DILWYN'S Dave Potts and his wife Anne Hardy shared a dream- to travel across America 'easy rider' style - on a Harley-Davison motor cycle.

After 30 years as a policeman, 52-year-old Dave and Anne, aged 45, decided to make their dream a reality so they sold their home, rehoused the family pets and booked one-way tickets to Boston.

Basing themselves in Maine where Anne had spent some years with her GP father, they soon realised that a Harley-Davison was off the financial agenda.

With help from family and friends they trawled through the local newspapers and found the next best thing, a 1998 white and gold Honda-Goldwing SE with matching trailer and all the gear.

Starting from Maine and travelling coast to coast, the 21,000-mile adventure took them through names and places more familiar with the silver screen.

They went through cowboy country in Wyoming, Dakota, Seattle (where they slept very well) and the Pacific coast highway to California and LasVegas.

From there they skirted the Mexican border on their way to a sunshine break with family and friends in Florida.

Riding pillion in armchair-style comfort - shared with Tip-Top the lucky teddy bear - Anne tuned into the Honda's state-of-the-art radio for travel news, routes and music, Nashville providing the best of country sound.

A laptop kept David in touch with home during the six-month epic journey as well as the English Football Premiership - he is a serious Sunderland supporter - and the incredible journey proved twice the dream they had hoped for.

Now settled in a new home in Dilwyn, he said of the great adventure: "Wherever we went the bike was a great leveller. People were always friendly and helpful. As well always admiring the bike, all they wanted to chat about was the English folk travelling 'the big country' on the big machine."

Highlights for them both included Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, Buddy Holly's grave in Texas, Elvis resting at Gracelands, Tombstone, site of the Gun Fight at the OK Corral and easy-riding along Route 66.

They also faced up to big brown bears which strayed into the camp-site and used Highway 50, the loneliest road in the USA, which took them to Austin, Nevada, the loneliest town.

Asked if the would do it again David replied for them both. "Like a shot. All round, it was a safe journey with super camping facilities and friendly people and we never felt threatened at anytime. We would recommend anyone thinking of doing it, to go for it - for us it was the ride of our lives."

Refreshed by the Florida break, they decided to double back to Vegas to meet up with friends from Yorkshire and a day or two in the casinos.

The journey ended where it began, back in Maine. The plan was to sell their now beloved Honda, but they just couldn't do it; now well and truly one of the family, it was boxed up and shipped home.

Arriving back to a damp and cold Herefordshire, David and Anne got a warm welcome from Anne's mother and step-father who live at Eaton Bishop.

Currently enjoying the quiet of village life, Dave admits the two are already planning for further journeys across Europe and other parts of the UK - when and if the finances allow it.