So, the new rally site was booked, as was the time off work needed to set up & pack up. With members spending the Thursday before the rally checking tents ⛺️ & camping gear, not to mention bikes, 🏍️ Wilts were set!
Fast forward to 1000 the next day and we find Dave Jolly, Alan Weatherall, ‘Jimmy,’ Andrew & Katie Young meeting at The Woodbridge Pub, North Newnton, Pewsey, SN9 6JZ to set up.
The marquee was up, the electric hook up in, the tables were up and more importantly, the Burco boiler tea urn was boiling in around an hour. Normal service, was resumed! ☕️
All this was necessary to present the illusion of efficient organisation prior to booking in the first rallyists, giving them their arrival packs & outlining the weekend’s activities. Around midday Individuals, couples and families began arriving from 7 different HOC branches & not forgetting the Gold Wing (GW) riders UK group to set up their temporary accommodation for the weekend.
With 25 pitches booked, 41 people staying & 44 in the evening, it was a good logistic effort all round. A ‘well done’ should be awarded to Andrew and Katie Young & the rest of the Wilts’ team & helpers.
After a Friday evening of ‘meet and greet’ & a pub led quiz, further time was spent rekindling friendships & putting the world to rights.
Having socialised enough for a first night, tired but refreshed people retired to their respective tents ⛺️ and motorhomes for a good night’s sleep after some long journeys.
The following morning was bright and dry but a bit chilly to start with (especially for ‘I feel the cold’ 🥶 El Presidenté, Claire J – even with her 6 layers & the bike’s hot 🥵 grips on)! However, it later warmed up to a balmy 17 deg C! 😅
0900 was the predetermined time for the obligatory, ride out brief, given by Dave J.. With Alan Weatherall gamely stepping up to lead and Andrew Y kindly bringing up the rear of the column as ‘tail-end Charlie’, 25 riders set off for the initial ☕️ stop at the Barge Pub in Bradford-on-Avon on the Kennet & Avon canal. This historic waterway runs through the town and is a popular spot for narrowboat holidays.
Energy levels restored, we headed off. We rode a scenic route for 30 miles for about an hour to a well known limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills, near the village of Cheddar, Somerset. Here, we spent a couple of hours or so lunching & playing tourist at the site of the Cheddar show caves, where Great Britain’s oldest complete human skeleton, ‘Cheddar Man’ estimated to be 9,000 years old (that’s even older than Charles Deakin!) 😳 was found in 1903.
Although it did rain, 🌧️☔️ quite hard at times on the latter part of the Saturday afternoon ride out, the weather was otherwise warm & fair for the rest of the weekend. (It wouldn’t be a Wilts rally without chilly nights and at least one, wet 💦 ride out)!
Returning to the campsite after a mid afternoon ☕️ stop, riders arrived back wet 💦 but safe & sound after approximately 109 miles of scenic roads.
Now it was a case of sort out the bikes and our wet kit and get into the Pub where the pre-ordered food awaited us.
Following the evening meal was another well prepared, general knowledge quiz, again slickly delivered by Darren (‘the quiz master’) Offord. Thanks again Daz. Great quiz! 👍 which was won (by some considerable margin) by team ‘HON MW DIAN’ consisting of: Dave & Claire J, Rob G & Michelle R, Steve C & Alan W.
Go team Wilts! 😁
Following the quiz was a charity raffle. Thank you Katie for arranging this & for auctioning off your home made rug (after 84 of your woman hours’ work) for Wilts Air Ambulance. A total of £503 being raised.
Then followed more rehydrating and socialising and a 2nd night’s sleep on site… 💤
Sunday dawned bright & dry with 17 riders, led by Stephen Courtney & the rear being brought up by Rob Grist heading off for the hour/ 30 miles group ride past Warminster into the Longleat Estate to Shearwater Lakes. Here coffee, cakes & ice cream were the mid morning order of the day.
Returning to site, for a Sunday roast, Katie Y had again helpfully given the rally’s menu choices to the Woodbridge staff in advance so long delays were avoided. Large platefuls of wholesome fodder were soon being tucked into.
Sunday afternoon was spent playing oversized, competitive Jenga & slightly inebriated Twister. Thankfully, despite some trainee contortionists strutting their stuff & one or two stretched ligaments, only egos & pride got bruised…🫣🤕
Sunday evening was a quieter affair as the rides, fresh air (and not to mention the rehydrating) took their toll on individuals’ staying power.
Monday morning was strike the marquee & tents, strip out, pack up and store equipment ready for the next rally. Thank you all for coming and for helping Wilts Branch enjoy their rally.
We hope you enjoyed it too and that next year’s rally will build further on the high standards set at this one.
A big thanks to everyone who helped plan, organise, lead ride outs, cadge raffle prizes, set up, strip out, or assist in any way.
By Dave Jolly 🤓
Wilts HOC Secretary.
