VJM SE C LIFN C I SA O URS A TL R LAYL I A
By Jeff Eeles*
L I K E M OST PEO PL E, I H A D M A D E PL A N S FO R W H AT I H A D H O PED TO B E A B L E TO D O TH I S Y E A R, PA RT O F W H I CH I N VO LV ED G O I N G TO TH E 2020 VJ M C R A L LY. As you’d know, in 2020 the rally was scheduled to take place in May and I could make that date! Unfortunately, worldwide events overtook the Club’s plans and the rally had to be cancelled. In the great scheme of things though, this was really a minor inconvenience. As we were shoved into lockdown and not supposed to venture out into the wide world, a cunning plan began to form in my mind. If I can’t go to a rally and socialize with my like-minded fellow club members, how about a rally coming to me? Organisation would be relatively simple … no guessing the number of attendees to cater for and, if the weather were to take a turn for the worse, the event could be postponed at the last moment and inconvenience no one. Attendance would be by ticket only and would only require one ticket as, due to self isolation and physical distancing rules, no one else could be there. There was no need for any promotion or advertising of the rally, and anyway, I didn’t want anyone else grabbing the only entry before I could get it … that would have been embarrassing! As a precautionary measure, I thought it wise to contact our National Committee to find out if there were any legal requirements to be fulfilled to cover myself and the Club. There were some Health and Safety requirements, but the thing they emphasised the most www.vjmc.org.au
was ‘absolutely no bonfires’! This actually led to a slightly awkward silence as, down the back yard, was a large (approx.. 3m high by 3m diameter) pile made up of dried foliage and Blackberry cuttings from doing some tidying up in the garden and I was looking forward to setting that going on the Saturday evening – just like we used to do in the old days up on Mt. Panorama at Bathurst. I gave some assurances, without actually lying, just being evasive. On the morning of the rally, I thought it a good idea to mow the lawn, but a quick look showed the mower tank to be dry. Not wanting to leave home at this stage, I drained some petrol out of a bike to let me get on with the job. In the afternoon, preparations began. My tent was found tucked away in a dark corner of the shed, and duly erected in the garden. It looked a bit lonely, so several bikes were rolled out into the yard and left parked casually nearby. That looked better!
VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB
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