanging on street corners and more dodgy fellas looking at us in our still shinny RV with smiley kids on the side...no sign of any comfort inns. We pulled over and tried ringing but no luck, we were starting to sweat...

We decided to drive back pass the ladies and fellas and ask at somewhere safe. We found a cop and he gave us some directions which thankfully got us home safely.

Not sure what we're doing for food but there's no pool or jacuzzi so it's queue time for the shower and listen to the various grunts and groans from behind the door while you wait your turn.

Pork Pie

Petrol Head

Giving them British!

Tuesday Dedication

Barclays Bank - The Dedication
Beach Hotel Gig/Quiz and Raffle - £750
The Three Mariners Gig/Raffle - £750 

Chicago - New York Tuesday 13.03.12 (Day 3 in the saddle)

 

We started out today from the Clarion Hotel in Columbus, Ohio in unseasonably warm temperatures. We drove out of town and were driving down I70 when Nik Nak decided to do a Woohoo and we were playing off the right hand side of the highway and over the rumble strips, those brrr,brrrr,brrrr things that wake tired drivers up. This under any normal circumstance would have been OK, but in our case 'The Mono Brow' nearly mowed down one of Ohio states finest who had pulled over another motorist in a blaze of flashing red and orange lights.

He was up behind us with lights ablaze within a minute. BFGUL made like a statue and said sweet FA and didn't even look at the traffic officer.

The officer had a look at our mobile 'pad' stared at us a bit and asked a few questions and took Nik Nak's driver licence away to check he wasn't on Interpols wanted list. He came back in better hwyl and turned out to be a nice bloke, but when asked if we could have a photo of him said "no, cause you'll only say I'm some dumb cop in the blog".

As soon as he was walking back to his car the brow was all excited.."look at his car its like Mad Max innit".

Shortly after this Anglo - America incident Andy and I got on the bikes and immediately noticed the change in terrain. After a couple of days of flat windy roads we were now into the hills and the start really of the Appalachian Mountain range.

The first 30 miles was a mix of rolling countryside, long slow pulls and fast decent on our way to Cadiz.

We cycled through some great scenery and some real ethnic areas with run-down properties, old fally down barns, rusting vehicles and chained up dogs in front yards as well as Amish.

The heat was a killer and not what we were expecting.

After the first 40 miles we moved to 10 mile legs with just a quick 2 minute stop for fresh drinks. It was during one of these that I suggested to BFGUL that he should knock on some doors and try to sell some of the local, colourful characters or even the Amish a copy of his hit CD, 'Dogging in Kenfig' but he wasn't up for it.

We did a few more legs until the early evening when traffic on the highway going towards our destination for tonight, Pittsburgh got too busy and the road we were cycling on became more and more like the M4.

Got to the Hotel in Pittsburgh at 6pm and its not as good as the others which have been basic. This one has no pool, no jacuzzi to ease our aching bones and butts and when we get into the room for a shower, no toilet paper either much to the big mans disgust. He is straight on the Bat phone trying to rustle up a couple of extra cold rolls just as the Dr ordered.

An early start tomorrow 6.30 and we're expecting some serious climbing and the temps look set to remain high so another tough day ahead.

Pork Pie

The One Dollar Gig

Two Idiots abroad - After a few pints of Yeung Ling beers, Lyndon and Andy, both a little bit worse for wear decide to enter an Open Mic with a load of stateside musos looking on.

As we go on stage Clapton is on the juke box doing his version of Lay Down Sally'

The call to the landlord by Lyndon, 'Oi Claude, turn the house down'
and Andy with a, 'Cheers butt' means the boys can get going with Cousin Jerry on drums.

The Ukelele bass becomes the star of the show much to Lyndon's chagrin. Lyndon's voice is sweet as a nut and we rip through a three number set of  Stuck In The Middle/Lay Down Sally and an encore of Sugar Coated Love sung like it's never been sung before.

After we are approached by the much appreciated throng. Elizabeth, asks, 'if I give you one dollar will you give it to the children'

'Ye'

Stuck In The Middle - Eldorado's Blues Club Columbus, Ohio

Two Idiots Abroad perform at Eldorado's Colunbus Ohio. Cousin Jerry is on drums! 'Oi Claude turn the house down butt'

Day 2 in the saddle - Van Wert to Columbus (Ohio)

Woke at 6am in total darkness and to the pitter-patter of light rain. Breakfast at 7am with everyone at the Comfort Inn and the rain is getting ever heavier.

Nik Nak looks tired after his night in the stable. Andy goes into see them first and Skype's me in the van to tell me that Lyndon has reported that he was a bit 'sinuousy' last night.

Teddy and I go off alone at 9am and leave our support team of Nik Nak and the Phlegm meister in the hotel to chillax for a bit so we can get a few miles on the clock.

As soon as we head out the rain gets harder and heavier and the wind is a good stiff in your face job of about 15mph.

Teddy and I share the front position in 5 minute slots to give each other a break from the wind. The traffic is heavy and there is only a small shoulder to cycle on. A couple of big trucks pass us close by.

After 10 or so tough miles Teddy declares that this is probably the toughest 10 of his life.

After 15 we turn left and more Eastly than the open southerly route we've been on. The rain has eased up a bit and we start to dry out a bit. The wind is still tough and there is no sign of F Troop and the RV!

They come alongside at the 18 mile mark and Woohoo who is hanging out of the passenger window with the camera in his shirt pocket still hasn't taken any photos of us (" it's a trip of a life time, I'll never do this again") shouts at us  'in his cheery Nessa from Gavin and Stacey voice "see you in St Mary's is it?"

"No" Andy shouts "2 miles" then it starts p*ssing down again...

They go on another 4 but we're glad to see them anyway and they have the kettle on. We do a short stint in the van and drink our tea but it's a slightly nervous affair as Woohoo is at the wheel and is gunning it. He refuses to read any street or road signs and expects the three of us to be his eyes and ears. "you need to tell me where to go I don't know the way!" he screams as the van lurches from one side of the highway to the other. I begin to wonder which is more dangerous, rolling with Woohoo or taking our chances on the highway on the bikes...

Our next leg is on to a place called Tawawa. We head off from Sidney and Williamsburg which seem quite rough. The talking mono eye brow is rattling off road numbers at us with yeah yeah yeahs thrown in between each one. We somehow go wrong but don't yet know it and end up heading south right into the wind, it's tough going.

We see a junction up ahead and suddenly get a  call from 'The Brow'. "we're in Tawawa" he declares but they haven't passed us. "we're on Miami-Shelby Road" I inform him. "we're in Tawawa" he repeats...

We try in vain several times to explain where we are, even giving him an exact address for the sat nav so he can give us direction but it's not happening, it's all a little complicated for the wee man. 'tell them to stay where they are and we'll find them' the big man says and we do about half an hour later and 12 miles later.

Andy ironically quirks that we are on the bikes looking after them and they have all the tecnology and maps  in the van and we are the ones saying, 'You stay there, we'll find you'

We have some pasta at Kiser Lake and then on to Urabana.

From there the big man and I have just 35 miles left  to do toady but I'm showing signs of fatigue while the he's going well.

We make quick 2 minute stops even 10 or so miles and during the last 10 Teddy confesses, "My arse is in bits" mine is also along with legs, wrists and back... I'm glad to see the van at the end of the day.

Monday

Joio Mas Draw! - Fun all the way!

Cycle Day 1 Chicago (Illinois) to Fort Wayne (Indiana)

Woke up to a gloriously sunny and warm day at Chris and Noelle's. They made us a massive breakfast of omelette, Canadian bacon, beans with fantastic banana pancakes. We packed the van and the big man and I set off a little later than planned at 10.30am. This was in part due to the time change here which meant we lost another hour.

The first 25 miles was a short hop through town to the lake side cycle path down to central Chicago and then onto the outskirts of town and the museum.

We'd been warned not to cycle any further south on the path as we were in the projects.

BFGUL was really on his toes when they picked us up and as we approached some traffic lights where some homeless guys were knocking on car windows asking for money and holding out paper soft drinks cups. Teddy shouted 'lock the door Lyndon' who jumped out of his skin and nearly lost control of his already struggling bowels.

A couple of miles in the van to get to a safe spot on highway 30 east was what we were looking for now but BFGUL who was in charge of the sat nav system couldn't find the destination city and we were soon off the beaten track and into some serious heavy area. Crowds of dodgy looking men on each block corner out side run down liquor stores, a real crack den area.

Teddy again shouts at Woohoo BFGUL "don't look at them Lynd' who is like a statue staring straight ahead.

I suddenly realise and point out that here we are, 4 white guys sitting in a big shinny new RV with 'RV Rentals of America' and huge pictures of a happy white American family with shinny white teeth splashed all over it while those looking at us had very little and in a number of cases no teeth... Nothing could have said LOOK AT THE LOST WHITE TOURISTS any better.

We lost another 45mins trying to escape this area and found ourselves heading in the right direction and on to our next cycle drop off point.

We needed gas so pulled into a station and I grabbed a road atlas as the sat nav was not being entirely truthful with us and we had our first change of driver!!!

Woohoo took over from Nik Nak (he of the magnificent Mono Eyebrow). Woohoo was completely out of his depth, he couldn't find the handbrake, cause there wasn't one, the clutch, cause there wasn't one or work the gear stick, cause it wasn't one. We are in an automatic we told him. "but I've never driven one of these things before!" We literally kangaroo'd out of the gas station after 15 minutes sat on the forecourt given Woohoo 3 to 1 tuition. We talked him to the entrance while Teddy wet himself in the back. Woohoo then turned left out of the station, needed to go right really and then proceeded to turn left back into the station at a different entrance but on the wrong side of the road, we were screaming at him...

We then talked him on to the correct road but had to perform a U turn.... pretty it was not.

After a few miles on the right road Teddy and I got onto our bikes and had a long 30 plus mile leg on the flat but into a decent cross/head wind, it was tough going.

We had a quick bite to eat and then back on for the 3rd leg and more of the same.

Onto the next stop and a quick chat and off again. The wind was taking its toll and we were in Indiana now and had no idea of the correct time as some areas do not observe the daylight saving idea.

The big man had a touch of cramp on the next leg but managed to cycle it off and we made it to the final stop of the day where we came across an Amish family in their horse and carriage. A couple of slyly posed photos helped us to capture them on camera with us posing in the foreground.

Back in the van and on to our destination for the night Van Wert which is just over the border into our 3rd state of today, Ohio and probably another time zone. Hopefully we'll find a cheap motel to book into as we have nothing pre booked for tonight and need to shower and get Woohoo into a crib of his own where he can snort, hhuuurrrghhrrh and fart to his hearts content without keeping everyone (except NIK NAK) awake...

Nos da

Pork Pie.

Sunday Morning

0400 hrs

Two gigs out of the way - now the easy bit. 100 miles from Chicago towards Fort Wayne. The first 25 is going to be along the lakeshore cycle path with glorious views of lake and downtown Chicago.

Chris and Noelle have warned us to keep cycling and not to stop in certain areas - a little bit of concern over the unknown. More concern over Gethin questioning Chris for tips on how to drive in the U.S.. More concern over that yesterday's musical director, Lyndon has been nominated chief navigator for the day. We are also forewarned about some areas further south. So the plan is to jump in the van, get into Indiana and finish the 70 odd miles by sundown. No gig tonight but tomorrow is Columbus and we will gig hunt if we are up to it - thinking of turning up at a few pubs and offering services.

Bit of concern aswell - the clocks have gone forward and we will be crossing a time zone - just hope the navigator can calibrate his JCB mobile and at least tell us the time. Whether he will be in an addled daze of Tramadol and Co-codemol or coherently advising Geth with his gps like brain through the streets of The Windy City - only time will tell but I think we all know what's going to happen.

The 'Lyn Lyn' we all imagine will be, 'getting his head down for half hour in the back'

Saturday 10th March

Saturday 10th March

Up at 6am after having a night in with Nik Nak instead of Woohoo who is far too noisy for me. We have an early start and Chris and I shoot out to get chloroseptic and other supplies and then we get the gear and all head off to the Globe to watch the Wales/Italy and Ireland/Scotland. Mona from Wisconsin joins us who also came along to the Candlelite gig. After the games we set up on the stage and crack out a few numbers. We're a bit loose and BFGUL is adding some different bits again. The first set ends with a broken string mid 'Kings of Leon'.

After a short break we get back on it and it gets little or no better. Woohoo who's on Tramadol and not drinking (like hell he's not) is as normal front and centre..... Warbling in full technocolour.

We play till around 3pm and then get back to the house, unload the gear and Andy and the rest head out to get Andy's back wheel straightened out. They get back around 6pm and our hosts order deep dish Chicago pizzas for this evenings banquet, got to get the carbs in as we have a full day in the saddle tomorrow.

Pork pie.

Saturday 10th March


Up at 4am - haven't had 8 hours sleep in total since arriving. An early start is delayed by Phil insisting he gets come sort of throat lozenges from the chemist before we go anywhere.  The games pass by and we hit the stage, premeditating that it will be half a dozen numbers and then we can get out of here. For once in my life we start to actually entice people into the back room of The Globe and off we go on a fun couple of hours of knocking out hit after hit. 


The Chicago Tafia are out in force. There's banter between Turks and Jacks. Lyndon, as musical director of the tour starts to wield his magic. Half way through a lead break he pushes and pulls me all over the stage to get me out of the way as I am standing in front of the P.A. speaker and deadening the sound of his solo.


Chris is loving it and puts his heart and soul into a rousing Delilah. The night is finished off with the comedy duo of 6 foot 4 Chris doing a duet of Sospan Fach with Gethin. Stuart, the landlord is loving it. The two hour plus matinee gig at The Globe is curtailed by a need to sort my bike out after B.A. baggage handlers have bashed my back wheel about. We said a big 'tara' to The Globe.

Phil is dropped off at Chris' to start getting his head around the first century attempt on Sunday and everyone else heads off to the Candlelight for a few more drinks. 

The pizza arrives back at the house, it is eaten with gusto and then to bed with everyone tucked up in their cribs by 8p.m. another great day!

Stompie