Magazine of the Thames Valley HOG Chapter

. JUNE 2015

Hotline: 01753 578616 www.thamesvalleyhog.org.uk

Inside this issue…

Front cover: The Chill-Out weekend takes on a whole new meaning.

Page 3 SofER Info

Page 4, 6 Director’s Update

Page 7 Boys’ Stuff - Mike and Ralph

Page 8, 9 LoH - Sue’s Page

Page 10, 11 Chill-Out Weekend - Pat Adams

Page 12 World’s Highest Harley Shop

Page 13 A Taste of San Tropez- - CJ

Page 14, 15 Calendar

Page 16, 19 Portugal and more - Terry Dunn

Page 20 Grenadier Guards Clubhouse

Page 21 What have you done with yours?

Page 22 The Witterings - Club run, 31st May

Page 23 New Members

Page 24 Blue’s Steakhouse 1st Birthday

Page 25 Photo Gallery

Page 26 Four Boys in France - Mike

Page 27 Poker Run 3 Back cover: Meet the committee

June/July Birthdays

Clive Skinner 18th May

Jack Parry 1st June

Gill Major 3rd June

Happy birthday

to you all! A bigThank You to ALL who have sent copy for this month magazine:

Terry, John, Don, Mike, Sue D, Pat A, Linda, CJ, Nick, Axel

I’ve given up my page this month as I’m short of space, sooooo much copy, but

I’m certainly not complaining! It’s great to have reports of every-one’s adventures. I chuckled to my-self as I read Terry’s adventures -what a great writing style! I fondly remembered my San Tropez visit with CJ’s write-up. I missed the Chill-Out, due to Dave’s recovery, but enjoyed reading about the good time had by all. I hope you all enjoy our members’ trips as much as I did.

The all-new SofER Rally, at Hickstead, is creeping up on us fast, and it’s all coming together very nicely. We have six bands, two main ride outs, a Parade of Flags, Chapter Challenge including Archery and the Bonus National Challenge Flag Point, Custom Bike Show, Harley Demo Truck with 20+ bikes, large Trader Village, Freestyle off-road bike demo and experience, firework display... in fact everything you would expect from a major Hog Rally, and more! Now in a great new setting,The South of England Rally will be held on August 14th to 16th

Accommodation Chapter Camping areas, Caravans, Camper Vans and

RV’s parking area, and a Yurt’s Village (Yurt accommoda-

tion bookable through SofER website.

If you are not the camping type and prefer a hotel, the Travelodge, Preston Road, Brighton and The Premier Inn Burgess Hill, still have rooms available. A free shuttle bus will be servicing these hotels until the early hours. Tickets are available from Don Director at club nights, and at the dealership by appointment donroadking@fsmail.net SofER website: www.sofer.uk.com for up-to-date

information.

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Hi Everybody , Welcome to this month’s edition of Tales from the Riverbank.

What a great start to the summer! The weather has been absolutely fabulous, allowing us to be out on the bikes most weekends. Last month saw another page open in the history of Thames Valley, with the change of venue for our club nights now being held at the Grenadier Club in Windsor. Chris, our membership officer had an extremely busy evening with membership renewals - many thanks to Fred for helping out by checking members in on the door. A total of 120 members and guests checked in on club night, including 20 from Hogsback Chapter.

The very next morning after club night, our chapter was off to Chelmarsh in

Shropshire for the Chill-Out weekend. Pat and Barry had arranged rooms on a

campsite very close to the Severn Valley Railway. The site was around a mile or

so off of the main road into the Shropshire countryside making it a very secluded

location. Once checked in a group of us put the Chapter Gazebo up and put the

beers and wine in a tub to cool down, ready for the evening.

Over the weekend our evenings were spent chilling

out around the patio area of the site and the later

part of the evening gathered at the Chapter Gazebo.

Saturday’s ride took some of the Chapter to the

Black Country working Museum in Dudley.

The museum tells the history of the Black Country

and what life was like during the early years.

All of the houses, shops and factories in the museum

have been taken from the surrounding areas

brick by brick and rebuilt exactly the same on

the site, and are now part of the working

museum.

An excellent day out and well worth a second

visit if you are in the area.

Being so close to the Severn Valley Steam

Railway, Sunday just had to be spent on a

steam train ride from Bridgenorth to Kidderminster stopping at the engine sheds

for a cup of tea and a cake. On our way home on Monday, having not had a

cream tea all weekend, the ride needed to stop in Burford to put that situation

right. Another great weekend away. Well done, Pat & Barry.

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Harley Night at the Ace Café The first of Thames Valley’s Dark Custom rides took place on May 28th with a group from the dealership leaving Reading at 6:15 pm, to meet up with a sec-ond group at Beaconsfield Services around 7pm. After a photo in the carpark of the services, Lee led 20 plus bikes down the A40 to the Ace Café for a bite to eat and a warm drink. As usual, the carpark was filled with 100s of Harleys, of all different types and ages. A great social evening. Many thanks to the team at the dealership for supporting the ride and to Lee for organising the evening. Smoke House BBQ Restaurant Some weeks ago Lee Wilson from Harley Davidson Customer Services got in touch to ask

if a few members from Thames Valley Hog could attend a charity event in Bracknell at the Smoke House BBQ Restaurant, to celebrate their first birthday. The birthday event was supporting a local charity, the Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice, a charity we supported a few years ago. Sixteen members attended the event, displaying

their bikes during the afternoon in front of the restaurant, and enjoyed free burgers & hotdogs. A ride, led by Lee, left the dealership for the evening event. On arrival, the group were offered more burgers and chips and finished the evening enjoying a pint and listening to a local band. Membership Membership Subs are now due. If you have not got around to paying your membership fee, Chris will be chasing you at club night. With the launch of Reading Harley Davidson our membership has started growing. We currently have 156 full members & 68 affiliated, which in total is 224. At our last committee meeting we agreed to give all purchasers of new and used bikes, who are not members of the chapter, a complimentary three month membership to our club. We will encourage them to join us at club nights and on ride outs, as part of the handover package when they collect their vehicles. SofER With the South of England Rally only weeks away now, we need to have a final push to sell the last few tickets remaining of our chapter’s allocation. Tickets are £40 each for a long weekend of excellent Bands, Catering Facilities, Ride Outs and Traders selling everything for bikes and bikers. Our chapter will have an area set aside for us on the campsite to try to keep all our members together. On Saturday night we have drinks and nibbles for our Members at the Chapter gazebo. For all our new members, in conjunction with four other chapters, this is our Rally. This is a great weekend away with some fantastic bands and events over the weekend. Accommodation on site is camping only, with local hotels & B&Bs taking bookings for non-campers. Tickets are available from me at club night or at the Dealership, by arrangement. For current information about bands and SofER check out the website www.sofer.uk.com

Rally Information Fred still has space on the boys’ weekend away, at the Fenlander’s Rally in Norfolk, July 23rd. As it says, this is a boys’ weekend only. The weekend offers a camping only rally with good bands, great rides, plenty of good beer, food and great company. Contact Freddie for a booking form and information.

Sue, our ladies of Harley rep, has a girlie weekend planned with a boat trip

on the Thames while the boys are away.

The Heart and Soul Rally, July 31st, is now sold out, I believe. If you are Interested in joining us for the weekend, check with the Geordie Chapter Website for information. Events We have added some new events to the calendar. The first is World Ride Day on Saturday June 27th. We are looking to visit Lincoln Harley Davidson, a ride of 160miles. Saturday July 4th, Robin Hood Harley Davidson open the doors of their new dealership and a great launch party is promised.

That’s it from me for another month.

Ride safe and carry on having fun.

Don Director

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We are looking for keen riders from our group who would like to join our road crew. You will be a man or woman with a varied riding experience, willing to learn and ready to commit to helping our club with ride outs throughout the year.

To begin with you will join our road crew as a Road Marshal where you will go through a locally formatted training program. This will help to familiarise you with the dynamics of group riding, safety and, hopefully, help you improve your personal riding skills. On successful completion of your Marshal training, you can opt to join our team of Road Captains. You will be invited to attend a weekend with HOG trainers at the HD European HQ in Oxford, to gain your Road Captain qualification. When you are qualified we ask that you commit to plan and lead at least 2 rides per year (more if you like). These can be rides which YOU choose, arrange, and lead, or something from a member suggestion list. Many of our current Road Crew are advanced riders and we would love to

find people within our group who want to improve their own abilities whilst giving something back to their fellow club members. Don't delay ... apply today …Lady riders very welcome ;-) Contact Nick West or Don Wibberley to register your interest.

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A friend of mine just came back from the TT (30 May to 12 June 2015) and told me there weren’t many Hogs there. That got me thinking - has Harley ever had a go at the TT? So I took a quick look at the history books. The Isle of Man TT inaugural Tourist Trophy was held in 1907. The event originally welcomed cars and motorcycles, but for the first four years bikes competed on an abbreviated circuit because they weren’t able to climb Snaefell Mountain. Motorcycles didn’t race the full, 37.5-mile, Mountain Course until 1911. Indians were the first. Indians, built by the Hendee Manufacturing Company in Springfield, Massachusetts, were the most technologically advanced motorcycles of the day - it’s two-speed trans-mission and chain final drive were cutting-edge - and a huge advantage for racing at a time when most bikes still used direct-drive leather belts. Indian entered five bikes in the 1911 TT - the first time motorcycles raced over Snaefell Mountain. A little-known British rider named Oliver Cyril Godfrey (sporting number 112 see pic) rode smooth and steady to win the five-lap, 189-mile Senior TT race in 3 hours, 56 minutes and 10 seconds, setting a new average speed record of 47.63 mph. Indian never won the TT again. Did a Harley ever compete? Oh yes - the TT Fact Zone includes 2 references to Harleys in the official records of top 10 finishes – one came fifth and one came sixth. American riders? The first Isle of Man Tourist Trophy in 1907 was almost won by American Billy Wells; not many racers from the USA have followed. There are many reasons why so few Americans have participated in TT races – it’s logistically difficult and expensive to get everything you need across from the USA and preparation for racing in the IoM TT must begin long before you get to the Island. I could find only one record of a yank on a Harley – Vance Breese in the 1982 Classic – he came 38

th with an average speed of 83mph (so try to beat that!)

Did a Harley ever win?

Of course not Mike Connolly

IOM TT versus the USA

8

Hi Ladies, Well, the Chill Out weekend last month at The Unicorn, Hampton Loade, Shropshire was an absolute blast! Haven't laughed so much in a long time.. it made my ribs ache .. Likewise with Bernie, but for a different reason completely, lol. It was great to see everyone relax & do whatever they fancied, whether it be a ride out, trip on the steam trains or just literally chill. There was a last minute change of plan for me on the Fri morning which meant I did the journey solo.. but with my trusted sat-nav found the pub no problem at all. To be totally honest with you, I rarely ride on my own, but did quite enjoy the experience :-) During the weekend, I could tell you a tale about one of our lady’s exploits in the male shower block… but as you know, what goes on on tour stays on tour lol ! HUGE thanks to Pat & Barry for organising the weekend for us all x

A few days later, Thelma, & I joined our first Dark Custom ride-out to the Ace Cafe, organised by Lee White. The rideout started from the dealership and picked up more of us at Beaconsfield Services. It was fantastic to see so many of the guys and gals from our dealership & our Club ...whoo hoo what a completely different group riding experience !.. GREAT fun. According to one of our members watching us come in, half the club charged into the parking lot at the Ace Cafe ‘like a club possessed’ ha ha .. FAB !!

On SATURDAY 25th July (the lads weekend away) We have an LoH girls’ day

out - a 2 hour (return) river boat trip on the Thames leaving Windsor 1.30pm.

All the details are on our website calendar, boat trip, cream tea? shopping? and for

anyone that fancies, maybe an overnight stay. Please see me to at club night or

email me to put your name down on the list - cost for the boat trip is £9.25.

8

Ladies, if you wish to be included in the LOH email list, please go to our LoH page on the TV website page & click on the pink enve-lope. Also, if there's anything you'd like brought to the commitee's attention feel free to contact me at: ladiesofharley@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk

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Ladies, more dates for your diaries - full details are on our website calendar : Fri 26th June 6pm - Prom ride out to Aldershot. Sat 4th July 12 - 2 pm - Chiltern College in Caversham (for

our Deb's Nursery) We'll be displaying our bikes for pre-school children & parents, helping the college raise funds for books & equipment.

Wed 15th July - Prom ride - details to follow on the calendar

LoH November Weekend 27/11/2015 for two or three nights away - details to follow.

Can I ask any ladies who are attending SofER & would like to join the LoH rideout on Friday 14th Aug at 4pm, please email either ladiesofharley@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk or loh@sofer.uk.com with your name, reg number, bike or trike and mention that you are Thames Valley Chapter so we can make sure you are registered for the My Little Pony Ride. We already have seven Thames Valley ladies (that I'm aware of.)

Just to say I know quite a few of our Club members have been through the mill recently, so it's been lovely to see/hear from you all. Here's wishing you all Get Well wishes for the summer season x

As ever ladies please keep your ideas coming.... need to start thinking about a ride/drive next summer for us all :-) Now that summer is upon us, If any of you fancy a ride out and or meet up, let me know.

Ride safe, Sue Dodds x LoH Representative

WOMEN WHO BEHAVE SELDOM MAKE HISTORY

Well, 26 of us descended on The Unicorn Inn at Hampton Loade for what turned out to be quite an eventful, long weekend. The whole idea of the weekend was not to have any organised events so that everyone could do just what they wanted, when they wanted to. There was plenty to do in the local area with the Severn Valley Steam Railway, Ironbridge Visitor Centre and some lovely picturesque market towns accessible by the train or just a short drive/ride away. The weather was reasonably kind to us and no campers suffered from the dreaded hypothermia, as warm drinks and cold beer were on hand to be administered in the event of an emergency. We spent Saturday playing with the trains travelling from Hampton Loade station ‘down’ to Bridgnorth and then back ‘up’ (I know it was technically up and then down but it’s down and then up in train speak). Many of the stations have pubs on the platforms and they also sold local ales in the buffet cars. All the people who work on the train are volunteers so it is very obvious that they love their jobs, and service everywhere was always with a smile! At the end of the line in Kidderminster we even managed to find a delightful café serving cream teas, with pretty bone china cups and saucers and teapots. Not sure that the chaps really appreciated that. Sunday, we travelled to Ironbridge with Jamie and Lesley – there are 10 museums there, yes 10! And you know that I do have a bit of an aversion to museums (phew no tanks in sight!) We had great fun in the children’s activity centre and even managed to build our own Ironbridge! The Unicorn Inn was a great venue, although they did have a music licence arranged for Saturday night – until 3.00am! So, I’m afraid that did not go down very well – perhaps a sign of our age as many were trying to get some sleep after a busy day. Food was very reasonably priced and freshly prepared but good things are worth waiting for, and we did have a bit of a wait at times. All-in-all a great weekend with great company and that’s what it’s all about. We would like to organise a Chill-Out Weekend for the same May bank holiday next year. We have pencilled in The Unicorn as a venue and they have offered to alter their catering offer for us with a BBQ and Buffet meal options. Watch this space… For those who came on the trip this time, please let me have your feedback, good or bad, so that any issues can be avoided next time.

Pat and Barry Adams

Assistant Director / Activities 10 10

11

The Unicorn Inn at Hampton Loade for what turned out to be quite an eventful, long weekend. The whole idea of the weekend was not to have any organised events so that everyone could do just what they wanted, when they wanted to.

in train speak). Many of the stations

The Unicorn Inn was a great venue, although they did have a music licence

s all about.

A special train journey from Durango to Silverton, Colorado, was planned. Seats were booked on an open-sided gondola for a visit to the highest Harley-Davidson Store in the world, with a 90 mile round trip through the

San Juan Mountains - an exciting prospect! The views were breath-taking with, in some places, the river flowing 300 metres below. The railway hugs the cliffs and some of the bends are very sharp. There should have been a clue noted with regards to the tempera-ture, when the tops of the hills had snow on them. But we were having a good time when we suddenly realised it was getting a lot colder - it had started to snow! After 3½ hours the train announced its arrival in Silverton. We made our way to the Harley shop, 9318 feet above sea level. It was tiny, and only open from May to October, and they only sell clothes, not a bike in sight! It only seemed appropriate to have lunch in Grumpy's saloon.

On the return journey, another carriage was attached. We were offered seats in side as it was still snowing. When we got back to Durango we felt the need to have a treat, the cold stone

creamery provided it… Linda

Sapphire Wedding Anniversary = 45 years! On 8th August 2015, Linda and Mick Friend will achieve this monumental milestone. They will be celebrating with a party-style gathering of family and friends.

Where? Broomsticks, Burchetts Green, Maidenhead. When? Saturday, 9th August from 1.00. Who is invited? EVERYONE! All are welcome but you must wear something BLUE Please email Linda if you’re coming as she’ll need numbers for catering Purposes: lindafriend1@yahoo.co.uk

Three couples from Thames Valley Chapter travelled three different routes through France, Germany, Switzerland… to name a few, to this years St Tropez Rally in Port Grimaud. All were heading for the Prairies De La Mer site where we would be based for a week or so. This was to allow us to chill after the Rally and ride our Harleys around this beautiful part of France. The Prairies De La Mer site is where the Rally was being staged, and what a Rally it was! Hats off to HarleyDavidson, everything was so convenient and within walking distance. And, to top it all, it’s surrounded by a Beach and Ocean Bay views looking out to St Tropez. If you have never ventured this far on your Harley then talk to me, Paul Major or Paul Houghton and we will all tell you that Europe has so much to offer with beautiful, diverse scenery and so many great roads to ride on including the many toll roads, if you choose to use them. You haven't got to tour Europe for a

HOG Rally destination but why wouldn't you? A full account of our trip will appear in next month’s Tales From The Riverbank. Best Regards CJ & Di x

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14

July

Hogsback Chapter Thurs 2nd, S’Able 6:30

Invite to join their Club night GU24 0NY

TV, wear colours.

Robin Hood H-D Opening

Sat, 4th New dealership party

Burley, New Forest

Sun, 5th

meet Chieveley 9:30

Committee Night Tues 7th, 6:00pm

Reading H-D

One Day Poker Run

Sun, 12th, 10:00 - 15:00 Leave Chieveley 10:00am

Prom Ride

Wed, 15th

For Louis, Lee & Lou’s son

Club Night Thurs 16th, 7:30

Welsh Weekend Fri 17th - Sun 19th

Poker Run 4

Wed, 22nd 6:30

June

Longest Day Ride - A '1 day' Iron Butt Ride Sat, 20th, 10:00 am

Doctor B’s Sat 20th

RG40 1TT

USA Diner Run

Sun 21st, 10:00 am Breakfast at Nelson’s Diner

Ride to MattieA’s A303

for lunch

Ace Café Harley Night

Thurs, 25th 6:00 pm

Prom Ride - Aldershot.

Fri 26th, 6:00 pm Free BBQ etc. See calendar

Million Mile Monday

Sat, 27th 8:30 Lincoln H-D

and Sun 28th

Club Nights

August 20th

September 17th

October 15th

November 19th

December 17th

Mag contribution

Deadlines

August 13th

September 10th

October 8th

November 12th

December 10th

Dates, events, ride-outs and activities

Details correct at time of going to print. Check the website for updates and amendments

www.thamesvalleyhog.org.uk

15

Rallies 2015

Fenlanders Rally

23rd July, Boys’ weekend

Heart and Soul Rally

31st July-2nd Aug, North Shields

SofER

14th-16th Aug, Hickstead

Thunder in the Glens

28th—31st August

Aviemore, Scotland

Europen Bike Week

8th-13th Sept, Faaker See

Blazin’ Twenties

25th—28th Sept, Weymouth

New Forest Rally

Check website for details on all events

Tolls, tolls and more tolls -plus half a cow, some bird poo, an international incident and some mystery tolls.

By Terry Dunn Why Portugal? Well we haven’t been there before and it looks like it could be a reasonable run. Also, it’s a long way south so the weather must be better down there. Great, that sells it, I’m in. About 2,000 miles, leaving on 30th April and returning on 12th May. Obviously, the easy way would be to cross the infamous Bay of Biscay to Bilbao or Santander. That would cut the mileage a bit. No, hang on, we’ve made that crossing twice and got away with it. We will need to come back that way so why increase the chances of a bad crossing? I know, let’s cross to St Malo then ride down to Spain. Should only take a day. Brilliant, that’s the way to go. So off we went, three elderly gentlemen, Sat Navs fully loaded. Day 1 - St Malo to Bordeaux An uneventful crossing to St Malo followed by one of those days that never seem to end. Taking the toll roads, by choice, to hammer out the first leg to Spain we set off for Bordeaux, 325 miles distant. Then the rain came. Believe me Doctor Foster’s ill-fated visit to Gloucester was a trivial matter compared to this! I have never before travelled so far without respite from the rain. At least the roads were excellent and reasonably traffic free, if you ignore the gnarly bit around Nantes. Of course that could have been improved if the French had not made it illegal to filter between rows of slow moving vehicles.

One thing that will remain a sore point was the final toll payment somewhere near Bordeaux. Both of my companions stuffed the requested 16 Euros into the machine and passed through unhindered. Assuming that I would be treated in the same manner I inserted a 20 euro note and waited patiently for the change and for the barrier to open. Eventually I noticed, that for some inexplicable reason, the machine was demanding a total of 28 Euros. Given the build-up of traffic behind me I

had no option but to cough up. I will never know why I was charged the extra but I will assume that it is a Harley thing. A very helpful lady in the nearby parking area trudged off to the control office on my behalf and returned with a form that I could submit to the bloke in charge of France and request a refund. Unfortunately, the form was in written in French and I really don’t have the willpower required to learn another language just to recover 12 Euros. It still hurts though.

16

Naturally, arrival at the hotel heralded the end of the rain. Campaniles may not be your first choice but accommodation was in limited supply and anywhere that allowed us to peel off the wet outer layers and have a hot shower followed by a couple of beers, a decent dinner and a comfortable bed, gets my vote. Anywhere except a Formula 1 of course. I have experience of those places and frankly I would choose a thorny hedge if Formula 1 was the only option. They bring to mind a line from the song, Hotel California, ‘You can check out but you can never leave’. Memories of nights in Formula 1 accommodation are with me forever. I suppose that taking a positive view these are the memories that sustain me when I believe that things just can’t get any worse.

One very odd occurrence at the Campanile was the appearance, apparently from no-

where, of a peculiar French lady who introduced herself as Shirley, and took up

residence on the fourth chair at our dinner table. She seemed very keen to fill us in on

the events of her life and judging by her appearance it was going to be quite a long story.

She claimed to be a singer by profession and as luck would have it she had a copy of

one of her CDs with her. The polite thing to do would have been to show some interest

in her skills as a chanteuse but, suspicious of the motives of anyone that starts ordering

dinner at the table of three elderly strangers, we did the slightly less gallant thing and ran

for the hills, after making sure that our bill included only what we had consumed.

Day 2 - Bordeaux France to somewhere in the hills near Getaria Spain. What a delight, overcast, no rain and fairly warm. Pretty much perfect riding conditions. The sight of an elephant reversing along the motorway was something I hadn’t anticipated but then France is a foreign country and it is not for me to criticise what might be locally acceptable behaviour. ‘Bon chance’, to them, I say. The final part of the ride was very picturesque along the north coast of Spain with sea to the right and hills to the left. Must have passed through at least 10 tolls today. It isn’t the cost which, apart from Bordeaux, is minimal, it’s the constant stopping, fishing around for cash then moving a couple of miles to the next one.

With good roads, decent weather and a much shorter distance to cover (only 160 miles

we arrived at the second hotel rather earlier than expected and with nothing else to

amuse us we spent a surprising amount of time peering down a large metal tube that led

to a communal waste receptacle buried beneath a patch of tarmac.

The pre-dinner beers arrived with a portion of probably the best chorizo I have had, and

a bowl of what were called chips. In fact they were what we call crisps but they were

home-made and far better than anything that comes from a Walkers bag. 17

Somewhere between Getaria and Gijon. Sadly, the image is smudged by what appears

to be an elderly gentleman on a Goldwing

The confusion between chips and crisps took a much more serious turn at dinner when

two orders for ham egg and chips arrived. The eggs were fried to perfection but the ham

wasn’t what you might think of pairing with them. It was a much more continental meat

preparation, thinly sliced and undoubtedly dried. The much anticipated ‘chips’ turned out

to be another helping of the homemade crisps. Being more adventurous I opted for the

entrecote with chips and guess what, this was also accompanied by crisps. Not what

we’re accustomed to but very tasty and it did the job.

Day 3 - Getaria Spain to Gijon Spain

220 miles today. Weather generally very good

with only a light sprinkling. Scenery along this

section is often spectacular with occasional views

over the sea and always with the higher ground

ahead and to the left.

It seems that Gijon is still a fairly busy port

although I believe that it is no longer possible to

get there direct from the UK. LD Lines used to operate out of the port but gave it up a

couple of years ago. The town has all the trappings of a tourist destination with the old

town apparently preserved to keep the visitors coming. I would recommend a visit, but

not for long.

Our hotel was more centrally placed. We were delighted at the prospect of secure

underground parking until we were half way down the spiral entrance. Talk about tight

bends. An Olympic gymnast would have been proud. Nice place though, once the

dizziness had worn off.

Probably the most interesting thing was the ludicrous way in which the waiters pour

the local cider. The bottle is held above the head at arms-length, the glass is held at

arms-length in the other hand at about groin level. Then, without apparently paying any

attention to what they are doing and with no concern for waste, the pouring begins. Most

of the liquid seemed to be hitting the pavement with only a small amount finding the

bottom of the glass. If it had been me, I think I may have asked why I was only getting to

enjoy a fraction of what I was paying for. Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of this display

but if you would like to see it just google ‘cider pouring Gijon’.

Day 4 - Gijon Spain to somewhere south of A Grana, Galicia, Spain

Apologies, but I can’t be entirely sure where this day ended. Pretty much in the middle

of nowhere I think, just across a narrow spit of land to the north of somewhere. 240 miles

from Gijon and, in spite of an appalling weather forecast, much of the day was dry, except

for the bit on top of a mountain and I suspect that it’s always a bit grim up there 18

Not just wet, but quite cold and windy. If they hadn’t had all those fans running I am sure it would have been more tolerable. Difficult to tell from the picture, but in this image there are 12 large windmills. Unfortunately, there is also quite a bit of water. Continuing with the toll road plan to get to Portugal we again enjoyed a relatively clear passage surrounded by the usual stunning views. It might cost a few quid but by heck, it’s worth it. Our reception at the hotel was, initially, a little disappointing. In a very apologetic tone the manager explained that it was out of season and we were three of very few guests. The hotel kitchen was closed until the start of the season so we would need to forage for food in the nearest village. I never found out where the nearest village was because shortly after apologising he appeared from a back room carrying something with the proportions of half a cow. It turned out to be most of a T bone joint. He didn’t need to ask twice whether it would do for dinner. The feast that followed was most probably the best of the trip and from a hotel with a closed kitche! I am beginning to think that foreigners know a thing or two about hospitality. While safely secured within the hotel and with the bikes undercover something resembling a tropical storm arrived outside. Howling wind and rain lashing horizontally led us to agree that if nothing changed by morning we would sell the bikes and stay

indoors until the money ran out.

Day 5 - South of A Grana Spain to Aveiro Portugal At last the destination was in sight. Half a day and we would cross the border at the

carefully pre-determined place that would allow us to register our vehicles and a credit card giving us access to the toll roads in Portugal, most of which have an electronic recognition system, some of which have nothing other than an electronic recognition system. Simple process, just south of the border near Viana Do Castelo on the A28 there is a place to get everything sorted out.

.

The moment Spanish rain stopped and Portuguese rain started. Will they get to the place to sort

everything out, simply? Find out in

the final instalment next month...

19

After 15 years at SportsAble,Thursday, 21st May, saw another bit of history written for the Thames Valley Chapter.

The Grenadier Guards Club, in Windsor, became the new

club venue. Great club-house with ample parking - seems

to be the perfect place!.

What are you going to do with yours?

To bin, or not to bin, that is the question. Probably, some of you are wondering what to do with your redundant tax disc holder. After all the trouble taken to get the right style and arrangement, why throw it away? Think again. Why not treat this as a great opportunity to be creative, and customise your bike with added interest and, perhaps, have some fun and raise a smile. Nowadays, we can place the holder in non-traditional positions and present different images. Can you dare to be quirky, provocative, ingenious, rude, humorous or imaginative? Here are some suggestions to allow a more distinctive use of the tax disc space: * photo frame for a celebrity, friend, pet, family member... * placing an advert * miniature work of art * promoting a Charity or a Good Cause * displaying an emblem or symbol to show support * highlighting a favourite cartoon, quip, joke, poem, saying * emergency contact information and medical details * fascinating optical illusions * existential message, such as why you love riding H-D or belonging to the Chapter or the ‘Biker’s Prayer’… * something naughty or non-pc. If all fails put it in the recycle bin! Alternatively, slip inside a piece of embroidery, some dried flowers… Watch this space!

John Cunningham

21

How many

‘probable’ owners

of these tax disc

holders can you

identify?

Even though our weatherman had forecast heavy rain and wind through the day, I woke to see that we had obviously had some of the ‘wet stuff’ overnight but it had clearly passed over. I logged onto Facebook and posted that the ride was on, togged up and headed out for Maidenhead. No sooner than leaving my close it started to rain again ... doh ! Ah well, too late to turn back now... I rode on and just out of town the rain slowed to a slight drizzle. I got to SportsAble in good time and soon after was joined by Deb and Hayley (in the car), Young Tom and Paul Houghton. Just enough people to make it worthwhile going ahead. As we were about to leave, Pat and Ron showed up in the car and were promptly invited to join us. We headed out towards Bisley and Guildford where we soon picked up the A286, which practically takes you directly to the Witterings! No rain on the way, just a few spots here and there. We first dropped in to the Shore Inn at East Wittering for a rather yummy lunch and a bit of a chat. It was so cosy we could have stayed there all day but we managed to drag ourselves out to watch the MAD guys on their windsurfers and kite boards. It was a bit blowy and so we decided to ride to West Wittering on the bikes. Free parking for bikes - awesome! After parking up, we had a wander down the beach to the receding sea. Finally it was time to head back, this time via the A285, towards Milford and ultimately home. Despite being assured by the weather forecast that it would be wet and windy all day, we seemed to have dodged the bullet and, all-in-all, had

a great time. Nick

22

Richard Tracey

Thames Valley would like to extend a very warm welcome to our new

members:

We hope you all have a great time In our friendly club!

Jeremy Williams

Nick Lefever

Paul Bromley

Chris & Janet London

Could a day get any better than this one ?

The morning spent at the dealership,

everyone enjoying the atmosphere and

of course the free drinks machine.

The short ride out to the Blue's Smoke-

house, an American diner and bar in

Bracknell.

The bikes parked on the pavement; the

chrome sparkling in the sunshine.

The smell of the BBQ; free burgers and

drinks for bikers.

The American hot rods on the pavement,

the General Lee along with 5 others.

And of course many members of the

Thames Valley chapter, both in the

afternoon and in the evening.

Perfect!

24

Quatre Garçons en France The ‘Boys Stuff’ lads (aka Ralph and Mike) have been to France this month – so we thought you’d like to see what we got up to. Ralph has got a holiday house in St Valery Sur Somme and we

set off on the 5 June to pay a visit - on the bikes of course. We were joined by Geoff (Le troisieme Smurf) and Tom. The weather was set fair for the w/e so we were looking for-ward to the ride - around 100 miles in the UK to get on the Eu-rotunnel and then 120 kilometres in France to St Valery. When we got to the shuttle we bumped into a mate of ours who was on his BMW heading for Brussels - small world eh! So we left him but agreed that we’d meet up later.

As we don’t have a lot of klicks to do to get to St Valery we took a detour to Le Touqet where we’ve dicovered a bik-er friendly pub/restaurant that serves a mean moules frittes - they’ve got a V Rod on one of the tables (best use for a V Rod, eh, ed?). The restaurant is called Jean’s Café, but everyone knows it as the biker’s bar. After lunch we headed off along the coast road towards the Somme. This part of France is popular with the French bikers as the roads are quite bendy and the scenery iis superb – so you have to do lots of ‘biker salutes’ French style (left hand out as if you’re holding a cigarette down by your left knee). At Ralph’s place we park the bikes right outside and sit on the ‘Stoop’ watching the tourists. Time for a cup-

pa and to sample some French cuisine. The next day our friend – Johan – returned and we rode off round the estuary to the neighbour-ing town, Le Crotoy. This is a fishing town and we, of course, had to sample the moules frittes and a beer, sitting by the bay in glorious sunshine. We bade our buddy farewell the

next day and headed off to St Omer (about 60 klicks south of Calais) for a spot of lunch. And some sightseeing - spot the Cathedral… Altogether a great trip - we hope you enjoyed our short photo diary. If our boys w/e away in France next year is anything like it, we’re in for a great time in June 2016! Mike 26

More than 30 members of Thames Valley arrived at a favourite pub destination. The Cricketers, at Littlewick Green, was the venue for the third Poker night. Dinners and puddings were ordered and eaten (except for Clive, who was on a pre-wedding diet! ), cards were chosen, and a good time was had by all. Linda

S

27

Pat Adams Asst. Director

PRIMARY OFFICERS

Nick West Asst. Director

youtube.com/user/ tvwebmaster1

Club Venue:

Grenadier Guards’ Club Maidenhead Road Windsor, Berks.

facebook.com/groups thamesvalleyhog

Colin Wilkins Treasurer

Sue Moyler Secretary

COMMITTEE

Third Thursday of every month

Don Wibberley DIRECTOR

Email: director(assistantdirector)@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk

Email: treasurer/secretary@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk

Sue Dodds Ladies of Harley

Sue Knight Editor

Lee White Webmaster

Barry Adams Activities

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

Chris Earley- ‘CJ’

Photographer Toni Charles

Activities Linda Friend Photographer

Chris Smith Membership