Phil learnt the hard way
that Sybil never forgets! A passing comment at last year’s rally about the
state of the toilets, proved to be a binding contract to clean them and keep
them spic and span all weekend! (To make matters worse, Phil has now had the
training to be included on the cleaning rota at home – no excuses now!)
By the time Phil had
finished his ‘Mrs Mop’ impression, many old friends and new began to arrive.
After the rain had stopped on Friday afternoon, Chris drove in with the
afternoon’s game known as ‘How many bikers does it take to erect a marquee?’
Plenty of puzzling and head scratching was resolved when Pete checked the box
and found the instruction leaflet! With the marquee in place, Mike and Sybil
set about preparing a camp fire supper for the ever-increasing number of Indian
Riders (plus a few Triumph, Harley, BMW and BSA riders!)
We woke on Saturday morning
to warm and sunny weather, ideal conditions for a ride-out, if only we could
find someone willing to take responsibility for leading it! After Alan had
popped in, simply to help prepare the breakfast, Bruce and Stephanie were
persuaded to take us off to Winchelsea. Phil was excited about riding his
Indian four on it’s first run, whilst Anita and Stuart had brought along their
old faithful 741s – these bikes had been feeling rather neglected since their
owners had acquired Chiefs. Fred and Su were enjoying the home from home
comfort of their latest Harley, so they offered to act as the back marker to
keep us all together.
We managed pretty well, at
least as far as Winchelsea. Here the choice was museum or pub, or was it pub or
museum? You will not be surprised to find that Val, Ron, Ken, Roy, Cliff,
Stuart, Brian, Scott, Phil and I headed straight for the pub! Following this
thirst-quenching break we set off for the sea. After a slight mishap, a few of
us headed for Rye, others for Rye Harbour. Eventually after some nifty rounding
up (minus the lasso) Fred got us back together on the road to Winchelsea Beach.
BUT …………………. Phil stopped to assist Nobby, who was experiencing battery
problems, and then Phil’s Four would not restart – magneto problems. Phil and I
returned ‘two-up’ on my Tiger 90 to collect the van and retrieve the bikes. The
rest of the crew made their way back in the sunshine via various routes.
Saturday evening brought the
promise of Fish & Chips, allowing Mike and Sybil an evening off to enjoy time
around the camp fire, which many of us have previously taken for granted! The
food was delicious once Phil and I had managed to collect the correct number of
suppers! These were washed down with plenty of wine, beer, Jack Daniels and
great company. Sitting around the camp site we felt relaxed and reflective;
sharing fond memories of a good year, some super rallies and ride-outs. Linda
was delighted by the success of the raffle, which raised money to help the boys
in an orphanage in India. Thanks to everyone’s generosity £100 was raised.
On Sunday morning Tony and
Linda prepared a tasty breakfast (with extra sausages for the selection of
hungry dogs). The slow start to the day continued with a photo call for the ‘I
love Mike’ fan club – T-shirts courtesy of A. Dray Design Inc. - which was
followed by a team effort to clear the site. Finally we reached the end of a
splendid weekend and headed off on our journey home, almost at the end of a
superb summer season.
A special thanks must go to
Mike and Sybil for organising the event and to everyone else for coming along to
help create a really relaxing weekend. Take Care, Safe Riding.
Jo Lakey 
