Chill Out! Iron Hogs All's Fair Gimmie Cake! June 2017
Ed Quarters Welcome to Tales From The Riverbank. Firstly, an apology. Last month’s magazine didn’t make to the Club Night as usual due to technical issues at the printers. As soon as they were available our team got them out at the dealership. Hopefully you managed to get your copy. Summer has well and truly arrived, and the activities that the Chapter have lined up are coming thick and fast. There have been some great rides with many more on the way. Okay, some have been seasonally damp, to put it mildly. For some hardened individuals it didn’t matter what was thrown at them. Three of Thames Valley’s finest managed this year’s Iron HOG (aslo known as the Iron Butt) challenge. What an amazing feat! So many miles, so many dealerships, so few loo stops and so little sleep. So what drives someone to even do this? Well I suggest that you ask Don, CJ or Mark P to tell you all about it. This month sees the Chapter’s 19th birthday. By the time you are reading this, the lure of the barbeque would probably have tempted you. Whilst you delight in the fabulous food, take a moment to skip to page 24. We want your help. Yes, you…. No, not them, …you., well actually them as well. I
I am on the look out for Reporters and Photographers. Come and see me to find out more.
Ride safe and have fun!
Andy
ns to: bmissio u s r u o .org.uk Send y lleyhog a v s e tham editor@
New Members. We would like to offer a warm welcome to our new members. Please make yourselves at home. Lawrie Drysdale
Keith Moss
Inside this issue
June / July Birthdays
Front cover
All the fun of the fair
Page 2
Ed Quarters
Page 4 - 7
Westie Writes
Page 8 - 9
Ladies of Harley
Page 10 - 13
Chill Out Weekend
Page 14 - 15
Upcoming events & rallies
Lorraine Catchpole 9th
White's Words
Jonathon Lewis 11th
June John Cunningham 16th Fiona Goldswain 26th Mary Langham 29th
July Linda Friend 7th
Page 16 - 17
Mandy Mussong 11th Steven Prior 14th
Page 18
Harley Birthday
Page 19
Cakes & Coffee
Page 20 - 21
Holyport Fair
Page 22 - 23
Ride out preview
Page 24
Wanted
Page 25
Prom time
Page 26 - 27
Iron Hog Challenge
Back cover
Meet the Committee
Jeff Woodbridge 15th Andre Fouche 18th Happy Birthday to you all. If we've missed you or got things wrong, drop a quick note to the editor so we can put things right.
Huge thanks to all who have sent copy in for this month's magazine: Nick, Lee, Lou, Linda, Simon, Mandy, & Tony :-)
Hi All, I am so sorry that I cannot be with you
at the June Club night. I know that Lee will be taking good care of you in my absence. It was with great sadness that we recently said farewell to Daniel Friend, much-loved son of Mick and Linda Friend. Daniel was a special guest at our chapter night a few months ago. I know that his family will miss him and your support for active club members Mick and Linda is much appreciated. At the time of writing this article, our Chapter are organising an escort ride for the funeral cortege, which I am sure, will be well supported. Please join me in thanking Mick and Linda for their avid support for the club and in sharing their sorrow at the loss of Daniel. The morning after Club Night in May, a group set out from The Bear Hotel in Hungerford for the annual Chapter Chillout Weekend, and what a weekend it was. The Porth Lodge Hotel hosted us very well and certainly lived up to the chillout code of being a little secluded and having a very relaxed approach to our stay. The food was excellent, rooms were very nice and staff extremely helpful. If you were not able to make it this year, look out for details of our return visit next year, which is already underway. Don’t miss it! Special thanks to Pat and Barry Adams for doing a great job of setting it up and making it such a success this year. Reading Harley Davidson hosted yet another successful bike night on 25th May. The weather allowed a huge turnout and lots of positive energy. The Reverend Ferriday provided the tunes and I hope that you enjoyed his work at the club meeting. I will also make a point of praising the work of our Ladies of Harley who put on a great show for visitors to Reading Dealership on Saturday 27th May. I personally sampled a few of the delicious cakes made by members (I know, not a great job, but someone had to do it!). Almost all of the cake was sold on the day. The fabulous “Waistcoat Cake” was sold to an anonymous donor and the large
“Top Hat” cake was raffled on the day. Turnout and interest was high on the day (again thanks to the good weather) and we are sure of a great contribution to Alexander Devine Hospice, our supported charity for 2017. Lee will announce the days takings at Club Night and we’ll publish the numbers in next months mag. I feel sure that you will read, elsewhere in this mag, about the fun ride we had to the “Tring Triangle” (a sort of Bermuda Triangle but without any disappearing bikes). Chris Smith led fourteen bikes into deepest darkest Buckinghamshire for a pub lunch. The stop along the way at the bridge where the Great Train Robbery took place was extremely interesting. Chris’s short onsite history lesson was fascinating. It is worth noting that our efforts at the Holyport Fayre this year went well. Some twenty bikes were shown on the day and those in attendance had much fun. Again we collected for Alexander Devine on the day and information about our tally will be briefed at Club Night. Many had photos on bikes, a few had a treat when we fired up the bikes and let them blip the throttle. I was finally chastised by chapter members for a clanger dropped at the Cider Rally and so the day was productive in many senses.
On Sunday 4th Michael and Thelma teamed up to put on a truly epic ride. The 5 Counties ride took in the beautiful countryside of Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Shropshire, Gloucestershire and Berkshire. With just under 240 miles on the round trip we experienced both sunshine and rain.
Looking forward, we are expecting a great night at the Riverboat Birthday Bash. Let’s hope the weather is better for us than the last time on the river. Those who went will remember the floods and swollen river meant that we marked time just off the jetty last time out! Straight after Club Night, a number from the Chapter will be joining a group for a weekend in Llangollen, and towards the end of the month some of our members will be taking part in the final Dawn to Dusk ride. Into July, the lads will be away on their annual pilgrimage to Belgium for the “Lads Weekend Away”. I am only too gutted to still be away during this and so I will miss this trip also. For those not participating in the lads’ weekend, we would love to see you at the
Grosvenor Casino Ride In Bike Show. We will have a joint stand there with Reading HD, giving us the opportunity to tell other riders about what a great time we have in our group. The second weekend in July will see some of our members trekking North to Wake The Lakes, and for those staying local, we have a full ride calendar that weekend to include Chinnor Bike Dayz or Woodcote Steam Rally and a visit to the Hawk Conservancy. Don’t miss the July Poker Run at the Shoulder of Mutton near Hook, and at the weekend a very popular Eastbourne Saturday Fish & Chip run to the seaside with Bernie Churchill, followed by the Bletchley Park visit on Sunday 16th July. That takes us to the July Club Night. Please remember that Tickets to the Convergence Rally (11th to 13th August) are still available at only £20 per ticket. It is a real bargain and proves to be a fun weekend in the company of our chapter neighbours. I urge you to also watch with interest, and support our ladies of Harley participating in this years’ Sparkle Tour in mid September. More details will follow shortly. Once again, I want to thank all of our members for your support over the past month in your efforts to help us with fundraising for Alexander Devine and also for your help to promote the Club to outsiders. Keep telling the good story and spreading the word about the fun we have together. Ride safe people!
Nick
Ladies of Harley Hello one and all, it's that time again where we as committee members start to panic as Andy's polite reminder email looms... "Any thing for the mag yet?" So, without further ado here is mine for this month. It has been a great success as far as charity based events for our chosen charity Alexander Devine. We had a fantastic Cake & Coffee day, with some outstanding cake contributions from golden star covered cakes and a unique waist coat shaped cake, hastily snapped up by our Adrian at the negotiated price of whatever cash was in his wallet, to three tiered Harley theamed creations and even chocolate motorbikes on sticks. And how can we forget, the Ever so popular fruit cake, so rich and moist, all whom tasted it said it was awesome! Big, huge thanks to Pricilla, Mandy & Jo for your generosity. Not forgetting the help on the day via Shirley, Pat & Janet. Oh, not forgetting the boys for erecting our stand, thank you! We believe we raised almost ÂŁ400 final count to be confirmed. Holyport Fair.. So many beautiful and sparkling bikes. It was really positive to see so many of Thames Valley members out supporting not only our charity but just coming together as a chapter & enjoying the sunshine. The diversity of the people we met throughout the day, some shared a common interest of bikes, some at first a little shy to approach, but our friendly character, shone through and filled the yellow buckets with coins and notes, money's raised I'm sure will be greatly received. Final count again to be confirmed. Thursday 1st June, Sunshine, bikes & a little ride out to the Princess Royal pub Surrey to meet up with Hogsback Chapter for a drink 'n' chin wag at their club night. Looking forward: June is going to be an awesome month with our riverboat do on the 10th... Our Big chapter Birthday on the 15th June with BBQ and live music.. Poker night/picnic in the park over at Henley - 21st June
Dawn to Dusk on the 23rd.. Plus many more Busy,busy,busy.. That's all from me, back to the grind. Ta ta for now Lou White x TV LOH Officer
Chill Out Weekend - North Cornwall Coast First chill out weekend of 2017, arrived in May. After booking with Barry and Pat Adams, who organised the ride and weekend accommodation, a couple of days in Newquay, Cornwall, what could go wrong. Well, first of all we didn’t take a bike. Mandy decided that she needed to to go for a job interview on the Friday. Again Barry sorted it we, cancelled our breakfast in Hungerford where the ride was due to start. Seven bikes left Hungerford for a ride down the A303 and A38 to Newquay. Barry led the ride with Pat on her new sportster tailing, as always the first stop was food at an American Diner on the A303. Most had had a breakfast and decided to make this a drinks break, apart from Nick who thought ice creams should start early. Bodmin Moor decided to drop a bit of rain, okay, a lot of rain on the procession as the group passed into Cornwall. The next stop, a further American Diner the other side of Plymouth where we met up with Martyn and Michael who had now joined the group from Weston-Super-Mare. In the diner we met the two strangest people you could ever wish to meet allegedly bike riders in their day, who thankfully were going the other way, and didn’t join us. We arrived at Port Lodge Hotel on Port Beach, what a fantastic location, just outside Newquay. Hotel staff were expecting us and we stored our bikes on the forecourt of the family run hotel. Most got out of riding gear and the two support vehicles parked up, for an early beer in the bar. As we were in Cornwall, cider was the choice of many.
The evening meal was a fantastic choice of a three courses followed by a club pool competition in the bar, or a walk to a pub on the beach two minutes away. The evening was spent in the bar. Later Chidsey and Dan, decided a walk into Newquay only to find it strange that Newquay had moved overnight and was now a housing estate, but they did manage to return later, where the bar staff had finally managed to get to bed.
Saturday brought more sunshine and some tough decisions for breakfast, should we have black pudding or not, or in some cases might it be best to miss breakfast altogether? Final decisions made and most walked into Newquay where visits to the chemist for headache tablets, or cream teas, more ice creams or Cornish pasties were the order of the day. Denzel led the way and was in his element leading the walk and running on the beach.
Barry and Pat had arranged the afternoon at Heeleys Cider farm to see ‘Rattler’ Cornish cider being made. A mini bus was sorted which would normally take Stag and Hen do’s around, but they managed to find us a time slot with Abbie our driver a new recruit. Twelve members arrived at ‘Heeleys’, first and in some cases the last stop cider tasting or for others the cider tour which also strangely included cider tasting. We decided that we were beginning to like cider, so stayed in the sunshine trying to drink the place dry, Denzel had the afternoon chasing all the animals on the farm.
6 o’clock came and the staff wanted to go home so we were escorted from the premises for a couple of photos and a mini bus ride back to the hotel, (very handy at this point to have a support vehicle, for the cider purchases). An evening was spent back at Port Lodge with home made steak and ale pie, and a ten pin bowling competition arranged on their indoor lanes.
The pins ended the night being battered and bruised with Jamie in full flow; the pins were more than pleased when we went to bed. The following morning after another ‘hearty’ breakfast, for most it was the ride home in the sunshine. Staff wanted more photos done with the bikes and Denzel had to entertain a few more guests before we all left. I have to say that the location was superb, the food was fantastic, and the staff could not do enough for you. As always there is much more to do and see in Cornwall and riding roads are fantastic, I know that the Chapter is looking to re-book this location again for a longer break and I for one will be making sure that North Cornwall will see my Harley in 2018. Mandy and I were lucky enough to spend another day working our way back along the North Cornwall coast stopping in St Ives (Doc Martin location) and then stayed in a ‘bike themed’ hotel in Bude on the way home. Thanks to Barry, Pat for organising it and the fantastic company of you all, a very memorable weekend.
Simon & Mandy
Thursday, 15 June Club Night (closed event)
Sunday 2 July Grosvenor Casino Bike Show
Friday 16 - Sunday 18 June Welsh Weekend
Tuesday 4 July Committee Night (closed event)
Wednesday 21 June Poker Night and Midsummer's eve Picnic in the Park Thursday 22 June Reading HD Bike Night Friday 23 - Sunday 25 June Dusk to Dawn Ride Saturday 24 - Sunday 25 June World Ride Weekend Saturday 24 June Tangmere Military Aviation Museum (closed event)
Sunday 9 July Hawk Conservancy (closed event) Wednesday 12 July Poker Night Saturday 15 July Eastbourne Fish 'n' Chips (closed event) Sunday 16 July Bletchley Park (closed event) Thursday 20 July Club Night (closed event)
Sunday 25 June Thatcham Custom Bike Show Friday 30 June - Monday 3 July Lads' Weekend Away (closed event)
For all rides, check the website or call the hotline to confirm. See in this magazine, TV HOG website or Facebook for details.
Dates, events, ride-outs and activities. Details correct at time of going to print. Please check the website for updates and amendments.
RALLIES 2017
RALLIES 2017 cont...
Hogs in the Hayfields 16th - 18th June
The Old Skool Rally 20th - 21st August
Roar on the Moor
Thunder in the Glens 25th - 28th August
30th June - 2nd July Wake the Lakes 6th - 9th July Proud to be Rutland
Circus Maximus 7th - 10th September Blazin' Blitz 29th September - 2nd October
14th - 16th July Dragon Fever 20th - 23rd July
CLUB NIGHTS
July 20th East of England Rally
August 17th
27th - 30th July
September 21st October 19th
Heart 'n' Soul Rally
November 16th
28th - 30th July MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTION DEADLINES
Convergence Rally 11th - 13th August
July 13th
August 3rd September 14th
Back to the Forest Rally
October 12th
18th - 20th August
November 9th
White's Words Happy 19th Birthday Thames Valley HOG. It's great to see the club going from strength to strength with new members joining each month. I hope you enjoy this month's club night as this is my first time on the microphone. I’d be lying if I wasn't slightly nervous, but I think the excitement is taking over now. I would like to thank Malcolm and Don for helping me arrange the club barbecue. Also, I would like to thank my special guest for the evening and I hope we see more of them around the club. One of my tasks as Assistant Director is to help shape the club future. I plan to be more active over the forthcoming months in recruiting new members to our club and to help strengthen the committee with new opportunities and fresh ideas. You may have noticed me at Reading Harley Davison's birthday bash placed under the gazebo. I spent some time with some Chapter members generating interest in HOG and the Thames Valley Chapter. It was good to speak to some new potential members and I remember at least giving out four application forms to join our club. So a bit hard work and dedication, and I am hoping to see some new members joining us very soon.
Also I went to Hogsback Club Night along with a few club members to see Don receive his award for the Iron Butt Ride. It was also good opportunity to see how
other Chapters run their Club Night. They do things slightly different to us but will share a common interest of making our clubs to be fun and enjoyable for everyone. Our club has enjoyed being with the Guards club now in Windsor for just over two years. I'm happy to say we have built a good relationship with the Guards club and we look forward to building on this over the coming years. The committee is keen to keep things fresh and appealing to all members. If you have any suggestions or ideas for club night or any other events then please come and see me as I will be happy to listen to your suggestions and take any ideas forward to committee. Next year is a big year for our club as we hit the big twenty years old! We hope to be planning a big event for next year as it's also a landmark year for Harley Davidson so watch this space and keep your diary free for a busy June next year. I've been busy working on a new logo idea to represent our club, but I have seemed to hit a wall and I am looking for a graphic designer to help me produce some ideas. So if you know anybody who would be willing to help, please put them in my direction as I would like to get this done as soon as possible. Moving on to July. I will be at the Grosvenor Casino Bike Show with the Thames Valley HOG gazebo and as many Chapters members as I can muster. We have also put out an appeal to other Chapters to join us in a ride into the show. As yet I'm still waiting on a reply from Hogsback, 1066, Chelsea & Fulham and Three Rivers, So if you're free then please join us as we plan to have a mass ride in with these Chapters.
Lee White Thames Valley UK Chapter Assistant Director
Reading Harley Davidson's Birthday
Coffee and Cake Sometimes you can go down to the Dealership and find yourself immersed in lashings of of cakes, lots of lovely ladies and a few customers chucked in for good measure. The fine efforts of the Chapter's master bakers provided a great range of goodies. The the winner of the 1st prize cake was Ray Shepherd. Well done! The cake that was made Priscilla, never made it to the table, it was bought straight away.A fantastic looking Thames Valley waistcoat. A huge thanks for all the wonderful creations
Holyport Fair. The weather for the Holyport Fair was amazing, as was the turnout of bikes too. There were all usual fun of the fair,with lots of stalls, food, and some familiar faces. It would appear that some grown ups were having too much fun in the sun, they needed to cool down with a sponge shower.
Ride Out Preview - RAF Tangmere Aviation Museum Saturday 24th June 2017 Road Captain: Tony Robson Tai & Marshalll: Fred Cotsford Con Spathas Meeting place: The BP garage southbound between the M4 Three Mile Cross and Riseley, RG7 1LZ. Timings: 09:30 for 10:00 departure. Route: Scenic; avoiding motorways; distance of approximately 50 miles (1hr 30mins) each way. Destination: TANGMERE Near Chichester, West Sussex PO20 2ES Tel: 01243 790 090 info@tangmere-museum.org.uk Tangmere Military Aviation Museum is situated in a corner of the old RAF Tangmere airfield, famed for its illustrious service from 1916 through to the postwar years. It was opened by a group of aviation enthusiasts in 1982 to promote public awareness of the United Kingdom’s military aviation heritage, educate present and future generations in military aviation and serve as a memorial to airmen and airwomen who gave their lives in the service of this country. The Museum is home to an impressive display of historic aircraft and a unique collection of aviation memorabilia stretching from the First World War through to the Cold War. Amongst the many attractions, are numerous interactive displays and several aircraft simulators for visitors to experience. Admission prices: •
Adults: £9.00
•
Over 60s: £7.00
•
Children between 5 and 16: £3.00
Parking is free. Tea, coffee and snacks can be purchased on site. What to see
Aircraft Exhibits The Museum has some excellent aircraft and powerplant exhibits including the World Speed Record breaking Gloster Meteor F.4 Special (flown by Group. Captain E.M. ‘Teddy’ Donaldson in 1946) and Hawker Hunter Mk3 (flown in 1953 by the Museum’s late President Neville Duke). Both these aircraft are on loan from the RAF Museum. Reception Area In this area, you will find a large scale model of RAF Tangmere’s domestic and technical sites circa 1940 and also a fine exhibition of United States’ memorabilia. Our cinema is entered from here where, on arrival, you will have the opportunity to see a short introductory video to the Museum. Memorial Garden The Museum has a memorial garden which you may like to visit situated behind the Museum’s Cafeteria. Air Raid Shelter There is a section of an air raid shelter, used at RAF Tangmere during the Second World War, in the Museum grounds where you can experience the sound of an air raid on Tangmere. Refreshment Areas The Museum has a picnic area on the grass outside the front entrance where you may consume your own food and drink or refreshments are available for purchase from the Museum’s Cafeteria. Photography Photography is permitted in all areas of the Museum but, to help preserve the artefacts on display, the use of flash is not permitted in the Battle of Britain, Middle and Tangmere Halls.
Prom time.
In it for the long haul.
Thirteen bikes and one trike with an additional
Ray and Elaine Shepherd with their Longest Distance Travelled certificate. Doing it for the Chapter.
five pillions helped Harry Jameson make a fantastic entrance to his Prom Ball. Harry who is fifteen years old (nearly sixteen) soaked it up with style beyond his years. All in all Harry seemed very pleased with himself and us.
Iron Hog Challenge Don, CJ and Mark from Thames Valley HOG along with Malcolm, Andy and Dave from Hogsback Chapter took on this year's Iron Hog Challenge. This was a truly epic adventure. The amazing team visited all twenty seven UK mainland dealerships, covering over 1800 miles. This included many long hours in the saddle and some very short nights. A great achievement for the "Three Amigo's" and a proud moment for the Chapter.
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 Asst. Director & Webmaster
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 Assistant Webmaster
Email any committee member at (position held)@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk