The Sparkle Tour
A Welsh Odyssey
Chill Out Weekend
Reading UK to the USA June 2016
Editor's thoughts Welcome to June's magazine. Whilst on an anniversary getaway with Ann in May, we decided (with the help of a rather good red) that we should go for a mini tour of the land of our Fathers (and Mothers), Wales. It somehow struck me that almost 600 miles in three days would be fine as I had done this with ease in the past. Unfortunatley it was 35 years in the past. Despite that small oversight we have recently had our mini adventure, and really enjoyed it. More on that later in the magazine. On reflection, we had a great time, averaging over six hours per day in the saddle (A and B roads only - the scenic route), but how small our mini tour is in comparison with the upcoming Coast to Coast ride! This is an epic ride that will push the riders hard, all in aid of our charity, Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service. If you haven't donated to this amazing event please do. It doesn't matter how much or how little any support for this is truly deserved. Whilst talking about epic under-takings, SofER approaches fast. I am looking for a team of eight finely toned athletes (or as close as damn it) to represent TV HOG in the Chapter Challenge. There will be a vaiety of fun events on bikes or in inflatables. Ask yourself, Can I ride really slowly? Can I ride with a pillion throwing a water ballon? Can I actually fit in a zorb?
Beware Some may say, that it only exists in the minds of those who perceive it, and only the truly enlightend may understand its logic. Others fear its power, just inches beyond comprehension. To most, it is simply misunderstood. What we do know is it is called the Fine Pig and it is collecting for our charity. You have been warned.
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If you can answer yes to any of these questions then we need to talk! Greatness awaits you. For Glory, for the Chapter, for Victory! Your Chapter Needs You!
Andy
Inside this issue
Front cover
June / July Birthdays
"The Heist" playing at the May open bike night
Page 2
Editor's thoughts
Page 4
Not the Director's update
June John Cunningham - 16th Fiona Goldswain - 26th
July
Page 6
Ladies of Harley
Ann Tunley Jones - 2nd Linda Friend - 7th
Page 8
Sparkle Tour
Page 12
Reading UK to USA
Page 13
Caption Time
Page 14 - 15
Calendar
Page 16
New Road Captains
Page 17
New Members
Mandy Mussong - 11th Jonathan Lewis - 11th Steven Prior - 14th Jeff Woodbridge - 15th Andre Fouche - 18th Roger Catchpole - 21st Happy Birthday to you all.
Page 18 - 19
TV HOG BBQ
Page 20 - 22
A Welsh Odyssey
Page 23
Holyport Fair
Page 24 - 25
Chill Out Weekend
Page 26 - 27
Open Bike Night
Back cover
Meet the committee
Huge thanks to all who have sent copy in for this month's magazine: Elaine, Ray, Nick, Sue, Ann, Linda :-) 3
Hi folks, Nick West here :-) Don is currently getting ready for his holiday and has asked me to write this months round up for you all. What a start to our riding year. A number of really successful recent events come to mind. Hogsback Chapter sent a healthy sized group of guests to our May Chapter Night. Reading HD sponsored our BBQ night which saw you guys clear the grill out of everything edible ! Well done Hoggies, I would expect nothing less ....hehe. Thanks to our neighbouring Chapter for supporting us again. It was great to see Bernie Churchill out on his bike again after an extended spell away from Road Crew duties. Although I was not personally able to join the Eastbourne Fish & Chip run, it was clear from all of the Facebook chatter that it was a big hit with those who went, and for me it was ace to see one of our more experienced roadcrew back in the saddle. The absolutely brilliant Chapter Chill Out weekend at Hampton Loade in the Severn Valley benefitted from a lucky spell of great weather! Recently we have come to expect all of the sunshine during the week and dampness at the weekend but not for our Chill Out. I led the ride from H Cafe to Morton-in-Marsh in glorious sunshine and then on from there to the Black Country under clear blue skies. This smaller group meant that we kept close together and those who could not make the morning departure met us later at the Unicorn Inn which was our temporary home for the weekend. The Chapter Chill out is all about relaxing and having fun and so on Saturday some of the group took to the Severn Valley Railway for a ride
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on the beautiful steam trains and nostalgic carriages, others either drove or rode out to the nearby dealership and or attractions on yet another amazingly sunny day. We all gathered in the evening to catch up and compare experiences. I laid on a ride into Ironbridge on Sunday which a small group took me up on, others just hung out and or visited other local attractions. There is so much to do in the Black Country. A good catch up again on Sunday evening followed by a ride home on Monday morning for the most of us. Seriously guys and gals, this was one of the best Chillouts I have done. If you haven't been on one before look out for it next year! Great job again Pat and Barry Adams who always make this event so much fun. Good luck to all the riders taking part in this years Coast To Coast Challenge which takes place on Saturday 25th June. We are raising money for Alexander Devine and would love to accept your support on our justgiving page at https:// www.justgiving.com/fundraising/TVHOG-Coast-to-Coast-2016 Before our next Chapter Night we also have the Boys Weekend Away. This year we are heading out to France for a weekend “a la carte bike�. The Chapter is also sending a sizeable group up to Wake The Lakes this year and the Welsh Weekend will see a lot from the Chapter out in Langollen just before the July Clubnight. What with Poker Nights, weekend rideouts, dealership bikenights, and everything else in the calendar, July is sure to be a HOT month. SofER Rally tickets are available now from Don. Don't leave it too late, this year promises to be better than last year! Club membership numbers are in flux this month with still a few renewals to come in, We should be able to give you a meaningful update next month. Keep the Shiney Side up !
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Ladies of Harley Hi Ladies, Here we are half way through June, it's amazing how fast time goes, it's been such a busy, but FUN few weeks. Welcome to all you new lady members, if we haven’t already met, I/any of the girls would love to see you at club night/the dealership or on ride outs etc. I'm so pleased to congratulate Mandy Mussong on leading her first TV Club ride out on Sat 4th June. Mandy took us on a lovely route from Maidenhead to Henley where we parked up and all enjoyed a relaxing picnic by the river...absolute BLISS ! It was also fab to see there were five lady riders on the day.
In case you haven't seen, Thames Valley Chapter featured yet again with some great pieces in the latest edition of HOG INSIDER (Issue 85) within the Ladies of Harley section & the Chapter News section: www.hogmagonline.com/issue/ en/669?LangOpts=en&emag=yes Coming up - Our Coast to Coast One Day Chapter charity ride is just over a week away, there are well over twenty Thames Valley members participating, including eight lady riders & at least three lady pillions.
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We leave Lowestoft at dawn on Sat 25th June to arrive at Land's End by dusk, visiting designated dealerships on route to get our passports stamped. We REALLY need your support. If you can, please sponsor us, either online at www.justgiving.com/TVHOG-Coast-to-Coast-2016/ or see Don or myself on clubnight.., where we'll have a sponsor form on some good ol' fashioned paper! All funds raised are to support Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service, hope you saw Pat's lovely write up in last month's mag for info. That same weekend, our Elaine (, also National Chapter LoH Officer) is on tour with girls on Tour1’s Ladies Tour (www.tour1.co.uk/european motorcycletours/world war 1 somme and ypresbattlefields tour 4/) Have an awesome time ladies x On Sunday 3rd July, while some of the guys are away, I’m planning a ride to the Cotswolds, so please come along for a scenic route, bite to eat & a natter! More details to follow in the calendar – all club members are very welcome. Ladies, on August club night we have a World Champion line dancer, Sarah, who has very kindly offered to come along and teach us some moves - I personally can't wait... just don't stand near me cos you'll get trodden on! Be there or be square lol. Sparkle Tour 16th/17th/18th Sept - ALL LoH are invited to join in the fun over the course of the weekend visiting several dealerships, whether riding or driving. If any of you are interested in riding part/all of the ride, or meeting up for coffee/lunch at any of the stops, please let me know so I can forward numbers to Elaine & Jo. I know a few of you have already booked your accommodation ...It would also be great if we could have a welcoming group when the girls arrive at Reading HD Friday morning (16.09.16) If any of you are looking for a ladies only organised ride - next year, it looks like Lind Tours are running a Lady Dambusters Tour in Europe, here's the link www.lindtours.co.uk/#!loh-dambuster-tour/c1wkh As ever, please check the calendar for up coming ride outs/socials etc... Above all else, ride safe & have fun. Sue Dodds LoH Officer ladiesofharley@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk 07775 913562 WOMEN WHO BEHAVE SELDOM MAKE HISTORY ;-)
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Sparkle Tour Ladies, Elaine & Jo's plans for the Sparkle Tour continue for the weekend of Fri 16th – Sun 18th September. It’s an event for riding & non-riding Ladies of Harley to join in for as much or as little as they choose. If you fancy an overnight stay, accommodation is suggested on the itinerary and you'll need to book your accommodation of choice, either the same or a nearby venue.
Fri 16th Sept – Sun 18th Sept Route / Itinerary Friday 16th Sept 10am Leave Oxford H-‐D Corner House, Wotton, Oxfordshire, OX13 6BS, 01865 574900 Ride approx 1hr / 30 miles to... Reading H-‐D for cuppa 660 Wokingham Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 7HN, 01189 145475 (30 miles) Ride approx 1hr / 32 miles to... Guildford H-‐D for cuppa Portsmouth Road, Peasmarsh, Guildford, Surrey, GU3 1NA, 01483 667926 (62 miles) Suggested lunch stop at nearby Manor Inn, Guildford Road, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 3BX, 01483 427134 Ride approx 1hr 15mins / 65 miles to... Southampton H-‐D for cuppa Heritage House, Second Ave, Southampton SO15 0LP, 023 8057 1200 (127 miles) Ride approx 2hrs 30mins / 110 miles towards Exeter for overnight accommodation of your choice **(Devon Hotel 01392 259268). (approx 237 miles today)
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Saturday 17th Sept ride approx 50 mins / 40 miles to..... Plymouth H-‐D for morning cuppa Langage Business Park, Eagle Road, Plympton, Devon, PL7 5JY, 01752 283253 (40 miles) Ride approx 2hrs 15mins / 100 miles to... Bridgwater H-‐D for cuppa & lunch Wylds Rd, TA6 4DH, 01278 457652 (140 miles) Ride approx 30 mins /20 miles to Weston-‐Super-‐Mare for overnight accommodation of your choice ** (Lauriston Hotel 01934 620758). (approx 160 miles today) Sunday 18th Sept ride approx 1hr / 25 miles towards Bristol H-‐D (BS4 5LR) will be closed, coffee stop somewhere within locality (25 miles) Ride approx 1hr 30 mins / 50 miles to... Cheltenham H-‐D will be closed, coffee/lunch stop within locality Suggest The Old Prison, Junction of the A429, Northleach GL54 3JH (75 miles) Ride approx 45 mins / 30 miles to... Oxford for ride event finish mid afternoon, details yet to be confirmed. (approx 105 miles today) Other Useful Info Organisers: Elaine Shepherd, National LOH Officer, UK & Ireland – ChapterRepLOH@harley-‐davidson.com Jo Green, LOH Officer, Oxford UK Chapter – loh@oxfordukchapter.co.uk **Fri & Sat accommodation: Participants to book independently at same location or nearby hotel of own choice, please contact Elaine & Jo for more information. H-‐D Rental via Lind Tours, contact Axel Thill 07984 277199 or axel@lind.co.uk 9
Reading UK goes to Reading USA In a way, our recent trip to Pennsylvania sort of began in 2013 when Ray & I travelled to Milwaukee for Harley-Davidson’s 110th anniversary celebrations. Our hotel was filled with many Harley enthusiasts and we ended up spending quite a bit of time chilling out and shooting the breeze with many members of Deer Lake Chapter from Pennsylvania along with the owners of their sponsoring dealer, Dennis & Carol Schaeffer. As we said “Cheerio” at the end of the weekend, we swapped contact details & Facebook profiles and promised to keep in touch, and we did. Then late last year, we were invited back to the States to participate in two Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) fundraising events in April with Deer Lake Chapter. It meant missing the Cider Rally but hey, this was the first time we were to visit Pennsylvania, and what a delight it was. We were treated to great American hospitality as soon as we landed, we headed into Philadelphia straight away to experience a Philly Steak Sandwich... it was the most fitting thing to do to pass a bit of time whilst the traffic jams eased up, to get to where we were going to stay. Home for the next 16 nights was staying with Deer Lake members Derek & Lori... Oh, the joys of being able to wake up in the morning and make a proper mug of tea, it’s priceless!! I got quite attached to sitting on their porch with a cuppa. Schaeffer’s Harley-Davidson is located in Orwigsburg and they ensured we had two gorgeous shiney Harley-Davidsons for our stay, a CVO Street Glide for Ray, and a Heritage Softail for me. Their ever friendly staff were more than helpful and our rental handover was by far the best we’ve ever experienced. During the course of our visit we met up with other Deer Lake members that we’d previously met in Milwaukee, it really was like catching up with old friends. We attended a couple of their rideouts, and quickly settled into the groove of enjoying what Pennsylvania had to offer, especially when it was suggested....”there’s an ice cream ride on Tuesday evening, d’ya fancy going?” The response was a simple “hell, yeah!”
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We enjoyed easy riding on winding roads, passing old red barns, eating in old fashioned 50s diners, visiting historic towns, HarleyDavidson dealers and ice cream parlours. In contrast to the modern lifestyle we’ve become accustomed to, being in Amish country was kind of surreal as we passed by horse drawn black buggies . Being members of Thames Valley Chapter in Reading, Berkshire was to be significant for this trip as we were to be staying just a few miles from Reading, Berks County which also had a Harley-Davidson dealership too, Classic HarleyDavidson. A visit there was a must, if only to exchange Reading UK poker chips for Reading USA poker chips....and to purchase a Reading PA t-shirt or two. One of the first trips we made was a visit to the HarleyDavidson Vehicle Operations Plant in York; their Steel Toe Tour was extremely good value for Derek & Lori’s money as they treated us to this ‘must do’ location, it far exceeded our expectations. Seeing behind the scenes as the production of parts transformed into the iconic American iron legend that we are so familiar with was most definitely a highlight of our trip.
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This was followed a day later by Deer Lake Chapter’s MDA Block Party, effectively a dealership open day of astonishing proportions. We arrived with some goodie bags for the raffle that included some very British Union Jack goodies and a selection of Reading H-D merchandise. Fundraising activities were endless: bake sale, pretzel making, water dunk tank, children’s games, a Chinese auction plus a live auction. The day was non-stop, all day. When everything was closed down and packed away we enjoyed an after party beer with Deer Lake members and ‘The Schaeffers’ proudly announced the day’s tally was over $20k, what an accomplishment!! A week later we loaded up our bikes and headed off up into the mountains for the MDA Ride for Life event joining the Eastern HarleyDavidson Dealer Association (EHDDA) comprising of 28 authorised dealerships located in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Northern Virginia, Pennsylvania & southern New York , along with H.O.G Chapters and Harley-Davidson riders gather at a Pocono Mountains resort for the grand fundraising finale. Time was spent out and about enjoying the mountain roads, and being back at the resort, meeting MDA kids and their families, learning more about MDA and how it affects them. Listening to the afternoon bands and taking in yet more amazing fundraising efforts before the weekend’s closing events. We sat with Deer Lake Chapter eagerly waiting to hear the results and achievements of the year’s fundraising. Mike Kennedy, VP & Managing Director, Americas Department of HD from Milwaukee gave an opening speech and as certificates were being presented for various achievements. Ray & I were somewhat surprised when we were called up on stage to be awarded the Longest Distance Travelled from Thames Valley Chapter in Reading UK, having apparently 12
achieved 3470 miles. We were even more surprised when we returned home to England a week later to find Mike Kennedy had emailed me the selfie photo that he’d taken with us and our certificate. Drum roll...Then the moment everyone had been waiting for, just how much had everyone raised for MDA? Schaeffers Harley-Davidson achieved an astounding success by raising $254k and cumulatively EHDDA raised an even more astounding $1.1million for MDA, I have never experienced fundraising like it, the applause was thunderous. The closing activity on the weekend’s agenda was great fun, a private After Party Aquatopia event for the MDA Ride for Life participants in the resort’s water park, what a way to finish off a great weekend....floating along a lazy river with fellow H.O.G cousins. Elaine & Ray Shepherd
"Not sure about these fancy drag bars." "Brrrrummm... brum... Brrrrummm... brum... Brrrrummm.."
Submit your answers to: editor@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk 13
"It's okay everyone. I think he's only stunned!"
Thursday, June 16 TV Club Night
Thursday July 7 - 10 Wake The Lakes - Red Rose Rally
Friday, June 17 - 19 HOGS in the Hayfield Great Western Chapter
Friday July 8 - 10 Hog The Humber - Rutland Chapter
Sunday June 19 Dr B's Custom Bike Show
Sunday July 10 Beaulieu Bike Day
Thursday, June 23 Bike Night at Reading Harley Davidson (Open Event)
Sunday July 10 Rally of The Giants
Saturday, June 25 Coast to Coast Challenge
Wednesday July 13 Poker Night - Shoulder of mutton - Hazely Heath
Thursday June 30 Ace Cafe Harley Night
Friday July 15 - 17 Ride to Llangollen (Weekend in Wales)
Friday July 1- 3 Boy's Weekend Away (France)
Thursday July 21 Club Night
Sunday July 3 Ride to the Cotswolds
For all rides, check the website or call the hotline to confirm.
Tuesday July 5 Committee Night
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Dates, events, ride-outs and activities. Details correct at time of going to print. Please check the website for updates and amendments.
RALLIES 2016 CLUB NIGHTS
Wake the Lakes 7th - 10th July
July
21st
Hog The Humber 8th - 10th July
August
18th
SofER 12th - 14th August
September
15th
October
20th
November
17th
Thunder in the Glens 26th - 30th August European Bike Week Faaker See 6th - 11th September
MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTION DEADLINES
EVENTS
Dawn to Dusk Ride Coast to Coast Charity Ride, June 25th
Make sure you sponsor this fantastic event for a great cause. See in this magazine, TV HOG website or Facebook for details.
July
14th
August
11th
September
13th
October
13th
November
10th
Check website for details on all events 15
Two New Road Captains These two individuals have undergone the age old initiation. Through arcane practices and tutored enlightenment, they have acheived all that is required to hold such a coverted title. Thanks to their sheer determination and dedication, they have now earned the right to be known as "Road Captains". Congratulations to Chris Smith and Jamie Mclaughlin.
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New Members We would like to offer a very warm welcome to the following new members of our HOG chapter.
Richard Sadowski
Chris Penfold
Tina Day
Derek Searle
Trevor Searle 17
Chapter Night BBQ What a way to start the summer season! Last club night saw some 130 people attend a fabulous barbeque with our guests Hogsback.
As is the tradition, a variety of locally sourced produce was subjected to carefully controlled amounts of fire to produce the welcome feast to be enjoyed by all.
Add thanks to the talents of "Meat Mclaughlin" and "Well-Done West" all had their fill.
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A Welsh Odyssey. I collected my first Harley, the lovely Ieuan (that’s pronounced "Yi-un" ) the Iron on March 2nd this year. Prior to that, I had only pootled about for last summer, locally on "Thumper" the Royal Enfield Sixty5. So when me luvverly hubby suggested a six hundred mile, three day mini tour of Wales, naturally, it seemed like a perfectly sensible idea! Needless to say like all my hobbies, the bike riding has caused an almost obsessive interest in the weather, and as the departure date approached we resigned ourselves to a damp, if not sodden few days. We lined up lovely waterproof "onesies", water proof rucksack liners and a decent provision of zip lock plastic bags. The plan was to get the longest ride out of the way on the first day, a short hop of 220 miles from Reading to Llandudno on the northern coast of Wales. A cold, damp day dawned and fully togged up we set off. On the understanding that the journey, not the destination, was the point of the exercise, our route was planned to avoid motorways and focus on a direct (ish) route on the A roads, taking into account the Irons relatively small tank and my inevitable need for coffee and loo breaks. To our great relief by the time we reached our planned fuel stop at Chipping Norton the weather was starting to look fabulous and the bulky rain-suits were shed and stowed away in the luggage. The rest of the journey was characterised by lots of buffeting wind, but was delightfully dry and warm. 20
Our hotel was situated right on the seafront, with lovely views left and right of the Great and Little Ormes, and with the distant horizon dotted with the turbines of the second largest offshore wind farm in the world. Llandudno was charming, with a lovely balance of distinguished seafront buildings and chintzy seaside tat on the pier. The only concern was trying to find a place to eat that hadn't closed at 5p.m! Day two dawned gloriously fine, and even the seagulls had been kind to us by not doing a special paint job on the bikes. This second 180 mile leg took us through a blue skied Snowdonia and down to a little town just north of Llanelli on the south coast. The scenery was beautiful, and by and large the roads were clear and lovely to ride. En-route we managed to find the little place just outside Aberystwyth where some of my family hail from, although Lampeter (more family) seemed beyond us and the satnav! We'd set the Go-Pro up on the handlebars of Andy's bike and were looking forward to capturing some of the great views and looking at them in more depth from the safety of our chairs at home. Imagine our dismay to find that a fly had kindly given us a close up of its nether regions at some point, slap bang in the middle of the lens!
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Our hotel for the night had a hilltop view out across Llanelli to the sea, great food and a very comfy bed. Again the day dawned fine and sunny , and we set off on the final leg, 195 miles from Llanelli to home. Our route skirted round the southern edge of the Breacon Beacons along the Head of the Valleys road and into Gloucestershire, up the impressive Birdlip Hill and onto Marlborough where we picked up the A4 home. Mentally and physically our little road trip was immensely challenging for me; buffeting winds, fast dual carriageway riding and some very twisty up and downhill roads were all pretty new experiences. My shoulders and neck regularly felt on fire due to the tension I obviously accrued after a couple of hours concentrating, whilst also supporting my rucksack. And my butt, despite Andy fitting a lovely Sundowner saddle, clearly isn't designed to sit still for that long without complaint. I still consider myself a novice rider having only ridden with any regularity since March, but apart from being a fantastic little journey it has been such a learning experience. I feel my bike handling and road craft has improved immensely, and between you and me, I can't wait to tootle off on our next adventure! Ann
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Holyport Fair On the 4th June this picturesque village had its green taken over for the 70th anniversary of the the village fair. The event this year attracted hundreds of visitors, amongst then eleven Harleys and fifteen riders from Thames Valley Chapter.
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Chill Out Weekend On Friday 27th May, Thames Valley members made their way in the dry by bike/ car/van to The Unicorn Inn, Hampton Loade, Bridgnorth. Once settled into our comfortable apartments/rooms or tents, it was time for refreshments on the wood decked patio overlooking the campsite. That was the start of the most wonderfully relaxing weekend possible... what with the fab company, beautiful scenery, great food, journeys on the steam train, ice cream, ride out to Iron Bridge (thanks to Nick,) fun under the gazebo, lazing in the sun, lunch at Bewdley, nibbles on Saturday, playing with Denzel, or simply chilling on site... what more could you wish for. Many thanks to Nij & Trish for transporting the gazebo, table etc... And for the hilarious blast of the horn Sunday night (lol) and of course huge thanks to Pat 'n' Baz for organising the weekend. Sue D x
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Reading Harley Davidson - Open Bike Night Yes, Summer had definitely arrived. Great weather, great company, great music, simpy a great evening. A really good event laid on by Reading HD. Looking forward to many more throughout the season.
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2016 Officers & Committee
PRIMARY OFFICERS
Don Wibberley Director
Pat Adams Asst. Director
Nick West Asst. Director CLUB VENUE Grenadier Guards Club Maidenhead Rd, Windsor, Berks, SL4 5EY
Colin Wilkins Treasurer
Sue Moyler Secretary
https://www.facebook.com/ thamesvalleyhog.org.uk
Third Thursday of every month 7:30pm
COMMITTEE
Sue Dodds Ladies of Harley
Andy Tunley Editor
Lee White Webmaster
Chris Smith Membership
Sue Knight Historian
Mandy Mussong Merchandise
Barry Adams Activities
Malcolm Poulter Activities
Linda Friend Photographer
Chris Earley Photographer
Email any committee member at (position held)@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk