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July 24th Newark Air Museum (and yes it is a Saturday)
John Humpherson will be leading a ride-out to the Newark Air Museum located at the former WWII airfield of Winthorpe in eastern Notts. The entrance fee for the museum is £6.25 (over 60s £5.75) although you can pay more if you want to! There is a cafe on site.
The museum
web site can be found at:
http://www.newarkairmuseum.
It looks like it will be an interesting ride-out
John will be departing the Burger King (ex- Little Chef) at Rugeley (WS15 2AS) at 10:00.
John can be contacted on either: 01922 710 694 (H) or 07766 924 765 (M).
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Brian Cooper will be leading a ride-out to Berkley Castle and Gardens Gloucestershire. Brian will be departing from the OK Diner, Watling St (A5), Bridgtown Cannock (WS11 3BN) at 09:00
Information about the castle and gardens can be found @: www.berkeley-castle.com
Brian can be contacted on: 01785 713 565
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John Humpherson's ride to the Elan Valley Visitor Centre, on the 19th June, was blessed in pleasant weather. We travelled down some fairly quiet roads away from Rugeley and on towards Wales. The further we got the better for biking the roads became. The only down patch was a stretch of fairly recently chipped road, but even that wasn’t too bad and didn't seem at all skiddy. Having arrived at Shrewsbury we stopped for a comfort break and a quick coffee and to pick up an extra bike (which was to provide some entertainment and education later in the day). It was then on into Wales and some fairly quiet roads, lovely twists and turns and some great views. As we neared the visitor centre the recently joined rider noticed that he had a slow puncture. We arrived at the visitor centre in time for lunch; there was a good selection of food at reasonable prices. Mr Puncture (sorry I’m terrible with names) managed to make it to the visitor centre and after lunch set about repairing the puncture with an interested audience looking on to see how it is done and whether it would work. I can imagine that a most of us carry the kit, but few of us have had need to use it in anger, I know I haven’t. After going through the instructions he made his first attempt at getting the plug in, only to find that the hole needed opening up and the bung had broken due to the tight fit. The second time it all seemed to go into place and held as the tyre was pumped up. After a quick clean-up most of us set off up the hills for a tour of the reservoirs that form the collection system, some excellent quiet roads and some stunning views. A very nice ride out, along some great, quiet roads, with stunning views. Even the sheep were well behaved! When we had done the tour of the reservoirs and were preparing to go home the puncture was still holding. All in all a very enjoyable and informative day. – Thanks John.
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The day of Dave Morris's Derbyshire Wanderer ride on 6th June was forecast to be showery (some heavy and thundery) and this may have been what led to a fairly low turn-out with only 4 bikes on the run. Our trusted social sec. (Sean) did come to the start point to ensure it started well but he had other commitments so was unable to join us. Four bikes set out (two BMWs, a Honda and some other weird "British" make!) on what proved to be a very enjoyable day with hardly a drop of rain, a fair bit of sunshine and some really excellent roads and scenery, courtesy of Dave our run leader. With only 4 bikes the pace was good and there was no need for the drop-off system and I haven't enjoyed a club run so much for a long time. I can't honestly say I always knew where I was as Dave managed to find roads most of us hadn't been on before. We started the back way to the Via Gellia, Carsington Water, through the lanes to Longnor and up the Goyt valley to cross over the Cat & Fiddle run ending up at the excellent Yondermann café (just beyond Monsal Head) for lunch. After lunch we carried on and arrived at Wirksworth for tea/coffee and cake before we split up to go home. I think this was the first club run that Dave has organised and led but it was excellent and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. Those of you who wimped out fearing a bit of thundery rain missed a good days ride with some surprisingly pleasant weather. So, thanks Dave for a really good run, we'll definitely be on the next one you organise!
Cheers, John
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The run to the Blue John Cavern on 16th May,
saw 8 bikes depart from the Little Chef,
Rugeley (now closed since 28th April with
only a Burger King on site).
The 8 bikes became 9 as we picked up Ian &
Carol McNaughton on route and the weather
improved as the day continued. We travelled
some quiet B roads across the Derbyshire
Dales, ideal for Sunday biking.
We met up with Colin & Suzette Ainsworth at
a pit stop at the Woodbine Café in Hope,
where you can get anything from just a cup
of tea to a full breakfast and more.
Some of our members, not to be named of
course, ordered a full breakfast with
chips!!
After we had refreshed ourselves, we
continued the short distance to the Blue
John Cavern, for a very interesting tour,
some 300 feet below the surface down some
very steep steps. The hardest part was
getting back up, dressed in full riding
gear.....but a good day was had by all.
The group outside the Woodbine Cafe at Hope, where we stopped for lunch before descending to the depths.
A group of thirteen bikes with seventeen people left McD's at Derby to go to the Delamere Forest on what was a day with very good weather. We went along the usual good roads that Ian manages to select for his rides, nice curves, interesting scenery and not too much traffic, and we managed a reasonable pace.
The cafe stocked a good selection of nice food at reasonable prices and, provided you didn't occupy a car space, the parking was free.
I didn't actually see anyone taking advantage of the bike hire, but it was there if you wanted it!
The last Repton meeting of this winter was a chance to do some tyre kicking, and discus plans for the coming riding season (always supposing that the weather eventually improves). We rounded the winter off with some puddings (there were none after the Pie and Peas). There was a choice of lemon or syrup sponges, Bakewell tart or apple crumble. All came with or without custard. We rounded the event with a raffle, which also came with or without custard!
This year's bowling took place on Mother's Day and we had a good turn out, There were, I think, eighteen of us who were actually bowling and a few more spectators. We should have split into 4 groups however for some reason we split up into three groups which meant it took a little longer than it should have, in fact at the end we were running out of time. Mind you it also meant that you got a longer break between your turn at amusing or amazing everyone else. The competition was all good humoured and any strikes by the most of us were down more to good luck than skill I think, although some were scored. Our time was also eroded by the fact that part way through lunch arrived, rather than having it after the even as we did last year.
Once again it was a fun morning out, enjoying something interesting, and I think, probably for most us us, something completely different.
February’s Top-box and Pannier sale went very well, in fact it was almost embarrassing as we nearly ran out of tables! There was a very good attendance from both buyers and sellers with a large range of spares, clothing, camping equipment and biking accessories. Colin had a display of regalia at good prices, raising some £90. There was a large Charity stall in support of the County Air Ambulance manned by Team Seddon which raised £45. The hire of tables raised £45. There really was an abundance of bargains to be had and a lot of pleased people went home at the end of the meeting carrying items that there had not come with. There were a number of visitors from other sections who visited us along with founder members of the Mercia Section, John & Margaret Robinson. We also saw a couple of new faces
Unfortunately we were unable to enjoy the expected jacket potatoes and chilli, everyone had to make do with cakes and biscuits but they went down well enough.
Dave and Martin haggling again - this time with Michael and Wendy
Ray, Lynne and the visitors in the background
The first Sunday of the New Year has been the time for the New Year Breakfast, and so it was this year. We opened up Repton Village Hall on a freezing, snowy morning, having travelled along icy roads to get there. Not a very auspicious day for the first meeting of the decade. We opened the hall up at 09:00, fortunately the heating was already on, so the first important job was the kettle.
Lorraine arrived early with Charles and started to get ready to cook the breakfasts, as we put out the tables and chairs in the hall. The breakfast is usually very well attended and I was hoping that the weather would not put too many people off, we had after all catered for 50. By about 10:00 a few members started to filter in. By 11:00 we had a good crowd, there was even one member, Martin Power, who had come on his bike from Solihull.
Everyone tucked into a breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausages, beans and tomatoes, topped off with toast. Reet gud scran! There were seconds for those who wanted them - you all seem to have missed the point, it was breakfast - it's meant to be the first meal of the day - you're meant to be hungry.
"Grub's up!"
Above - four staunch members enjoying their fry-up. Sue and Terry Slack & Graham and Christine Tuck.
Left - Jeff Lane trying to decide if it can be eated, used to polish the bike, or only as a cover.
Vi collecting names for bowing at the Pie & Peas
After the rather nasty shock of finding that we had not actually got a venue for the Pie and Peas, which was all arranged and only six days away (the village hall was double booked), I spent Tuesday evening looking for a replacement hall. Having found a replacement I couldn’t speak to the lass in charge of it until Wednesday morning. We needed space, heating (bikers are SO nesh), kitchen, crockery, cutlery …. etc. I secured the local scout hut. Unfortunately on the morning of the event when I got there the urn and one of the gas cookers didn’t work, we were short of cutlery, but with some scrounging from the lass that runs the hall and from the village hall the problems were overcome. The weather for the New Year breakfast had been freezing and snowy, but for the pie and peas it had improved vastly. Oh yes, on the morning of the Pie and Pea feast it started snowing again. That, the fact we were in a hall that was new to us, and the logistics problems didn't bode very well. Lorraine got a bit lost, I could hear her calling but couldn't see where from. Suddenly her head popped up from the far side of the bowling green. That problem over, the pies needed heating. By about 10:00 we only had about 10 or so takers, by half past (when it was planned to begin) it must have gone up to 15. By 11:00 it had gone up to over 40, we’d only catered for 50 so it was becoming a little worrying again. We ended up with just enough food and the event and the fine scran was enjoyed by everyone, including a couple of new faces. Garry Manifold and Andrew Williamson popped down from Sheffield, and a couple of old faces dropped in. Nice to see them all, especially Ray and Lynne.
General views of the Top-box and Pannier sale '10
