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Published: February 4th 2008
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Air Bed
there's only one way to get an air bed into a tent... This might not be it I don’t know where to start with this one, because this was one of the best weekends I have ever had in my life… so here it is from the beginning.
This was the ‘S no Rally 2008. (That’s no rally)
I manage to get Thursday night off work because we were over manned, which gave me all day Friday to get ready for this event. I’d made pervious arrangements to meet up with my mate Paul at the M1 junction 35 and got the bike ready with ample time to spare. So off I set up to my local butchers to collect some Black Pudding for everyone at the rally when the phone rang. I was sat at the traffic lights in Wombwell with “Johnny B Goode” (my ring tone) playing out in my pocket because I hadn’t connected the hands free up as I was just making a short journey initially. Once the Black Pudding was packed on the bike I returned the call to Paul who told me Pete and Kate wanted help getting stuff up to the farm where the rally was to be held, so a detour was planned to their house.
From
But then again
I think the idea is to have the air bed on the bottom thus providing a comfortable night\'s sleep here, loaded with the excess baggage (beer) Paul and I headed off to the farm which was to be our home for the next 2-nights. We did make a little detour again to Crusader leathers in Chesterfield just to buy some thermal gear to make cold weather riding more bearable. With purchase made we now completed the journey to the farm where I pitched my tent before heading back to Chesterfield to collect my pillion for the weekend, the charming Sue.
There was to be some planned entertainment later for the evening but Paul managed to provide entertainment himself with his air bed… any normal person with a double air bed would inflate it in the tent but Paul being Paul decided to use Pete and Kate’s air pump then try to get the fully inflated air bed into the tent… the pictures tell the rest of the story.
At the farm we had the use of the barn thanks to Gerry and Jan, the owners, and as the evening progressed we had just a few beers and the Three Shires branch chairman, Derrick and Dangerous Brian provided entertainment with their guitars, actually I thought they were very
Derrick & Brian
Saturday evening's entertainers good, certainly their guitar playing was better than mine. At the end of the night we returned to our snow covered tents and tried to get some sleep, which although I thought I was awake most of the night, I am reassured I was snoring most of the night.
The following morning we were all up and back into the barn for breakfast prior to the days ride out which was to be lead by Kevin and Kate who have possibly the best knowledge of Derbyshire roads that I know. Our ride out certainly took into consideration the snowy conditions and just when I was thinking how good Kevin was, sticking to the main roads which were well gritted… he hung a left straight on to a road with ice and snow on it and led us down into Tideswell where we had a lunch break, much to the appreciation of Paul who at 6-foot plus was withering away.
My pillion, Sue is a biker who normally rides a 600cc Honda Hornet but having only passed her test last summer has little experience and being concerned about the weather conditions went on the back of me for this
The Camping area
Was it cold?... No No No, it was absolutely freezing trip and I must admit I really enjoyed her company so much. I ride using a MP3 player piped into my helmet for entertainment along with Sat Nav instructions and hands free phone, I decided to take a helmet with intercom fitted for Sue but with Pete and Kate struggling to get stuff up to the farm, I had to leave the helmet at Pete and Kate’s so I could get the beer in the panniers… sorry Sue but I really think the helmet would have been too big for you anyway.
Leaving the tea shop in Tideswell where the staff were very obliging, Kevin lead us back to Crusader Leathers in Chesterfield where we had a cuppa and chatted to Ski, the salesman and a Three Shires founder member, before returning to the farm. Leaving Crusader, Sue wanted to pick up a duvet from home, only a few 100-yds away so we left the pack then met up with the others, back at the farm prior to the evenings entertainment.
The evening commenced with a few beers while Pete and Kate got the curry ready for us all, and what a cracking good curry it was. Then
Some of the Bikes the Next Morning
Normally these bike would be tucked up for the night... Now we've just got to find the Chokes to start them up came a presentation session with awards for the longest distance travelled to the event, which was won by Richard and Debbie who travelled 176-miles from Braintree to join us. Best bike was won by Andy “Dibble” Young, the Honda Owners Club Chairman, with our very own Richard winning the “most used looking bike award” and then it was my turn to take the floor.
You might remember from my last blog, about Paul criticising me for not stopping for a break on the way to the Sand Racing at Mablethorpe last weekend, well every dog has its day and this evening was to be mine. Kevin handed the floor over to me and I don’t have a problem publicly speaking especially when I’ve had a few beers. I made a presentation to Paul which consisted of a Mothercare bag containing a McDonald’s happy meal box. I explained how I had seen the errors of my ways by not stopping on the way to Mablethorpe and asked Paul to open the box to take his reward for correcting my errors, he exposed a child’s dummy which I explained was for him for the next time he spit his dummy out
Jennie
Jennie "I've got more Layers on than a onion" Clark on a branch ride out.
The night continued with Keven and Nigel entertaining us with renditions of popular songs, now I don’t usually go in for this kind of thing but the atmosphere was so great, you just couldn’t help but join in. Jan and Gerry joined us as the evening continued and Jan an excellent English teacher set about correcting spelling and grammar mistakes on the song sheets, which was absolutely hilarious. Next she took Pete to the front and did a little act with him sat on a chair which was very seductive, yet so funny as everyone watched on.
Jennie, the Honda Owners Club regalia secretary and a very nice person, brought new meaning to her position within the HOC with the regalia she was wearing to keep out the cold both in the barn and on the ride out. As I found out trying to button her up with all the layers she was wearing was no mean feat and impossible to do delicately, sorry for being so clumsy Jennie. 7-layers on to keep her warm and that was just in the barn
The guys played on, our hosts chatted to us all
How not to mount up
With all those layers Jennie displays how not to look feminine mounting the pillion on the back of Keven and the drinks flowed while everyone enjoyed their selves. I understand it was around 5-am when I returned to my tent, all I can remember was checking my watch at 7:30-pm, 11:00-pm and then who knows what time.
Sunday morning I was woken by Paul shouting to me that my breakfast was ready… it seemed early and I’ve had better mornings I must admit. Once again, well fed it was time to take the tents down and get ready to leave for home. We all said our goodbyes especially to the guy’s n gals, some who had travelled over 170-miles to join us for the weekend.
I have to say a few thank you’s to the people whom without them this weekend wouldn’t have been such the success that it was.
Jan and Gerry for the use of their farm land and barn.
Kevin Kate and their son David who organised the event, cooked breakfasts and led the ride out.
Pete and Kate for feeding us in the evenings with excellent chilli and curry (very tasty).
Derrick and Brian for the Friday night entertainment.
Nigel and Keven for the Saturday night entertainment.
Sue for sitting on the
Best bike
Andy "Dibble" Young and his very tidy VFR750 back of me and being an excellent pillion.
Everyone else because you all made it such a fantastic weekend.
Thank you all.
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Jennie Clarke
non-member comment
Mounting difficulties....
well, you know... sometimes it's very difficult to mount in a ladylike manner - especially when wearing 9 layers of clothes!! (and being of a vertically challenged persuasion... Bless 'im Keven was patience personified! (especially at the 'thawing out' break - thank you to Kate for helping me to get me leg over - when she'd stopped laughing - when it was time to come back!) Good job we weren't on and offing a lot poor soul was almost flat out on that tank!