Paul Rutley
Active Member
Yes, I'm afraid I did.
It was last Thursday, about 4 pm, as I pulled up in an out of the way spot my wife would visit with flask and sarnies as we sped back to Cornwall when out of the West Country. Belstone is a beautiful and peaceful; a place of happy memories which became sadder as my wife's dementia progressed.
It was a secret place but you can share in it too. Unless you knew the old A30 it's unlikely you would just stumble across it. On the 'new' A30 that skirts the northern edge of the moor there is a slip road to Oakhampton at the top of a rise giving access to Services. Hanger left when you come out towards Sticklepath and turn right to signposted Belstone just a few hundred yards down. It's a narrow winding road but you won't be disappointed. Once past the cricket club and across the cattle grid, signifying you are in Dartmoor Park traverse the low swampy area where sheep, ponies and cattle will roam before you and you will pass the 'official' car park. A good enough place to park but you can venture further through the village keeping left past the old post office. The stone cottages are a joy as is the freehouse The Tors. You will emerge into the head of a glorious moorland valley extending down and away from you.
On the left is a small parking area. There are no restrictions but locals can say it's theirs though no signs say it is. If it's occupied take the lane to the right, again looking out over this joy of nature that skirts the valley. There is a verge, which if you're tidy and make yourself inconspicuous you can get away with parking for an hour or two.
I had with me a long standing friend who had helped me during my St Thomas' hospital visit and with whom I wanted to share this special place. She knew Diana well and had been our annual guest at Mylor for decades. This is where the inglorious blow out took place, not on the verge but the small car park which had a granite slip to the right of it's entrance. I hardly thought it a peril as it seemed a threshold holding back the car park chippings but there was a sharp cutting line to its trailing edge. I had swung, oh so gentle to the right as I entered and then to the left so the side of the Marco would open to this view. The front tyre passed over without event but as the rear crossed that edge there was that bang we all dread to hear. It was all in slow motion, the day was drawing to a close, the Emergency Help line wasn't operating because it had no signal and we were still two hours from home.
Give the MB emergency services their due they did get there, once we were able to get a mobile signal further up the valley and The Tors was a tempting place to wait over the 90 minutes it took for the replacement tyre to be put on but I resisted.
Note the supplied scissor jack was not man enough to raise the van tyre off the ground with my load, nor was his pump handle jack able to do it but using them in combination and a block he made the lift.
Hint - make sure you have your supplied toolkit to hand - it will be needed.
Conclusion - was my tyre pressures enough. I had them set at the loaded pressure advised in the handbook at my local friendly tyre depot before I set off. Was I overloaded - hardly, just 15 litres of water and no waste. I recently filled fuel tank. Lagers and tinned food on board but not 'loaded' in the sense of 2 adults, two teenagers, accessories for enjoying your holiday yet the tyre had been compressed to the rim (which was undamaged) and literally burst the sidewall. My mileage was 1405.
The next day (I had tyre and rim insurance) I was directed to Kwik Fit who didn't have the exact specification but the same make and model tyre though 100Y as opposed to the 100W. I understood there was little difference other than a higher speed rating, so fine, fit it.
I did feel that the new tyre stood firmer and prouder. When the on board tyre pressure read outs were available I noticed the new tyre was at least ten per cent more in pressure to the other rear. KF had taken the pressure readings from the filler cap flap naturally I went back the following day and had all the tyres set to the pressures advised.
It is a worrying thought that these low profile tyres can be so vulnerable especially when not fully laden so beware and add a few more pounds per square inch to be on the safe side. One more point, the emergency spare tyre is what they call a slow tyre, restricted to 50 mph. Why, why, why, isn't it bad enough you've had a flat but to be further punished by that restriction seems banal. Why not fit a proper tyre instead and let the journey continue.... Grhhh
What time did we finally get home? 8.30
but the trip to London had been necessary and my red Saturn O had performed well in every department and will on my return to that place (alas I have another 10 day session to do) at the end of July but thank God I have my MP. This was not the way I had planned my summer but its best to get these things out of the way.
My next thread will be to introduce you to my new hedgehog which arrives tomorrow - curious https://bpftrading.co.uk/products/the-hedgehog/ but that can wait for another day
It was last Thursday, about 4 pm, as I pulled up in an out of the way spot my wife would visit with flask and sarnies as we sped back to Cornwall when out of the West Country. Belstone is a beautiful and peaceful; a place of happy memories which became sadder as my wife's dementia progressed.
It was a secret place but you can share in it too. Unless you knew the old A30 it's unlikely you would just stumble across it. On the 'new' A30 that skirts the northern edge of the moor there is a slip road to Oakhampton at the top of a rise giving access to Services. Hanger left when you come out towards Sticklepath and turn right to signposted Belstone just a few hundred yards down. It's a narrow winding road but you won't be disappointed. Once past the cricket club and across the cattle grid, signifying you are in Dartmoor Park traverse the low swampy area where sheep, ponies and cattle will roam before you and you will pass the 'official' car park. A good enough place to park but you can venture further through the village keeping left past the old post office. The stone cottages are a joy as is the freehouse The Tors. You will emerge into the head of a glorious moorland valley extending down and away from you.
On the left is a small parking area. There are no restrictions but locals can say it's theirs though no signs say it is. If it's occupied take the lane to the right, again looking out over this joy of nature that skirts the valley. There is a verge, which if you're tidy and make yourself inconspicuous you can get away with parking for an hour or two.
I had with me a long standing friend who had helped me during my St Thomas' hospital visit and with whom I wanted to share this special place. She knew Diana well and had been our annual guest at Mylor for decades. This is where the inglorious blow out took place, not on the verge but the small car park which had a granite slip to the right of it's entrance. I hardly thought it a peril as it seemed a threshold holding back the car park chippings but there was a sharp cutting line to its trailing edge. I had swung, oh so gentle to the right as I entered and then to the left so the side of the Marco would open to this view. The front tyre passed over without event but as the rear crossed that edge there was that bang we all dread to hear. It was all in slow motion, the day was drawing to a close, the Emergency Help line wasn't operating because it had no signal and we were still two hours from home.
Give the MB emergency services their due they did get there, once we were able to get a mobile signal further up the valley and The Tors was a tempting place to wait over the 90 minutes it took for the replacement tyre to be put on but I resisted.
Note the supplied scissor jack was not man enough to raise the van tyre off the ground with my load, nor was his pump handle jack able to do it but using them in combination and a block he made the lift.
Hint - make sure you have your supplied toolkit to hand - it will be needed.
Conclusion - was my tyre pressures enough. I had them set at the loaded pressure advised in the handbook at my local friendly tyre depot before I set off. Was I overloaded - hardly, just 15 litres of water and no waste. I recently filled fuel tank. Lagers and tinned food on board but not 'loaded' in the sense of 2 adults, two teenagers, accessories for enjoying your holiday yet the tyre had been compressed to the rim (which was undamaged) and literally burst the sidewall. My mileage was 1405.
The next day (I had tyre and rim insurance) I was directed to Kwik Fit who didn't have the exact specification but the same make and model tyre though 100Y as opposed to the 100W. I understood there was little difference other than a higher speed rating, so fine, fit it.
I did feel that the new tyre stood firmer and prouder. When the on board tyre pressure read outs were available I noticed the new tyre was at least ten per cent more in pressure to the other rear. KF had taken the pressure readings from the filler cap flap naturally I went back the following day and had all the tyres set to the pressures advised.
It is a worrying thought that these low profile tyres can be so vulnerable especially when not fully laden so beware and add a few more pounds per square inch to be on the safe side. One more point, the emergency spare tyre is what they call a slow tyre, restricted to 50 mph. Why, why, why, isn't it bad enough you've had a flat but to be further punished by that restriction seems banal. Why not fit a proper tyre instead and let the journey continue.... Grhhh
What time did we finally get home? 8.30
but the trip to London had been necessary and my red Saturn O had performed well in every department and will on my return to that place (alas I have another 10 day session to do) at the end of July but thank God I have my MP. This was not the way I had planned my summer but its best to get these things out of the way.My next thread will be to introduce you to my new hedgehog which arrives tomorrow - curious https://bpftrading.co.uk/products/the-hedgehog/ but that can wait for another day
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