H.O.G.® Chapter 6655
CONTENTS Features 9 - Somme Tour 12 - St Tropez 14 - A Dam Good Ride 16 - On to Cider Country 17 - Bike Down
Regulars 2 - Director’s Cut 3 - Between the Covers 3 - Cangen Cymraeg 4 - Secretary’s Update 5 - From the Front 6 - Cockers Bits 7 - Ladies of Harley 8 - Charity Update 19 - Pete & Duncan’s Pump Stop 21 - Mencap 23 - At a Glance
July 2014
Official Newsletter of the Great Western Chapter
Page 2
Director’s Cut
By Barry “Bazzzzer” Aggett Hi All,
I think HITH 7 is the best weather we’ve ever had which helped to make it another resounding sucNo peace for the wicked. cess. A huge thank you to Tony James for pulling it It’s the Sunday afteroff again and to everyone who contributed to prepanoon of our Hogs in the rations and performances. There are far too many Hayfields rally and it’s names to list individually, but you know who you are time to write my and I’m very grateful for your support. Without you RoadHOG article when there is no rally. I’m still feeling rather jaded. Earlier that week it was the Mad Hatters Tea Party at Chepstow Mencap, which Mrs Two Talls and myIt was a jam-packed self took a stroll to in the sun, as it’s only a five weekend starting on the Thursday afternoon, when minute walk from our house. The place was buzzing a few of us gathered at Cleve Rugby Club, in gloriwhen we arrived and, as it was our first visit, we ous sunshine, to start the rally preparations and were given a guided tour of the facilities by Ralph, then watch England in their second World Cup one of the founder members over 40 years ago. You game against Uruguay. I think most of us could soon realise a lot of effort has gone into making it have written the script that Suarez would spoil the such a friendly place, by the joy on people’s faces. party. It’s only a game but it didn’t stop Queenie screaming at the TV! Up and coming next is Peaks, Lakes and Dales which will have come and gone by the time you read Up bright and early on the Friday morning, to more this, then the Fenlanders and Thunder in the Glens glorious sunshine, to finish the preparations in time rallies, so hopefully you’re joining us on one of for people arriving around lunchtime. Then getting these. slightly concerned that “GWC Entertains” was rapidly approaching and we’d not had a chance to reCarol Howerd and Janice Lloyd have both been in hearse yet! We did eventually get to hear our song for heart surgery recently, so our thoughts are with track and not long after we were on stage. A few them both, as they recover from their operations. stiff drinks for Dutch courage and there was no goI finally got around to posting our chapter challenge ing back, through the curtain with a mixed feeling of mileage forms recently and must say it was a bit of excitement and fear. You should try it some time! a struggle squeezing the SIX forms into the post Respect to all of those that performed. box! The continued glorious sunshine did mean the main Either not many people keep a keen eye on the “At hall was not full on the Friday night for our band a Glance” dates or Natter Night has just run its Angel Up Front, as many preferred to sit around course, because numbers have dwindled this year outside but, if the punters are happy, why worry. with just me and Mrs Two Talls being at the May Guess what? Saturday was even more glorious sun- meeting. Your Committee has therefore decided to shine; praise to the weather gods, which made for a cancel Natter Night at the Ferry Inn after the June fabulous ride out and chill out on the bar patio area meeting. Please let us know if there is an interest to afterwards, serenaded by Dave Curtis our DJ play- reinstate it elsewhere? ing his guitar. Chepstow Mencap joined us that For full details of all our events please visit the webafternoon, followed by Keynsham Mencap early site as this is being frequently updated as events evening, which gave us the opportunity to present a firm up and if you find anything missing please re£1,000 cheque to each branch. mind us, we’re only human! Saturday evening, Gareth Jones was awarded with Barry “Bazzzzer” Aggett a trophy for best bike in the Ride In Bike Show, followed by the raffle and I must say many thanks to Director Riders of Bristol for donating the great prizes. The Gurzels then treated us to their latest stunning rou- Email: baznjac@gmail.com Home: 01291 620371 tine which gave me spots in front of my eyes! Well Mobile: 07907 351650 done ladies. Again, the warm evening meant the main hall was not full for Maxwell, Hammer & Smith.
Page 3
Between the Covers Hi All and welcome to the July edition of RoadHOG, which you’ll notice is back to its old format. Those of you that haven’t been keeping abreast with my troubles can read all about it in my article ‘Bike Down in France’. Hopefully it contains some tips that will be helpful if you’re ever unfortunate enough to find yourself broken down abroad. I had hoped to be able to provide a write up on the associated St Tropez tour to the Euro Festival in Grimaud but obviously it took it out on those that attended and alas nothing. Don’t despair though as I’ve provided plenty of choice photos to give you
some idea of what a great tour it was. In addition to the usual articles, keeping you up to date on all things Great Western Chapter, you’ll also find some excellent articles covering our scheduled rideouts. It seems I’m not the only one to have problems with their Rushmore liquid cooling system. So, the riding season is in full swing with members attending events near and far. Have you ever considered providing a write up from one of these? Yes! - then what’s stopping you, no! - why not? Ride safe and keep your coolant topped up Mark Editor Email: macockwell@yahoo.com Mobile: 07900 496711 (Note: Views expressed in the articles are not necessarily the views of the Editor)
Cangen Cymraeg Croeso (Welcome) to all my readers who like cutting-edge journalism of which you may be disappointed. As you are reading this I will be on a Corfu beach sipping ouzo and eating courgette fritters.
By Greg Payne back was also a good un with the Millau Bridge breathtaking. The only bum note was Mark Cockwell’s breakdown, which meant he and Neats flew home.
Our Cangen meeting in June was sparsely attended with only 19 persons in total (C’mon GWC). Baz mentioned forthcoming events i.e. H-D World Ride, Hogs in the Hayfields, and forthcoming rideouts. Our Cangen rideout on the 13th July, because myself and Ok then, what’s been Ian Mead are away, is being covered, at short notice happening? I cannot – big thanks, by Steve Link. Also mentioned was the comment on the Cider Rally (didn’t go) but the main parachute jump on 6th September, Ride to the Wall event was the GWC tour down to St Tropez for the and our Xmas Party of which there are only 8 tickets Euro Festival. The ride down, south of Reims, was on left, so if you are coming you better be quick. Baz spectacular roads, especially the N85 (Route Napole- also mentioned Pete and Yvonne Roberts’s Peak, on) where we lost one but he knew where we going Lakes and Dales Tour and I for one am looking forso met up later at Port Grimaud. Our destination, the ward to the tour. I should, with a bit of luck, be riding Holiday Marina, I thought was an excellent site and a newer Electraglide as I am in negotiations to partthe EuroCamp mobile homes spacious and comforta- ex my current ride. ble; what a great deal we had. The actual rally was Baz also mentioned that Jan Darlow is to have a typically a H-D event and what can one say about heart operation in the near future so our best wishes the star act on Saturday? Not a lot, and a section of go to her and the family. the audience voiced their displeasure; ah well, some Well that’s it for now. See you all at the next meeting, you win. The weather stayed sunny and hot, which made for some memorable rides. At this point I must rideout or tour whichever is soonest. thank Ian Johnson for assisting myself in leading the Greg ride down and also Laura Jones for her interpreting skills. We also met Laura’s parents, a delightful couple, and had an excellent tea with them. The ride
Cangen Cymraeg Rep.
Page 4
Secretary’s Update As the weather seems to be turning into “Flaming June”, I’ve been enjoying some great bike rides with Peter, around Wiltshire, Somerset, the Cotswolds and Dorset. We are certainly very lucky to live in such a “green and pleasant land”. The hedgerows are full of the sights and delicate scents of elderflowers and dog roses at the moment and, in most villages, there are gardens full of roses, foxgloves and delphiniums. I’m also busily finalising arrangements for our Peaks, Lakes and Dales Tour at the end of June. Being from Yorkshire, we’ll be riding through parts of the country that are very familiar to me. The words of William Blake’s poem, “Jerusalem” always spring to mind when I think of the north of England, with such phrases as: “Dark Satanic Mills” and “England’s mountains green”.
By Yvonne Roberts Stephanie updated us on the arrangements for the tandem parachute jump on September 6th, when Barney from GWC and Sharon from Mencap are bravely taking the plunge! It is hoped that there will be support from GWC members, both on the day, and through sponsoring Barney. We agreed that we should arrange for a presentation of a cheque to both branches of Mencap at our Rally, from money raised so far. Peter was delighted to report that Carol Howerd is now home and recovering well from a heart operation. She has since sent her thanks to GWC members for the flowers she received. The date of our next Committee Meeting is July 5th and a full copy of the minutes is available on request. Please give a warm welcome to new members Steve and Cheryl Dando from Mangotsfield.
We had the usual suspects at our Club night at the Cross Hands in June, with just over 50 members attending and I gather that the Cangen meeting also went well. Graham Mecklenburgh was the lucky person who won the free rally ticket in the draw! We held our June Committee meeting at Riders on June 14th. Duncan updated us on several staff changes at Riders. (Watch out for new photos of the complete staff c/o Tony Yendle!) Duncan also told us of his plans I have the usual selection of merchandise available: to mark American Independence Day on July 4th large and small rockers and patches, including the th with festivities on July 5 . new logo, pin grips and fleeces. Look at the MerPeter had sent out his financial report of April and chandise page on our website for full details and May in advance of our meeting and there were no how to order, or see me at Club nights. Unfortunatequestions. ly, as H.O.G® Merchandising has increased its prices, Large GWC rockers and eagle patches are now Anita reported that there were only 9 tickets left for £14 and small GWC rockers and eagle patches are our GWC Christmas Party, which is now open to £7. wives and partners of GWC members. Arrangements for our rally were finalised, with ticket sales Ride safe, looking good. Anita also reported on the numbers going on the GWC rides to the Fenlanders Rally and Yvonne Thunder in the Glens. Secretary Bazzer reported that as the numbers attending NatEmail: yvonne.s.roberts@gmail.com ter Nights at the Ferry Inn, Beachley, had dwindled Home: 01225 751017 to single figures, he proposed to make the June Natter Night the last one. We all agreed with this proposal.
Page 5
From The Front
By Alan “Big Al” Stokes
Hi Everyone, By the time you read this our very own HITH Rally and Weston American Power night will be a distant memory. I’m sure those who attended will have thoroughly enjoyed themselves and will have now fully recovered. Alcohol, camping and middle age are not a good combination that’s for sure. Anyway, I’m sure these activities will be covered in more detail by a couple of the Chapter’s budding ”bards” …. he says, laughing loudly. Shakespeare eat your heart out. Can I take the opportunity to publicly thank all those involved in putting on a great Rally Rideout. Please take a bow Dave “LBD” Roberts who this year ended up planning two routes. Also step up, the ride team of Andy Kendall, Tony Yendle, Mike Sage, Andy “RKK” Kendall, Mike “Badger” Brake and Martin James. Moving on to a completely different topic: During June, I spent a fair bit of viewing time watching the Isle of Man TT racing. If you have never watched it, then you should. What a fantastic buzz those guys must get from blasting around the everyday roads in excess of 130/140 mph. None of the high tech protection you see on the race circuits. The judgement to miss all the man-made obstacles in their path is just mind blowing. Missing stone-built walls, by fractions of an inch, amazing. I know these are not Harleys but anybody that has ever ridden a motorbike must be in awe of these guys. I love nothing more than to open up my Rice Rattler. That gives me a real adrenaline rush for sure. Different from the Harley but still a great buzz. These guys however have true bottle, and in my opinion, race on what has got to be the world’s most challenging circuit. Sadly, I guess my observation is quantified with the riders who unfortunately once again became fatalities in 2014. Still we cannot let those tragedies detract us from what is a fantastic motorcycling spectacle. These guys know the risk, they love the
thrill of it and I’m sure they would not have it any other way. Long may the TT continue and let us hope the “I know what’s best for you Police” stay well away. …… and so on to the forthcoming rides. Sunday 13th July 2014 - TBA This ride is subject to a late change and its options are currently under review. Please keep an eye on the website for details. Sunday 27th July 2014 - Steph Pocock & Team “Hogs to Henley” This weekend's ride will go to Henley-on-Thames, so why not join us on this cross country ride to a great destination. The plan is to meet 09.00 a.m. at the Little Chef, just off the roundabout on the A350 at Chippenham. For those travelling to the start point via the motorway, then leave M4/J17. There is fuel available at the adjacent Service Station. Please be fuelled up ready to depart for 09.30 a.m. The ride will take the A4 towards Walgrave and continue on to Henley for a leisurely lunch stop. How about a picnic by the river? Following lunch, the return will take a different route and head to Wallingford and onto Wantage. From here the ride will skirt around Malmesbury, finishing at Stanton St. Quinton. This is a fuel station close to the M4 which will be ideal for those travelling onwards along the M4. This is classed as a Level B ride. Ride Hard, Ride Safe. Alan “Big Al” Stokes Assistant Director & Head Road Captain For those last minute updates please call the “Hotline” on 08444 994508 and please keep a check on the website for changes. Please see below some guidance details of the rides: Level A - Short and easy below 100 miles round trip. Level B - Fine for average riders but may be a bit longer. Level C - Can include some complex sections but mainly a longer duration.
Page 6
Cockers Bits
By Anita Cockwell TITG – 21st to 26th August
Hi All, firstly let me start with a few thank yous! Thank you to Greg Payne and Ian Johnson for a superbly organised ride down to St Tropez (I can’t comment on the ride back, boo hoo!); a big thank you to both Andy Kendall and Tony Yendle for the Somme Tour and lastly a thank you to all our GWC Chapter members for taking part in these activities as, without you, they would be meaningless (and lonely!). I’m sure the Peaks, Lakes and Dales tour, organised by Peter and Yvonne for the end of June, will have been a fantastic weekend, so advanced thanks to them for all their hard work on this.
Accommodation for the trip up/back, to this very popular rally, has already been booked as it was difficult to find hotels with enough rooms to fit us all in. However, if you still want to join the group then please let me know asap and I’ll provide you with details of where we are staying and you can make your own arrangements for accommodation nearby (or look at GWC website as details are listed there). Buy your rally tickets from the TITG website www.dunedinhog.net now for pre-registration at £35 (or £40 on the gate). At this late stage you’ll probably find that it’s camping only but this gives you the perfect opportunity to get that tent you’ve never used out and sleep under the stars. Ride to the Wall (RTTW) - Sat 4th October
The website for registration and voluntary contributions for RTTW 2014 is now open (go to th Fenlanders (East of England) Rally – 24 to www.ridetothewall.org.uk). We will be having a 27thJuly GWC group ride up to one of the official RTTW meeting points from where the RTTW organisers Is on our list of official GWC group activities for this will take control. GWC represented by Bazzz, as year so get on and purchase your rally tickets, at Director, will lay a wreath as a mark of our collective £30.00 each, from the Fenlanders Chapter website respect, to those fallen in combat. As with previous (www.fenlandershog.com). As its camping only years, if there are any military/ex-military who would (hotels nearby are fully booked) don’t let that put like to flank Bazz in this tribute, then please let us you off attending as it’s a really great rally (but you’ll know asap. If you have never been before, are interhave to let me know as I don’t have enough annual ested and would like to know more, please contact leave to attend). If you do intend on joining the me and I’ll talk you through it. This is one of those official GWC group would you please let me sobering events you should attend at least once. know asap please, so we can gauge how big the group will be for Road Marshalling, etc. Tickets for this year’s Christmas Party held at The Alveston House Hotel, Thornbury on Sat 13th Deth Bristol Bike Show – Sat 16 August cember. At the time of writing I only have 8 spaces left so don’t wait and lose out as once they’re gone, Always a good day to show your bike off and collect they’re gone! I know it’s only summer, but don’t demoney for our Charity Mencap by rattling a bucket lay. A £10 deposit will hold your space. Ticket sales at the passers-by. It’s free to attend so just let me are now open to members and non-member partknow you are coming and if you want to park your ners. bike (there are time restrictions so you must be there before 9.00am and can’t move away until Catch up with you soon. 17.00pm for ‘Elf and safety). Please drop me an Cheers email with your registration. Don’t want to get your bike dirty? Then just come along and sit with the Anita “Cockers” rest of us in our GWC marquee (we know how to Activities Officer party) and chew the cud or just relax and people Email: accockwell@yahoo.com watch. Mobile: 07841 617477 So what’s still to come? In date order…..
Page 7
Ladies of Harley
By Jane Scott us all soon x Hello Ladies,
Let’s start by saying 2,060 miles. That’s the total mileage for the round trip to St Tropez and a very memorable one it was too. I’m not going to say too much about it but it was great to see a few of our Lady Riders along the way. I must say that some of the days were long, but well worth it. I think a lot of the pillion riders look and think it must be great to ride your own bike. YES of course it is, but it can be very tiring. However this is soon forgotten once you’ve parked up, taken the luggage off your bike and you’re sinking your first beer in the bar. The scenery en route was amazing and every day different. Of course the best day was my birthday with chocolate cake and champagne consumed for breakfast and a video keepsake courtesy of my “chalet” H.O.G mates, thank you all. Plus, to top off the day Elvis, the tribute singer, gave me his silk (well satin) scarf (see pic) and sang “Suspicious Minds”. Thanks Queenie, without that Bristolian accent where would we be? lol. There are quite a few pics on our GWC gallery web page so check us out on there. Thank god there isn’t one of that grotty toilet stop, not good!! Well Ladies, whilst I’m writing my article the sun is shining and it’s 8 sleeps until our rally. Are we ready? of course we are. It’s going to be a good un…Of course you could even do a rally write up for RoadHOG. It would be great to hear what you thought of the weekend. I did mention at the June Club night that we have 24 booked in for the Ladies Only Weekend so, looking good for that one. I’ve sent Great Western Get Well Wishes to Carol Howerd who is recovering from a major Heart Operation and to take it easy. I’m sure Kev will cope with all the chores and Carol says she hopes to see
Well Ladies, I think I’ve covered it all; apologies if not! Did I hear mention of another Coffee/Chat morning? Any thoughts on that regarding England/Wales locations …. Email me if you have any ideas and I’m sure something can be arranged. Take Care All. Any questions, queries, thoughts or ideas then please email or txt me. Jane x Ladies of Harley Email: janescott61@hotmail.co.uk Mobile: 07894 086626
Page 8
Charity Update
By Stephanie Evans Well HITH has been and gone and what fabulous times we all had and how glorious was the weather – I even got my legs out!
Sonja did a sterling job once again with her patch sewing, raising £90 for us for Mencap. A GIANT Thank You to everyone who supported all the fundraising events at the Rally. In total we raised an amazing £707.50
I am pleased to say our raffle took centre stage – well maybe not centre… with some great prizes donated by Riders of Bristol (many thanks Duncan!) and a few extra as is my want.
Harley Branded Donations for the Mencap Shop Thanks to all who have already provided some amazing branded donations for a themed event we are running at the Mencap shop in Bulwark, Chepstow. We aim to do this in August so if you still want to donate anything Harley branded please can you Mencap also joined us with a stall and some of their do so by the July club nights, as this is the closing date for this event. I have had some very generous service users came along Saturday afternoon to donations so far, so they will have to turn their shop meet us and join in the fun. over to just Harley goods for a weekend. I am still taking normal donations for the shop throughout the year so please keep giving as we are still averaging £80 a month raised through this. Parachute Jump We have five definite volunteers for this in Barney and Ali and 3 Mencap staff, Sharon (Chepstow) and 2 from Keynsham.
Before the raffle we presented cheques for £1000 each to Lisa and Jonathan (Keynsham) & Sue (Chepstow) – raised through our various activities so far this year.
This will take place in Swindon on the 6th September so I am hoping that we will have arranged a ride over to support them, as they foolishly step out of a perfectly good aircraft and raise lots of lovely money for Mencap! Friday 13th saw the Mad Hatters Tea Party at Mencap Chepstow which looking at the Facebook photos was a resounding success – I couldn’t make it in the end due to work getting in the way (Grrr!) but Bazzer got there and said it was a great event and he enjoyed his tour of the facilities at The Berkeley. Tuesday 17th I met with Michelle Laura and Lisa from the Keynsham branch to talk about what we can be doing together to be more proactive with them. Finally for me – don’t forget the used printer cartridge and stamp donations. Many thanks
Stephanie I also ran a bit of a fun stall called ‘Wine or Water’. Charity Coordinator £2.50 bought you a gift bag with wine, beer, and cider….or water inside! The luck of the draw and the Email: stephanieann.evans@talktalk.net Mobile: 07983 259752 biker gods decided your fate!
Page 9
Somme Tour 2014 I arrived at the meet-up at Leigh Delamere services in good time, and got some strange looks at my waterproofs from the guys already there enjoying the bright sunshine. “Just come from Wales,” I explained. They nodded understandingly and carried on with the introductions. The journey down to Folkestone was its usual long, boring grind with the usual filtering necessary along a large part of the M25, but pretty uneventful apart from when we were overtaken on the M20 by a woman on a motor-scooter. There were a few doubts about our Road Captain at that point, but he redeemed himself by the time we got to France so we forgave him. At our Folkestone hotel (Holiday Inn Express – opposite the Nigerian Temple of Love) it was a quick turn round before heading out for a curry in downtown Cheriton. Not a bad meal, but the pantomime when it came time to pay was surreal. Philo and Sonja were charged £7 for four popadoms, while two identical meals were charged £4 different. The owner was making it up as he went along! We eventually got out of the place and made the long walk to the most highly recommended pub in town for an early evening nightcap. The pub was shut. Up bright and early, decent breakfast and on the road in good time for Le Tunnel, only to be held for ages in our own separate queuing lane while cars and motor-homes swept past on either side. “How many bikes are you?” asked the guy with the huge beard and orange you-can’t-miss-me jacket. He got so confused with everyone shouting the same number at him that he sent his lovely assistant to count us. She confirmed it was 15 bikes, so eventually he got on the radio and we were let on the train. There was a distinct bump about halfway through, which some people thought might have been an unlucky illegal immigrant fleeing the French police crackdown, but most agreed it was the join between the two halves of the tunnel which didn’t quite meet exactly when it was first built. From Calais, it was a straightforward run to Albert, our base for the next couple of days. The last part of the route into Albert was along a dead-straight Roman road, at the side of which, at intervals, were signs marking the position of the front line during the Somme Campaign – the distance between the 1st July and 1st November 1916 was a massive 4 miles! After a quick check-in, it was time to start the tour proper. We started at the Devonshire Cemetery just outside
By Neil Lewis Mametz, a small, secluded graveyard created at the Devonshire Regiment’s original (1st July 1916) front line trench in a plantation called Mansel Copse. This was my first time at an actual WW1 memorial site and the feeling was quite unsettling. As with all the CWGC sites, this was immaculately laid out and maintained, with neat rows of identical headstones, some with inscriptions but most just recording the name, rank and serial number and the regiment of the deceased.
A frighteningly high number of graves simply recorded “A Soldier of the Great War”. Each of the graveyards is marked with a white ‘cross of sacrifice’, roughly 10 feet high made of white stone, with a bronze sword set into each side. These were to become a hauntingly familiar sight over the next couple of days. From there we visited the German cemetery at Fricourt, where the infamous Red Baron was interred before his brother came along to take his body back to the family crypt in Germany. The contrast here was very noticeable, simple black iron crosses and several large mass graves, each marked by 4 or 5 squat stone crosses. What fascinated me were the Jewish graves in amongst all the crosses, particularly given what happened to the Jews in Germany 20 years later. Then it was on to, for me, one of the highlights of the tour – the Welsh Division memorial at Mametz Wood. I had never heard of this place, despite having had an interest in the First World War since I was at school, but it really blew my mind. The memorial itself is a sculpture of a Welsh dragon tearing barbed wire in its claws, standing on a 10-foot high plinth bearing the crests of the Welsh regiments involved in the battle and facing across the valley to the wood where the fighting took place. And it wasn’t just the Welsh contingent on tour who were im(Continued on page 10)
Page 10 was right with the world. The next day we set off for Lochanagar Crater, site of the largest crater ever created by man in anger, when a mine containing 24 tons of ammonal was detonated early on the first day of the Somme offensive in tunnels below the German position just south of La Boiselle, a blast that was allegedly heard in London. The hole in the ground is so big, it was impossible to capture it all in a single photograph. All the ones here and on the GWC web-site are composites of 4 original photos stitched together. pressed – Philo was overheard saying “That’s got soul”, which pretty much sums it up for me. The irony is, my grandfather may well have fought in this battle as he was in the South Wales Borderers during WW1.
The rest of the afternoon included the much larger cemeteries at Guillemont Road and High Wood, the latter really spooky as it is literally just across the road from High Wood itself, which is still off-limits to the general public due to the huge amount of unexploded ordinance still in the ground there. Also known as ‘the rottenest place on the Western Front’ and ‘the Somme’s 75 acres of Hell’, the wood itself has become a huge, anonymous mass-grave housing the remains of 8,000-10,000 unidentified British and German soldiers. The cemetery opposite has over 4,000 graves, again many of them unidentified. After a sobering afternoon, we returned to the hotel via the Bristol Cross and a giant cartoon bagpiper (apparently one of the Scottish memorials) to find the car park taken over by a horde of ancient cars (many of them around WW1 vintage) all gleaming brass and wooden-spoked wheels. After a couple of beers in the sunshine, we headed into the centre of Albert for dinner at the outstanding Corner’s Pub. One of the beers available was called Ch’ti – you can imagine for yourselves how that was pronounced! But it tasted very good. After a couple of those and a superb steak in Roquefort sauce, all
Now, when I say “we set off”, that isn’t to say we all made it. Our first clue was the distant, distinctive rumble of a V-twin haring off into the distance about a mile away, roughly back at the main road, accompanied a little later by several others all heading away in the wrong direction. After several fruitless searches and a couple of ‘navigational’ phone calls, the lost lambs returned to the fold and we were one big happy family again. It was as we were counting (for the umpteenth time) to work out who and how many had gone missing that we came to the conclusion there were only 14 bikes on the tour. It was only then that we realised the mysterious 15th bike was a chap and his son on a BMW who happened to get put in the same queue as the disreputable Harley riders back in Blighty. Next were the Australian memorials at the Gibraltar Bunker and the windmill at Pozières, and the tank memorial opposite. From there, we rode to the enormous monument to the fallen at Thiepval, in itself quite a feat of construction but with huge emo-
(Continued on page 11)
Page 11 tional intensity. It is visible for miles around the Somme battlefield, and has a visitor centre with free computer access to search for casualty records. I got so engrossed with these it was only when I heard the Harley rumble that I realised I was on my own and the rest of the gang were patiently waiting for me in the car park. Also this afternoon we visited the Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont-Hamel, where the land has been left in its immediate post-war state so that the trenches, shell-holes and sheer closeness of the two front-lines can be easily seen. Another fact I learned on this tour (despite my wife having worked in Canada and my daughter now living there – neither of them knew this either!) was that at the time of WW1, Newfoundland was a separate part of the British Empire and not part of Canada, which is why they fought independently and why they have a separate memorial. Almost as impressive as the Mametz Wood dragon is the Newfoundland bronze memorial caribou, standing high up on a tower of rocks overlooking the battle site. We also visited Sunken Lane and Hawthorn Crater at Beaumont-Hamel. Another significant site for me was the Ulster Tower (my wife coming from Belfast) where I found a wreath laid 3 years ago by my wife’s uncle Bill, then Mayor of Lisburn. We ended the day by visiting Le Sucrerie and Serre No 2 cemeteries, then headed back via ‘Mucky Farm’ to get a photo back across the fields at the Thiepval Monument.
Saturday evening began on a downer, as the hotel had, by great cunning and artifice, managed to run out of all forms of cold beer. At one point we were
forced to drink warm, bottled 1664 over a glass full of ice. Not to be repeated! Thankfully, they managed to get one of the draught lagers back on after half an hour or so, and the evening improved from then on, including buckets of beer at the Aux 3 Pigeons bar and another great steak at Corner’s. Philo further enlivened the evening with his party trick. We finished the tour on Sunday with a visit away from the Somme proper, to the immense Canadian memorial at Vimy Ridge. Again it is impossible to describe adequately the awe-inspiring construction and soul-searching significance of this place, other than to say I have never seen 16 bikers stunned to silence in such a way before.
Some of us had to cut and run at this point as we had work commitments on Monday morning, so while the bulk of the group took in the tunnels beneath Vimy Ridge, for us it was a dash back to Calais, early tunnel, and long grind in blazing sunshine back to Blighty. It only started raining at Port Talbot! Great tour, Andy – your huge knowledge and talented story-telling really brought this experience to life and left me thirsting for more. It was a perfect combination of friendship, thought-provoking visits, and just great biking. And finally – the quote of the tour: who said “Anyone who lays down his life for a piece of land should be allowed to live there afterwards”? Neil
12
St Tropez Euro Festival
St Tropez Euro Festival
13
Page 14
“A Dam Good Ride Around The Elan Valley” By Andy ‘Kenny’ Kendall After reluctantly dragging myself out of bed, after spending nearly the whole night wide awake, I looked out of the window; no surprise there then, raining as forecast! Being on the ride team I didn’t have the luxury of going back to bed so I readied myself and got the bike out and did the usual preflight checks, Sat Nav – O.K Drinks – O.K Food – O.K wets ON, ready for lift off. Then it was off to the start point at Newport Sainsbury’s.
the Honey Café where we could get food and shelter! Those of you with a good memory will remember this was the place where I single handedly bump-started Si Griffiths’s bike before eating dirt! Shan’t do THAT again!!
After getting our fill of tea, coffee and Bacon rolls we set off again. At least the rain had almost stopped. Bob, with the Trike, said goodbye and left the ride. I was surprised to see a small group of guys already there, huddled under the shelter of the trolley park looking very sorry for themselves, but at least they had made the effort to turn up!
We set off on a scenic route towards Raglan with Martin James leading. We had decided not to stop, as planned, at Crickhowell and instead stopped at
We reached The Elan Valley and headed straight for the Café where we had a nice warm lunch and a hot drink then had a wander around the site taking in the views. Geraldine Taylor reminded the group that I would be leading the race back!! Race?? Well at least she made us laugh.
All too soon it was time to get back on the road (Continued on page 15)
Page 15 again, this time with me leading. At least the rain had stopped and it was drying up.
through and, all too soon, we had reached the top car park at Chepstow and said our goodbyes.
We slowly snaked our way around the outside of the Reservoirs taking in the spectacular views and frightening the sheep. After fourteen miles or so on the narrow tracks we arrived back at Rhayader (Ride Harder!).
There were calls to re run this ride in better weather, so I will consider putting it back on again. Maybe later this year or next year. Let’s hope it’s dry and warmer!
We headed out in the direction of Hereford, the roads had dried out and it had brightened up. The roads were really good and, as we only had eleven bikes, we were able to make good progress. When we stopped at Hereford for the comfort stop the group was all huddled around Alan Evans’s Rushmore bike as there was coolant on the floor under the front of the bike; you don’t get THAT with a proper Harley!! Alan was able to top it up with his drinking water and off we went.
It was a nice progressive ride back to Chepstow taking in views of Tintern Abbey, etc. as we passed
I hope that everyone who came really enjoyed the ride. Special thanks to the riders for your support and all the positive feedback. Thanks also to Martin James, Neil Prescott and Barney Evans for their help with the planning and execution of the ride. See you soon Andy Kendall (RKK)
Page 16
“Pressing On to Cider Country” Twenty or so bikes gathered at the Aust Services and, with an unsettled weather forecast, it would be fair to say most of us expected, sooner or later, to get a soaking on our rideout to the Weston Cider Press at Much Marcle. We were lucky! Despite the stiff breeze crossing the Old Severn Bridge and the dark clouds scudding across the sky, apart from an occasional droplet forming on our visors, we miraculously dodged the worst of the rain and even caught glimpses of the sun.
By Diana Davies accidentally into the processing. Doubtless this all added to the flavour and gave the original scrumpy some of its bite! Nowadays, of course hygiene is of paramount importance as this factory produces many thousands of gallons of cider for a worldwide market. However, it remains a family-run business with some of Henry Weston's great grand children and even his great, great grandchildren still running things. The tour ended with a free sampling of some of the product range including different strength cider and perry and each of us received a keyring as a token reminder of our visit.
Stuart Scott, with his team, led us on a scenic route through the Forest of Dean passing by the Canop Ponds and then out into the glorious countryside of Herefordshire where undulating roads took us past bright yellow fields of rapeseed looking their best as The sky remained threatening as we set off on our they were lit up by the sun with a backdrop of dark return journey but miraculously our bikes remained shower clouds. dry and stayed that way as the clouds passed overWe arrived at the Weston Cider Press just before head. The showers were very localised and it was noon and, while some preferred to relax in the bars evident from the surface water on the roads that some of the villages we passed through had recently experienced a downpour.
On the return leg Stuart led us through some of the beautiful back roads of Monmouthshire. A particularly pretty road took us through woods near Wenchford that were carpeted with bluebells and, right on cue, the sun made one of its brief appearances turning the new leaves on the trees fluorescent green it was magical! This is a spot where Bob and I will definitely pay a return visit with our cameras! Soon afterwards we joined the A48 where we caught tantalising glimpses of the Bristol Channel and the two Severn Bridges while we wound our and cafés, fourteen of us went on a tour of the site way back to Chepstow to say our goodbyes as the where cider has been produced for 135 years. Our clouds really started to darken. We were fortunate to bubbly and very knowledgeable tour guide Jessica began by showing us the primitive old stone equip- arrive home just minutes before the heavens ment used to pulp and press the apples when Henry opened but I gather some on the Bristol side of the Weston first decided to turn his farm over to produc- bridges were not quite so lucky and finally got caught in the rain. ing cider for the local inhabitants. In those early days, whilst they no doubt did their best to be hyWe had a wonderful day and thoroughly enjoyed gienic, due to the materials and equipment used at ourselves and give special thanks to the organisers the time, it was not uncommon for foreign bodies of this trip. such as horse hairs or even rats to find their way
Page 17
Bike Down in France
By Mark Cockwell As it turns out this was a mistake; more on this later. TIP – An obvious one but don’t ever consider traveling without a mobile. It takes around two hours to confirm I have H.O.G® Assistance, after which I’m informed it’ll be another two hours before recovery arrives, as the driver needs to take his lunch break. At this point we’re considering it fortunate that we’re in a hotel lobby and not on some remote country road in the rain.
As a rule I’m not a ‘first adopter’, preferring to leave it a while before purchasing new products. This stems from a firm belief that the final stage of beta testing involves the paying public. However, as me n Neats (‘Mrs Cockers’ to you) had decided to undertake longer bike tours and the new Rushmore Ultra seemed ideal for the job, one was purchased.
So, fours hours after my initial call the recovery vehicle arrives and we’re transported, another 50+ miles further from Blighty, to H-D Macadam Moto at Montpellier. On arrival at the dealership I’m required to supply the bike’s V5C so that it could be signed in and taken away for assessment.
TIP – Make sure you’re carrying your breakdown, insurance details and any other documentation required for the country you’re traveling in and where May this year. With the Ultra’s niggles sorted and its originals are required don’t carry copies. first service just completed, we joined Greg and Ian As it was getting late in the day H.O.G® Assistance and their merry band of bikers of to Euro Festival in arranged a taxi to take us to a nearby Ibis Hotel Grimaud, South of France. The Ultra’s first proper where the first order of the day was to cancel any tour. hotel reservations we knew we couldn’t make. DoAt this point I’d like to say a big thank you to Greg and Ian for a fantastic ride down and the rest of the merry bikers for their great company. We all arrived safely in Grimaud but, while on a short ride to St Tropez, some warning lights temporarily appeared indicating that something was up with the Rushmore’s liquid cooling system. A check of the oil level, oil pressure, coolant level and fans showed all ok and after a quick call to Riders a faulty sensor is suspected. There are no further recurrences of the warning lights, that is, until before Millau, the first stop-off on our return home. This time the lights don’t go out and an examination of the coolant reservoir shows there is a problem: it’s over-full and coolant is dripping from the breather pipe. “Houston, we have a problem”. Fortunately, we are at the hotel so first thing the following morning I make a call to H.O.G® Assistance.
ing this promptly can save you paying cancellation fees or for hotel rooms you’ll never use. TIP – Most hotel chains these days provide free WiFi, which, if you carry a smartphone or tablet, can be invaluable if you organised your accommodation, etc. via the internet. The following day H.O.G® Assistance phoned to inform us that the water pump on the bike had failed and it would take a week for a replacement part to be delivered and fitted. As we were scheduled to be back home the following day it was a agreed that we’d be repatriated and I’d be flown back on completion of the repair to ride the bike home. NOTE – H.O.G® Assistance provides only a single ‘Standard’ level of service. The higher ‘RidePack’ level, that included repatriation of a disabled bike, has been withdrawn. So, the following morning, we were picked up by a (Continued on page 18)
Page 18 taxi and taken to Montpellier airport for a flight to Gatwick where a hire car had been booked for the final leg back home. TIP – Try and be flexible on the return arrangements as it’s not normally possible/practical to fly between regional airports.
ucts. So in addition to my bike I received a H.O.G ® Assistance card and my H-D insurance policy documents which makes no mention of a breakdown card in the back cover of the policy document and which I didn’t discover until my return.
The key difference for me between H.O.G® Assistance and H-D Insurance Recovery is that H-D InTIP – Riding gear is heavy and bulky so, if possible, surance will repatriate the bike if it can’t be repaired arrange to leave it with the bike rather than try and by the time you have to get home. Given this was fly it home. As I its was an Ultra I was able to lock true I phoned H-D Insurance to see what they could our gear in the top box and saddlebags. do. It turns out that my phoning H.O.G® Assistance As was our luck we arrived at the airport to find that had given them the wriggle room they needed and I a 24 hour French Air Traffic Controller strike had got no assistance from them whatsoever. cancelled our flight. However a quick call to H.O.G ® NOTES – H.O.G® Assistance and Harley Insurance Assistance and we were moved to the following Breakdown are completely different produces altday’s flight and the hire car was rescheduled hough for European breakdowns they both use AXA accordingly. Assistance. Unfortunately we had to pay for that night’s hotel but H.O.G® Assistance will recover your bike to the hopefully our travel insurance should cover some of nearest official H-D Dealership while H-D Insurance the cost of this. will take it to the “nearest repairer”. If you have a The following day all goes smoothly and after a bike under warrantee then this distinction is imshort flight, hassle-free hire car pick up and tedious- portant as repairs undertaken by anyone other than ly slow drive on the M23, M25 and M4 we arrive a H-D Dealer can void your warrantee. home 3 days after first calling H.O.G® Assistance. If you are carrying a H-D Insurance Breakdown card At this point I’d like to say that, after the initial hicyou may want to check that the phone numbers on it cup, identifying my membership, H.O.G® Assistance are up to date as comparison with a friend showed were excellent, arranging and paying for taxis, actheir card was out of date. The numbers on my card, commodation and ultimately our journey home as which I received within the last month, are: well as acting as interpreter between Philippe, the UK 0800 280 0066 Workshop Manager, and myself. I‘ve since talked Ireland 0906 451 973 ® with H.O.G Assistance who identified the cause of Europe 0044 1737 826 113 the initial problem and have put actions in place to address it. Fortunately, in the background Duncan, had been doing a sterling job and had got Harley to agree to On my return I started investigating my options for repatriate my bike. However, to the disappointment getting the bike back to the UK as I’d calculated that of both Duncan, who’d put in all this effort, and myflying out and riding it back will put me around a self Harley pulled out none of the stops and the bike grand out of pocket. At the same time Duncan, the was put into storage until such time as was convenGeneral Manager at Riders, who had asked to be ient for them to transport it back to the UK. kept updated on proceedings, is surprised I’ve not So, 5 weeks after my initial call and around 4 weeks been offered this option and starts looking into this after the bike was repaired it arrived back at Riders from his end. where is was checked over and given a thorough If you remember, earlier in this article I mentioned clean prior to me picking it up. Thanks guys. ® that phoning H.O.G Assistance was a mistake and here’s why. NOTE – In a conversation with H-D Insurance I was informed that it can take them up to 28 days to reAt the same time I bought my new Ultra I also took patriate a bike from Europe. out Harley Insurance. This meant I had breakdown cover from the free H.O.G® Assistance I got with the So any advice I hear you say, well it has to be the bike and from the H-D Insurance. What I hadn’t real- usual, “shop around and be clear on what you’re actually getting for your money”. ised was that they were completely different prod-
Page 19
Peter & Duncan’s Pump Stop Well, here we are, less than 4 days to the start of our own “Hogs in the Hayfields”, number 7 and the weather forecast is looking good. Last year, as you will remember, the weather was really great and consequently this brought people from far and wide on the Saturday, to buy tickets at the gate. Putting on our rally, or any big event, does involve an enormous amount of work and commitment by everyone involved in every aspect of its organisation. What is our rally for? Well, it is the one big anTo rally, or not to rally, that is the question? nual event that can potentially bring the whole ® This year’s European H.O.G rally, “Croatia Harley Chapter together for a long weekend of fun – socialDays” in Biograd ended yesterday, and it was really ising, riding, and enjoying the entertainment. GWC great to see a photo, on the rally gallery, of Ken and currently enjoys a robust membership of 260 so why, I am wondering, have only 28% of the memKaren, proudly displaying the GWC flag. bers to date bought tickets for our rally, with the lions share going to members from other Chapters?
And also, I found one of Ken on his Harley boat!
The following are just some of my thoughts: perhaps the days of parochial, single Chapter rallies have had their day and, rather, the larger multi-Chapter events are the future. “Thunder in the Glens” is maybe the perfect example in the UK, since it attracts hundreds of riders every single year. Is there a secret? Probably not – other than having a fabulous location and excellent infrastructure with accommodation options that can match everyone’s expectations. South of the border we have had, until this year, SOFER at Bisley. It seems that this year’s cancellation of the event has stimulated the quest for a new and better location for a 2015 revival. In the USA, rallies are rather different from ours and tend to be organised on a State-by-State basis, or even conjointly between States, such as the Carolinas Rally. This is partly because of the very large travelling distances involved, but also because of the many H.O.G® Chapters to be found in individual States. For example, California alone has 58 Chapters! Clearly it would be insane for every Chapter there to be putting on a rally. In addition to the State-organised rallies, they have a number of annual national events, usually in the same location, and which attract thousands of bikers. In particular, there is Daytona Bike Week in the Spring, then their Octoberfest; the Laughlin River Run; Rolling Thunder (in its 27th year); Laconia Bike Week; Las Vegas Bikefest and, of course, the granddaddy of them all, Sturgis, now in its 74th year. (Continued on page 20)
Page 20 What really puts these mega rallies in a league of their own is their popularity and locations. They are nothing to do with H.O.G®, they don’t have a registration fee and are open to all bikes although, inevitably, Harleys dominate, simply because that’s how it is in the USA. Just to take Sturgis, as the prime example, roughly half a million bikes attend each summer – wow! The rally is spread over several towns, including Rapid City, Deadwood, Spearfish and, of course, Sturgis itself. All the local dealerships have mega events on vast sites and every after-market company like Kuryakin, Arlen Ness, Custom Chrome, Vance & Hines have ride-in, fit while-you-wait. That’s just the bike element; entertainment-wise, there is just everything imaginable! Music – well the European H.O.G® rally model, which increasingly involves has-been singers and tribute bands, just would not be tolerated over there. You get the real thing, like ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alice Cooper and John Mayall. These rallies just have to be experienced to be believed. If the USA can hold such stunning events every year, I think it rather begs the question about European H.O.G® rallies. From the very first rally in Cheltenham, in 1991, which attracted almost 3,000 Harley owners, it initially grew fairly slowly – probably in direct correlation with Harley ownership. There were 8,000 at Lake Garda, Italy in 2008 and then it jumped dramatically to 60,000 for the 2010 meeting in Lugano. Croatia, in 2011, topped 70,000, Cascais was similar, and Croatia, 2014, is reported to be less than 2011, but still very substantial at 50,000. With these sorts of numbers, now attending, and the associated substantial event registration income, I think it sure is time for H.O.G® to up its game and give members what they want. Traditionally, the venue of the next year’s H.O.G® rally is announced on the last evening of the current year’s rally. Apparently, it will be Spain for 2015 and the gossip since is of Marbella. However, no doubt we will be kept hanging on before a formal announcement is made. The process of choosing a location seems opaque, putting it mildly. Of course, with the phenomenal growth in numbers over the last 5 years, we will soon be in the position of their being just a handful of locations with the infrastructure capable of hosting the European H.O.G® Rally. So, the rally may well end up with just 2 or 3 rotating venues. So, just returning to my initial pondering, I am really looking forward to seeing the 70 or so of you who have bought tickets for our rally and, at the same time, wondering where the rest of you are! Enjoy the lovely weather and now, over to Duncan
for his Tip of the Month: As we enter the height of the riding season, many of us will be looking forward to either a weekend away or that long awaited summer holiday. The thought of what to take and how to carry it suddenly comes into question. For some, panniers are already fitted to the bike but, for those who haven’t, HarleyDavidson Premium Touring Luggage collection is available. The collection is designed by motorcyclists for motorcyclists and constructed in a superior heavy-weight ballistic nylon, so that they will maintain their shape, protect your belongings on your journey and won’t look out of place in any hotel reception. Some of their benefits include quick release mounting straps, reflective trim, glove friendly zipper pulls and integrated rain covers. They also feature an innovative spandex mounting pocket that makes installation and removal a simple process. Just slip the smooth band over the passenger backrest and secure with the quick release mounting straps supplied. For those with panniers, Harley shrink sacks are a great way of collapsing bulky clothing down to a fraction of its original size. Simply load the bag, seal it, roll it to evacuate the air and store your soft goods in a fraction of the space that used to fill your Tour Pak, allowing for all those little holiday purchases along the way. Have a great trip Safe Riding
Peter and Duncan@riders
Page 21
Chepstow & District Mencap Society LIGHT LUNCH BUNCH The Light Lunch Bunch is a team of 8 adults with learning disabilities who volunteer in pairs on a rota basis to prepare, cook and serve a light lunch to members of the local community at Bulwark Community Centre in Chepstow every Tuesday. The team has been operating for over three years. They start the day by shopping for fresh food supplies. Then they cook up a nutritious home-made soup, prepare healthy rolls with salad fillings and make a delicious seasonal pudding in the community centre. Pudding favourites include Eton Mess, roulades, trifles and cheesecake.
their co-op fruit and veg or are looking for company, conversation and friendly faces. The lunch is available to anyone who drops in to the community centre and the team regularly serve lunch, along with tea and coffee to around 25 people for a very modest ÂŁ3. All of the team work very hard for the 5 hours it takes from the morning shopping to the afternoon tidying and washing up. They remain committed, enthusiastic and make sure each person is served with a good humour and a smile. The Light Lunch Bunch also provides an outside catering service, serving up sumptuous homemade buffets (none of your beige here!!) for local meetings and functions in Chepstow and outlying villages. We operate mainly from our 5* rated kitchen but can provide on-site too. All our service users are inhouse trained in basic food safety handling and are about to undertake an OCN certificated course.
When our newly acquired building, the Old Board School, is fully functional, we hope to extend our services within the community to include cookery The team are gallantly led by Annie, a staff member classes, making and selling of homemade produce of Chepstow Mencap, and they receive huge praise and a lunch club in Chepstow and possibly even a from the community members for the quality of the local sandwich delivery service. food they have prepared and the quality of the service received. Being able to sit with other people and enjoy a meal gives some people a weekly focus and helps prevent social isolation. The tables are attractively laid by the team and the appetising lunch attracts locals who may be collecting
(Continued on page 22)
Page 22 The highlight of the summer calendar is our annual Hog Roast which is always well attended by service users, staff, family and friends. Annie and the team always serve up fabulous pork rolls with all the accompaniments, always finished off with beautiful desserts. All this washed down with a glass or two of whatever takes your fancy.
During February and March your fabulous donations to The Shop have made a grand total of £207.85 which will mean another £52 by the time we This takes place in The Berkeley when the garden is have claimed Gift looking its best—just the place to sit back and chill Aid. and enjoy the friendly atmosphere. This has been spent on bulbs for the garden, a pair of long handled loppers and two pairs of short handled loppers for the community gardeners. A huge thank you comes from everyone here at Chepstow Mencap!
At a Glance - GWC Activities Calendar Contact Anita Cockwell if you have any other events you would like to see listed. Tel: 01761 471385 or mobile: 07841 617477 or e-mail: accockwell@yahoo.com For further details on any event listed visit “What’s On” on the GWC website. Date
Event
Organiser
Details
Committee Contacts Sponsoring Dealer Duncan White 0117 9588777 Director Barry Aggett 07907 351650 Asst Director/Treasurer Peter Roberts 07540 164157 Asst Director/ Head Road Captain Alan Stokes 07766 237242
July 8th
Club Night
Bazz Aggett
Cross Hands Hotel, Old Sodbury
9th
Club Night
Bazz Aggett
St Mary’s Hotel, Pencoed
Secretary Yvonne Roberts 01225 751017 Webmaster Chris Harding 07801 562011
24th – 27th
Activity
Cockers
Fenlanders Rally (East of England)
27th
Ride Out
Steph Pocock
“Hogs to Henley”
Safety Officer Andy Kendall 07905 397474
August 12th
Club Night
Bazz Aggett
Cross Hands Hotel, Old Sodbury
13th
Club Night
Bazz Aggett
St Mary’s Hotel, Pencoed
16th
Activity
Cockers
Bristol Bike Show
17th
Ride Out
Big Al & team
TBD
21st – 26th
Activities Officer Anita Cockwell 01761 471385
Activity
Christof and Baz
Thunder in the Glens Rally
Editor Mark Cockwell 07900 496711 Photographer/Historian Tony Yendle 07787 551612 Ladies of Harley Jane Scott 07894 086626 Charity Co-ordinator Stephanie Evans 07983 259752 Cangen Cymraeg Rep Greg Payne 07976 913004
September
Rally Co-ordinator Tony James 07940 895921
6th
Charity
Stephanie Evans
Parachute Jump
10th
Club Night
Bazz Aggett
St Mary’s Hotel, Pencoed
16th
Club Night
Bazz Aggett
Cross Hands Hotel, Old Sodbury
4th
Activity
Bazz Aggett
Ride to the Wall
8th
Club Night
Bazz Aggett
St Mary’s Hotel, Pencoed
14th
Club Night
Bazz Aggett
Cross Hands Hotel, Old Sodbury
19th
Activity
Bazz Aggett
Hoggin the Bridge/ Curry
Road Marshals
26th
Ride Out
Big Al & Team
“Soaring in Somerset - Return of the Flying Pigs”
Steve Crook, Paul Evans, Neil Lewis, Neil Prescott, Bryn Wiltshire.
11th
Club Night
Bazz Aggett
Cross Hands Hotel, Old Sodbury
12th
Club Night
Bazz Aggett
St Mary’s Hotel, Pencoed
9th
AGM
Bazz Aggett
Cross Hands Hotel, Old Sodbury
10th
Club Night
Bazz Aggett
St Mary’s Hotel, Pencoed
13th
Activity
Cockers
Xmas Party
October
Road Captains Barry Aggett, Mike Brake, Nigel Garnett, Simon Griffiths, Paul Groom, Chris Harding, Martin James, Ian Johnson, Andy Kendall, Andy Kendall (RKK), Ian Mead, Greg Payne, Dave Pocock, Stephanie Pocock, Dave Roberts, Mike Sage, Jane & Stuart Scott, Alan Stokes, Tony Yendle.
November
December
RoadHOG is printed by