2017 Happenings
Latest first.........
Engines, Engines….
Our last evening of the year, Barry’s ‘Engines Quiz’ had been eagerly anticipated since October. Unfortunately, on the night, the temperature was hovering around freezing and the roads were treacherous which deterred all but the hardiest of HoE’s souls. A shame because it turned out to be one of the most interesting events we have enjoyed.
Divided into ‘Steam’, ‘Internal Combustion’ and ‘Turbine’ Barry led us a merry dance through the years with questions varying from very easy to ultra-fiendish. Being Barry, there was a PowerPoint at the conclusion so we could be in no doubt how sleeve valves worked. I wished I’d paid more attention to Barry when he discoursed during some of our museum trips!
Equal first place went to Nigel and Bob with Jon and John sharing second. Lawrence languished last but therefore gained most from the PP presentation afterwards so was a winner too. His mum always said he was special…. Chocolates were dished out to the victors and we all went home happy. Great evening.
Divided into ‘Steam’, ‘Internal Combustion’ and ‘Turbine’ Barry led us a merry dance through the years with questions varying from very easy to ultra-fiendish. Being Barry, there was a PowerPoint at the conclusion so we could be in no doubt how sleeve valves worked. I wished I’d paid more attention to Barry when he discoursed during some of our museum trips!
Equal first place went to Nigel and Bob with Jon and John sharing second. Lawrence languished last but therefore gained most from the PP presentation afterwards so was a winner too. His mum always said he was special…. Chocolates were dished out to the victors and we all went home happy. Great evening.
The Game - 23rd November
Indeed, the TT Board Game has become such a fixture in our winter calendar that we no longer need the ‘TT Board’ bit. Mention ‘The Game’ and grown members quiver and fall by the wayside.
So it was last night when only six members arrived to play ‘The Game’. One arrived on a motorcycle and, God bless him, it was an AJS. Stalwart stuff, AJS riders, even when threatened with TT Boards. So many members were smitten that one might suspect foul play. Or cold damp weather….
‘The Game’ was played. Lawrence won, Charles retired. Amusing repartee was had. People were glad to have played. For t’is not the winning but the taking part that counts.
For the first year in living memory no-one sang ‘Redemption Song’. We must be aging. Nil desperandum though. We do have a member who is ‘down with the kids’. A hipster member no less. He was treated to a Weston’s still cider; ‘Old Rosie’; probably the best cider you can buy. “It’s flat!” quoth he, “and there’s no slice of lemon in it”. Youngsters nowadays eh?
So it was last night when only six members arrived to play ‘The Game’. One arrived on a motorcycle and, God bless him, it was an AJS. Stalwart stuff, AJS riders, even when threatened with TT Boards. So many members were smitten that one might suspect foul play. Or cold damp weather….
‘The Game’ was played. Lawrence won, Charles retired. Amusing repartee was had. People were glad to have played. For t’is not the winning but the taking part that counts.
For the first year in living memory no-one sang ‘Redemption Song’. We must be aging. Nil desperandum though. We do have a member who is ‘down with the kids’. A hipster member no less. He was treated to a Weston’s still cider; ‘Old Rosie’; probably the best cider you can buy. “It’s flat!” quoth he, “and there’s no slice of lemon in it”. Youngsters nowadays eh?
Inter-Section Quiz _ 14th November
It had been a long journey for HoE, for some up to seventy miles. We were happy to make it though as we knew what joys lay ahead. Competing were Newbury section; last year’s winners, Oxford section, Heart of England section and the local VMCC.
We sat in tables facing the quiz team, reminiscent of schooldays and, being AJS&MOC, similar ribaldry and jollification took place.
We sat in tables facing the quiz team, reminiscent of schooldays and, being AJS&MOC, similar ribaldry and jollification took place.
Excellent questions. The most unlikely answered question of the evening was by Dean, who after about two seconds, identified a Hesketh Vampire from an inch of its saddle. How?
A grand buffet indeed was provided; a feast! Many thanks go to those who prepared it, an outstanding team effort. Following this, Brian Large’s music section was exceptionally well received this year. High scores were obtained by most teams in this round. Heart of England would have scored even higher if they hadn’t changed answers because ‘it can’t possibly be Chuck Berry five times in a row’!
The result was a close-run thing. We started badly but emerged victorious, a re-run of our 2015 triumph.
Thanks go to Oxford section and their good ladies for hosting another truly splendid event. Everyone had a magnificent time and enjoyed mingling with other members. Cheers folks, can’t wait until next year!
A grand buffet indeed was provided; a feast! Many thanks go to those who prepared it, an outstanding team effort. Following this, Brian Large’s music section was exceptionally well received this year. High scores were obtained by most teams in this round. Heart of England would have scored even higher if they hadn’t changed answers because ‘it can’t possibly be Chuck Berry five times in a row’!
The result was a close-run thing. We started badly but emerged victorious, a re-run of our 2015 triumph.
Thanks go to Oxford section and their good ladies for hosting another truly splendid event. Everyone had a magnificent time and enjoyed mingling with other members. Cheers folks, can’t wait until next year!
Quiet Please! - 9th November
A ’Bombers’ Moon’ lit up a cold and misty November night as a large crowd arrived for ‘Lawrence’s Last Words’ quiz. We all felt a little cheated as hopes were high that the title indicated that L might stop chattering. Alas, t’was not to be the case. Those of us who could keep awake were sorely tested by Lawrence’s probing questions. Those who fell asleep were sorely tested by Lawrence kicking them to wake them up. Thirty questions and the results were tight. The last team scored twenty-four points and the winners couldn’t quite decide how many they had but they knew they had definitely won. Names were taken and eventually John and Conway decided they had twenty-eight points so were positively victorious. Well done to them!
Infamy! Again?? - 9th November
Aeronautical antics, Take 2
For the second time in a month several HoE detachments, leaving from various departure points across Northants and Beds, and joined this time by a much larger group from the East Northants MCC, made the trip to the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden for a Bikers’ Breakfast. We were in time to see a WW1 biplane and a triplane being pulled out of the engineering shop after maintenance but sadly they didn’t take to the air. As the photos show, one contingent also called in at the colossal airship hangars at Cardington to see the Airlander in action.
Thanks go to Nigel for the pictures and report.
For the second time in a month several HoE detachments, leaving from various departure points across Northants and Beds, and joined this time by a much larger group from the East Northants MCC, made the trip to the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden for a Bikers’ Breakfast. We were in time to see a WW1 biplane and a triplane being pulled out of the engineering shop after maintenance but sadly they didn’t take to the air. As the photos show, one contingent also called in at the colossal airship hangars at Cardington to see the Airlander in action.
Thanks go to Nigel for the pictures and report.
Museum Magic - 4th November
On the 4th November, for the second time in our history despicable behaviour has reared its ugly head in Heart of England. A poor innocent member was viciously photoshopped on the section visit to The National Motorcycle Museum. Who would do such an audacious deed? Dick Dastardly would be proud!
Infamy, Infamy - 18th October
This time the rain’s got it in for me……
Noah’s Ark looked a likely vehicle for our mid-week run this October. Torrential continuous downpours, from the evening before until late afternoon on the day, were forecast by BBC weather.
Heart of England members; a hardy crowd, looked out of their windows on the morn and saw no rain (well, not much) so duly assembled at Newport Pagnell’s favourite tourist spot. Great to see Paul from ENCMCC there on his six-cylinder spaceship: Wow, what an incredible beast! Barry led us on the perfect rural route and apart from a very little excitement with damp leaves on an adverse camber we arrived full of the joys of late year motorcycling. Two and a half hours we left full of the joys of English breakfast (one vegetarian, thanks) and coffee. Smashing!
Thanks to Barry for leading us to salvation and to Paul for being an exemplary tail-ender on the way out and a superb leader on the way back. There was even talk that at one point he got out of first gear. And we barely saw a drop of rain…….
Heart of England members; a hardy crowd, looked out of their windows on the morn and saw no rain (well, not much) so duly assembled at Newport Pagnell’s favourite tourist spot. Great to see Paul from ENCMCC there on his six-cylinder spaceship: Wow, what an incredible beast! Barry led us on the perfect rural route and apart from a very little excitement with damp leaves on an adverse camber we arrived full of the joys of late year motorcycling. Two and a half hours we left full of the joys of English breakfast (one vegetarian, thanks) and coffee. Smashing!
Thanks to Barry for leading us to salvation and to Paul for being an exemplary tail-ender on the way out and a superb leader on the way back. There was even talk that at one point he got out of first gear. And we barely saw a drop of rain…….
Bikes for Breakfast - 30th September
A light sprinkling of rain and of members of the East Northants MCC, the Triumph Owners and the Two-Stroke Owners accompanied HoE’s annual run to the Macmillan Breakfast in the village of Salford, near Milton Keynes. Fry-ups were consumed, banter and reminiscences exchanged and some interesting machinery admired before we dispersed to all points of the compass to beat the downpour that ensued.
Thanks to Nigel for the report
Thanks to Nigel for the report
Hidden treasures – 7th September
A small group of mainly AMC machines gathered yesterday for Charles to guide us on a leisurely 30 mile circuit of rural Bucks, Northants and Beds. Rain threatened, leading to frenzied donning of waterproofs, but never amounted to more than a few spots. The real treat came at the end of the ride when Charles invited us to visit his man cave. A fabulous collection of bikes both motor and push, in various stages of restoration, and machine tools, including an enormous industrial milling machine, was revealed. Many thanks Charles for the run.
Thanks to Nigel for the report
Thanks to Nigel for the report
The ROADS-CLOSED Run
Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got it in for me…
So it seemed when Lawrence pre-rode the ComelyCodgers™ run on Tuesday evening. Three roads on the planned route were closed! A last minute complete re-write of the run, a quick ride over it and all appeared well.
Next morning our heroes assembled at The Super Sausage on the A5. Turn right out of the car park and first right to find an ‘Emergency Road Closure’ sign. Twelve hours before, it had been open! Off we went back towards the Super Sausage and detoured around the closure. It added ten minutes to the ride but as the old saying goes ‘Bikers never get lost; they just extend the ride.
After an hour of Northamptonshire’s finest scenery, occasionally hidden by uncut hedges, we arrived at The Red Lion in Brafield to be greeted by ENCMCC who had arrived at the scheduled time. This clearly shows the advantage of belonging to the AJS & Matchless Owners Club; you get more riding hours in!
So it seemed when Lawrence pre-rode the ComelyCodgers™ run on Tuesday evening. Three roads on the planned route were closed! A last minute complete re-write of the run, a quick ride over it and all appeared well.
Next morning our heroes assembled at The Super Sausage on the A5. Turn right out of the car park and first right to find an ‘Emergency Road Closure’ sign. Twelve hours before, it had been open! Off we went back towards the Super Sausage and detoured around the closure. It added ten minutes to the ride but as the old saying goes ‘Bikers never get lost; they just extend the ride.
After an hour of Northamptonshire’s finest scenery, occasionally hidden by uncut hedges, we arrived at The Red Lion in Brafield to be greeted by ENCMCC who had arrived at the scheduled time. This clearly shows the advantage of belonging to the AJS & Matchless Owners Club; you get more riding hours in!
Barnes Wallis Strikes Back…..
Heart of England assembled at The Flying Fox for their trip to Aldbury.
En-route Lawrence met new attendees John and Ava at The Lamb on their gorgeous Matchless combination then picked up Conway further on. Ten riders plus someone’s niece (allegedly) were ready for the off. Excellent to see Dave there, fresh from his Jampot article triumph and Gary, still with the mud from his latest trials victory fresh on his boots.
Barry and Pam navigated a splendid rural route including a magnificent panorama from the top of Dunstable Downs. An amount of Déjà vu occurred when we went over part of the route twice. Our human sat-navs can take a wrong turn! Who knew?
We were joined by a genuine agricultural vehicle in the middle of our gang, halfway round, unlike ours which just appear agricultural. Splendid gossip was had at The Greyhound in Aldbury, which must be one of the prettiest villages in all England.
Coming back, we got split into two lots and the last group were surprised as they entered Ivinghoe to be blitzed by a HUGE black bouncing bomb! It was Nigel’s top box but fortunately everyone was quick enough to avoid it so it was rescued and refitted. With our nerves rattled Conway led us at a gentle pace back to the A5. Conway at a gentle pace? Who knew it was possible??
Hope to see John and Ava again soon.
En-route Lawrence met new attendees John and Ava at The Lamb on their gorgeous Matchless combination then picked up Conway further on. Ten riders plus someone’s niece (allegedly) were ready for the off. Excellent to see Dave there, fresh from his Jampot article triumph and Gary, still with the mud from his latest trials victory fresh on his boots.
Barry and Pam navigated a splendid rural route including a magnificent panorama from the top of Dunstable Downs. An amount of Déjà vu occurred when we went over part of the route twice. Our human sat-navs can take a wrong turn! Who knew?
We were joined by a genuine agricultural vehicle in the middle of our gang, halfway round, unlike ours which just appear agricultural. Splendid gossip was had at The Greyhound in Aldbury, which must be one of the prettiest villages in all England.
Coming back, we got split into two lots and the last group were surprised as they entered Ivinghoe to be blitzed by a HUGE black bouncing bomb! It was Nigel’s top box but fortunately everyone was quick enough to avoid it so it was rescued and refitted. With our nerves rattled Conway led us at a gentle pace back to the A5. Conway at a gentle pace? Who knew it was possible??
Hope to see John and Ava again soon.
Never Knowingly Left Behind
Excellent ComelyCodgersRun™ today. Thunderstorms flashed through the night but soon dried leaving lovely and clean roads for us. Six gathered at Super Sausage café including new boy; Arty.
After a fortifying cuppa, we all ambled off down Northamptonshire’s most rural lanes to The New Inn at Buckby Wharf. Barry excelled himself with the route. Fabulously sinuous trails amused us and the views were truly outstanding. To top it off we finished by going under a bridge specially designed to amplify and reflect our bikes’ sounds to us. Stunning! Where does the lad find these gems??
Peter’s machine let him down on the return route but the biscuit tin came out and all was sorted before you could call the RAC. Great team effort. All had fun. No-one alive can always be an angel. Don’t let me be misunderstood.
We just have to hope Arty liked us as much as we liked him…..
After a fortifying cuppa, we all ambled off down Northamptonshire’s most rural lanes to The New Inn at Buckby Wharf. Barry excelled himself with the route. Fabulously sinuous trails amused us and the views were truly outstanding. To top it off we finished by going under a bridge specially designed to amplify and reflect our bikes’ sounds to us. Stunning! Where does the lad find these gems??
Peter’s machine let him down on the return route but the biscuit tin came out and all was sorted before you could call the RAC. Great team effort. All had fun. No-one alive can always be an angel. Don’t let me be misunderstood.
We just have to hope Arty liked us as much as we liked him…..
Old Regulars....
Heart of England were delighted to see Dave and Elaine attending motorcycle events again now they have a little free time. Wait a minute… This is the Triumph Owners day at Jack’s Hill café. Gulp, let’s hope they’re not defecting!
At least Elaine got her arse ogled. Or it might have been Dave. It’s a free world……
Pictures by Ian Sargent of TOMCC Northants, with grateful thanks.
At least Elaine got her arse ogled. Or it might have been Dave. It’s a free world……
Pictures by Ian Sargent of TOMCC Northants, with grateful thanks.
And They’re Off!
‘Sweet Mercy is Nobility’s True Badge’ as Will said. So the longest day arrived, bringing an end to the heatwave, which was just as well as it was Pam’s Treasure Hunt!
Our doughty warriors assemble at The Lamb eager to take the challenge. They jostle for a good start position. Those familiar with our annual jaunt will know what’s involved. For the benefit of others; the rider follows a set route looking for clues and collecting artefacts. These artefacts have ranged from beer mats to old shoes. It can be surprising how many old sandals are lying about the place. Heart of England is practically a ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ group!
Contestants were set off at intervals. Steve being first off with Carol, sporting her plaster cast with pride. Lawrence was second away and so it continued, until last man to leave; Bob. We were treated to a leisurely fourteen mile ride around some of Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire’s finest scenery. Smashing. No footwear this year but there were some pretty grotty empty plastic bottles collected. They take four hundred and fifty years to decompose so we did a good job there. Why do people just chuck them?
With choc and beer as prizes the competition was intense and there was some joshing over the answers (or lack thereof…). Steve and Carol won with a creditable 170 points. Scores ranged from 170 to 120 but just like a school sports day everyone got a prize. Chocs going home = Happy Missus.
Our doughty warriors assemble at The Lamb eager to take the challenge. They jostle for a good start position. Those familiar with our annual jaunt will know what’s involved. For the benefit of others; the rider follows a set route looking for clues and collecting artefacts. These artefacts have ranged from beer mats to old shoes. It can be surprising how many old sandals are lying about the place. Heart of England is practically a ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ group!
Contestants were set off at intervals. Steve being first off with Carol, sporting her plaster cast with pride. Lawrence was second away and so it continued, until last man to leave; Bob. We were treated to a leisurely fourteen mile ride around some of Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire’s finest scenery. Smashing. No footwear this year but there were some pretty grotty empty plastic bottles collected. They take four hundred and fifty years to decompose so we did a good job there. Why do people just chuck them?
With choc and beer as prizes the competition was intense and there was some joshing over the answers (or lack thereof…). Steve and Carol won with a creditable 170 points. Scores ranged from 170 to 120 but just like a school sports day everyone got a prize. Chocs going home = Happy Missus.
All’s Well……
And so it came to pass, that we rescheduled our June midweek run so we could enjoy the company of Northants Triumph Owners. They are an excellent bunch of guys and amenable to us turning up at their back-road runs on our old crankatrons. We leave them to their own devices for their main road blasts: their Hinckley bikes are quite a lot faster than ours.
Pure Triumph at Wellingborough was the meeting point. Excellent dealer where you will always get gold-star service, a tea bar and loos. There were five Heart of England members at the start, ready for the off. Unfortunately, there were no Triumph Owners. Fortunately, Keith from HoE turned up and informed us that Lawrence had got mixed up with the start times so we were there over fifteen minutes early. We had plenty of time for a relaxing cup of tea before the off. Surely an advantage and Lawrence was to be congratulated? Other opinions were available on the day...
Our host for the day, the fabulous and highly talented Norm was one of the first of TOMCC to arrive. Norm acquired the nickname ‘Stormin’ Norman’ due to his inability to control his throttle hand in days past but today was going to treat us gently. He welcomed everyone warmly.
Fifteen started on the run. Fifteen finished the run. They didn’t all go the same way though… At one point, we all waved at a fellow motorcyclist coming from the opposite direction, only to realise that he was our run tail-ender; Chris. Ah well, we all got to the pub and had a good gossip at both the start and the finish. Food and drink was consumed and everyone left with a feeling that the world is a better place than they had realised. Club runs have that effect on you, especially those on which not all goes to plan.
Many thanks go to TOMCC for inviting us and particularly to Norm for a splendid day. Apologies that I didn’t get a photo of Stormin’, or a full group photo. Too busy enjoying the craic which was first-class……
Pure Triumph at Wellingborough was the meeting point. Excellent dealer where you will always get gold-star service, a tea bar and loos. There were five Heart of England members at the start, ready for the off. Unfortunately, there were no Triumph Owners. Fortunately, Keith from HoE turned up and informed us that Lawrence had got mixed up with the start times so we were there over fifteen minutes early. We had plenty of time for a relaxing cup of tea before the off. Surely an advantage and Lawrence was to be congratulated? Other opinions were available on the day...
Our host for the day, the fabulous and highly talented Norm was one of the first of TOMCC to arrive. Norm acquired the nickname ‘Stormin’ Norman’ due to his inability to control his throttle hand in days past but today was going to treat us gently. He welcomed everyone warmly.
Fifteen started on the run. Fifteen finished the run. They didn’t all go the same way though… At one point, we all waved at a fellow motorcyclist coming from the opposite direction, only to realise that he was our run tail-ender; Chris. Ah well, we all got to the pub and had a good gossip at both the start and the finish. Food and drink was consumed and everyone left with a feeling that the world is a better place than they had realised. Club runs have that effect on you, especially those on which not all goes to plan.
Many thanks go to TOMCC for inviting us and particularly to Norm for a splendid day. Apologies that I didn’t get a photo of Stormin’, or a full group photo. Too busy enjoying the craic which was first-class……
Cakes and Kerb-crawling...
If there were medals for run-design and run-leading you can be sure that Dave G. would be in with a chance for gold. Our latest jaunt took us on a tour of the Chiltern Hills. We must have breached every high spot!
Aston Hill, Ivinghoe Beacon, Dunstable Downs etc. If it was a hill in the Chilterns we rode up it with élan and style. Barely riding anything but narrow lanes we were shown some of the most beautiful and dramatic scenery England has to offer and all from the comfort of our bike saddles.
The Northants contingent met at Olney and rode down to join the main run start at Leighton Buzzard. There were eighteen riders present, making it one of our biggest runs for a long time. We covered thirty-five miles of breath-taking panoramas and ended up at Dunstable Downs café for lunch with a view. Good chat had then Barry invited us to coffee and cakes at his place. Never known to be rude, Heart of England couldn’t possibly refuse, especially as they were Pam’s cakes……..
Amazing run, amazing day. And the most amazing thing of all? Dave led the entire and very nadgery run with no clutch. That’s definite gold standard!
(I’m not going to mention that there were three of us on the run with spare cables and solderless nipples. Or that it took five minutes to fix it when the run had finished……. 😊
Also, I’m not going to mention Derrick’s attempt at kerb-crawling/moto-cross on his Superdream. It was too spectacular for words….)
Aston Hill, Ivinghoe Beacon, Dunstable Downs etc. If it was a hill in the Chilterns we rode up it with élan and style. Barely riding anything but narrow lanes we were shown some of the most beautiful and dramatic scenery England has to offer and all from the comfort of our bike saddles.
The Northants contingent met at Olney and rode down to join the main run start at Leighton Buzzard. There were eighteen riders present, making it one of our biggest runs for a long time. We covered thirty-five miles of breath-taking panoramas and ended up at Dunstable Downs café for lunch with a view. Good chat had then Barry invited us to coffee and cakes at his place. Never known to be rude, Heart of England couldn’t possibly refuse, especially as they were Pam’s cakes……..
Amazing run, amazing day. And the most amazing thing of all? Dave led the entire and very nadgery run with no clutch. That’s definite gold standard!
(I’m not going to mention that there were three of us on the run with spare cables and solderless nipples. Or that it took five minutes to fix it when the run had finished……. 😊
Also, I’m not going to mention Derrick’s attempt at kerb-crawling/moto-cross on his Superdream. It was too spectacular for words….)
The Elixir of Youth!
Monkey gland injections?? When you have Heart of England to keep you frisky??
Our mid-week run in April saw us gather at the Super Sausage on a cold and gloomy day. Still. We are a hardy crew undaunted by the threat of chilling rain. Well, on that day three of us were. Our usual navigator had to drop out at the last minute so local lad Lawrence was pressed into service.
Lawrence’s navigational skills are famous; er, possibly that should be infamous. He took us on a twenty-mile jaunt through Northamptonshire’s forgotten lanes. If there was any tarmac it generally had grass growing in the middle, potholes sometimes the size of tanks and the only other traffic was Land Rover Defenders. We weren’t quite sure whether Lawrence meant to deliver us through such roads but it was smashing!
Surprisingly we reached our destination: Clifton Reynes. Our mission; to meet up with the chaps from TOMCC and ENCMCC. There were twenty of us in total and the pub, being a quiet English backwater, was slightly overwhelmed. They even co-opted one of their customers into service, to look after us.
A jolly time was had by all; you couldn’t meet a finer group of lads. Refreshments having been taken and a good chinwag to put the world to rights, we all set off on our separate ways home. We may not have the elixir of youth but one certainly feels forty years younger after a Heart of England bike run……
Our mid-week run in April saw us gather at the Super Sausage on a cold and gloomy day. Still. We are a hardy crew undaunted by the threat of chilling rain. Well, on that day three of us were. Our usual navigator had to drop out at the last minute so local lad Lawrence was pressed into service.
Lawrence’s navigational skills are famous; er, possibly that should be infamous. He took us on a twenty-mile jaunt through Northamptonshire’s forgotten lanes. If there was any tarmac it generally had grass growing in the middle, potholes sometimes the size of tanks and the only other traffic was Land Rover Defenders. We weren’t quite sure whether Lawrence meant to deliver us through such roads but it was smashing!
Surprisingly we reached our destination: Clifton Reynes. Our mission; to meet up with the chaps from TOMCC and ENCMCC. There were twenty of us in total and the pub, being a quiet English backwater, was slightly overwhelmed. They even co-opted one of their customers into service, to look after us.
A jolly time was had by all; you couldn’t meet a finer group of lads. Refreshments having been taken and a good chinwag to put the world to rights, we all set off on our separate ways home. We may not have the elixir of youth but one certainly feels forty years younger after a Heart of England bike run……
Westward Ho! 2017.
The Westward Ho! Run was organised this year by Heart of England members Steve and Carol, and boy what a run it was.
Starting from the Weyhill Fair public house just west of Andover at 23:30 hrs, the run took us through 180 miles of great English country roads, finishing in the pretty Devon village of Lynmouth just after dawn.
Steve and Carol had planned the route in three equal sections of 60 miles, with two rest stops on the way. At the second rest stop a local AJSMOC member even turned out to provide the riders with free tea, coffee, or hot soup from his motor home. This was very welcome.
Our first section took us from the start via Devizes, Westbury and Frome to Shepton Mallet. The second section via Wells and Glastonbury to Taunton, and the third section via Wellington, Wheddon Cross. Simonsbath and Challacombe to Lynmouth.
Each turn along the way was defined by a tulip diagram, carefully surveyed and prepared by Steve and Carol. These directions were issued just two weeks prior to the event, but were so good that no-one managed to get lost.
The final section of 4 miles along the top of the perilous looking sea cliffs was reached just after dawn, and formed the most spectacular conclusion to the run into Lynmouth.
The run to Andover prior to the start was dry, but after the first section we suffered over 4 hours of heavy rain showers during the second and third sections. It just goes to show that the ‘Heart of England Cloud’ does not sleep; it managed to track me down even at night! The weather finally cleared just after dawn but at least we could dry out over Saturday night, and our run home on Sunday was in bright sunshine all of the way
Fifteen riders took part this year plus Rob Swift following us in a backup vehicle. Fortunately there were no break-downs and all riders completed the course safely.
All participants were accommodated at the Bath Hotel in Lynmouth where a dinner was organised for the Saturday evening. A collection for NABD (National Association for Bikers with a Disability) raised £235 for this worthwhile charity.
Well done to all who took part, and a big thank-you to Steve and Carol for organising a great event.
Thanks go to Barry for the report
Starting from the Weyhill Fair public house just west of Andover at 23:30 hrs, the run took us through 180 miles of great English country roads, finishing in the pretty Devon village of Lynmouth just after dawn.
Steve and Carol had planned the route in three equal sections of 60 miles, with two rest stops on the way. At the second rest stop a local AJSMOC member even turned out to provide the riders with free tea, coffee, or hot soup from his motor home. This was very welcome.
Our first section took us from the start via Devizes, Westbury and Frome to Shepton Mallet. The second section via Wells and Glastonbury to Taunton, and the third section via Wellington, Wheddon Cross. Simonsbath and Challacombe to Lynmouth.
Each turn along the way was defined by a tulip diagram, carefully surveyed and prepared by Steve and Carol. These directions were issued just two weeks prior to the event, but were so good that no-one managed to get lost.
The final section of 4 miles along the top of the perilous looking sea cliffs was reached just after dawn, and formed the most spectacular conclusion to the run into Lynmouth.
The run to Andover prior to the start was dry, but after the first section we suffered over 4 hours of heavy rain showers during the second and third sections. It just goes to show that the ‘Heart of England Cloud’ does not sleep; it managed to track me down even at night! The weather finally cleared just after dawn but at least we could dry out over Saturday night, and our run home on Sunday was in bright sunshine all of the way
Fifteen riders took part this year plus Rob Swift following us in a backup vehicle. Fortunately there were no break-downs and all riders completed the course safely.
All participants were accommodated at the Bath Hotel in Lynmouth where a dinner was organised for the Saturday evening. A collection for NABD (National Association for Bikers with a Disability) raised £235 for this worthwhile charity.
Well done to all who took part, and a big thank-you to Steve and Carol for organising a great event.
Thanks go to Barry for the report
Hand in Hand - Change a Child's Life
We had a great talk from ex-policeman Brian Bayliss on the 23rd March. At sixteen years of age, Brian started work as a ride operator at Dreamland in Margate. For a teenage lad, it was a dream job; lots of delicious teenage girls to chat up. Unfortunately, it was just as the Mods and Rockers were getting it together and the job came with a baseball bat in case of trouble!
In the 1990’s Brian became involved with charity motorcycle rides and that led on to charity work rescuing children from very poor backgrounds and providing them safe shelter, food and education. It was heartening to hear how the children’s lives had been transformed for the better.
You can see the charity he supports at http://handinhandethiopia.org. After his talk, we surreptitiously had a collection and raised £50.00. Brian was overwhelmed and sends his gratitude to everyone there that he didn’t get a chance to thank personally. Please look at Brian’s website and consider sponsoring a child or making a donation. A little makes a big difference.
Thank you Brian!
In the 1990’s Brian became involved with charity motorcycle rides and that led on to charity work rescuing children from very poor backgrounds and providing them safe shelter, food and education. It was heartening to hear how the children’s lives had been transformed for the better.
You can see the charity he supports at http://handinhandethiopia.org. After his talk, we surreptitiously had a collection and raised £50.00. Brian was overwhelmed and sends his gratitude to everyone there that he didn’t get a chance to thank personally. Please look at Brian’s website and consider sponsoring a child or making a donation. A little makes a big difference.
Thank you Brian!
Cadwell, We Love You...
The new Cadwell 125 modelled by a club member. Only 125cc yet it keeps up with us no bother and we are very pleased to see it on our runs. Only 125cc.... Really!
Sandpit Shenanigans
March?? Last to turn up at The Super Sausage for our March ‘ComelyCodgersRun’™ was Lawrence, named leader for the run. He was greeted by eleven bikes glistening in the gorgeous sunshine. It felt more like June!
“Wherefore go we?” quoth the crowd. “I was hoping you’d have decided by the time I got here!” replied Lorenzo. Such is life in Heart of England. After a quick conference, we decided to head South and find even more sun. Mainly because he wasn’t paying attention Barry got elected to lead and off we set. We don’t have a Sat-nav, we have Barry. Much more reliable and always finds a picturesque and curvaceous route for us.
Quainton was our goal and we rode there through the closest thing to cart tracks we could find. If we’d had an I-Spy book for agricultural vehicles we would have filled it… The English countryside was blooming and the views were the finest one could wish for: enhanced by our line of classic motorcycles snaking through the lanes. It was picture-book; thatched cottages, panoramas, flowers, blossom, AJS, Matchless. Fantastic.
Arriving at Quainton we discovered the George and Dragon was holding an OAP lunch and all those pesky old people were hogging the food service. Disgraceful. They should shoot people when they get to pension age, er, obviously not anyone who is a Heart of England member though or we’d have only two left…
So, a quick drink and then onto The Green Dragon Eco Café for lunch. This is a fabulous place; a soft play area, outdoor adventure area, loads of stuff for the kids. Fortunately we were able to get Lawrence out of the sandpit before we left, as he was needed to start two recalcitrant motorcycles.
A great day, lovely roads, loads of laughter, friendship and fun. You want no more from a motorcycle club.
Thanks go to Dave G for the photos.
“Wherefore go we?” quoth the crowd. “I was hoping you’d have decided by the time I got here!” replied Lorenzo. Such is life in Heart of England. After a quick conference, we decided to head South and find even more sun. Mainly because he wasn’t paying attention Barry got elected to lead and off we set. We don’t have a Sat-nav, we have Barry. Much more reliable and always finds a picturesque and curvaceous route for us.
Quainton was our goal and we rode there through the closest thing to cart tracks we could find. If we’d had an I-Spy book for agricultural vehicles we would have filled it… The English countryside was blooming and the views were the finest one could wish for: enhanced by our line of classic motorcycles snaking through the lanes. It was picture-book; thatched cottages, panoramas, flowers, blossom, AJS, Matchless. Fantastic.
Arriving at Quainton we discovered the George and Dragon was holding an OAP lunch and all those pesky old people were hogging the food service. Disgraceful. They should shoot people when they get to pension age, er, obviously not anyone who is a Heart of England member though or we’d have only two left…
So, a quick drink and then onto The Green Dragon Eco Café for lunch. This is a fabulous place; a soft play area, outdoor adventure area, loads of stuff for the kids. Fortunately we were able to get Lawrence out of the sandpit before we left, as he was needed to start two recalcitrant motorcycles.
A great day, lovely roads, loads of laughter, friendship and fun. You want no more from a motorcycle club.
Thanks go to Dave G for the photos.
Doris Storms In….
Nigel’s quiz on 23rd February had been eagerly anticipated for weeks. It was his first time hosting an evening’s entertainment for the section and we are always keen for novelty. Unfortunately, Storm Doris swept in for the day and only five hardy souls braved the falling trees and flying slates, including Nigel.
We decided to do the quiz as two teams so “Team J” comprised Jon and John, and “Team Arry” comprised Gary and Barry. The quiz was in three parts.
Round 1 was a picture quiz with photographs of 16 places within 30 miles of Heart of England. “Team J” won this round, and the only picture I really knew straight away was good old Broadway Tower. Jon’s local knowledge of a devil in the village pump saw him in good stead.
Round 2 was all about canals and rivers. Did you know that Fenny Stratford Lock has a unique record feature? It has a rise of less than one foot!! “Team J” also won this round.
Round 3 comprised cryptic clues to components of motorcycles. If you could do the times crossword you would have no trouble with this. Unfortunately, none of us has ever completed the Times crossword. However, “Team Arry” managed to get six of them correct, and in doing so scorched into the lead. Gary and I are now waiting for a call from the code breakers at Bletchley Park!! (They need someone to sweep up). I’ll get my coat....
Final scores: “Team Arry” 11 points, “Team J” 9 points.
Thanks to Nigel for a very entertaining quiz, which lead to much friendly banter, and not a little education.
Many thanks to Barry for an entertaining report
We decided to do the quiz as two teams so “Team J” comprised Jon and John, and “Team Arry” comprised Gary and Barry. The quiz was in three parts.
Round 1 was a picture quiz with photographs of 16 places within 30 miles of Heart of England. “Team J” won this round, and the only picture I really knew straight away was good old Broadway Tower. Jon’s local knowledge of a devil in the village pump saw him in good stead.
Round 2 was all about canals and rivers. Did you know that Fenny Stratford Lock has a unique record feature? It has a rise of less than one foot!! “Team J” also won this round.
Round 3 comprised cryptic clues to components of motorcycles. If you could do the times crossword you would have no trouble with this. Unfortunately, none of us has ever completed the Times crossword. However, “Team Arry” managed to get six of them correct, and in doing so scorched into the lead. Gary and I are now waiting for a call from the code breakers at Bletchley Park!! (They need someone to sweep up). I’ll get my coat....
Final scores: “Team Arry” 11 points, “Team J” 9 points.
Thanks to Nigel for a very entertaining quiz, which lead to much friendly banter, and not a little education.
Many thanks to Barry for an entertaining report
HoE Eat Out!
Our 2017 Annual Dinner and Prizegiving was organised by Jon and held at The Navigation in Stoke Bruerne, a Marston’s pub. This year we didn’t pre-order our meal choices: The Navigation allowed us to order on the night and performed a superb act in serving up everything on time as requested. Nigel had found some vouchers online which allowed us some free drinks. Unfortunately, when the tills were offered them, the computer had a hissy fit. The pub staff overrode the electronics and all was well.
Simon gave another five-star performance as a Master of Ceremonies and drove the event along at a splendid pace. Barry amused us with a roundup of the year’s events. Winner of the 'Piston Broke' award last year; Charles, chose Jon as the lucky recipient for 2017, mainly for leading us past a ‘ROAD CLOSED’ sign. Who needs a motocross course when Jon’s in charge?
The Secret Santa was a grand success again although notably free of risqué items this year. We must be getting more sensible. Photo props were provided by Susi towards the end of the evening and much fun was had from them. Well done Poundland!
It’s a night on which the ladies are allowed free expression and such was the relaxed atmosphere that we even agreed when Tripta asked if she might ask a ‘stupid question’. It was about canals so I can’t remember what it was….
Simon gave another five-star performance as a Master of Ceremonies and drove the event along at a splendid pace. Barry amused us with a roundup of the year’s events. Winner of the 'Piston Broke' award last year; Charles, chose Jon as the lucky recipient for 2017, mainly for leading us past a ‘ROAD CLOSED’ sign. Who needs a motocross course when Jon’s in charge?
The Secret Santa was a grand success again although notably free of risqué items this year. We must be getting more sensible. Photo props were provided by Susi towards the end of the evening and much fun was had from them. Well done Poundland!
It’s a night on which the ladies are allowed free expression and such was the relaxed atmosphere that we even agreed when Tripta asked if she might ask a ‘stupid question’. It was about canals so I can’t remember what it was….
P*ss up in Brewery? Not Quite.........
“Why don’t we do mid-week winter runs?” quoth Young Gary. And before we senior members could point out why we don’t schedule winter ride-outs; it was on the section calendar!
Well, if it’s on the calendar we like to support it and so today ten members turned up at The Super Sausage on the A5 for a ‘Freezing Nuts’ run. Only it was LOVELY. The sun shone and the mercury almost popped the top of the winter thermometer: 11˚, almost bikini weather.
Sitting bathed in warm rays the subject fell to ‘where are we going?’. Ideas were punted of destinations to ride to, before the planned pub lunch. Suddenly someone had the inspired idea of cutting out the middle destination and simply riding straight to the pub. This met with universal approval and was quickly accepted.
The Kings Head at Farthingstone was approved and so we all mounted up and off we toddled at the appointed hour, er, well, only half an hour late. Heart of England never likes the easy route so we rode the best of Northamptonshire’s countryside for an hour before alighting upon the Kings Head. It was shut.
Undeterred, our brave explorers remounted and set off to find salvation. It came to us in the form of Bell’s Plantation café and garden centre. No beer but they did have a fine selection of food. An hour or so later we all departed on our separate ways, happy in the knowledge that there is not much that a good ride, good company and a full stomach can’t sort out.
It was a champion day and a typical one for Heart of England. We set off half an hour late, rode twenty-five winding miles to get to a pub three miles away, the pub was shut so we came back almost to where we started.
Poor Heart of England; couldn’t organise a piss-up in a ….. Only one month until we do it all again. Hurrah! And twice Hurrah for Gary!
Well, if it’s on the calendar we like to support it and so today ten members turned up at The Super Sausage on the A5 for a ‘Freezing Nuts’ run. Only it was LOVELY. The sun shone and the mercury almost popped the top of the winter thermometer: 11˚, almost bikini weather.
Sitting bathed in warm rays the subject fell to ‘where are we going?’. Ideas were punted of destinations to ride to, before the planned pub lunch. Suddenly someone had the inspired idea of cutting out the middle destination and simply riding straight to the pub. This met with universal approval and was quickly accepted.
The Kings Head at Farthingstone was approved and so we all mounted up and off we toddled at the appointed hour, er, well, only half an hour late. Heart of England never likes the easy route so we rode the best of Northamptonshire’s countryside for an hour before alighting upon the Kings Head. It was shut.
Undeterred, our brave explorers remounted and set off to find salvation. It came to us in the form of Bell’s Plantation café and garden centre. No beer but they did have a fine selection of food. An hour or so later we all departed on our separate ways, happy in the knowledge that there is not much that a good ride, good company and a full stomach can’t sort out.
It was a champion day and a typical one for Heart of England. We set off half an hour late, rode twenty-five winding miles to get to a pub three miles away, the pub was shut so we came back almost to where we started.
Poor Heart of England; couldn’t organise a piss-up in a ….. Only one month until we do it all again. Hurrah! And twice Hurrah for Gary!
Chocks Away!
Now, our young Barry navigates and leads most of our runs. We jokingly call him ‘Squadron Leader’ but not just because he leads us about on runs. He is a pilot, indeed a fairly well-qualified one. He has taken many of us up for a pleasure flight.
Last night he took us on a virtual flight all over the UK in an ‘Aerial Observation’ quiz. We were given airfield plans to match to aerial photographs of airfields. Then identify them. Easy…. Or perhaps not. However, in teams of four, we had a good scrutinise and actually did manage to score almost clean sheets with but a few baffling us. The winning team was ‘trainee pilots’: Lawrence, John, Bob and Gary. Nipping at their heels, second place went to ‘student pilots’: Charles, Simon, Simon and Jon. And there was prizes; chocs! So ‘Chocks Away’ to start the evening and ‘Chocs Away’ to finish it.
A great evening with much laughter and merriment. Many thanks to Barry for a grand evening’s entertainment.
Last night he took us on a virtual flight all over the UK in an ‘Aerial Observation’ quiz. We were given airfield plans to match to aerial photographs of airfields. Then identify them. Easy…. Or perhaps not. However, in teams of four, we had a good scrutinise and actually did manage to score almost clean sheets with but a few baffling us. The winning team was ‘trainee pilots’: Lawrence, John, Bob and Gary. Nipping at their heels, second place went to ‘student pilots’: Charles, Simon, Simon and Jon. And there was prizes; chocs! So ‘Chocks Away’ to start the evening and ‘Chocs Away’ to finish it.
A great evening with much laughter and merriment. Many thanks to Barry for a grand evening’s entertainment.