President's Page
Ladies and Gentlemen,
July already....it will soon be the Nottingham Summertime Spin.
Thanks to Ian Garmston for the new look newsletter. It was good to add the pictures in, even if some people complain that they still lack broadband facilities, though I do not recall that shot of Long Mynd from 2004.
Congratulations to Neville Riley and the Rotary Club of Meriden for their impeccable organisation of the Megaride last weekend. 147 bikes used the "Second man drop off system" to navigate from Alcester to Leamington and IFMR contributed a number of 'experienced' markers, at least at the start of the route. About 150 more bikes joined the Leamington to Meriden stage together with police blues and twos stopping the traffic, though I was surprised to see them crossing double white lines!! Everyone arrived safely and the weather was dry and warm. A super weekend.
Thank you to all the members of IFMR who helped. It was good to see some of the members who cannot attend our weekend events, both on Sunday and at The Manor Hotel on Saturday. Particular thanks to Celia and Richard for their hospitality – an impressive afternoon tea, and their organisation of the Manor Hotel for us, and thanks for the fellowship to everyone who was at The Manor on Saturday evening which everyone appeared to enjoy. Altogether, we enjoyed a super weekend.
Members can always organise local ride outs, but I would like to pick up on an idea that Jeff Watkins started in his Presidency – a Sunday Lunch ride out. August has no other events, so, building on a suggestion from Spike Parker, I have visited the George and Dragon at Long Hanborough, north west of Oxford. The hosts Adrian and June have a suitably priced menu and plenty of space. Alison and I intend to be there on Sunday 22 August in the bar shortly after 12:00 and eat around 1:00. We would be pleased for any members or prospective members to join us, particularly those who cannot attend the weekend events. Long Hanborough is one of a number of pretty villages, and I would expect members to be able to select a suitable route, either singly or in small groups, and find the destination. For those who have the time, I have attached details of a couple of local attractions. It is not booked in advance and anyone can just turn up, but a guide as to numbers would be VERY helpful, so PLEASE reply to this e-mail stating how many you might plan to come for lunch, even if that figure is zero, (response number one, please).
Planning for next year, we already have the AGM and Ray Biddle Memorial Black and White Villages ride based at Ludlow, 6 to 8 May 2011. Paul and Trish Chilton are working on a weekend based at the Brooklands Hotel, Weybridge, 8 to 10 July 2011, so please note the dates in your diary. There is a possibility of something in the north in September 2011, but otherwise, I am still open to ideas and volunteers, and for 2012 !!.
Overseas, this year has the 12 days in Spain. I recognise that not everyone can spare that much time, and next year I hope there will be a much shorter trip to the 1916 battlefields of the Somme. This idea started from a report that the Pan-Clan had enjoyed a tour with Martin Pegler www.martinpegler.com. Martin is an historian and a motorcyclist and a professional guide. Not all the good things in life a free, and the individual cost of this trip will depend on how many people are contributing to his fees.
The outline plan is to stay in Arras, with members making their own arrangements (possibly in independent groups) to get there, and to get back, either on 24 August 11 or perhaps earlier if some people require a shorter trip. Arras is only 70 miles and 1 hour 12 minutes from Calais according to my GPS.
Thu 18/8/11
1
Ride to Arras (probably Hotel L'Univers)
Fri 19/8/11
2
Day with Martin Pegler, starting at the Thiepval Memorial
Sat 20/8/11
3
Free day, market and general bustle of Arras or whatever appeals
Sun 21/8/11
4
Day with Martin Pegler, Ypres (back to hotel about 10:00p.m.)
Mon 22/8/11
5
Free day, Arras tunnels or whatever appeals
Tue 23/8/11
6
Day with Martin Pegler, Fromelles and Vimy Ridge
Wed 24/8/11
7
Ride home
These are the notes I have had from Kate Pegler –
Day 1 - arrive and settle into hotel
Day 2 - Meet Martin - probably somewhere like the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing where there is a visitor centre and a car park. This would be about a 25-30 minute ride from Arras. (On a map, look for Bapaume due south of Arras and then Albert south west of that and you will see Thiepval to the west of the main roman road, about halfway down)
Day 3 - perhaps this should be a Saturday for the market and generally bustle of a northern French town?
Day 4 - Martin suggests that he takes you to Ypres which as you know is about 50-60 miles north (75 miles from our home, more or less). Depending on timings, you would see some or all of the following: the Cloth Hall in the centre of Ypres which was totally destroyed and rebuilt after the war, Tyne Cot cemetery (the largest on the Western Front and built around three huge german bunkers), Langemark german cemetery, Hooge crater museum, Hill 60 and if you chose to have an early evening meal up there, you could watch the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres which is held every night at 8.00pm. This would mean you would get back to your hotel in Arras until about 10.00pm onwards.
Day 5 - free day - not so many shops open, but there will be some. Arras had two tunnel complexes which you could visit without Martin on this day perhaps - one set of tunnels are under the Hotel de Ville and you are usually taken through by a English speaking guide, the other set are called the Wellington Barracks and are just to the south of the city centre (it is a bit too far to walk I think) but they are fantastic - cut out of the chalk, you go down in a glass lift so that you see the strata and then have a guide plus earphones which talk you through the tunnels and their history. This complex has only been open for about 2 or 3 years and is well worth it. I can send leaflets for this. And if anyone fancied a ride out - a trip to the Bay of the Somme means some great twisty roads and perhaps a seafood lunch by the sea. But there are other options, of course!
Day 6 - Martin suggests that he takes you to Fromelles and Vimy Ridge which are both north of Arras. Fromelles is the site where the Australian and British governments have linked up to dig up, identify (first mass use of DNA in such a circumstance) and rebury about 250 soldiers, who were 'lost' after the war and are being reburied this year in the first brand new cemetery in many years. There will be a special ceremony in July (11th, I think) this year when the last chap is buried with full military honours. Vimy Ridge is a Canadian memorial site and is stunning. It has a small trench system and some tunnels you can visit.
Day 7 departure
Before I progress this further, and in order to do so, I do need members to indicate what level of interest there could be, accepting that we do not yet know costs. PLEASE reply to this e-mail saying "not interested", "might do", or "enthusiastic" (response number two, please). Obviously this is just a guide to me at this stage and no-one will be committed.
Finally, a repeat of a previous request – if there are changes to the group that you think we should be making, please let me know.
Enjoy your riding,
Michael
: 24/08/2010 20:49 : 1318
Ladies and Gentlemen,
July already....it will soon be the Nottingham Summertime Spin.
Thanks to Ian Garmston for the new look newsletter. It was good to add the pictures in, even if some people complain that they still lack broadband facilities, though I do not recall that shot of Long Mynd from 2004.
Congratulations to Neville Riley and the Rotary Club of Meriden for their impeccable organisation of the Megaride last weekend. 147 bikes used the "Second man drop off system" to navigate from Alcester to Leamington and IFMR contributed a number of 'experienced' markers, at least at the start of the route. About 150 more bikes joined the Leamington to Meriden stage together with police blues and twos stopping the traffic, though I was surprised to see them crossing double white lines!! Everyone arrived safely and the weather was dry and warm. A super weekend.
Thank you to all the members of IFMR who helped. It was good to see some of the members who cannot attend our weekend events, both on Sunday and at The Manor Hotel on Saturday. Particular thanks to Celia and Richard for their hospitality – an impressive afternoon tea, and their organisation of the Manor Hotel for us, and thanks for the fellowship to everyone who was at The Manor on Saturday evening which everyone appeared to enjoy. Altogether, we enjoyed a super weekend.
Members can always organise local ride outs, but I would like to pick up on an idea that Jeff Watkins started in his Presidency – a Sunday Lunch ride out. August has no other events, so, building on a suggestion from Spike Parker, I have visited the George and Dragon at Long Hanborough, north west of Oxford. The hosts Adrian and June have a suitably priced menu and plenty of space. Alison and I intend to be there on Sunday 22 August in the bar shortly after 12:00 and eat around 1:00. We would be pleased for any members or prospective members to join us, particularly those who cannot attend the weekend events. Long Hanborough is one of a number of pretty villages, and I would expect members to be able to select a suitable route, either singly or in small groups, and find the destination. For those who have the time, I have attached details of a couple of local attractions. It is not booked in advance and anyone can just turn up, but a guide as to numbers would be VERY helpful, so PLEASE reply to this e-mail stating how many you might plan to come for lunch, even if that figure is zero, (response number one, please).
Planning for next year, we already have the AGM and Ray Biddle Memorial Black and White Villages ride based at Ludlow, 6 to 8 May 2011. Paul and Trish Chilton are working on a weekend based at the Brooklands Hotel, Weybridge, 8 to 10 July 2011, so please note the dates in your diary. There is a possibility of something in the north in September 2011, but otherwise, I am still open to ideas and volunteers, and for 2012 !!.
Overseas, this year has the 12 days in Spain. I recognise that not everyone can spare that much time, and next year I hope there will be a much shorter trip to the 1916 battlefields of the Somme. This idea started from a report that the Pan-Clan had enjoyed a tour with Martin Pegler www.martinpegler.com. Martin is an historian and a motorcyclist and a professional guide. Not all the good things in life a free, and the individual cost of this trip will depend on how many people are contributing to his fees.
The outline plan is to stay in Arras, with members making their own arrangements (possibly in independent groups) to get there, and to get back, either on 24 August 11 or perhaps earlier if some people require a shorter trip. Arras is only 70 miles and 1 hour 12 minutes from Calais according to my GPS.
Thu 18/8/11 |
1 |
Ride to Arras (probably Hotel L'Univers) |
|
||
Fri 19/8/11 |
2 |
Day with Martin Pegler, starting at the Thiepval Memorial |
|
||
Sat 20/8/11 |
3 |
Free day, market and general bustle of Arras or whatever appeals |
|
||
Sun 21/8/11 |
4 |
Day with Martin Pegler, Ypres (back to hotel about 10:00p.m.) |
|||
Mon 22/8/11 |
5 |
Free day, Arras tunnels or whatever appeals |
|
||
Tue 23/8/11 |
6 |
Day with Martin Pegler, Fromelles and Vimy Ridge |
|
||
Wed 24/8/11 |
7 |
Ride home |
|
||
These are the notes I have had from Kate Pegler –
Day 1 - arrive and settle into hotel
Day 2 - Meet Martin - probably somewhere like the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing where there is a visitor centre and a car park. This would be about a 25-30 minute ride from Arras. (On a map, look for Bapaume due south of Arras and then Albert south west of that and you will see Thiepval to the west of the main roman road, about halfway down)
Day 3 - perhaps this should be a Saturday for the market and generally bustle of a northern French town?
Day 4 - Martin suggests that he takes you to Ypres which as you know is about 50-60 miles north (75 miles from our home, more or less). Depending on timings, you would see some or all of the following: the Cloth Hall in the centre of Ypres which was totally destroyed and rebuilt after the war, Tyne Cot cemetery (the largest on the Western Front and built around three huge german bunkers), Langemark german cemetery, Hooge crater museum, Hill 60 and if you chose to have an early evening meal up there, you could watch the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres which is held every night at 8.00pm. This would mean you would get back to your hotel in Arras until about 10.00pm onwards.
Day 5 - free day - not so many shops open, but there will be some. Arras had two tunnel complexes which you could visit without Martin on this day perhaps - one set of tunnels are under the Hotel de Ville and you are usually taken through by a English speaking guide, the other set are called the Wellington Barracks and are just to the south of the city centre (it is a bit too far to walk I think) but they are fantastic - cut out of the chalk, you go down in a glass lift so that you see the strata and then have a guide plus earphones which talk you through the tunnels and their history. This complex has only been open for about 2 or 3 years and is well worth it. I can send leaflets for this. And if anyone fancied a ride out - a trip to the Bay of the Somme means some great twisty roads and perhaps a seafood lunch by the sea. But there are other options, of course!
Day 6 - Martin suggests that he takes you to Fromelles and Vimy Ridge which are both north of Arras. Fromelles is the site where the Australian and British governments have linked up to dig up, identify (first mass use of DNA in such a circumstance) and rebury about 250 soldiers, who were 'lost' after the war and are being reburied this year in the first brand new cemetery in many years. There will be a special ceremony in July (11th, I think) this year when the last chap is buried with full military honours. Vimy Ridge is a Canadian memorial site and is stunning. It has a small trench system and some tunnels you can visit.
Day 7 departure
Before I progress this further, and in order to do so, I do need members to indicate what level of interest there could be, accepting that we do not yet know costs. PLEASE reply to this e-mail saying "not interested", "might do", or "enthusiastic" (response number two, please). Obviously this is just a guide to me at this stage and no-one will be committed.
Finally, a repeat of a previous request – if there are changes to the group that you think we should be making, please let me know.
Enjoy your riding,
Michael