Now I’m still relatively new to all this Indian rally lark but when I think of camping now I automatically think of rain…..a bit pessimistic maybe but hey every time I’ve spent time under canvas so far (3 times and counting) it’s rained for at least part of the trip.  Anita’s warning that ‘it always rains in Holland’ was to be honest the last thing I wanted to hear, but never one to complain (mmmm….ok so that’s not strictly true but I’m a writer now….artistic licence and all that) I decided that it’d be fun to see somewhere other than Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire in the wet.

Our journey started well, Lutton to Harwich in just over two and a half hours.  Fed and watered we prepared for the night crossing to the Hook.  It might just be me but I’m sure we were the only sober couple on the boat….was everyone else really expecting such a rough crossing they had to get drunk to make it bearable?

I’m pleased to report that after an extremely calm and relaxing crossing we made it to Holland early Friday morning.

Keith had worked out directions to Lemmer that all looked and sounded really alien to me, he did an excellent job though (just don’t tell him I said so ok) and I thank goodness it wasn’t down to me to get us there…..

I was wondering if all this talk of rain was just scare mongering and we were going to be lucky, I mean we arrived at Tony’s, drank coffee, ate cake and chatted and it was dry and really quite warm…it was early days though and come ‘putting up tent time’ it had begun to look more than a little grey and gloomy.  I’m not exactly sure what time it started to rain but lets just say it hadn’t stopped when we decided to hit the sleeping bags at well after midnight. All in all though it had been a good day, we’d made it in the dry with no wrong turnings and had met up with some old and soon to be new friends. 

One of the nicest things I’ve found about the people you meet at these rallies is that even if it’s been months since you last met up, once you’re together if feels like it was just yesterday….

Saturday morning was a sight to behold…clear blue sky…and the promise of a fun ride out….

We set off at midday, and spent the next few hours winding our way around the local area, cyclists, joggers, walkers, cows, horses and one very confused swan marvelling at the site of so many old machines in one place.

On the way back Anita, Pete, Sascha, Phil, Keith and I decided that we’d take a trip back up into Lemmer to see if the cake shop was still open.  I don’t know about you but I for one think every trip should involve a visit to at least one local bakery (my excuse is a very genuine one, I come from a family of bakers).  We weren’t disappointed, they may have been about to close for the weekend but the sight of 6 hungry Brits was enough to win them over and it was coffee and cake all round!!

Saturday evening is definitely one I won’t forget in a hurry, the food (a cook it yourself BBQ with salad etc) and drink was excellent but the entertainment was second to none.  A tyre throwing competition was swiftly followed by a ‘how long can you hang on the handlebars from the ceiling of the bar’ competition…..now I think this looks hard enough with no outside interference, but for a ‘select’ few participants including Andy Carabine, a tray of fire was placed under their feet…..not exactly walking over hot coals but definitely a case of feet of flames if ever there was one….they all did an admirable job knowing that if it made them hot under the collar it had all gone very very wrong!! (see photo 1)

The chat, laughter, drinking and huge amounts of stupidity went on well into the early hours of Sunday…..the evening had just flown by…..it had been such good fun….

Sunday morning was pretty much a continuation of Friday night….it rained from the moment we woke but hey, we’d had a great time.  I know packing up in the rain isn’t the most fun you could ever have at the end of a weekend away but it wasn’t all bad….at least I had the bottom two inches of my jeans and wasn’t short!!

Sorry Phil, I know we’ve only just met but this really was the funniest thing I saw all weekend! (see photo 2)

Jo Roughton

Spring 1644:  The Wash Lincolnshire. Dear King Charles, rained all week house flooded again.  I’m getting a bit fed up with this flooding lark …etc etc

Spring 1645:  The Wash Lincolnshire.  Dear King Charles, rained all week up to neck in water.  I’m still bit fed up with this flooding lark it’s been a year since I wrote you …etc etc

Spring 1649:  The Wash Lincolnshire.  Raining again, look Charlie its been 4 years now, can you send someone round to sort this flooding lark don’t care who.  How about trying some of them Dutch blokes its supposed to be a bit wet over there too I’ve heard ..

Spring 1650:  South Holland Lincolnshire.  Result!  well done, that Vermuyden chap done a great job even me gardens drying out now, might even be able to plant a few potatoes this year.

2009:  South Holland Lincolnshire.
Every year a particular mate of mine says “Why didn’t you come to Holland it’s a brilliant rally “ So this year I was ready for him.  We booked the ferry in January and sat back waiting.  Anita and Pete are coming too but she says “ Bring waterproofs it always rains “ ..Yeah right they always say that about Lincolnshire too and it doesn’t really.
2 weeks before the rally that mate calls and says he can’t make it Sad but at least Anita and Pete still reckon on going.

Set off Thursday evening for Harwich to catch the night boat to the Hook we can do that easy from here and you get a nights sleep while travelling (ace plan) if you do this be warned there’s no petrol stations after Colchester, the one at the dock closes at 8 and the only one in Harwich shuts at 10ish.  We managed to get there at 9.45 and back to the Premier Inn in time for last food at 10.  Sat in the small queue to load the boat when the rain started Ha Ha do we care we’re sailing all night.

8.45 am and we’re in Holland, brilliant its sunny and looks like a tidy Lincolnshire all good then.  There’s 50 million less people in Holland but I think most of them work in Utrect going by the traffic jams and gosh If I thought it was flat at home the north of Holland makes it seem like a roller coaster.
Found Lemmer by lunchtime and Tony’s place soon after, only to find we’re the first there and what a brilliant place Tony and Hennie have.  First thing they say is coffee’s just going on hey that’s my kind of rally.
 
Not long behind us Anita and Pete arrive, at some point Pete just couldn’t stand a non-smoking Anita in the van and turfs her and her bike out Tee Hee.   The Carabine roadshow appears Andy managing to sleep across another large part of Europe after entertaining a pirate hen troupe on the boat from Hull.  As more people arrive and we get the tent up the sun disappears but hey that can’t be spots of rain ……can it ?  Oh yes it can but it’ll pass and Tony has opened up his museum. If you haven’t been there it’s worth the trip just to look round his collection and workshop it’s amazing now if I could only get a bigger shed ……mmm.
 
One guy turned up on a really neat Brit plunger framed Yamaha XS 500 that he’d ridden from near Berlin, bang goes my chance of furthest ridden, the only bike based prize at this rally, the rest you have to work for not even Pete’s famous polishing abilities will get you anywhere here. (see photo 3)

And then the rain started.

Food on, bar running and people still turning up despite the rain.  All in all a good Friday night with old friends and meeting new ones.  Splash off to bed,  just like being home I guess as it was raining there too

Saturday and hey it’s sunny again and Claude pulls Rollie’s new toy out of the trailer (see photo 4)
Yep that’s a really nice Nimbus 4 and we think Indian 4s are rare but I reckon by the time you read this Andy Carabine’s found a new use for yards of flat strip steel.  I hear you’ll see this again in Scotland later in the year.

All “Saddled Up“ and off on a ride out round the local area pausing at a village to check out the wooden sailing boats (see photo 5)

Carried on for a coffee stop then headed back to Tonys, still sunny but then like a fool, I suggested a run for cakes in Lemmer, on leaveing there, yep…it rained….but only until we got back to the site.

Now comes the chance to win a prize, well if you’re any good at throwing a tyre or hanging off handle bars fitted to the ceiling of the bar that is.  Into the evening with an excellent band called Tuff Enough (I think), still can’t see how just two guys managed to sound like Pink Floyd.  All in all an excellent night, good beer and good company.

Sunday Morning, its only raining again.  Pack up, say goodbye and head for the boat.  It only rained for 60 miles, guess Anita must’ve been right… waterproofs were a necessity.

Note for next year, get the night boat back too as 6 hours and coffee at £2 a cup makes it a long trip. 

It was a brilliant rally and we’ll be there next year.  A big thanks to Tony and Hennie for a great time

Keith Bird