Test fleet: Honda NT1100 DCT ES

Mossy has done plenty of longer, big-mile runs on his NT, but this month two of his happiest destinations were more local. Going to the ABR festival is always worthwhile, but so was a visit to an unusual nearby café.

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More used to delivering people to work and shops in its earlier life, the double-decker is now the home of delicious dishes and drinks. Though I've clocked just over a thousand miles on my NT1100 this month, a couple of more memorable destinations were closer than most. One, quite local to me, I've wanted to visit for a very long time. The other, an increasingly huge annual biking event, that's become a 'must do' for me (as well as around 17,000 others), is simply one of the very best things I attend all year. I really wish it was held more often!

Some of the best things aren't so far away

Mr. Watson's café, based near Blockley in the Cotswolds, isn't local to everyone of course. And it could be argued that even in my case, travelling 25 miles just for a bit of light refreshment might seem a bit much. All I'll say is, after wanting to go there for over a year, and now that I've sampled its delicious offerings, I'm confident I'll become a regular customer!

There's something rather pleasant about consuming a mug of tea and a scrumptious cake in novel, hospitable surroundings. Especially when, as is the case, the excellent roads that lead to the cafe are set in a very pretty part of the world. In fact, with so much good stuff to sample in the vicinity, it's worth heading for the culinary double-decker and using it as a base for your exploration of the area.

Soldiering on, though not always perfectly