Pre-departure Photo Call

Photo: Bob Colvin

Fine Hinckley Chop 1

Photo: Dave Jackson

A Well-Earned Burger

Photo: Bob Colvin

There was a healthy turnout of about fifteen bikes and around 20 people, encouraged no doubt by some of the best weather seen so far this year. To avoid congestion around Brands Hatch, the initial route was a picturesque bimble down Beesfield Lane, through Maplescombe and Knatts Valley.
Emerging onto the A20 we headed for Maidstone, pausing at the Oakdene to regroup. Between there and Maidstone it was a succession of red traffic lights which rather slowed the flow. Out of Maidstone and the troubles were not over - old Tom copped a puncture in the back wheel of his recently-chaired Thunderbird just around Leeds Castle which took him and Gwen out of the running. From the Lenham area it was clearer until we reached Charing where a horse race event was generating a sizable tailback of cars. No problem for a line of bikes though and we sailed past onto the A252 which is a great road with fine scenery.
The village hall is just before Chilham village itself and was filling up with bikes by the time we got there. The bar was open and the burger bar was setting up as entrants for the custom bike show assembled. One mature gentleman on a Velocette gamely parked it up beside the raked, chopped and lowered machines, before making a dignified if premature departure! I spotted a fine blue Hinckley triple chop amoung the Harley and Jap-based bikes.
Those of us who made straight for the burger bar when it opened were rewarded with some food not long after. Others like myself who weren't feeling hungry right then found themselves joining a longer queue later and waiting much, much longer. In my case - and I'm not exaggerating here - it was one and a half hours! And yes, it did taste good after all that!
Fortunately whilst standing in the queue there was still an opportunity to look at the bikes and witness the first charity auction. I chatted to a couple behind me from the Renegades MCC who confirmed the dates of their Pissed Indian rally - 16 to 18 August. This year they'll have the full site of approximately 20 acres apparently, so it should be much less of a squash than last year.
By the time I had consigned the much-anticipated burger to the safe haven of my stomach, some of the Bexley crew had started back home. I hung around long enough to hear some of the first band, "Fire And Water". They were all worryingly young, playing slow blues with a confident feel - if you like that sort of thing (the blues, not being confidently felt). From the tour itinerary they were handing out, they look to be based in Kent but are also planning a bit of a working holiday in Cornwall from late May to early June. Nice work if you can get it... After a couple of numbers, and with an eye on the clock I also set off, leaving behind just Richard Cottrell and Ian, plus a hundred or more bikers many of whom were camping overnight for a full evening's entertainment - and 1 a.m. bar.
The ride back was swift, smooth and sunny. I would not like to take any credit for the fine weather but I should perhaps reveal that the day before, in an unprecedented burst of energy I spent no less than six and a half hours cleaning my bike. A personal record and possibly even about the most time you could spend cleaning a Hinckley Trident (unless Barry knows otherwise)? Maybe such a fine effort could not go unrewarded. By the time you read this however, there will be several weeks of commuting dirt back on it. C'est la vie.