Tales From The Riverbank July 2017

d n e k e e ireland bike fest w h s l e w y a w a d n e k e e w s lad coast to coast July 2017

Ed Quarters Welcome to Tales From The Riverbank.

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who submitted articles for this month's magazine. It is a real pleasure being able to share your stories, and photos. Please don't just do it once, keep it coming. The club has so many things going on it's difficult for a few people to capture them all. You are our eyes and ears.

Keeping on the subject of magazine articles, if you want to send something over for the next issue please note that they should be with me a week earlier than usual. Please send them to the address given below by August 4th. This is because the Convergence Rally falls on the weekend that the magazine is usually created.

Saturday 1st July saw two of our members jump the broomstick. I would like to offer my congratulations to Mark and Cilla on this happy occasion.

Ride safe and have fun!

Andy

New Members.

We would like to offer a warm welcome to our new members.

Please make yourselves at home.

Gary Watts Karen Barr Paul Hodgson Jan Harger

to: issions r su b m u rg.uk o y .o g d Sen alleyho v s e m tha editor@

Inside this issue

July / August Birthdays

Front cover

The TV Massive On Tour

Page 2

Ed Quarters

Page 4

Westie Writes

Page 5 - 6

Ladies of Harley

John Ingram 27th

Page 7 - 8

White's Words

Anne McLoughlin 28th

Page 9

Mileage

Page 10 - 12

Lad's Weekend

Page 13

Thank You

Page 14 - 15

Welsh Weekend

Simon Howells 13th

Page 16

TV Times

Graham Odey 15th

Page 17

Harley Assist

Page 18 - 19

Dawn to Dusk

Page 20

Happy Birthday TV

Page 21

Poker Night Picnic

Page 22 - 23

Prison Run

Page 24 - 25 Car

Thatcham Classic & Bike Show

Page 26

Chocks Away

Page 27

Valkenburg Revisited

Page 28 - 31

Ireland Bike Fest

Back cover

Meet the Committee

July Roger Catchpole 21st Jackie Beaton 21st Trudy Boothby 22nd

Nij Jones 30th

August Sue Brown 1st Yvonne Cotsford 8th

Toni Charles 16th Elizabeth Small 16th Joe Lewis 18th

Happy Birthday to you all.

If I've missed you or got something wrong, drop the Editor a quick note.

Huge thanks to all who have sent copy in for this month's magazine: Chris S, Fred, Mike C, Robin, Lee, Jeremy, Tony R, Sue M, Ian T, Lou, Nick, Linda, & Ann :-)

Hi Folks, Most of you are aware that I have been out of the country for most of the past month, but I know that you have all been having a great time in my absence. I have been asked to keep things brief this month as we have a fun filled mag for you.

Before I left for the U.S., I was able to get a last party in with the Chapter. Our riverboat party was great fun. The weather played ball, the company was great and the food was very good. A reasonable smattering of members managed to cobble together some fancy dress and the smiling faces at the dock on our return was testament to another successful event.

One of the biggest timing issues for my vacation this year was that I would miss this year’s Dawn to Dusk Ride AND the Lads Weekend away... not to mention the summer cook-out at club night!

If I am going to keep it short I will thank Lee for taking the helm for the 3 weeks of absence and to all of those who helped make all of those events successful. Well done to Road Crew, Committee, Volunteer cooks, Raffle collectors and participants.

If you have bought a new or used motorcycle from a Harley Dealer in the last few years, there is some important information about the change from HOGAssist to HarleyAssist on page 17 as it may affect you.

We are ready for the remainder of the summer with lots of events, rides, rallies, poker nights, HD Reading Bike Nights and club nights coming up including the Convergence Rally in Cirencester on the 11 – 13th August, The ride to support RNLI at Selsey Bill and The Cotswold Wildlife Park to name but a few.

Whichever you decide to join, remember, the only rule that really matters.

Ride and Have Fun!

Nick

Ladies of Harley Wow wow wow..

June's been a busy month.

Where do I start? We may be here a while so let’s get comfy.

Riverboat.

A Great turnout well, could have been a little better, but the good old faces made it an enjoyable night. Fancy dress was the idea; I guess some members didn't get the memo!! Note to all.. let yourselves go a little, who knows you may just enjoy it. But all aside, great food and a boogie on the top deck, what more could you ask?

Hard Rock Cafe!

Great ride up through London, arrived for fajitas and cocktails. The best part was jumping the mile long queue. Thanks for the invite guys.

The party of the year, our Chapter’s 19th Birthday BBQ. A fantastic turnout by Chapter members old faces and new. Lee (Assistant Director) stepped up to the plate as I'm sure you'll all agree, and done a fantastic job of creating a fun and exciting evening.

The music for the evening by The Reverent Faraday, awesome and really set the mood.

Great food cooked by Malcolm, Jamie, Fred and Don. The girls all helped prep the salad and bread rolls, a real sense of great camaraderie in our Chapter.

If I've forgotten your efforts by name I thank you too, and apologies, it was a busy evening. Well done to everyone on a successful night.

Guns & Roses - Olympic Park!

Me, Lee Russell & Tina rocked our little socks of at this awesome concert.

Long day but so worth it. Thanks for the drive up Russ, and Tina for convincing us that Burritos are the future.

"Picnic in the Park" Beautiful summers eve by the River Thames with friends and again yummy food.

I picked a good hand apparently, we'll see. Followed by a little ball throwing (Christopher Smith)! Tut tut, and the obligatory Chapter group photo on the bandstand.

Oh I almost forgot to mention the lovely gesture of the local fire fighters coming down to empty their hoses, what a sight.

Dawn to Dusk: We had the weather against us in the beginning, with no sunrise, but we ploughed through and made it to Lands End in good time with a grand total of 473 miles completed.

Not after some bum clenching moments via Lee's sat nav set to fastest route down dodgy lanes with the wide eyed locals wondering what on Earth was coming round the corner.

We made good pace, a few pit stops for sustenance, and download time, along with the Facebook checking status updates. The end was near but my rear definitely wasn't in agreement. So we plodded on to the finishing point, Lands End windy roads, and a faint sniff of the sea, there she was in her full glorious state.

Jammy, with her iPad to get a photo of us coming into land. Brilliant and what timing as Mick had stood there all day and in the moment he decide to have a break jammy took hold the moment of glory and snapped us with in ten minutes of Micks retreat, Oops.

"The Wedding" Congratulations to the new Mr & Mrs Peck.

What can I say, such a beautiful unique wedding, true to one and others passions in life, subtle motor bike (Harley Davidson) themes throughout the ceremony into the main venue. Your efforts were superb, and those cakes!!

The Bride, the dress, OMG! Simply stunning Cilla you were are a beautiful bride and when Mark saw you for the first time he was the cat who got the cream. Such an endearing look on his face. Brilliant. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for inviting us to share your special day.

To finish an awesome "blank" month (I wanted to swear here, but I can't) Lionel Richie with some of the LoH gals.

Such a great night. Great food and putting the world to rights. Then the Lionel show at The Theatre Royal Windsor..

So, so funny. "Stevie Wonder�!!

Soldiers in the castle, "Romeo, Romeo!!

Thanks girls.

Phew, Here's to many more great adventures, Until next time folks.

Lou x

White's Words Hi All, What a fantastic month! Yet again we’ve had an extra packed calendar.

We enjoyed the riverboat shuffle! We put on our fancy dress and set sail down the Thames for an evening of dancing and taking in the sights along the river. I have been lucky enough to do a few of the riverboat shuffles; this was one of the best ones we've ever done. Great music, great company and many laughs. The only grey area was the amount of members not in fancy dress. I hope to see this change and that a lot more people get involved and take part and let themselves go a bit more in all our activities.

Lou and I, along with a few other Chapter members took part in the Dawn to Dusk Ride 2017. We all met at Beaconsfield service station and set off to Black Bear in Newmarket.

A quick rest there, then off we set to Lowestoft, to find out beds for the night. Before we settled down for the evening we ventured into Lowestoft beach front to indulge in ice cream and to meet other fellow riders also doing the coast-to-coast challenge.

We retreated to our beds and set our alarm clocks for 3 am. We all met at the starting point for 4 am and set off chasing the sun to Lands End. After many stops and leg stretches, we eventually arrived at Lands End around about 5 pm. I was told this was not a race and it was not a competition, but if you know me a race is a race. I can gladly say that our little group was first group to arrive.

We watched the sunset whilst we dined away in the Land’s End Hotel, drinking, eating and resting our behinds.

If you have not had the opportunity to do this challenge, then I will thoroughly recommend it. We had a good day out and lots of long hard riding miles put under the seat.

We had an invite from Rebel Riders to attend their event at the Grosvenor Casino Bike Show in Reading. Don and I set up the Chapter gazebo along with help from Lou and the guys and girls at Reading Harley Davidson.

As we enjoyed the sun patiently waiting for our Chapter members to turn up who were led

by Thelma, Mandy and Sue Moyler. They did an excellent job of escorting over twenty five riders from Thames Valley and Hogsback. It was a busy day chatting and talking to prospective members and waving the Chapter flag.

I hope you all enjoy the last month’s Club Night as it was a big moment for our Chapter. As you all know, it was the clubs 19th birthday. I'd like to thank our special guests the exdirectors and all the guys and girls from Hogsback that also attended that night. Of course special thanks to everyone that helped made the night a successful evening. I hope you all enjoyed my first session on the microphone, presenting Club Night to you all. I've had some great feedback about how you all enjoyed the evening and it was great to have a fresh outlook.

Some of you might be aware that I also hold the role of the current Webmaster; I have been working with Robin over the last six months in trying to produce a new site for the club.

We have come up against many problems whilst trying to do this and we have now decided to keep what we have but to make a few changes to the way it looks and the way it runs.

So please keep an eye on the current site and expect some changes coming very soon.

As for my position as Webmaster I have now decided to step down, after seven and half years I believe the time is right as I need to concentrate on my role as the Assistant Director. The committee will of course put out more information about the Webmaster role.

I remember when I first took up the position where the club was and what the site was doing for us it became my personal goal to bring the club into the 20th century I even introduced PayPal, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and online shop with an online membership system. Also during my time as the Webmaster I have assisted many other offices in their roles, I would like to thank the membership for your support over the last seven years and I have enjoyed my time serving as the Webmaster. I wish the very best to whoever takes over next and I believe I have left the website in a better place and has set an example for other Chapter websites.

The role can be a thankless task I have found myself staying up late at night tapping away on the keyboard keeping one eye on the site and the other eye on the club. Helping club members, producing club emails, having said this it is also a very rewarding role.

As your Assistant Director I have some big plans and ideas that I will now be working on, more about this over the next coming months so thanks once again and keep safe.

Lee

They're your miles Some Chapter members may not be aware that they can check that their mileage has been registered correctly!

Using your HOG membership number, you can log onto the web site provided by HOG, members.hog.com.

Once you are logged into the web site, click on Membership and then Benefits. Scroll down to the Mileage Recognition section and then click See Details. After a few moments, you should see your personal screen giving your total mileage and when your next badge will be achieved. A screen something like this: At the end of this page, you will find an FAQ section. For example, it explains the situation in respect of passengers collecting miles: Members.hog.com has several other useful screens where you can update your membership, add motorbikes, etc.

Don’t forget that in addition to members.hog.com there are other useful HOG sites.

For example, you can submit pictures / videos using hogeuropegallery.com or add / download rides from greatestrides.eu There is even some suggestion that if a photo / video or route is published, then you might be awarded extra miles.

Ian

The Lads Weekend 2017 Hoeve Cardinal, Hazewindstraat 4, 860 Diksmuide, Nieukapelle Wow, anyone who tries to organise the coming Lads Weekends have had the bar set very high by Malcolm Poulter, Fred Cotsford and assisted by Jamie McLaughlin and of course not forgetting Philip Sasse and everyone at the Flanders Field Chapter who made a good weekend into a great one.

Our story really begins the night before we were due to depart, Malcolm gets an email saying if Patrik the manager of the site where we were due to stay doesn't get his 3,000 odd euro's in the bank that night we aren't getting in. Of course panic set in, how the hell are we going to pay that. But a quick phone call to Philip, he in turn re-assures Patrik and we are back on track.

Come Friday morning we all met up in various groups and made our way to Tesco's at Junc 10 of the M20 with no real drama or crisis and then on to the tunnel. As we rode down the ramp and on to the train Malc in front of me suddenly stops and Paul Major gets off and starts walking, I thought they had a row, it made me smile at the time. But it was just to reduce the weight for the ride down the train. Poor old Paul had to make his way down the train with his limited vision he won't let Malc forget that I'm sure.

We made our way through a bit of France and into Belgium and on to Hoeve Cardinal, with the experience of last year behind him Malc did a grand job dropping off as normal. On arrival we quickly made our selves at home and settled in with a few beers that the Flanders Field Chapter had provided at cost and on a sale or return which was extremely good of them. We set out trying to make sure there were no returns, just to help them out you'll understand. Evening meal was a traditional Flemish Carbonades Flamandes (beef stew to you and me) with chips and that seemed to go down very well.

Saturday morning after a continental style breakfast we made our way over to the Harley Davidson West Flanders Dealership for the much awaited ride out lead by Philip Sasse and a road crew of approximately eight which is astounding considering there was nearly fifty bikes in the ride. Philip lead us on a route around western Belgium in

the region of 120 miles I believe, and the weather got better as the day went on. We stopped at the Hooge Crator just to the east of Ypres on the Menenstraat, which is part of the N8, a straight road that leads to the Menen Gate. This was the site where the 175 Tunnelling Company on 19/07/1915, dug under no man's land and under the German trenches and planted a massive bomb which resulted in a huge crater that is now filled in. At the BBQ on Saturday night Malcolm presented Philip with a HD plaque that we had all chipped in for, he was over the moon and nearly reduced to tears.

Several of the lads discovered the local hostelry as you might imagine and the "A Team" certainly downed some local delicacies and got to know the natives who were very welcoming. I think the award for the worst hang over has got to go to Luke, but he soon recovered. Sunday saw the group split in two the larger section visited the La Capolle a WW11 bunker museum and the site where the Germans employed slave labour to dig into the hillside and they built and launched their V2 rockets from, fascinating.

All to soon it was time to come home, must just mention that Mike Walters had a puncture that he frantically organised the repair of on Monday morning but even that couldn't take the shine off a great weekend.

By the way I made a short video of the weekend if you haven't seen it here is the link for you tube. https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2dInHSNFO0 Chris

The Lads Weekend 2017 - Menin Gate After greeting our hosts and lapping up the sunshine amongst pleasant views from the hotel, we left for the town of Ypres to experience “The Last Post” ceremony under the Menin Gate memorial. The ride out was our first introduction to the adrenalin rush where the marshals blast down the pack for our comfortable, uninterrupted passage. We parked outside the Menin Gate and got our first view of the substantial memorial with the words “TO THE ARMIES OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE WHO STOOD HERE FROM 1914 TO 1918 AND TO THOSE OF THEIR DEAD WHO HAVE NO KNOWN GRAVE” above the gate and 100’s of 1000’s of soldiers names listed below their battalion and rank inscribed into the walls.

We walked on into the town and had an ice cream in the pretty Grote Markte. I studied an old 1930’s army BSA motorcycle that had been carefully restored. At 19:15 we all met for early preparation of presentation of three wreaths, one by Tony and two chapters. The areas for the public were jam packed before the brass band could be heard and a procession of service men and women and dignitaries took their places . The sound of 'The last Post' bugle call was heard before the band started to play very touching music while the wreaths were placed and I couldn’t help shed a few tears when reading a few names on the wall.

Jeremy

Thank You. Jeanette, Mick & I cannot put into words how much we appreciate and love all of you who came and supported us at Daniel's funeral.

It was truly an amazing turnout, The vicar was impressed,as were all our friends and family. Thank you all so much.

Linda

Welsh Weekend The weather for the Wales trip this year was rather unusual. It was in fact hot, hot, hot.

The ride out on Saturday, which took us round lake Vyrnwy, was simply beautiful. The surrounding scenery was equally as breath taking.

We rode over mountains and along single-track roads in glorious sunshine.

The ride out on Sunday was amazing; we ended the ride going around the Great Orme.

Dinner on the Sunday evening at the Hand Hotel was excellent. Our waitress coping on her own to serve us all was very good.

The whole trip was an unforgettable experience. It is one that many of us, will be hopefully repeating next year.

Thursday, 20 July Club Night (closed event) Saturday, 22 July Hogs & Dogs

RALLIES 2017 Convergence Rally 11th – 13th August

Sunday, 23 July 3 Cuppas Ride

Back to the Forest Rally 18th – 20th August

Thursday, 27 – Sunday, 30 July East of England Rally

The Old Skool Rally 20th – 21st August

Thursday, 27 July Reading H D Bike Night Ace cafe Harley Night (open event)

Thunder in the Glens 25th - 28th August

Friday, 28 – Sunday, 30 July Heart n Soul Rally

Circus Maximus 7th – 10th September

Sunday, 30 July Cotswold Wildlife Park

Blazin’ Blitz 29th September – 2nd October

Tuesday, 1 August Committee Night

CLUB NIGHTS August 17th September 21st October 19th November 16th December 21st

Friday, 4 – Sunday, August Hog n Bog Rally Sunday, 6 August Convergence ride with Hogsback Chapter Wednesday, 9 August Poker Night Friday, 11 – Sunday, 13 August Convergence Rally weekend Sunday, 13 August Brackley Festival of Motorcycling Thursday, 17 August Club Night (closed event)

MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTION DEADLINES August 4th September 14th October 12th November 9th December 14th Please check the website for the latest on all rides.

Goodbye HOGAssist.

Hello Harley|ASSIST™ Some of you may have already received information regarding this, via text or mail.

It is no longer possible to purchase a HOGAssist policy or to renew one that has expired.

Further Harley|ASSIST™ cover can now be purchased on-line: https://www.harleyassist.com/gb/en/ You can find all relevant information relating to this product on the website.

Key differences to HOGAssist are: 1 – the policy covers the motorcycle, not the rider (making it transferable upon resale) 2 – In the event of a breakdown when abroad the customer can choose whether to have the bike fixed away from home and brought back once repaired or, have it recovered back to their local dealership and repaired closer to home at no cost to the customer Any motorcycle registered after the 31st of January 2017 will have been/will be issued with a 12-month Harley|ASSIST™ policy, free of charge.

Unlike HOGAssist – there is no relationship to the buyer’s H.O.G. membership so policyholders will not receive a card with their H.O.G. membership # on it.

They should receive a card like this from their dealer along with their Welcome pack when they collect that and their new bike: In the event of a breakdown customers should call the number listed for the country they reside in: UK - 0800 777127 / +44 (0)20 8603 9427 Ireland - 1800 800155 / +353 16193693 Please note: Harley|Rider Insurance includes PanEuropean Roadside Recovery as well as Agreed Value and £1250 Rider Gear Cover.

Customers with an H-D Insurance policy should not need to purchase additional breakdown cover.

For H-D Insurance enquiries and/or a quote, customers can call: UK – 0800 9776878 Ireland – 1800800845 Or go on-line: http://www.harley-davidson.com/content/h-d/en_GB/home/owners/finance/ insurance-services.html H.O.G. members are entitled to a 5% discount.

If you are not sure how this affects you, then please call your service provider or see Nick.

Dawn to Dusk The first person across the line on this year's dawn to dusk ride was ( drum roll )...

Elaine Shepherd who came into Lands End 3:55 pm. The Thames Valley Massive came in at 5:47 pm. An exhausting but an amazing ride and a massive achievement by every one involved.

TV HOG's 19th Birthday Bash The celebration barbecue was a great success with Jamie and Fred doing the cooking. At times the queue was long but well worth wait.

Both Thames Valley and Hogsback Chapters did a lot of eating, not only the barbecue but at the 19th birthday cakes.

Great fun had all round. The evening was accompanied by the fine music entertainment of Rev Ferriday.

A Midsummer's Poker Night's Picnic June 21st, Henley on Thames

Northleach Prison Who in their right mind would go to prison on purpose ?

The Thames Valley massive of course that's who!

Is Tony Robson in trouble? Has Jamie finally been caught? I would tell, but I'm under a court order not to. A great ride out there and back (once we had escaped).

Thatcham Classic Car and Bike Show This year's Thatcham Classic Car and Bike Show was held on 25th June.

The event was attended by Reading Harley Davidson and four riders from Thames Valley (Ian, Alan, Lawrie and Robin) Music on the day was provided by BikerFM. During the course of the day they conducted a number of interviews including one with our Dealer Principle, Mike Wilson. They were good numbers of visitors to Reading Harley Davidson stand, both riders and non riders, families etc.

Thames Valley Chapter and Reading Harley Davidson took part in show parade with classic cars around the show ground.

Chocks Away! – For the Thames Valley Few Ride published in the Calendar; all pre-flight checks done; Marshal and Tail secured; route chosen and ridden; weather prayers said: – Thames Valley Squadron was ready for takeoff on Saturday 24th June to the former RAF wartime airfield of Tangmere with its aviation museum.

Well, not quite. Linda and I arrived at the rendezvous point, met Con and Fred the designated road crew, prepared to deliver the Road Captain briefing only to find that as in 1940, the Few was all we had.

We took a vote – democratic to the last – and decided to go anyway, just the four of us. We were rewarded with a dry ride (it was touch and go in places) through superb countryside and a really interesting tour around Tangmere and its exhibits of static aircraft and aviation memorabilia. One of Con’s relatives actually took part in the Dambusters raid so that was a particular focus for him in the museum. I was especially taken with the details of the exploits from Tangmere of the Special Operations Executive – the famous SOE – and the artefacts which included an example of the suitcase radio and spy kit actually used on operations; the pen filled with tear gas was just one example. Our visit was completed with a visit to the Tea Room for sarnies and a cuppa; amusingly, it is still called the Naafi (short for Navy, Army & Air Force Institute for those not familiar with forces life).

The Few then embarked on an unscheduled ride to the Guildford Dealership using my Satnav to guide us. The route with its narrow, weed and gravel infested tracks was interesting to say the least and certainly gave credence to the term “Harley Ferguson”. We arrived safely nonetheless and enjoyed a coffee and look around the Harley exhibits on show.

From there we went our separate ways. Many thanks to Con and to Fred for their company on what turned out to be a most enjoyable day. Sorry to Con that the ride didn’t quite provide the Tail Man experience he was hoping for!

Off now to route check my next ride to the Cotswold Wildlife Park. Whether it turns out to be Thames Valley Massive or Return of the “Few” remains to be seen!

Tony R

Valkenburg Revisited Folks we have stumbled across a real gem in the Netherlands, for four days during half term in June, Malcolm & Sue Poulter plus me and Jan rode to Valkenburg in the southern peninsula of the Netherlands. It's an ideal spot to explore, to the east about 20kms you've got the German city of Aachen, to the west about 15 kms you've got Maastrict which borders Belgium. Sue mentioned to a Dutch lorry driver that she had been to Valkenburg and he replied " Oh you've been on the p**s then." Or words to that effect. It's a real party town with dozens of restaurants and bars of every persuasion. We arrived on the Wednesday and settled in at the hotel.

I wrote to the local Chapter and they sent me 6 GPX files, so 6 pre-planned ride outs effectively of various length and difficulty so the next day we took on a ride that took us up in to the mountains near Spa. We had lunch at a beautiful spot overlooking the Weserstuwdam. Then we rode onto Lac De La Gileppe, which was another awesome view over a large lake.

On the Friday we did another one of the rides that I was sent and ended up at a village called Thorn in the Limburg area of the Netherlands. Known as the white town because all the houses are painted with white wash. The town dates back to 10th century and was originally a Benedictine nunnery. It's a cute town built on land reclaimed from swamplands so surrounded by water and we dined on the water's edge, very quant.

We had the following day off the bikes for a change and the ladies took part in a little retail therapy and we had wonder around the town and up to a local ruined castle. Several people I know speak very highly of Valkenburg, Mike Wilson at the Dealership reminded me that they have two thriving Xmas markets in the winter. One in the caves that are a local tourist attraction and the second down the main pedestrianised road. Approximately four and half hours from Calais, I would recommend Valkenburg to anyone that wanted a short break in the Holland.

Chris

IRELAND BIKE FEST KILLARNEY 2017 Last year Ed spotted a flyer for Bike Fest & thought it might be something different to do instead of the usual rallies. Bike Fest began after the 2006 HOG Rally took place in Killarney; the town was so keen to repeat it they invited them back & so Bike Fest was born & now welcomes all bikers. So we booked the ferry to Dublin, and B&B’s in Holyhead, Killarney, Limerick & Dublin; we were good to go.

We set off for Holyhead on Thursday 1st June & took our time to enjoy the ride in the sunshine. We took the A5 through Snowdonia National Park which was a lovely scenic road, the only hold up being at Betws-y-coed which was heaving.

It started to rain as we reached the Menai Bridge to Anglesey. We pulled over in Holyhead to check the directions to the B&B, a car pulled up alongside & the driver asked if he could help. He was clearly a biker himself (a mechanic as it turned out) & bless him he led us straight to the B&B. It was raining quite heavily by now so we hastily took the overnight items we needed off the bikes & covered them up for the night. We received a warm welcome & the room was large, clean & right above where the bikes were parked so we were able to keep an eye on them.

It was quite late by now & we were peckish so we ventured out in the rain again to walk in to town. We passed a pub where we spotted some Geordie Chapter members, we gave them a wave but the pub had stopped doing food so we moved on. It was pretty much a ghost town but we found an Indian that was open; that would do.

It rained hard all night but stopped by the time we’d had an early breakfast leaving a damp, misty, murk, the bikes were wet under the covers. We got to the port early, lining up behind the Geordie Chapter & whiled away the time chatting with them.

After a smooth crossing we disembarked to a sunny Dublin & headed straight for the dealership which we had no trouble finding with the sat nav. After buying the obligatory t-shirts we set off on our journey to Killarney.

On our way through Co. Offaly we came

across Barrack Obama Plaza (yes, really) so called as his ancestors reportedly originated from the nearby village of Moneygall. The lady in the dealership had suggested it would be a good place to stop so we pulled in for lunch. It is obviously a popular stopping point, not helped by the number of bikes swelling the parking

area but there were lots of places to choose from for food & plenty of seating.

Arriving in Killarney late afternoon we easily found our guest house the Cherry Tree, which was on Muckross Road, the same road where the bike fest was taking place. We discovered we were within easy walking distance of the town & about a mile from bike fest itself. After a warm welcome from the owners we unpacked the bikes, freshened up & changed then made our way to the rally site.

It takes place in the grounds of the Gleneagle Hotel with plenty of indoor & outdoor entertainment going on. The Bike Village is the main hub of activity with trader stands, a good choice of food & the Harley bar. The whole area was resplendent with Harley umbrella’s, banners, flags & bunting. Waterford & Dublin dealerships were in attendance, there was also a technical area, HOG hospitality, demo fleet & Jumpstart available. The weather had taken a turn for the worse with some heavy showers coming through but the band played on & everywhere was buzzing.

The next morning, we were booked on a ride out to the Ring of Kerry. Unfortunately, I woke up with a swollen, weeping & very sore eye. So after a very enjoyable breakfast we walked to the town to visit a pharmacy for some eye drops. Not being able to open my eye properly we decided that Ed would ride my Fat Boy & I would go pillion. At least I would be able to take some pictures I consoled myself.

We joined the line-up for the ride & who should ride up beside us but this reprobate! & we thought we were the only one’s flying the flag for the TV massive! The ride, crewed

by Waterford Chapter, took over 3 hours. We stopped in a lovely town for coffee (no idea where we were) & then had several stops for scenic photo’s. It really was a stunning scenic ride, even with one eye shut!

When we got back we sat we spent an enjoyable couple of hours sat in the sun shine watching the ‘Bow Tie Band’ who really got the crowd going. At 5pm I made my way over to the hotel for the LOH meet & greet. It took me (& a few others) a while to find exactly where it was being held so I missed the initial welcome speech which I assume took place.

Looking around at the small groups of ladies it soon became clear that I was the only ‘loner’ there. No-one made a move to greet me so I got myself a cup of coffee & a cookie from the table & waited to see if anyone singled me out. When they didn’t I decided I would bite the bullet & approached a couple of ladies sat together. They were pleasant & chatted for a bit but then some other ladies who they clearly knew came over & the conversation became directed at them. Feeling awkward, I moved on to another group but again felt very ‘outside’ the conversations.

I am not someone who is generally ‘socially awkward’ but on this occasion I was disappointed at the way this left me feeling. I don’t believe it was deliberate, just a general lack of thought / observation. Possibly if I had made it on time, before everyone had drifted in to groups it may have been different. A lesson learned for us I guess although I am sure that this would not happen with TV LOH – we are more likely to talk a newbie to death lol!

After freshening up at the guest house we walked back to the site for the evening. After wandering around the stalls we found some seats, got some food & drink & settled to watch the band. Later in the evening we made our way over to the Gleneagle Hotel as Joan of Arc were due on stage. We caught up with the Geordie Chapter & had a great night with them.

Next morning my eye had recovered so we lined up for the parade through Killarney town. This was when we realised just how many bikes were actually there! It was a fairly short ride but well supported by spectators, especially through the town centre. It was a bit slippy on the paving as it was drizzling by then. When we got back it was hot again so we decided to take a ride down the peninsular to Dingle.

We stopped off at Inch beach on the way down for coffee & a cake, it was very windy so the surfers were out in force. Dingle has an eclectic mix of colourful shops, galleries, eateries & bars but very busy with tourists. We stopped off for a bite to eat & while we were inside it started to rain, by the time we came out it was hammering it down with no sign of it stopping.

That put paid to us coming back a circular route through the pass so we headed back to Killarney. Despite wets, we were both soaked through by the time we got back to the guest house so we decided to pass on the mile walk back to the site & instead spent the evening at the guest house drying out.

The next morning, was still very showery so we donned our still soggy wets for the ride to our stay in Limerick. About half an hour out from Limerick we were again hit with torrential rain which made visibility on the motorway difficult with all the spray as well. We got to our hotel & were relieved to find it had an underground car park with lots of security.

The weather had died down so we took a walk in to town & had an awesome meal in a steak house we came across.

The next day was dry & sunny. We decided to spend the day sightseeing visiting the cathedral, castle & other places of interest in Limerick, finishing off in the Locke bar a traditional pub with Irish dancing & music – the food was good too.

As always we’d picked the wrong day not to ride the bikes. The next morning dawned grey & dank but we headed out anyway for the cliffs of Moher. Of course it rained & got heavier & heavier, by the time we got to the car park it was pretty heavy but we persevered & walked across to the cliffs. We couldn’t believe the number of people there; coach loads of tourists all soaked like us. We walked, or rather trudged across the top of the cliffs, me behind the low wall barrier, Ed along the edge. The cliffs were spectacular though, made even more dramatic by the weather & mist.

We were intending to ride on over the cliffs to a village on the coast we had been recommended to visit but given the rain, wind & twisty narrow road we decided to call it a day & head back. Two drowned rats made it back to the hotel, changed & hit the hotel bar! The food was great there too with huge portions.

After a leisurely breakfast the next day we headed off again this time to Dublin. Yet more torrential rain later we made it to our next hotel after a bit of de-touring.

Another nice hotel & another great meal; all of the places we stayed at were excellent.

When we checked out early (too early for breakfast) the next morning we were thrilled (not) when the desk clerk cheerily informed us that the forecast was for glorious weather so we should have a lovely day’s riding! We set off for the port & were thoroughly unimpressed to be charged 10 euro’s each for the port tunnel, because it was ‘rush hour’ apparently.

We were travelling with Irish Ferries & had paid an extra £10 each for Club Class & it was well worth it. The Club Class lounge was at the front of the ship & very quiet & comfortable.

Free tea / coffee, soft drinks & help yourself breakfast buffet. Very nice it was too. Another smooth crossing over & we were back in Holyhead & on our way home.

All in all, it was a great trip, despite the weather & one we would do again. If you have ever thought about doing Bike Fest, I would say go for it, great scenery, great riding roads & great hospitality – what more could you want?

Sue

2017 Officers & Committee

PRIMARY OFFICERS

Nick West Director

CLUB VENUE Grenadier Guards Club Maidenhead Rd, Windsor, Berks, SL4 5EY

Colin Wilkins Treasurer

https://www.facebook.com/ thamesvalleyhog.org.uk

Louise White Ladies of Harley

Lee White Assistant Director

Sue Moyler Secretary

Third Thursday of every month 7:30pm

COMMITTEE

Andy Tunley Editor

Ann Tunley Jones Malcolm Poulter Merchandise Activities

Chris Smith Membership

Linda Friend Photographer

Chris Earley Photographer

Sue Knight Historian

Robin Sasson Webmaster

Email any committee member at (position held)@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk