How Far Is Far?

Blog Date - 02 August 2012

The other day I was reminded of a place in the Lake District called The Dungeon Ghyll, I'm not sure it's so much a place as the name of a hotel.  When I first started riding motorcycles my slightly older friends would talk of this place in such a way that made it seem a magical far away land where the beer is perfect and the scenery could move even the sternest of bikers to tears.  It was however a very very...very long way away.  I now realise it's about 75 miles...

But I was young then!  I'd been riding pushbikes as transport so Chorley was a fair ride and Preston required the use of a train.  When I got the bike I could already drive so I knew my way to Wigan but that was still a big adventure.  Southport was a journey not to be taken lightly and the idea of venturing as far as say Bolton was like falling off the edge of the world.  I had of course heard of Manchester but that was on a different planet. 

This makes it look as though I'd never ventured out of the small village of Croston.  I had, I'd been to France with my family in a car, my grandparents lived over in Leeds, we had family and holidays all across the UK and I'd seen many places.  But...but I'd never ventured there by myself, alone and under my own power.  When you're a kid you sit in the back seat and ask "Are we there yet?" but getting there on your own bike with you at the controls is a whole new ball game.

My world extended to Wigan for Maxims, the rock club, Southport for the Floral Hall rock nights, Preston for Brucciani's cafe and Rivington Barn because there were lots and lots of real bikers there, I wanted to be just like them when I grew up.  I remember a girl that I fancied at Rivi had her own bike, a big bike as she'd already passed her test, wanted to go to Bolton.  Desperate to impress I said I'd go with her, me on my Honda H100 2 stroke, her on a big butch 250 rat bike.  I remember seeing the big town, the dual carriageway and vast huge mills.  I honestly thought we were in central Manchester.  I was terrified.

A year or so passed and my internal map expanded.  I moved to Bury and places like Bolton, Prestwich and even Oldham were encompassed.  I did have to take a friend over to York once on my little Honda H100, that was a trip and a half.  More time passed and my brother moved to Bath and my father moved to Worthing near Brighton.  That's when I really learnt what a long way is.  Today I can look at a map of the UK and I daresay I've been to most areas on the mainland.  My internal map now encompasses the UK.  It has taken 22 years of riding to achieve this though.

So how far is far?  Far I think is a relative term.  For the 18 year old youth on his exciting first trips, 20 miles was a long way and 80 miles was another world.  For the 40 year old bloke who's been around the UK, 50 miles is no problem and 250 miles is a fair ride.  Then I know people who consider 250 miles as a warm up.  I have a friend who's been around the world on a bike, I can't imagine his idea of far.  I think France is far. I guess he thinks New Zealand is far.  The concept of far takes in time too.  It takes 6 hours to travel to Worthing to see my Dad, a distance of 280 miles.  Yet in 6 hours I could fly to America!  Now America is a place I've never been and to me it seems "Far", but to a pilot who flies around the world then America is a short hop compared to the Far East.   

So far is what you think is far.  For a fragile old lady it's a long way to the shops, for me it's about 150 miles, for a pilot it's the Far East and for you?  Well that's up to you isn't it.

 
As a rough guide...outside the red circle is "Far".  Not very far, not a long long way....but far...

Reader's Comments

Post Your Comment Posts/Links Rules