Aberdare Park, Sunday, 26th July, 2014.

For more years than we can recall with any accuracy folk (mainly Welsh folk, it has to be said) have told us that we must visit Aberdare Park. There must have been valid reasons why we haven't made it until now, but we can't recall them. It's a mystery. Any road up, we're here now, albeit a day later than planned thanks to the ridiculously high temperatures and even higher humidity that we have been experiencing so far this summer. Today it shouldn't get any hotter than 23 degrees and there's an ever-so-slight breeze: hope we can cope!

OK, that's enough preamble, let's get on with it.

We're in the middle of a Victorian Park in the middle of a small Welsh town
just to the west of Merthyr Tydfil.
It's just gone eleven-thirty and nowt's happening as it's the 'Church Break'. 

Everything is spookily quiet. 

There's a nice lake in the Park and something tells us that we should have brought some bread.

Yep. We definitely should have brought some bread.

Having had a cuppa tea, we've strolled 'round The Paddock and are now waiting for the action to commence. The trick today is to find a shady spot like this from which to view things. These marshals and photographers have got it just right it seems (as long as the sun doesn't move that is).

Things get going at about 12:15 with a Parade of road 'bikes. This is the only part of the track where spectators can watch from the outside (between The Esses and Buckley's Bend) and is the only spot where one can get a shot of a 'bike moving from left to right. But there's no shade here.

Competitors in the Welsh Classic/Bob Price Memorial race flash past the bandstand 

and into Buckley's Bend.

Vicky's left hand and forearm watch the Formula 400 race at the exit of Buckley's Bend.

Splendid meadow flowers at Garden's Bend. 

This could be Bill Swallow - it certainly looks like him - but as there is no number 86 listed in the programme it might not be. Curses on riders who get their entries in late!

Another rider not listed in the programme - he's on a 50cc of some sort - exiting Garden's Bend.

The lead battle for the Super Moto race enters the start-finish 'straight'.

Golden Era race gets under way.

Either Howard's taken this photo or it's a selfie. You decide.

Richard Piers-Jones, on his Yamaha 347 TZ at The Rosaries, won the Jack Evans Memorial Race for 125cc/400cc 'bikes.

Why can't we sit on that bench Vic?

No time to smell the roses for Dan Cooper who won the main race of the day, The Welsh Open. 

It's gone 4 o'clock now and we've gone right 'round the just-under-one-mile circuit and we're back at The Esses again in time for the second race of the day for The Classic Karts. This is Marc Beeley and his 1979 Phoenix YZ 250 G.

Last race of the day is for the Classic Bikes. 

Two of 'em are thundering into Garden's Bend. There's a of 'thundering' at these sort of things.

Just gone 4:30 and we join the queue to cross back over the track at the end of the racing.

All-in-all, well worth the just-over-two-hour drive (each way). Good job there was plenty of shade tho'.