West Middlesex December
2007 Report
I shall start this report by rectifying an
omission in the last report that Bills Harley won (all together boys &
girls) best non British in the Berkshire branch show. So both he &
Amanda took home a goody. Not that Bill insisted that I mentioned this
but I was very impressed that he could lift me off my feet by the throat
with only one hand. The water logged summer had kept two wheeled things
a bit lacking but there has been biking moments. The ride to the Danish
Rally in August, Roger had a thrash around Europe on his new Tiger. & I
managed to not go to the West Sussex Show due to mislaying my wallet &
the weather that weekend was glorious. Doh!
Mick & Gerry joined the throng at the Ace & rode with Riders Connect to
deliver a petition to Whitehall against the proposed congestion charge
for motorcycles. Later that evening we met up at the Star to watch the
Rugby & Gerry managed to hiss Mick off by still waving the St Georges
Flag that she had taken on the ride as South African born Mick cheered
on his side to victory in the semi finals. Mick also attended the Rocket
Run with about 80 other R3’s riding from Hinckley to the Ace, a sight I
would have loved to have seen. Our annual camping weekend didn’t happen
this year but there is always next year. The web-site has been updated
& policed by Roger & reading Amanda’s account of our first trip to
Denmark I found it as entertaining as the first time with the photo’s
helping to tell the tale. Roger also added the account of my trip to
Knysna with the Cape Town Triumph club, certainly the motorcycling
highlight of 2007 for me. Sad news from Peter the pencil, his eldest
daughter had a job change recently & was a bit evasive in telling him
where she was working. Eventually she admitted that it was at Harley
Davidson’s offices in Richmond well we all know his thoughts regarding
the marquee. His verbal reply of “I’d rather you had told me you were a
prostitute” didn’t go down too well. Mrs P has banished him from the
house & a bit further then the garage I gather.
2008 will bring us to our Burns night dinner in January & the AGM
possibly to be held the first Wednesday in March I hope by then you all
will be brimming with ideas for the coming year. Mick has suggested a
few activities for the winter; bowling for example just to keep the team
spirit from flagging.
I now like wish us all a Merry Christmas & a
happy biking or otherwise New Year.
White socks
West Middlesex September Report 2007
For those paying attention you may have missed
the August report the reason for this is there wasn’t one. The Berkshire
show was well attended I’m told. I was at work though did manage an hour
around five in the afternoon to find only Amanda sipping wine & chatting
with Dee from NW London. Amanda’s R3 Outfit had picked up a prize for
“Best Special.” August has seen Giles & Amanda representing us at the
MSL BBQ where Giles won Best Unit for his Hurricane & later in the month
picking up “Best in Show” with the Hurricane at the Bezumph. Amanda rode
over to Ireland for a week, can’t remember if she said it rained but it
probably did. Amanda also represented us in Birmingham at Ryan's Ride
2007, it was a camping rally 3/5 Aug, in
support of teenagers with cancer, the ride is to help inject a bit of
fun into the victims lives. She was part of the team of bikes carrying
friends and family of the deceased victim which the ride has been named
after. Leading the Saturday ride from Birmingham, to Bourton on the
Water, & shook some charity buckets at the public. The last she heard
they’d raised close to £5000 and money is still coming in. There have been a few Wednesday runs but this
damp & dire summer has kept things to a minimum. A big surprise was one
Wednesday Pete turned up on a bike, not his Triumph but a rather nice
Norton Commando. Still it was good to see it before his move up north.
Bill has had the bad luck of having another accident. Travelling down a
country lane, he met some young gents in a 4x4, no contact with the
vehicle but his Harley appears to be an insurance write off after
hitting the tarmac. The driver explained that 4x4’s are allowed to use
the entire width of the road due to its size. Well that’s all right
then, at least us on 2 wheels can apologise now for being in their way.
This comment apparently was made in front of a Copper, he wasn’t
impressed. Mick & girlfriend Gerry &
I did the Denmark Rally, this time riding from the Hook of
Holland, 500 miles in mostly torrential rain, every time we stopped for
a fill up the rain clouds caught up with us & gave us some more, One
strange moment, I guess the sun was behind us, all the vehicles spray
turned into rainbows, I was just into the second verse of Strawberry
Fields when I was brought back to reality with a wall of STOP lights.
Reaching the site we set camp & headed for the clubhouse & meet up with
friends from the UK & other European places. A special thanks to Andy
from N London who kindly mentioned that he read my monthly reports,
thanks Andy that makes at least 2 of us. The Danish crew laid on a superb weekend as
usual, I really wish we could do likewise. Well done to you all. We will
be back. Leaving Denmark we headed off to Germany staying the night in a
biker’s hostel called Bikers Farm. If you are going to tour Europe we
can recommend it. Mick & I are putting it on our list for next year’s
tour. We hope you will join us.
The next day the rain persisted most of the way back to the Hook but at
least the following mornings ride from Harwich was in the dry. A big welcome to new member Andy & his Speed
Triple, I hope you enjoy our company. Lastly Roger asks yet again;
send a picture of yourself with your bike, so he can add them to the web-site
White socks.
West Middlesex July Report 2007
22/6 After
promising myself to take the Bonneville to the Concorde this year I
awoke to find strong westerly winds with squally showers had me plumping
for the Thunderbird Sport. Journey over I arrived to find I was one of
the first to arrive. Checking in done & usual struggle with the tent I
waited for the W Midd contingency to arrive. Only 6 of us this year &
the overall turnout was down on most years.Was it the change of date
that caused this, they needn’t have worried about missing the bad
weather it was as bad as most years but with more daylight. Friday night
went quietly enough & after a restful Saturday morning we mustered
enough willpower to head off to Bath. Finding motorcycle parking bays
full we soon headed out & ended up in a pub beside the Racecourse on the
top of the Downs followed by a sunny ride with spectacular views back to
Keynsham. That evening we wandered off to a local restaurant that had a
few of the “born to ride hate to walk” amongst us complaining about the
distance, but after a very good meal I was exonerated. Rough Justice
were already playing when we arrived back & as always glad to hear them
we headed for the bar. Later it was awards time & guess what! Bill
didn’t win best anything but glad to say Best Custom still went to one
of us, “H” was awarded first prize for his personalised Speedmaster.
Later that evening I won a raffle prize a beautifully illustrated Harley
sweatshirt only to find it was XXL2 so H got that too. Oh! And odd thing
happened. They had laid on a special urinal just for Chairman Mick most
impressed he was too. Sunday it was raining but Bob was up with the lark
& on his way by nine. In between showers we managed to pack away & on
the road following the cloudbursts all the way home. Many Thanks Bristol
TOMCC I think that your new venue is fine. The Ace has been visited on
the second Wednesday of the month by some & a few rides out have been
made but nothing co-ordinated as far as I know so nothing to report
here.
15/7 Uxbridge Show. Two & half metre Peter yet again excelled
with our display & junior member Patrick did a good job selling raffle
tickets for the fantastic selection of prizes that Pete had collected
for our charity Heathrow special needs Farm. In all £118 was collected.
Amanda’s R3 outfit was one of our main attractions with many questions
asked, & many thanks to Gary for bringing along some of the London
Motorcycle Museums collection. Well done all that found time to attend.
White socks.
West Middlesex June
Report 2007
/6
Several of us joined up for the Triumph day down at the Ace, Loads of
Triumphs old & new packed the car park. Two R3’s with enough accessories
& customised paintwork to break most people’s banks but what an eyeful.
Bumped into many tomcc members including Dee from NW London busy as
always promoting charities & club events, she even promised to fit in
our BBQ the following Wednesday.
13/6 It was decided at our recent AGM to invite our non attending
members to a BBQ. After much consideration 13 of June was chosen as we
must have known it was going to rain on that day. I also forgot it was
my daughters18th Birthday (that didn’t go down too well) I had sent off
56 invites & several replied in the affirmative. On the day 20 people
attended as well as persistent rain. Did we achieve our goal? Not quite
perhaps but Dee & Bernard from N London arrived as promised. Oh well
nothing ventured nothing gained as the saying goes. Our usual raffle was
swelled at least, well would have been. Every Wednesday a certain member
whom I won’t name always parts grudgingly with his pound coin & insists
he has the winning number, yep same story that evening
& of course he called out
he was the winner. As a few people had left I had the ticket re-drawn &
a winner chosen I parted with half the takings. Later Gary the Treasurer
took me to one side & explained that he, who I won’t name really did
have the first winning ticket, so with a tear in my eye I parted with
the rest of the takings.
20/6 Meeting up with Roger, Ken & Steve at the Star we headed off
to Bills house where Mick & Gerry were waiting, Heading off into the
dazzling setting sunlight we had to pick out the road humps apart from
the usual road hazards, my front wheel catching a bump at an awkward
angle & causing a bit of a wobble. My! Would I really like to have a
brief chat with one of the speed obsessed creatures that are determined
to “calm us.” Reaching the Plough at Casden we were greeted by Nigel, so
fair turnout for a Wednesday evening run. There was plenty of very
interesting & well groomed British bikes on display. This show is well
worth a visit if you have never attended. & the Plough is located in
very pleasant countryside. Trophies handed out & Oh yes (all together)
Bill’s Harley won Best post 72. I have decided to take the Bonnie to the
Concorde Rally this weekend so took it out for an hour or so, only to
find on my return that the rear light lens had fallen off. With the
Hinckley I just don’t go round with spanners & screw-drivers that often,
I should have remembered.
White socks
West Middlesex May Report 2007
Early this month Roger became the proud owner of a new Hinckley Tiger
the first in our club & very fitting as we are the W Middlesex Tigers
you know. It even boasts ABS & is a lovely shade of blue. There’s no
stopping our Rog when he has the bit between his teeth. So making space
in his garage meant selling his Silver Jubilee & even his trusty
Thunderbird. The Jubilee went via e-bay & the T’bird well; Roger just
happened to be looking in a bike magazine when he came upon an advert
from a fellow in Wales wanting a green & cream model with all the
touring bits. Was that his lucky day or what?
9/5. As we had decided at our AGM to ride
to the ACE for their Triumph nights on the second Wednesday of the month
or anywhere for that matter, overturning a decision made a previous year
to always be at the Star every Wednesday evening in case a prospective
new member turned up. I was on late shift so this is hearsay; Roger
arrived on his Tiger finding Mick on his Bonnie & Ken & Amanda in cars
(due to the dodgy weather report for later that evening). Amanda
immediately found she had flattened her cars battery so waited for the
breakdown. Off went the motley crew to what turned out to be a quiet
evening at the ACE. Oh & guess what, the following week we were told
that a stranger had arrived on a Triumph saw no bikes around & departed
Ho-hum.
12/5 Jack Lilly’s Classic weekend managing
to clash with Kempton Park had Roger & me meeting up with Bill, Mick &
Gerry in very damp weather indeed, annoying as I had taxed the Bonnie &
managed to remove the gum from the carbs also dressed accordingly as
JL’s wanted classic clothing etc all hidden under waterproofs. Well a
washout indeed in more ways then one as JL’s main event was to be the
Sunday so no trade stands or band, even the hot dog stall closed as we
arrived. Well at least the Bonnie is running & I hope to take it to the
Concorde this year.
13/6 The invites are out for our BBQ so
hope to see you at The Star. This causing yet again the annual search
for the ghetto blaster, who has it this time?
The
weekend in the New Forest has now been moved to September this was
carried by vote
So it gives me a bit of time to sort out the trailer tent, BBQ and all
other bits for this fun weekend.
Club Merchandise The new machine badges Silvia sent the branch were
snapped up.
Steve is looking into a new outlet for our popular bomber jackets & I’m
investigating a source for a new design for a Sweatshirt.
White
socks.
West Middlesex November
Report 2006
Now here’s a strange story. Bill was on his way
home recently one evening when he decided it was time to fill up &
pulled into his local garage. Starting the Daytona he headed for home
only to get 100 yards or so. The triple stuttered to a halt. Now Bill‘s
Oh so shiny bikes don’t stutter to a halt &
later the breakdown man pointed out neither do Triumphs run on diesel.
The past year has been a bit like that for this branch, some shiny bits
& some not so shiny bits. We have had a few good rallies, not enough as
far as I’m concerned but that’s my opinion. The trip to Spain & France
greatly anticipated nearly came to a dreadful end near the Millau
Bridge, & taught us a lesson as far as being prepared for emergencies.
Three bikes this year in total have had close encounters with the tarmac
and made us a little unpopular with the Insurers. New Members have
joined Mike, Steve, & lately Ray Welcome to you. Ray actually owns a
Tiger so at last we have a Hinckley to go with Geoff’s Meriden. & the
Star now has junior Tigers joining their Dads, not on bikes yet, but a
family atmosphere has come about. We have given to MCNs Riders for
Health as well as Heathrow Special Needs Farm (Spelthorne Farm). Amanda
has her R3 Outfit and the reversing
Mechanism has now been fitted.
There has been landmark Birthdays for two of us
60 & 50 & the West Midders have joined in the celebrations. Next Year
lots more of the shiny bits please. Starting with;
Burns Night 27th January & Our AGM 28th
February to name but two.
Merry Christmas to us
all & a Happy New Year.
White socks
West
Middlesex October Report 2006
29/9. Due to my
family holiday I was down to miss this years Concorde Rally, but with a
bit of horse trading we arrived back in Blighty in the early hours of
Friday morning, A few hours sleep, clothes (wearable) are repacked this
time into the throwovers & a late afternoon meeting at the Star with
Mick & Graham, followed by a rush hour ride along the M4 – 5 in rain
squalls that promised to carry on throughout the weekend. Erecting tents
in the dark is great fun & I’m grateful for those W Midders who had
arrived earlier helping with torches. Ed was next to turn up thanks to
his mother bringing him down by car. Mallet & Kas were very happy to see
him as he had promised them a loan of a tent; they had ridden from Dover
after returning that morning from a tour of Europe. A talk with Ed & Mum
Ruth had me up to date with Nick’s progress & his repatriation from the
French Hospital to one closer to home. A quick burger from the chuck
wagon had me ready for the bar, & personally speaking wasn’t I glad that
this year there wasn’t a heavy metal band booked for Friday night.
Saturday & breakfast eaten I watched through the
pouring rain two Triumph riders booking in & realised it was John &
Sonia Young, Now if you have read our web-sites guest page recently you
couldn’t help but notice the light hearted row between John & Kiwi
Graham so I just had to introduce them to each other. Later that day
they settled their differences over a game of pool. John was riding his
new purchase a Williams Renegade that he had rescued from a “couple of
thousand dry miles” owner. Glad to see you using it as it should be used
John. The Saturday’s rain carried on but what’s the point of going
somewhere just to hide in the tent. So we decided on a ride out to
Cheddar Gorge for a pub lunch & we were happy to notice that the clouds
ran out of water. We were accompanied by our old friend Andy Pyle from N
London also Dave from Manchester. Saturday nights band the fantastic
“Rough Justice” played most of the evening but not before the massed
gazoo’s of the W Midders treated me to a rendition of Happy Birthday, I
was touched to say the least gang. Yes touched is the word, the
following round cost me £25. Raffle & awards time & Mallet & Kass won
longest distance; the judges wouldn’t count the trip from Europe but
judged their home in Beverly would count. Debs & Bill were awarded for
winning the survival game held earlier that day & W Middlesex won best
club turnout for a second year. Further music from Rough Justice &
alcohol tempted many on to the dance floor till evenings end. Sunday
morning & didn’t it rain, there was just a gap long enough to pack away
the tent & the journey home was via the A303 as the M5 was at a
standstill due to flooding. getting slightly lost we found ourselves in
Burrington Gorge in a thunderstorm, the road soon became a river full of
boulders & other flotsam, quiet scary, I remembered that the hymn Rock
of Ages was penned there very apt. Finishing on a personal note The
following Wednesdays club night I found family & friends gathered to
celebrate my birthday, many thanks to you all. I had no idea, & the best
bit was seeing Nick, he had managed to wangle leave from the hospital to
join us.
White socks.
West Middlesex September Report 2006
1/9 Had long
last arrived; luggage & daughter Inez perched on the Thunderbird Sport &
off to Portsmouth or more exact Fleet Services on the M3 to meet up with
9 other W Midders heading for Balboa. 80 or so miles later the bikes
were being tied down with rope over a couple of large cushions, our
prayers for a smooth crossing were answered. I presume P&O know what
they’re doing as far as stowing motorcycles safely. 36 hours later the
port of Balboa & off we rolled, ok in the wrong direction for a short
time but I guess even GPS instructions may be a little vague & it was
early. This was the first long journey Nick had made with his new R3 &
recently repaired wrist but he kept the pace brisk as we covered the
miles to our first destination Lleida 130 miles or so short of
Barcelona. Now I can’t write word for word in this report the happenings
over those ten days so I shall mention briefly events that will stay
with me. Barcelona & Guadi’s spectacular Cathedral, & how many years
have gone by & still incomplete. Bob’s Harris Bonnie rebuild couldn’t
take this long. The night ride back to Lleida, with an over tired lorry
driver nearly taking two & a half metre Peter through the central
reservation. The following day’s spectacular ride across the Pyrenees &
the sweet cool air as we rode through Andorra to Toulouse. The hunt for
F1 Hotels even with them logged in the GPS turning into a tournament
with the local traffic as we circled round & round.
Following Bill I wonder at the width of his
panniers as he expertly rode his beautiful Harley. My daughter had
abandoned me & my Thunderbird when we reached Balboa for the comfort of
Mick’s R3 & never returned, that’s kids for you but for her first long
distance ride she stayed the course without a murmur. The 135 mile ride
from Toulouse to the spectacular 980 foot high Millau Bridge, what a
site & well worth the excursion or was it. The crash still within site
of the bridge, both rider & passenger hospitalised, R3 destroyed, this
should not have happened. After the hospital, the long ride back to
Toulouse not reaching the hotel till after midnight. Next day Bordeaux,
followed by a couple of days for some of us with Rogers’s friends Andrew
& Liz in their farmhouse near Rochelle, whilst the others headed for
Nick’s sister-in-laws. Highlight for me was assisting with Andrews
grape pressing, sampling as we went wines made from different grapes &
blends, dozing in a hammock as ducks quack noisily around me. Oh & Liz’s
cooking. I think I gained several pounds in those two days. Meeting up
with the others as we head for Cherbourg we are eager for news of the
injured. Passenger, leg injuries (not serious).Rider head injuries &
still in a coma. Other things come to mind like riding alongside Amanda
as she led the column & me pointing to my tank indicating that it needed
filling only to see her R3 combo accelerate in a cloud of dust. Amanda
telling me later that she thought I was saying go faster, hmm. Talking
of petrol the after hours service or lack of regarding filling stations,
French credit cards only, twice this trip we had to rely on kind locals
assisting us with filling the tanks. Oh & Giles’s black Triumph with a
horizontal opposed engine. Giles it was a BMW wasn’t it, you had stuck
Triumph stickers on the tank hadn’t you!
The last leg from Pool to home in the early
hours of Monday morning. As I lock the Thunderbird I notice 1857 miles
recorded. Will my daughter come with us again next year Oh yes she says
but you need a better saddle & a back rest though.
White socks.
West Middlesex
August 2006 Report
21/7
Trailer tent hitched to the car & off to The New Forest for our
annual camping weekend, some of the
W Midders
had already arrived so help was at hand with setting up the tent.
Chairman Mick had given R3-less Nick his very large family tent &
the Plaster of Paris boys Nick & Bob had managed to do a fine job
erecting it. Not that Mick could get into the tent when he arrived as
Nick had parked his car in it. Oh jolly japes. I had
Rogers
tent & we placed that as far away as possible as I remembered
quiet clearly the nocturnal noises from previous years. Now how to
keep away from Peter the Pencil? As the day progressed the temperature
rose & hot steamy motorcyclists arrived keeping the White socks
kitchen busy handing out tea to the parched. I was accompanied this
year by my two daughters & as it turned out they thoroughly
enjoyed the weekend. Mick also brought along one of his daughters so
more female company for Debs & Amanda. Whilst on the subject
Amanda is still waiting for a reversing mechanism for her R3 outfit
but is nevertheless enjoying her rides around the highways &
byways apart from one experience when on a hot July day she realised
that her blouse had ridden up to her armpits, we don’t know how this
effected the oncoming drivers.
The
weekends excessive heat ended with a bang midday Saturday, whilst we
were out sightseeing the
heavens opened & the underdressed motorcyclists amongst us were in
for a soaking, finding a car park we watched Amanda
sit it out on her outfit, we in the comfort of our cars
admiring her fortitude. When the rain slowed to a downpour we assisted
and off we all went to lunch. Noticing Amanda’s lips were going a
bit blue we asked for black bin liners & dressed her in these in
an attempt to keep her warm for the journey back to the camp site. Did
anyone take photos? The
New Forest
experience was enjoyed by all & thanks to those whom cooked &
toiled for our enjoyment. One last thought. How did Chris & his
son fit into that very small tent?
5/8
Two events to enjoy, the W London Harley Riders Bike Show or in my
case, I joined Nigel at
West Sussex
TOMCC’s excellent Bike Show & Rally. I stayed the night &
was entertained by the sounds of Mad Max & taste of excellent
local ales. Nick was going to join us on his new R3 (did he say he was
going to buy one) but realised that he was pushing his luck &
wrist a bit too far. The following Monday he was seen at the Ace Café
with Mick & complained that the plaster was restricting his
throttle hand. Shocked onlookers watched as Mick secured Nicks arm
across the table & with the saw attachment of his trusty pocket
knife modified Nicks wrist plaster until operation of the R3’s
controls was attained with some comfort, needless to say at the
hospital later that week the surgeon was not so impressed.
Bob has
decided his Legend is far from written off & has started its
rehab. Is that three screens so far Bob?
We have
new member Steve & his
Hinckley
Bonnie. Hope you enjoy our company.
White
Socks.
West Middlesex
July 2006 Report
28/6
Ride to the West London Harley Riders for a return match of pool &
darts, Harley’s 0 Triumph 4. A great Score if you include bouncing
riders & bikes as part of the game. I was riding about a hundred
feet behind Nick & Mike when they disappeared around a bend on a
hill. When I rounded the bend I was hit in the eyes by evening
sunlight but what was silhouetted was an R3 sliding left & right
& finally hitting the deck ending its slide under the rear of a
car parked in the middle of the road.
I also noticed a
Hinckley
Bonneville heading towards the bushes to the cars left. Stopping I
watched or perhaps helped Nick crawl out from under his R3. Why had
the car driver parked in the middle of the road? Another100 feet or so
along the road I saw Chairman Mick helping Kiwi Heather & Ogri Bob
from the bushes. The car driver had seen the Legend end its journey
& thought he would stop with hazard lights flashing as a warning,
sadly he was far too close to the exit of the blind bend. Ambulance
& Police contacted & soon my damaged friends were carted off
to hospital. Mick also called the breakdown & after a commendable
short wait a van arrived & wreckage removed. Outcome of all this!
Nick has a broken wrist & ribs Bob a broken collarbone, foot &
ribs. Heather a broken hand. Both R3 & Legend written off. We had
pulled Mikes Bonnie from the hedgerow & later I rode home with him
along the A40 but we haven’t seen him since. “Come on Mike I know
you have just come back to us but honest we don’t do this
often”.
1/7 Roger & son Mark made it to the Chinnor MAG Show, a
good show but it clashed with the
England
game.
4/7
This should have been a run to MSL’s Bike Show & BBQ but Roger
decided to hold a BBQ at his home to accommodate our convalescents to
be ferried in. I rode to
Rogers
by bicycle; I can’t remember the journey home but what a great
evening, a perfect tonic. Thanks Roger.
16/7
Uxbridge Auto Show. Two & half metre Peter volunteered to organise
this & what a job he did. Wow! He was admirably helped by Chris
our resident carpenter who made stands for our picture frames.
Gary
loaded up his van with
exhibits from the
London
Motor cycle Museum. Did his dad notice?
Duncan
defying his broken leg. (See last months report) had managed a first
class job with our new banner & it was ready for collection on the
11th hour. For the raffle Pete’s company had donated a magnum of
Champaign
and more, & Kim threw in a
dinner for two at the North Star. Proceeds all going to the Spelthorne
Farm which will be £71 better off. What a comparison our efforts were
to our immediate neighbours The LE Vellocette Club, 6 bikes in the
middle of the plot all access roped off & members in a gazebo well
away from the public ignoring all that ventured near. I thank the Lord
that I bought a Triumph.
May I pass
Chairman Mick’s thanks to all that participated on this extremely
hot July day.
White
socks
West Middlesex
June 2006 Report
3/6
A chance mention on our web-site about a trip to the New Forest
to book our site for 21-23 July had a lapsed member waiting for the
off when I met up with
Mick & Nick on their R3’s Welcome back Mike I hope you enjoy
more runs with us. This brings me to wonder how many others are out
there looking at our site & perhaps we should make more use of the
guest page regarding rides instead of communiqués between the Smirfs
or whatever they call themselves. The run down was in bright &
warm sunshine thoroughly enjoyed by at least me after the chilly start
to the year. Outcome, 14 pitches booked. So roll up folks if you
don’t want to be disappointed. Mind you by the time this
reaches you in Nacelle it will almost be upon us.
11/6
Triumph Day at the Ace Café. This had a dozen members &
friends meeting up at Starvin’Marvin’s, an American style diner
opposite the
Hoover
building on the A40. Thanks for that one Howard. The
air-conditioning was greatly appreciated as the outside temperature
started to nudge 30 c. After a hearty breakfast we headed off in
convoy, The Ace was wall to wall & we were forced to park on the
pathway on the opposite side of the road. Amanda just managing to
shoehorn her R3 outfit into a gap & we all headed for the drinks
counter. There were Triumphs ranging from Giles’s Model P to the
latest from
Hinckley
. What a turn out, if I missed faces I should have recognised I
apologise. Later that afternoon we decided to head off to The Star for
a freshener. I swapped my passenger for Nick’s son Ed who said he
enjoyed the T’bird sports ride but we won’t tell papa Smirf that.
18/6
Yet another Birthday this time Bobs, this was held at Bill
& Debb’s home & what an excellent afternoon (but of course).
Bob & Bill’s work at the Barbie produced all the favourites
including the
West Midders
delight “Drunk Chicken.” I even made a point of getting the T140
out of the garage for the day & on the way home thoroughly enjoyed
swinging around the A roads of Berkshire until hitting the M4 &
its mobile traffic jam. It was at this point I noticed how many St
Georges Flags there are scattered about fast stretches of road; I
guess the cars shed these at around 50mph I wondered briefly if one
could get wrapped around a visor. Keeping it in the World Cup vein our
new banner may be a bit delayed.
Duncan
that’s he whom is making it arrived at his local to watch the
England
v Trinidad & Tobago game only to pass out due he says to
dehydration (hmm). Falling from his bar stool he managed to break 2
bones in his leg, as he was carried to the Ambulance he heard the
cheers go up as
England
scored its first goal.
White
socks.
West Middlesex
May 2006 Report
I ended last months report with a 40th Birthday &
I will start this report with Debs 40th 22/4 this time down at the Star &
a tad less hectic then the previous weeks bash at Heathers but most
enjoyable nonetheless, very laid back but doesn’t that reflect the
lady in question.
1/5 Bill, Debs, 2 .5 metre Peter and Nigel (but not
necessary together) made it to Popham Classic Show and had a good day
out, Bill managed to buy a few bits & even bumped into Dave from
the Berkshire Branch who reminded Bill that their 20th
Custom & Classic Show is 29/7.
5/5 Chairman Mick had
arranged tickets for us to join in the fun at his works club Elvis
night & what good fun it was too. The impersonator was pretty
impressive & of course there was a smattering of nuts in Elvis
masks. The horror of seeing a Looney fix his eyes in our direction
& head towards the table was followed by relief at the recognition
of Bill in a wig. The Junior W Midd Tigress’s were encouraged onto
the stage to dance alongside the entertainer & Dave our very own
Elvis was invited to sing a few songs & even the impersonator was
impressed. A thoroughly good time, & a promise to add nights out
to the
W Midders
itinerary.
7/5 Another Heather having a birthday do, this time in
N London
. Heather isn’t a member but has sort of adopted us due to being a
Triumph rider in her native New Zealand
& has plenty of interesting biking stories none less then
being a friend of the late Burt Monro of “Fastest Indian” fame. We
were treated to a sumptuous buffet & a very pleasant day with some
very pleasant people.
13/5 Brooklands “Make a noise Night” Geoff &
other noise freaks attended this & came away very impressed with
the total cacophony that was achieved. Voting a 1950 350 Manx Norton
as being the best eardrum shatterer. Talking
of Geoff, it’s great to see him back on two wheels after his hand
opp.
Dates for your diary. 16th July Uxbridge Show. 21-22-23 July camping weekend
New Forest
. 5/6 August
West Sussex
TOMCC Custom & Classic Show
West Chiltington
White socks.
West Middlesex April 2006
Report
What happened to March? What happened to
Spring? Leafing through my diary I am regaled with a motorcycling
void, Snow, ice & cold winds.
29/3 West
London Harley Riders came
for another round of our inter-club Pool & Darts Evenings.
Unfortunately some of our members were not in attendance so we were
more then somewhat outnumbered. The games commenced & it was very
apparent that after our 2 previous wins the Harley Bunch were out for
revenge, Ex Chairman Slagdyke had come over from
Majorca
for a visit so he & son Andrew were pressed into service. Andrew
managed to win his pool match but then like the Spanish Amada before
them they sunk without trace. Two & a half Metre Peter looked like
winning his pool match but his game went to pieces. Peter the
Pencil’s darts hit just about everything but the board, & when
he played the last game of pool that evening found himself beguiled by
his lady opponents soft Irish brogue & green eyes. He may just as
well have used his left ear for a cue for the good he did with the
real thing. Final score 10 - 8 defeat.
2/4. Our Easter Egg delivery to
the Spelthorne Farm for disabled children was held on a reasonably
warm day. 7 bikes & 8 riders met up for coffee at the Star, A bit
of a delay while we waited in vain for others to turn up (I wish
intentions were made clear well in advance) The dozen children
were treated to chocolate eggs & a chance to sit astride
the bikes (always make sure the ignition key is removed). We presented
Kirsty the Farm Manager with £100 towards upkeep. Horses, goats, pigs
& other livestock inspected, fond farewells & back to the Star
for lunch. My thanks to Debs, Bill, Graham & Roger for their
support & of course friends Roy, Paul & Tracey who always help
out.
15/4 Not
that one should mention a lady’s age,
but Heathers 40th bash at her home in Dorset
was one of the best & what a gathering of faces from the past
there was too. “H” turned up on his newly purchased &
beautifully customised Triumph Speedmaster, most impressive.Evening
celebrations were held at the local pub complete with a first rate
band The Tree Frogs. We partied well into the early hours of the
morning when Debs & Bob helped a somewhat tired & confused
White socks to his tent. I can only apologise to the villagers as
there is no such thing as a quiet drunk. Many thanks to Heather &
husband Simon for a glorious weekend.
West
Middlesex March
Report 2006
8/3
18 members were in attendance, slightly down on last years
AGM
but a lively meeting nonetheless. Perhaps the figure of attendees
mirrored the drop in membership overall, as John the Membership
secretary informed us that membership had slipped from 103
to 76, but as John explained this was mostly due to the
Insurance company’s not insisting as they had done on club
membership. As these people never turned up at meetings & had no
input in the running of this branch, to my mind apart from the few
missed pounds sterling, they were of little use to the club.
Gary
gave his financial report & his firm grip of the purse strings
showed all as it should be, Geoff passed on the takings from the
weekly raffle. And it was a surprise just how much had accumulated
over the months. Due to his recent operation Geoff needs a less hectic
life style so stood down as Vice Chairman. To emphasise this he
removed his hat, (Mandarins complete with pigtail). Roger put forward
a motion regarding the amount of posts that have to be filled &
quite frankly were they all necessary. Now, I did not quite hear Bills
soft Scottish accent stating that he was in total agreement with Roger
and promptly stood down as Secretary, there was a quick vote & I
was voted in as Secretary doubling up with Social Secretary, and Oh!
of course, scribe. And just think how many years I have been a member,
how did I fall for it. Following Other Business, mainly discussions on
runs rally’s & shows Chairman Mick bought the proceedings to a
close. Sandwiches & chips were provided. John went round with the
raffle tickets & I won, was this some form of slush fund just to
keep me quiet? but I did notice that if half the money was mine, it
was pretty obvious that two people hadn’t coughed up. Who are these
cheapskate s? A parcel from
Denmark
recently arrived at my home stuffed with T & sweat shirts.We
had all been impressed with the Danish Triumph Owners Clubs regalia
whilst at their Rally, so I contacted Palle Munk & he obliged
& now we are all dressed in their finest, just a thought here I
know each branch has it’s own designs but why doesn’t TOMCC have
its own clothing on offer to it’s members?
White Socks
West
Middlesex
February (2) Report 2006
“Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place, Painch, tripe, or thairm: Weel are ye
wordy o' a grace As lang's my arm “said Bill to the Haggis.
28/1
Yes another Burns Night celebration at the North Star. Kim
managed to shoe horn 40 guests into the dinning area of the pub, the
usual stampede to a table with enough chairs to accommodate your ever
loving & the party you arrived with, & the evening’s fun
began. Pipes swirled (cassette). Haggis eaten, dram drunk, & then
Roast beef &
Yorkshire
pud, followed by a delicious pudding washed down with a bottle or two
of wine. Geoff had put aside his usual ladies millinery he uses for
these occasions & had chosen a Fez for the evening, A short speech
& he conjured (perhaps that’s why he wore a Fez) awards for Nick
& Amanda for reasons that evade me now but probably for just being
themselves. Giles was accompanied by Ron’s Mum who thoroughly
enjoyed the evening. I’m sure I speak for all of us: Well done Kim
& The Stars staff.
5/2 Another meal for the
West Midders
, this time to celebrate Nicks Mothers Birthday, I will not disclose
the ladies age but she is older then Nick. 10 of us on 9 bikes met up
at the Star. This for me was the first run of the year, so swathed in
thermals which for most of the journey were a little warm until we hit
fog on the M1. Oh didn’t the trendier dressed amongst us go a nasty
red/blue colour. At last we arrived at our destination & a chance
to thaw out.
The pub built by a canal was a large rambling structure, the large
rambling staff forgot some of the orders so the meal was somewhat
extended. We had probably confused them as all of us addressed
Nick’s Mother as Mum. Farewells made & heavy stomachs back on
the road. The fog had cleared so a quick journey home, not getting
behind Bob also helped & the ride was a typical M1/M25 Sunday
journey.
Sick Parade. Geoff has now
had his operation, & there are plenty of bandages & holes so
let’s hope his hands will soon be able to grip the bars of his
Tiger. Best wishes Geoff.
Dates for diaries. Spelthorne Farm Egg Delivery 2
April. Meet at the Star 10; 00. Easter weekend 15/4
– 16/4 ex member Heather has invited us to her home in
Dorset
to Celebrate her 40th Birthday, camping available. 20-
21 May BMF Show,
see request on notice board from TOMCC for members to display bikes in
return for free camping. I have only camped over at a BMF weekend once
& I can assure you it is a hoot.
White socks.
West Middlesex
February 2006 Report.
Another month rolls by & before I can put
my thinking head on it’s time to submit another report. Wots bin
‘appenin? As we say here in the
county
of
Middlesex
. Not a lot on the face of it, but the Spanish trip is taking shape.
Amanda has already relieved some of us of £200 for the ferry trips.
In January woman! We have wives for that sort of extortion don’t you
know. There have been scurrilous suggestions that it’s going towards
her new R3, but I for one totally disregard this. Talking of things
foreign, Roger’s also looking for a long weekend in
France
early this spring; suggestions include a trip round some of the WW1
Battlefields. Oh! & having a few drinks (in moderation of course).
Roger has had his T’bird serviced & the alternator shaft rattle
rectified £495 in all.
I think I’ll be buying thicker earplugs to quieten mine.
Deb as we know is a bit of an artist (no not
that type). & R3 Nick has commissioned her to paint a portrait of
his daughter Emily; I wonder how much she’ll charge to do the
outside of my house? (Oh you can’t beat the old ones). Nick’s also
planning a 23 mile trip this April without the Rocket; it’s the
London Marathon of course. Well done Nick I salute you, just don’t
let us down by being caught on TV doing a Paula Radcliff.
My labour of love (time wasting) is reducing
the 700 odd pictures of our
Denmark
trip by removing duplicates & numerous photos’ of a certain
person taking shots of him self. I noticed the Friday night knees up
appeared to only have one camera in action. I have no idea who was in
charge of the camera, but he either suffered from the palsy, or the
DT’s. Not that I have anything to be smug about, as I appear to be
the drunk in most of the shots. Last years get together in the
New Forest
was a great success so we are having another bash at having a bite at
the same fun. So pencil 21 to
23 July in your diaries
This year, Birmingham & Wolves are
celebrating 25 years of the Thunderbird Rally. As you can see
on page 8 of Nacelle they hope to put on a big show. I have never
attended this rally so perhaps I can interest some of you in joining
me. Dates 7, 8, 9 July. I know I have mentioned this last month, but 8th
March we will be
holding our
AGM
So be there.
White socks
West
Middlesex
January 2006
Report
A new year starts & here at
West Middlesex
the incumbents stir almost to a doze. New Year promises probably
already broken. Will Peter the Pencil & Mick be off the fags? We
shall see. As for New Year
resolutions I would like all those who wished to put forward runs
& ideas to do just that, Your ideas are as good as anyone’s,
have a chat to Nick here’s
a tip, buy him a packet of Twiglets first. It never fails. My personal
wish is to forge closer links with other TOMCC Branches, join in on
the runs etc, as reading their reports they do appear to team up
regularly.
. We managed 2005 in fine style, a clutch of
new Triumphs, a few new members, a few not seen again members, There
were lows like the loss of dear Ron & there were highs & good
laughs so the hard core of us that care still manage to enjoy each
others company & lets face it, if we managed Denmark for so long
together with out throwing punches then it must be a good mix.
Speaking of abroad,
Spain
this year appears to be the chosen destination & Nick has already
made a good start at organising the journey. Amanda has the ferry
crossings in hand (you need to pay her £200 by the 18th of
this month) The trip will be in early September so those that are
interested please let it be known ASAP. There were a few things that I
didn’t report last year & one was Bill’s mishap on his
Daytona, A car driver decided that the other side of the road was the
place to be. Bill being in the way didn’t come into the equation.
Speed was minimal but the Daytona was a write off. Hinckley’s
don’t appear to be as forgiving as the
Meriden
’s are.
The Concorde Rally had one special memorable
moment for me. While out on the Saturday in Weston we visited a pub.
On returning from the gents I mentioned that I saw a machine selling
sex toys for a pound, Dom our ready for anything member (pun intended)
rushed off with his coin, only to reappear with a pink cigarette
lighter with the words Hello Sexy on it, Shame really as he doesn’t
smoke. Well what do you expect for a pound Dom. There is now an extra
night down the Star, this is on Saturdays, & is attended by the
West Midders Lonely Hearts Club. So ladies out there, if you WLTM FLMWT
look no further.
Auntie White socks.
West
Middlesex
November 2005 Report
11/10
19:15 hrs
Hampton Court
. Several of us made the early evening start to(Mighty)
South London
’s BBQ. What I always enjoy about the do’s at S London is
there’s always a good turn out of quality bikes, mostly
Meriden
’s with a smattering of
Enfield
’s & BSA’s. The evening’s weather was reasonable so we
managed to keep to the patio as the pubs stairs were not Amanda
friendly.
28/10 Ex
Chairman Slagdyke was visiting from
Majorca
. (Our W Medd Outpost). Several of us caught up with him at The Star
for dinner & a pint, if there is one thing Old Nick misses about
Blighty is a pint of Old Thunderer & can you blame him.
29/10 Roger
& I met with Amanda to visit Unit Sidecars in
Essex
, as they had an R111 combination. Curious as to what this behemoth
would look & go like. I must admit to being impressed with the
finished article. The owner spent the morning with us explaining how
he made & fitted the sub-chassis, as for the handling &
performance, it went like the proverbial off the shovel we were told.
I think Amanda was sold on the idea but the big question is, can a
reverse mechanism be fitted? Will there be 3 
Rockets
parked outside the Star? Recently Giles turned up on his Hurricane
& we were treated to our Nick the R3 Captain beg grovel even for
Giles to allow him a go of said Tangerine icon, Giles being the kind
hearted man that he is agreed & off sped Nick, on his return fly
past Giles went a lighter shade of pale as Nick waved his arms &
shouted his usual “I want one.” Well he landed it safely &
Giles & Hurricane were reunited. A few Wednesdays past we were
treated (?) to a Karaoke evening. Our own “Elvis” Dave decided to
give it a go & naturally he sang a Presley number, we all enjoyed
it but a man looking suspiciously like Simon Cowell exited the pub
shouting the most unprintable comments. Dates to remember; 30/12
we are holding an evening of fun & merriment at the Star, Kim will
supply the buffet. Saturday 28th
January. Burns Night celebration.
8th March we will be
holding our AGM
The choice for next years trip abroad appears to be
biased towards
Spain
, so we had better start organising soon. Hands up those who are
coming!
A Strange coincidence .I recently received a call from a friend
who works at a motorcycle breaker who had a damaged screen that would
fit my T’bird. What a surprise I had when taking it out of its box
to see a Danish Britannia Rally sticker attached. It was numbered 009;
I remembered mine was number 007. Moral; when you 
are
trying to keep quiet about a mishap it’s always best to remove
incriminating evidence. Isn’t that right Bob?
Merry Christmas to you all & a Happy New Year for all of us.
Whitesocks
West
Middlesex
October 2005 Report
12/9
Chairman Mick Bishop was invited to The
London Motorcycle Museum to meet up with the Orange County
Choppers; after their triumphant weekend at the Ace Reunion in
Brighton. .Paul’s senior & junior & Marky, were being filmed
by the Discovery Channel, they all had a ride on Mick’s Triumph
special (pictured on our web-site) & Paul snr declared it was
better then a Harley Sportster, this coming from “A good old boy”
was praise indeed. He also took a fancy to the museums P1 prototype
Trident, but Bill Crosby wasn’t having any of it.
17/9 NW London’s HQ at London
Colney.
Dee
was throwing a 30th Birthday Party
for her T100R. Not one to do things by half is
Dee
She decided to throw in a bike & dog show at the same time. Tent
erected in the last space available I was off
to join in the fun. Bikes & pooches were judged &
awarded cups & rosettes for their owner’s efforts. As I watched
a rosette wearing dog deliver his judgement on my Bonnie my thoughts
of revenge evaporated when I noticed Amanda in the crowd, nice to see
another
W Midder
had made it. After the free dinner the band “The Hook” hit
the stage. What great music they made, possibly the best band I’ve
heard this year. After Amanda had departed I joined in the
entertainment with
Dee
’s friends The Naughty Old Ladies Bike Club, not that they were
particularly old & sadly not that naughty either. Next morning I
discovered that I hadn’t made it to my tent, and remembered that I
was deemed house trained enough to be allowed to sleep in the building
as the night had chilled somewhat. This I was even more grateful for
as a reveller had left a pavement pizza just by the entrance to my
tent. Breakfast was cooked for the able to eat & tents cleared
away. Thanks Dee, N.W.
London
& of course The Naughty Old Ladies.
23/9 Concorde Rally. Roger
& I met up mid-day & headed west taking the A roads to Weston.
Apart from a heavy but expected downpour, we had a pleasant journey
through
Somerset
countryside. Some
W Midders
had already arrived & seeing an R3 already on site I expected to
see Nick, but was surprised when a smiling Mick introduced me to his
new purchase, he had kept quiet about that one. “Ogri”Bob has
taken on Mick’s Legend & is pleased as punch. At least he’s on
two wheels & the troublesome Harris Bonnie will be sorted
eventually. Later that evening we headed for the bar, and settled in.
The band set up its paraphernalia, eight speakers in all. Heavy Metal
was their sound, my head was ringing for the rest of the weekend.
Saturday morning we had a call from Kiwi Graham his front wheels inner
tube had burst just as he reached junction 21 on the M5. Some went off
to help him whilst the rest of us headed for Cheddar & a run round
Somerset. Amanda nearly parted company with her outfit on a
particularly bumpy stretch, we’ll have to Velcro her pants to the
saddle in future. The bar that night was packed & the 13
W Midders
had a pleasant evening. Sunday morning awards & raffle time. I’m
happy to announce Amanda won Furthest Distance Lady Rider. The award
for Best Club Turnout was won by US, 2nd time this year.
Many thanks to the Bristol Branch for another first
Class rally. Also that Sunday the Museum held its Real Classic
show & Big Breakfast. Geoff, Giles & John represented us &
Geoff managed 4 Breakfasts but was beaten by an even hungrier biker
who managed an incredible 7.
Whitesocks.
