Afghan Heroes Ride of Respect

GoldWings North Midlands are hosting their annual Ride of Respect to Wootton Bassett in aid of fallen Afghan heroes.

This will be the first official event of the newly formed Federation club and they invite you to take part. Plans include an overnight stay in a local hotel, taking part in the ride of respect, followed by a ride around the area on the Sunday. Pre-registration for the ride is required as numbers are expected to be high.

Last year around 10,000 bikers descended on Wiltshire to ride through the town of Wootton Bassett in appreciation of the sacrifice made by British soldiers. They rode through the town, the scene of many moving homecomings for service personnel killed in Afghanistan, to raise funds for  the charity Afghan Heroes.

Laurence Phillips, a spokesman for the charity, said: “This has been organised by the biking fraternity from across the UK, and it is their way of expressing their gratitude to the soldiers, who have given the ultimate, and also to the town. Wootton Bassett, which recently received Royal recognition, shows a spontaneous reaction when the people hear another soldier is coming through, they come out of the shops and line the streets, and the bikers want to recognise that.

The charity was set up three years ago by mothers of soldiers killed in Afghanistan to provide support for those directly involved in the conflict. The ride is in honour of the sacrifice made by British soldiers.

Full details can be found on the GoldWings North Midlands website

We’re hoping that this may turn out to be our new home,(see earlier posts for the details), but as we were late in making the decision to go there, another group has secured the booking for our normal meeting date. This, I’m glad to say, is a one-off event and I’m assured by the Hall Managers that we would be able to book the last Sunday in each month as usual starting with the meeting in March.

So, in order to give everyone a chance to look at the venue and see what it offers, we’re bringing February’s meeting forward to the 19th of Feb. You should all have received an email from John by now, giving details and directions to the venue, but there’s also more information on http://www.samlesburymemorialhall.co.uk/

Puzzled? Well, you won’t be when you know that Lynette and I became very proud Grandparents for the first time when our daughter Fiona gave birth to Joshua James at 12:15 am on the 5th December. Bit of a surprise, really, as he wasn’t expected until the 23rd! Mum and Son both doing fine and I’m having trouble prising him off Lynette, but manage to sneak in the occasional cuddle when she’s not looking!

Now, how small do they make those bike jackets?……..

It’s Sunday night as I type this and the first ever Llandudno Light Parade has been and gone for this year. But what an absolutely fantastic event it turned out to be. The sun shone, the crowds thronged and even the nice Welsh policemen pitched in to help make this a memorable weekend.

But rather than me rambling onabout it, here’s a copy of the e-mail I sent to the guys in Goldwings North Wales earlier tonight.

Dear All at Goldwings North Wales

Thought that it would be very remiss of me not to write and say just what an absolutely brilliant event the Llandudno Light Parade (1?) turned out to be.

It was wonderful to see the way in which everyone involved, the Organisers, Attendees and the Llandudno people themselves really entered into the spirit of the event and I’m really pleased to report that I personally was unaware of any animosity of ANY description from anyone throughout the whole weekend. This was truly an event where the key element was simply to have fun, and loads of it.

The response from the crowds before, during and after the Parade was almost overwhelming and I think it’s safe to say that they would probably be more than a little disappointed were you not to stage the event again in the future. Even the traffic played ball, some drivers electing to wait at junctions (even they had right of way) to allow the Parade to pass in its entirety.

All of us from Goldwings NorthWest agreed that it had been a truly enjoyable event, and I personally feel that you took up the baton from the BLP magnificently, especially given the somewhat limited time in which you had to prepare.

So, take a bow, and let’s look forward to more events like this in the future!

Ian Duxbury

Chairman, Goldwings NorthWest

and I’m absolutely sure that those who attended will be only too keen to put their side of the story in the comments fields below.

Incidentally, I understand that the event raised over £2700 for the RNLI, a pretty magnificent achievement for a first time, so again, many congratulations to all of you who made it possible!

So, it’s over to you……..

Although it’s probably unlikely that there’ll be anything like the generator shown here, just a reminder to you that we will be holding the bi-monthly raffle at this month’s meeting, so don’t forget to bring a prize.

 Who knows, you could even win your item back!

Following on from the lively discussions at this mornings meeting, I have spoken to Dave Turvey, (Chairman, Goldwings North Wales) and have established the following

Unfortunately, the date for the LLP this year has already been agreed with the Council and the other parties concerned and as such, can’t be altered. Had the date for RTTW been known prior, then the Organisers would have selected an alternative, but this wasn’t possible as the RTTW date was only announced after the LLP details were finalised.

The idea of alternating a Light Parade between Goldwings North Wales (Llandudno) and Goldwings North West (Southport or Morecambe) was proposed, as suggested at this morning’s meeting, and was very warmly welcomed by Dave. He had already had a similar suggestion proposed and felt that this could be a mutually beneficial arrangement for both clubs, offering a change of venue and also giving each team of Organisers more time in which to prepare.

So, the good news appears to be that the Southport Light Parade may become a reality – but remember that Jeff will need help and support from his fellow club members, so start having a think about rolling up your sleeves and pitching in to make it happen!

This is an event which we normally attend, and usually provides a wide selection of vehicles and entertainment to enjoy. This year, however, entry is by registration, and we have been very fortunate to have been given the chance to attend as a club for a very nominal fee. To register and obtain a pass, I need your registration number details.

Although some of you did supply your registration numbers to me at the last meeting, I really need to know numbers (and bike reg’s) by the end of next week. So if you haven’t already, can you please let me know either by posting here or at the club barbeque whether you want to come along for a sunny day out by the seaside!

It’s their 30th Anniversary, and as they’ve been going to Kirkby for some time and been warmly welcomed by the locals, they want to give a little back, and are planning tethered night flights, which by all accounts, are a spectacular sight as each balloon fires up its burners in turn.

When I suggested that we would be happy to display the bikes alongside them to hopefully enhance the event, they were very welcoming of the idea and said they’d be happy for us to join in. So, make sure all your lights are working and cameras primed, because we could have some of the biggest lights ever seen at any kind of goldwing light show!

PS Although they’re happy for us to wander into the bar and watch the band, they have asked that we make a donation to the Rugby Club if we do so, and……..the buffet’s theirs, so no nibbling!

Apparently, these have been tested and approved by no less than our resident gourmet, Mr Frank Goodman, and pronounced excellent.

I’m also advised by Stuart that you’d struggle to eat three, so if you’re pitching up on Friday and can’t be bothered cooking dinner, they’ll be available at a nominal cost of £3 each or the bargain two for £5.

Served, no doubt, in a convivial atmosphere with more than a hint of alcohol, these are sure to be popular, so don’t be late and miss out!

After returning home at a snail’s pace, I’m now looking for a replacement, so if anyone knows where one may be lurking, please let me know!

So, could all those of you interested please let us know at the next meeting, or if you can’t make it, via the comments section on this post. The sooner they know if enough people will come, then the better chance they have to make it happen.