Pack News

Report from July’s RAT Meeting 2010

Arriving at The Red House last night I received quite a shock as I looked at the area where we normally meet… no one was there. A quick calculation meant that there would be the four members I passed on the way in. Imagine my relief when the waitress informed me that we had been moved to the public bar! On turning the corner there everyone was seated and well into the evening. The public bar proved to be a great place to meet, slightly smaller but everyone could hear and see clearly and it had a great atmosphere, what more could we want?

With well over thirty members present the meeting began by welcoming our newest member, David Jones from Shrewsbury. Hopefully David will be able to make the next run.
Unbeknown to me three other people where at the back who were potential members. I assumed they were part of the bikers night crowd who had mistakenly wandered in! Luckily later I noticed the Triumph logo on the arm of one of them and so was able to talk to them about our club. They plan to come on one of the runs and if it meets their needs will move on to become members.

Apologies were received from Carey, Ken Shaw, Neville, and Colin Barrett.

Mike Cooke along with Les gave a nice account of the last run to the Bird of Prey centre in June. Despite so many members being away touring the Alps and Scotland we had 17 members come along, so having just the two groups was fine. Both the weather and the route were great and everyone really enjoyed the day. Some went into the centre whilst another group went on to Gloucester Docks. Mike will be sending in his report soon along with the pictures from the day. So watch this space!

Ken Tomlinson was back from leading his group from the alps. His account of the ten day trip sounded wonderful, certainly all those who were on the trip were buzzing with tales to tell. Ken will be sending me a report along with lots of photos shortly. When they come through I will be putting everything on the web site straight away.

Stuart gave a most amusing account of the Scottish holiday along with Anthony’s encounter with the traffic police. Everyone was extremely grateful to Anthony as he shielded the others from the dreaded speed gun!! Whether they helped pay for the fine is another matter. So it was of no great surprise, except Anthony of course, when Sue presented him with his Rider of the Month award!

Stuart will be leading the run to Barmouth in July. Paul Boydon and Paul Arnold both very kindly agreed to lead the other two groups. The route and a map will be available very shortly.

August. We have over forty coming on the night which is fantastic. It promises to be a great occasion. I will be paying the balance next week, in the meantime if you would like to be part of this event please let me know and I will book you in. July to the Pumping Station at Mill Meece. Lots of things will be there including Classic Motorcycles and Vintage cars.

For more details please contact David at: tbird9002002@hotmail.com

Anthony informed everyone that Wyles & Holland now have the Sprint GT in as a demonstrator; in fact several members already have had a ride.

By all accounts in terms of touring ability it is a great improvement over the ST. Shortly after the formal part of the meeting the group heading off to Ireland met to discuss matters relating to their trip in early September,so much to say so much to do!

Report from June’s RAT Meeting 2010

At last the weather has returned to summer, just in time for our meeting. We again enjoyed a good turn-out of over thirty members sitting and relaxing.
Apologies were received from Paul Gater, Archie Evans and Peter Roberts.

We discussed the last run in May to The Corris Railway and reflected on what a super ride it had been, with that wonderful combination of traffic free roads, stunning countryside and warm sunny weather, what more could you ask for? Well the extra special ingredient was provided by Paul Arnold who, as planned took over from Les at Corris and led the group across country along a beautiful set of roads, full of interest and challenge. It was for making the day into something magical that Paul was awarded Rider of the Month for May.

Mike Cooke has very kindly agreed to lead the run in June to the Bird of Prey Centre. A map will be sent out shortly. Les agreed to lead the second group. As quite a few members are away on their adventures in June, one group to The Alps the other up to Scotland we don’t anticipate requiring any more than two groups, but we shall see.
Next on the agenda was the summer BBQ. The date has been fixed for Saturday 7th August. Originally it was to be held at The White House but in the time between enquiring and booking, a wedding reception had got in before us! I tried four other venues, all of which were either unsuitable or unavailable before trying The Shropshire. Success at last, and a great relief as they could not have been more helpful providing a great out door space, or if the weather is wet a wonderful room upstairs. Deposits were collected and we have well over thirty for the occasion.

Under A.O.B. Richard suggested a mid week ride out in June into Wales. If you are interested please contact him at this address: richard@bridgnorthprint.co.uk

To see photos from the run please click this link: Photos
To read the report from the Isle of Man trip please click here: Report

For a report from The Corris Run please go to RAT Runs 2010

Report from May's RAT Meeting 2010

It’s just as well I don’t start exactly on time as I would only be talking to fifteen or so members. Yet just after 8pm we had more than doubled this number

I received apologies from Malcolm, Neville, Paul (Gater) and Gordon. We look forward to seeing them next time. It was good to see Ian there as he had been in Canada for an unexpected stay of two weeks thanks to the volcanic dust. The good thing about it was that he was able to get paid for it!!

Keith gave a summary of the run in April which visited the motor museum in Castle Donnington, it would appear that we inadvertently left John Bones behind on the way there. Sorry John, we’ll make sure that does happen again.
Rider of the Month was awarded to Keith for managing to leave five minutes after the leading group and yet managed to arrive ten minutes before them, how’s that for leadership?
The next run in May sees us returning to Wales, to visit the Railway museum at Corris. Thanks to Stuart and Les we now have the necessary three group leaders,
so all is set fair for the day of Sunday 16th May. We also arranged leaders for the runs in June, (Mike Cooke), July (Stuart) and August (Paul Boydon).

Sue had very kindly prepared a summary of the trip to the Isle of Man which she read out. Even before than you could sense how well the holiday had gone simply from the smiles on people’s faces. Mike Darke summed it up wonderfully when he said that by the end of the week he had hurt his ribs from laughing so much!! 

Sue’s report will be on the web-site very shortly along with a selection on photograph for you to enjoy.

We next discussed the proposed Summer BBQ. Everyone seemed very much in favour of having one and were very happy holding it at The White House. It was agreed that an e-mail be sent to all members asking A) if they would like to come to the BBQ, and B) Which Saturday in August would be best for them?

Under A.O.B. Simon gave details of a fund raising event in support of the Severn Hospice being held on Sunday 23rd May. This involves a ride out to Rhayader combined with an optional treasure hunt with the tickets costing £5. Simon later went round and collected lots of fivers in support of a very good cause. 

Sue and Stuart donated a first aid kit and some yellow bibs for our ride outs. This was a very kind and thoughtful thing to do.

To read a full report from April's run to Castle Donnington please go to RAT RUNS and click on 2010 RAT Runs where you will find a link to the photos from the ride out. To go directly to the photos please click on Gallery and select April 2010

Report from April’s RAT Meeting

We welcomed three new members at our meeting, Gordon Wright, Paul Arnold and Archie Evans. Gordon came on our last run and it was nice to see his wife Sue at the meeting as well.

Apologies were received from Geoff Williams who is away working, Ian who is in Denmark, Paul Boydon who is touring the USA on his Sprint, Neville, Richard Mills and Gary who is on holiday in Italy.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the first run of the season to The Devil’s Bridge organised by Mick and Kerry. A big thank you was given to them as well as to Simon who led the second group. The route was perfect for bikes and the breakfast stop excellent. All in all, a most successful run.

We discussed the new starting arrangements for our runs. The consensus was that it was a huge improvement in that people could see clearly who was in their group, how many and were able to leave without any fuss. We could even see the Tesco clock and easily time our departure. There also was plenty of space for all the 29 bikes which was an extra bonus.

Rider of the month was awarded to Gary Thomas for his magical mystery tour of Wales in search of the perfect fish and chips. The adventure was only meant to be twenty miles which some how stretched out to fifty-five and then to top it all Gary led his intrepid party over a mountain path for nearly twenty miles!! Having said all that, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Keith gave details of his run to the Castle Donnington Motor Museum which
scheduled to take place on Sunday 18th April. As in March we have three group leaders. Thank you to Peter Mulloy for agreeing to lead the first group. With the Isle of Man trip being around this time it will probably mean that we may not need three groups but it is better to be prepared nevertheless. Everyone wished Sue (who is organizing the trip) and her party a great time. We look forward to hearing all the anecdotes from the holiday and to seeing their photos. 

Les gave a summary of our Skittle’s evening which was a great night out. Congratulations were given to Mike Cooke who is now officially the 2010 world champion! It was also noted that for the second year in a row, Paula was on the winning team!

It was great to see Terry at the meeting and to see him looking so well after his latest operation. Hopefully he’ll be on the ride-outs very soon.

The club continues to expand with the current membership standing at 56.

Skittles Evening 2010

Many thanks must go (yet again) to Les and Yvonne for organizing a great night out playing skittles at The Oaks at Red Hill. The evening began with the team challenge with four teams each competing for the coveted gold medals and (more importantly) the Easter Eggs!! There was some great bowling but soon it was The Stags, consisting of Leslie, Mike Cooke, Richard and Kim, Paula (who was also on the winning team last year) and Michael, who were bowling fantastically well with each member scoring highly on each visit they raced away into a commanding position.. At the close of this first competition The Stags had romped to a 55 point winning lead. Things only got better for The Stags as the individual competition got under way. There were some excellent scores but, as in a lottery, it was very chancy as one bad round and you were eliminated! Mike Cooke proved to be a great World champion in 2010 with a final score of 13 which blew the remaining two competitors away. The final award of the evening was won by Michael who produced the highest individual score of 21 and so was awarded The Best Set Of Balls Award!!
Everything was done in a great spirit including tucking in to the lovely meal half way through the night, and, as the drinks flowed we could reflect on another wonderful evening spent in the company of good friends.

To see photos from the evening please visit our Gallery where all will be revealed in glorious technicolor or follow this link: Photos

Report from March’s RAT Meeting 2010.

We welcomed two new guests at our meeting in March, Colin Barrett and Richard Mills. We look forward to seeing them on the runs this year. Apologies were received from Lyn Wiggetts, Dave Pegg, Peter Tomkinson, Rob Sledgley, Paul Gater and Ken Shaw.
At long last the weather is breaking free from winter’s frozen grip and we can begin to contemplate riding our bikes once more. With that in mind we went over the first run of the new season to the Devil’s Bridge. This will be led by Mick Darke with Simon kindly offering to lead the second group. I’ll be leading the third group.
The main difference this year will be that we shall assemble on the car park opposite Mac Donalds and line up in one of the three groups. The proof of whether this will be a better system should very quickly be apparent. It can always be adjusted if need be.
As to the route, the outward journey takes us out to Much Wenlock, across to Craven Arms and then along to Knighton with the breakfast/lunch being at Crossgates. Then it is on to the Devil’s Bridge.
The return trip takes us across to Newtown and Church Stoke before returning to Craven Arms and the Morville Road. All we need now is the weather to be kind to us. A road map will be sent to all members and will also be available on the web site a little nearer the date (Sunday March 21st).
A big thank you to Keith Simkins, who volunteered to lead the run in April to the Donnington Castle Motor Museum. More details at the next meeting. Mike Cooke also volunteered to lead the run to Barmouth later in the year. Many thanks Mike.
Les collected the deposits for the Skittle’s evening which is now set for Saturday27^th March at The Oaks. More details to follow very shortly.
Under A.O.B Malcolm pointed out that Wylies are no longer doing M.O.T.s or servicing on Mondays or Tuesdays. Whether this is permanent remains to be seen. Adrian mentioned that a new Triumph dealer is opening up in Wolverhampton. No doubt we will learn more in the coming months as people pop in and see what it is like.

Something we need to do at the next meeting is to fix the run in August. Originally it was set for Tenby, but this was felt to be too long to be accomplished in a day and be home at a reasonable time in the evening. Therefore if you have ideas/suggestions for the run please e-mail them or give them at the meeting in April.

Report from February’s RAT Meeting 2010

At our meeting we welcomed two new(ish) members. One was brand new: Duncan Barley, the other marking the return of Peter Tomkinson, (alias Tiger Pete). It was great that they could come and join us. We also welcomed Fiona Carey to her first meeting. It was good to see her there.
Apologies were received from: John Bones, Dave Pegg, Terry Gould and Ian Jones.
Next on the agenda was a review of the Go-karting night organised by Sue. 28 members took part on the night and all agreed how much fun it was and how competitive the racing proved to be, hence the number of black flags!! Malcolm was crowned top Go-Karter within the club for the second year in succession and received a well deserved round of applause, as did Sue for all her work organizing the night.
The current membership numbers came out at 51, which for the beginning of the year is excellent. The club looks set to grow even more in 2010.
Being February it was time to settle on the runs for this year. After much discussion a programme of runs was agreed on. There may be one or two adjustments to make at the meeting in March. I will keep you all informed of any changes in good time and change the web-site accordingly.
The longer trips appear well settled now with the Isle of Man trip needing a meeting soon to discuss the finer details. Sue will be in touch with all those going shortly to set a date.
The trip to The Alps in June is gathering riders all the time, two more expressed an interest last night. For the current numbers please log into the club’s Forum page.
The trip to Dingle has also grown. The various permutations on how to get there were discussed last night and as a result a number of smaller groups are being organised for September.
Les is close to settling on the date for the Skittle’s night in March. Full details to follow shortly. Enquiries are being made for the BBQ in August and will be discussed at a later date. A suggestion was made to hold it on a Saturday which seems very sensible. It does not tie it to the date of the run in August.
Peter Roberts gave details of the presentation of the £500 to The Air Ambulance at the end of January. The certification was also passed round during the evening.
Under A.O.B. the possible tour of the Triumph factory was raised. Triumph has not replied to our e-mails and so it was decided to ask Wylies about organising a visit.

Our first run of the year draws ever closer. Details of the run to The Devil’s Bridge will be given by Mick Darke at the next meeting.

Air Ambulance Presentation
Wednesday 27th January

The Wylie and Holland RAT Pack proved the old adage that ‘little and often goes a long way’ as they presented a Cheque for £500 to the Shropshire Air Ambulance Trust. Each run every member gives £1 and this, over a season soon mounts up, as demonstrated by today’s presentation outside Wylie and Holland’s shop in Wellington, Telford.

It is difficult to believe that the Air Ambulance has to raise over two Million pounds each year in order to keep in the air and receives no state assistance. So it was with great pleasure that Mike Cooke, Peter Roberts, Cliff Holland and Michael Burke handed over the Cheque on behalf of all the members of the club.

All members agreed what a fantastic job the Air Ambulance does and you would think that motorcycling keeps them very busy. But Stephen Hunt, from the Air Ambulance assured everyone present that by far and away the biggest user of this vital service in Shropshire comes from the horse riding fraternity!

To see photos from the presentation please click here: Presentation Photo

Update on Alps Trip in June

Go-Karting Night Saturday 23rd January 2010

A great turnout of 28 drivers, plus lots supporters arrived at the Cannon Raceway to display their expertise (or otherwise) at go karting. After squeezing into fetching overalls and watching the safety video, the practice sessions began with everyone doing 3 laps to get used to the twin engined karts and the track, which had been greatly altered from last year. The gloves were off as the 6 heats of 9 laps commenced with the top 8 drivers going through to the final. The organisation was super efficient, while one group was out racing, the next group were on the starting grid with the racers after them already lining up! The heats were highly contested as drivers became more competitive with various overtakes, drifting round corners and downright dirty manoeuvres coming into play! The black flag even came out on several occasions; such was the intensity of the racing. After all the heats had finished, the scores were totted up and the top 8 climbed into their karts for the 20 lap final. After almost 4 hours of karting, the best (or dirtiest) drivers of the night proved to be...

1st place Howard Williams (The boyfriend of Dave Lombard’s daughter)

2nd place Ben Windeat (Carey Windeat’s son)

3rd place Malcolm Rees.

For the second year running the best Go-Karter within the club proved to be Malcolm

Well done to all who made the night so enjoyable and to Sue in particular for once more organizing a super night’s racing.

if you would like to see some photos from the night please click here: Go Karting

 

 

New membership card for 2010

Christmas Party 2010

The temperature outside was rapidly falling which was in direct contrast to the warm welcome we received inside The Shropshire, where 42 members were gathered inside to celebrate another successful year in the history of the club. We were a much bigger group than in 2008, but just like last year, the hard working staff saw to all the needs of our group as we enjoyed the Christmas food and drink. Later some of our members even got up to participate in the disco!! As I looked round the room it was clear how well we were getting on and how relaxed we were in each other's company now we had a season of riding and socialising together. So many members said how much they were enjoying being a member of the club and there was an air of anticipation as to what the new season held in store. Many of the longer trips to foreign climes are busy being organised and booked even now, and there was much discussion as to what trip to join. People said how much they enjoyed the ride-outs in 2009 and wondered what was in store for 2010? Well there's not long to wait to find out, as at our next meeting on Tuesday 5th January, we meet to plan the ride-outs for the forth-coming season. Meanwhile, in the early hours not even the icy covering of frost on the cars outside could diminish the warmth created by such a lovely evening.

To see pictures from the party please click here

  Report from November’s RAT Meeting 2010.

If you were at The Red House last night you can easily appreciate why the banks are so short of cash. Most of it was circulating inside as members paid the balance for the Christmas party! In all we had 34 members present and correct last night. We welcomed our newest member, David Holland (no relation to Cliff Holland) who resides in Bridgnorth. We received apologies from Rob, Richard, Keith, Lyn and Peter (Molloy).

The last run of the season to The National Motorcycle Museum was discussed. We were so lucky with the weather and everyone enjoyed the run. Those who went round the museum all agreed how truly wonderful it was, especially in the light of the devastating fire a few years ago. One thing did arise from the run was that we had three unequal groups leaving. Stuart, who was leading the second group ended up with eleven, which was too many. This is something we need to address in order to develop a better system of splitting into more balanced groups. I will put this on the agenda for the next meeting in January. In the meantime have a think about how we could do this.

Rider of the Month was awarded to Rob, who you will remember, broke down on the last run. However he taught us all an important lesson, namely, if you do break down make sure you do so outside a decent pub!! Thank you for that Rob, it has been duly noted.

Next on the agenda were further ideas for longer trips for 2010. Two trips to Ireland are being planned. One will be setting off on Saturday 23rd May for four days, the other on Saturday 4th September for a week. Both are going to exactly the same area, Dingle, and using the same superb accommodation. It is just a matter of choosing the date which suits you best. Costs for a double room works out at £145 for the accommodation in May and £200 for September, with the ferry being round about £130.

I will send out more information next week.

There is a trip to the Alps on offer in June 2010. This is being organised by Ken Tomlinson, Ken has also posted details on the forum.

Les suggested a long weekend to Yorkshire, an area he knows quite well. The dates have yet to be decided but are likely to be in the summer 2010. This will be discussed further early in the new year. These, together with the Isle of Man adventure already arranged, means we have a really interesting number of trips on offer next year.

We will be deciding our monthly ride-outs in January and February.

Our charity fund now stands at £500 which is a nice round figure. Peter Roberts is arranging things so we can present the Cheque to The Air Ambulance. Further details when I know more. Thanks to all of you who have paid your pound on the runs, it is going to a really worth while cause.

The new web-site is up and running with more and more members registering on the forum. People seem very pleased with it which is great, as a lot of time and hard work has gone into it. It still needs adjusting but that should not take too long.

Under A.O.B. Paula, only just back from her adventures in Peru, gave a lovely account of her travels and received a well deserved round of applause. I hope to publish further details together with photos on the web-site shortly.

 Finally even more money was removed from the banking system as Sue collected deposits for the Go-Karting in January. To date we have twenty-eight paid up members raring to go. Final payment in January

October’s Run to the National Motorcycle Museum

Run Report

Not easy to feel snug and warm on a cold sunny Autumn morning, but those of us with heated grips had no problems! It may have been cold but that did not deter 24 bikes from turning up for the last run of the season. Thank you to all those who came along, and in particular to Mick and Stuart for leading two of the groups.

The route took us north-east towards Newport and Eccleshall and then east to Stone. The roads where very quiet and a joy to ride on. We next headed south-east down the A34/A51 towards Lichfield. It all got a bit complicated after that, (well it did for me at least) with lots of traffic and a plethora of roads to choose from. However, progress was made and as we neared our destination signs appeared for the museum and so life became a great deal easier.

All three groups were now reunited on the car park of the museum, and as we were altogether we were wondering where Rob was? It was then that we received a message from a van driver to say that Rob was OK and waiting for the RAC and not to worry. (Later it transpired that Rob’s bike had broken down, but luckily he had come to a halt outside a pub!!)

The next decision to be made was what to have for breakfast! Luckily, the museum had an excellent café and plenty of room to accommodate us all, and to top it all the food was excellent and good value.

After breakfast and, with everyone fully revitalized the group split up into those who wanted to go round the museum as those heading back.

The museum itself was fascinating with a tremendous collection of pristine bikes dating back to the very earliest days and onwards. Prior to entering the museum proper, a display reminded you graphically of the devastating fire which so nearly put paid to the museum itself. Quite how they could restore any thing form such carnage is a tribute to sheer determination and remarkable skill.

The five display rooms were full of remarkable technical innovations from the twentieth century. It created an atmosphere akin to the inside of a cathedral such was the reverence shown by all present. Some of the bikes on display were simply audacious in their daring and vision of what might be achieved. It certainly was a place to linger and absorb, reflect and ponder on the sheer ingenious lengths engineers had gone to, to give us the joy of motorcycling which we enjoy today, except Rob that is!!  

 

Check out the photo gallery .

 

Holland 2009!

Check out the report on the Holland 2009 trip right here!

 

Check out the photo gallery, now live!

 

Spain 2009

Check out the photo gallery now.

 

Scotland 2009

Check out the photo gallery now

Report from the October RAT Meeting

This meeting was our second at the Red House and everyone is now settling into our new venue and making it our own. We had 32 members all gathered safely inside away from the pouring rain outside.
Apologies were received from Les, David (Lombard) and Peter (Roberts). The run to Avoncroft was the second item on the agenda. With 22 bikes and 26 people it was a very successful run. We were very fortunate having gloriously sunny weather which is always a bonus. The route afforded some wonderful views of the Malverns in particular and this combined with traffic free roads made the run very enjoyable. Avoncroft was enjoyed by all who went. Many thanks to both Peter (Mulloy) and Paul (Boydon) for their help in leading the groups.

Rider of the Month was awarded to Geoff Williams for after two years finally made it on a run. Well done Geoff, I shall be dropping off your certificate. Mick Darke very kindly brought in details of our last run of the season to The National Motorcycle Museum which takes place on Sunday 18th October. Entrance is £7 for an adult. Stuart very kindly offered to lead one of the groups thereby enabling us to offer three groups on the day. The breakfast stop will be at the museum itself as the route is just over sixty miles. A map and full details will be sent to all members a little nearer the time.

The recent trip to Holland was next on the list. There is a full report on the website, but overall it was a great holiday full of interest and places to visit combined with friendly people and a very clean and civilized atmosphere. Water featured a great deal in the landscape, with one village called Giethoorn, have hardly any roads but instead a network of canals upon which it was possible to hire electric boats and go off exploring. For her heroic efforts steering the boat around Giethoorn, Amanda was awarded ‘The Triumph Captain of the Year’ award! Another trip to Holland is certainly a possibility in the near future. To give a flavour of Holland, a slide show was making the rounds at the meeting for everyone to see.

We now have a total of forty-one members coming to the Christmas party on Saturday 12th December which is excellent. What was not mentioned was that I will be sending out the menu for the night for everyone to make their selection in time to give it to me at the next meeting in November together with the final payment of £20 per person.

Under A.O.B. it was suggested that a group be arranged for those members wishing to visit the Bike Show this year. The dates are as follows: 26th November until December 6th. The cost of entry for an adult is £15 (Pre-booked) or £17 at the door. I will send out a separate e-mail to everyone in a few days time.

Paula informed the meeting that she is off to PERU in a few days time. Everyone wished her the very best of luck.

Sue has very kindly offered to arrange to the very popular Go-Karting for the end of January 2010. To ensure we get the stadium to ourselves we need at least 25 people. Upon a show of hands we easily had enough just at the meeting! Obviously details will be forth coming nearer the time, but it is an event eagerly awaited.

At the next meeting in November, high on the agenda will be the longer trips planned for 2010. People were asked if they had suggestions to have details at hand on the night to enable people to decide which would suit them best.

Pics from Paul & Paula's Wedding

(June 2009)

 

10^th Anniversary Report

A special occasion requires something special and today we were luckily enough to experience this. 35 members joined in the celebration breakfast run to Lake Vyrnwy. In all we had 32 bikes which is a club record. Setting off in three groups, even the weather was kind to us, as we headed for The Old Barn café. Everyone arrived safely, including Michael’s group who were taken on an extended tour of the more obscure parts of Wales! Ken Shaw, our resident culinary expert declared the breakfast a ’gastronomic delight’, which is high praise indeed.

The return trip was not to be delayed as we all had an important appointment at The All Nations in the afternoon. As 4pm drew near, the parking spaces gradually disappeared as more and more of our members arrived for the party. In all we had 48 people socialising and relaxing in the late afternoon sunshine.Many thanks must go to Lizzy, Ade and all the staff of The All Nations for all their hard work which helped to make the party so enjoyable and such good fun. The All Nations is a unique pub with its combination of lovely old fashioned interior, delicious home brewed beers and fantastic food. The BBQ was delayed slightly so as to accommodate members who could not make it for five, but it was well worth waiting for. Beautifully cooked meats and plenty of them, accompanied by fresh salad and jacket potatoes and followed by some fantastic cakes, one in the shape of a Triumph petrol tank! Thanks Lizzy for organizing that, it was very kind of you.Richard even printed special souvenir anniversary post cards with photographs from the club’s archives. Everyone thought they were excellent and a very nice touch.

It was good to see so many members of family enjoying the occasion as well. And as the home brew flowed steadily, we sat around and enjoyed what turned out to be a really memorable occasion in the club’s history.

 

Report from August's RAT Meeting 2009

We enjoyed a great turnout for our RAT meeting in August, with 35 members present. Many thanks to all those who were able to come. There was a great deal on the agenda, starting with apologies from Doug, Garry, Mick and Kerry. We welcomed our newest member, Carey from Kidderminster. Somehow I forgot to mention that Paul Feavyour has now bought a Rocket 3 tourer and is now a fully paid up member. Well done Paul, you know it makes sense! A special welcome was given to Paula & Paul who recently got married whilst up in Scotland.

I gave a report on the Scrumpy run which was such good fun for all those involved. (Please go to Latest RAT Run.) A big round of applause was given to Simon who was awarded a very special edition of Rider of the Month for setting an Olympic world record for throwing his top-box a full 16m. Needless to say his certificate was decorated with the Olympic symbol.

Our next run is the anniversary run on Sunday 16th August. Richard kindly outlined the route to Lake Vyrnwy together with the breakfast stop, and the alternative routes home. A map and directions will be sent to all members and placed on the website next week.

Anthony gave everyone a summary of the Scottish holiday, with contributions from other members of the group. It was clear that everyone thoroughly enjoyed the trip and that the accommodation and location was first class. Well done Terry for organising this. A report and photos will be arriving shortly and placed on the web-site.

Stuart highlighted a situation whereby following an incident in the middle of no where, way up in Scotland, and with one of the bikes unable to be ridden, a problem arose as to the degree of cover. Breakdown cover was covered, but accidental cover was not. Although the situation resolved itself well enough, it did show the need for accidental cover, especially on our longer trips.

Lizzy outlined the final details for the Anniversary party on August 16th . People should start arriving at 4pm, with food being served from 5pm onwards. To date we have 47 members coming, so it promises to be a great night. It is not too late for those not already booked in to come along. Just e-mail me and I will sort things out for you. I will be sending out directions to you all next week.

Sue very kindly is organising a trip to the Isle of Man in April 2010 and brought with her details of the trip. A copy will be placed on the web-site. To date, 16 people have expressed an interest. It promises to be a very popular holiday.

I know it is only August, but the next item on the agenda was: Where to hold our Christmas party? With the club expanding it was felt that we should be looking for a place which can accommodate around the 50 mark. Many people felt that last year’s venue, The Shropshire would be a good choice. It may even be possible to get a room to ourselves. I will investigate on your behalf.

There were no items under A.O.B and so the meeting came to a close. The anniversary clothing was then given out in readiness for the night to come on August 16th.

All we need now is some good weather in the middle of August for our anniversary run and party. Do hope you'll be able to take part in the celebrations, it would be great to see you there.

Report from July’s RAT Meeting 2009

Arriving fully laden with everyone’s clothing order; I was very pleased to see that the staff at the White House had arranged the tables for our meeting. With our current numbers, which range from 20 to 40 at our meetings, there does seem to be plenty of room for us all. Last night we had 33 members present. A big thank you to all those who came. We welcomed two new members last night, Lyn Wiggetts and Steve Simkins. We hope they will join us on the next run later this month.

I received apologies from John Bones, Paul Boydon and Paul Gater.

Fresh from his trip to watch the Moto GP racing in Barcelona, Brian gave a lovely account of the trip. In all 3 members went, Brian, Garry and Colin averaging between 400 and 500 miles per day! They started their day by 8·45am and ended the day nearly 12 hours later, dedicated or what?

They stayed just outside Barcelona, at the seaside town of Lloret de Mar. The hotel offered under-ground parking, which for most people would be a bonus, unless you become trapped underneath the barrier, as Colin did! Brian described the riding style of the bikers heading for the race meeting as ‘wild’, and we all felt he was under stating the case! However, the car drivers were very understanding. It took 2 hours to actually get in to the race ground, and in 30ºC+, was no joke. Apart from the racing bikes themselves, the loudest noises came from the Rossi fans, and with such an exciting race it came as no surprise.The trip lasted 7 days in which time 2650 miles were covered, but would Brian do it again? A resounding YES!

Anthony gave a résumé on his Seaside trip last month. We all agreed how well the 3 groups are working and the benefits of leaving sufficient space between the groups meant that we did not all arrive together. Yet there was plenty of time to have lunch together and to enjoy the occasion. There were a few issues regarding riding discipline and appropriate behaviour when riding in groups. These were discussed and quickly resolved. It was felt that changing groups should take place at the breakfast, lunch or tea stop and that anyone wanting to have a blast is best going off first and meet up with everyone at the next stop. Everyone was very relaxed about this and felt it to be an excellent suggestion from Richard.

The Rider of the Month for June was awarded to David Niblett for finishing work at 2am on the day of the run, but still making it, travelling all the way from Stourport on Severn.

As it is my run in July, I gave details of the run and how it had gone through several reincarnations due to the closures of the various places I had planned.. We are now travelling to deepest Herefordshire to visit a Cider Mill. They have an excellent cafe and offer guided tours of the mill, plus a chance to sample their produce. An e-mail containing the route and a map will be sent out to all members next week. As I am one of the leaders, we needed 2 other group leaders, and very kindly, Ade and Malcolm volunteered. At one point I though we had another volunteer, but it was only Les scratching his head!

The trip to Scotland leaves on Saturday and we wished them bon voyage, especially Paula and Paul who are travelling all the way north to get married!

Finally everyone had a chance to try on their anniversary clothing. Amazingly, only 3 were the wrong size. The money was also collected for both the clothing and the party. Lizzy out-lined the menu for the evening, which consisted of home made Burger or Cheese Burger, Hot Dog served with jacket potato and salad. There will be a selection of desserts to follow. If you are coming to the party and have any special dietary requirements please let me know, and they will be attended to.

Under A.O.B. suggestions were invited for the breakfast run in August. Richard suggested a mystery ride out. We await developments at the next meeting in August.

 

Second Man Drop-off training

Imagine riding along on a beautiful spring morning with a group of fellow riders with no one in the group knowing where they were going, and no one worrying in the
slightest. Well, that was the case with several of the groups on Sunday 5th April.

The reason no one was concerned was because of the system in place on that day, The Second Man Drop-Off. Boy, did it work well. It was a pleasure to be out on the bikes
with the full knowledge that at a strategic point on the journey a rider would be waiting to indicate which way to go. In fact at some places there were two riders to make
doubly sure!

A huge thank you goes out to Mick and Kerry Darke for so expertly organizing the course and making it so enjoyable. We had a great turn-out of 17 bikes that made
quite an impression as they made their way from the Retail Park in Wellington to Newport where the run proper was to start. Mick led the group in his bright yellow bib,
with Kerry, similarly attired at the back. The weather was fantastic, clear blue skies and warm sunshine. Everyone was eager to see how it all would work and couldn’t wait
to get started.

Travelling through Newport quickly separated the large group into three smaller groups thanks to a very short delay on the traffic lights. But it mattered not, for at the
end of the road the second man had been dropped off and was pointing the direction we should go. Further along the road the latest ‘second man’ was waiting to
indicate that we should be turning left. There was never any mad rush trying to catch a glimpse of the group in front, but a great deal of relaxed riding safe in the belief
that before long there would be someone waiting and that soon the whole group would reunite and be as one again.

The morning generated a great deal of discussion, and the over-riding theme to our conversation was that the morning had been an over-riding success. The only thing left
to do now was to buy two yellow bibs, because sooner or later the Second man drop off system will be in use with the club.

Skittles evening update!

A very big thank you echoed around the Oaks late on Saturday 28th March to both Les and Yvonne for organizing so brilliantly such a great night of laughter, food and Skittles. Having access to our own private bar helped enormously too! The room was just the right size to accommodate the 27 members and it was lovely to see and meet so many people intent on enjoying themselves.With the drink flowing, we were divided into teams and the bowling commenced with everyone keen to knock seven bells out of pieces of wood innocently standing upright at the far end of the room. (It doesn’t take much to please some people!) In the end there was one clear winning team, The Bonneville’s, however it came as a complete surprise to almost everyone in the team as most people had by now completely forgotten which team they were in, apart from a delighted Paula who new exactly which team she was in! With a welcome interlude for some excellent food and with the bar very busy, a fund raising event captured everyone’s attention as they tried to get a 50p as close to a bottle of wine as possible with spectacular ineptitude! After careful measurements Mick and Paul’s coins were exactly the same distance apart and so a decider was called for. With their final throws both coins finished metres rather than millimetres away from the bottle!! However, Paul’s coin won the wine with a gallant Mick not going away completely empty handed as the photograph below is testament to.

The individual world champion was decided in a series of knockout rounds with some excellent scores along the way. In the end it came to a show down between Kerry and Garry and in a close contest, Garry became the undisputed World Skittle’s champion. A very nice touch was the individual birthday cakes which suddenly appeared from the kitchen to celebrate Amanda and Kerry’s forth-coming birthdays.

Thanks to everyone’s generosity and their inability to get a coin anywhere near a bottle of wine, we raised £52 towards our charity fund, £30 of which was from Les alone!

(Only joking Les)

check out the photos from the event!

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Report From The March Meeting 2009

We enjoyed another record turn out last night with 29 members present. We also welcomed two new members, Warren Russell and John Bones. We hope to see them on some of this year’s runs.

The White House was very busy last night and as a consequence there was not enough room in the bar area. Fortunately the manager was very accommodating and gave us a whole section of the hotel’s restaurant to ourselves. This proved to be an excellent space. It was agreed to hold the rest of the meetings there.

Apologies were received from Mick & Kerry Darke, Dan Palmer and Jon Everall.

The run on Sunday March 15^th will now be led by Doug Richardson as Malcolm unfortunately cannot make that date. The route will be finalised in the next few days and will be sent to all members as well as being put on the website. Peter Mulloy and Michael agreed to learn the route and to take groups should the numbers be too many for a single group.

The club's 10^th anniversary in August was discussed with a number of good suggestions being put forward. In the end it was decided to have a breakfast run on the morning of Sunday 16^th August followed by a BBQ locally in the early evening. Liz Barrett is working on this. Full details will follow shortly when we know more.

The next on the agenda was the Second Man Drop-off training. The date was fixed for the morning of Sunday April 5^th with a 9am. start at the usual place. (Mac Donalds Wellington Retail Park). Mick & Kerry who are leading the training are away on holiday at the moment. When they return I will speak to them about the training and pass any additional information to you all.

Les spoke about the Skittle’s evening and has now collected everyone’s money. At present there are 29 members going which is excellent. If you would like to come along there are just a few places remaining. Please contact Michael for further details.

Under A.O.B. it was agreed to up date the website holiday selection with this year’s trips. This will be done very shortly now I have the details.

Peter Roberts who was ‘volunteered’ to lead the run in April was happy to do so. In the meantime he will be working on the route.

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