Robin Hood Rally
26 - 28 June 2009
I
awoke at 0400, on the Friday morning with the rain falling
like stair-rods, and it was still chucking it down when
Lesley and I left for the Cookies house to do the ride
up to the Robin Hood Rally together. When I hit the
M5 at Bridgwater the motorway had wall to wall traffic
in all three lanes only managing about 50MPH. A quick
cup of coffee at John’s and away we went the M5
was no better the other side of Weston so we decided
to cut across country and go up the Fosse way. Although
it was still raining we had a very pleasant ride up
to Stow on the Wold and stopped for a Cream Tea, it
would have been rude not too. On then and up to the
M69 and M1 where we encountered Road-works and a torrential
down pour, then the clouds parted the rain stopped and
the temperature rose by 5 degrees and my waterproofs
had the adverse effect and I was wetter inside than
out. We entered the Grounds of Eastwood Hall which were
outstanding, the only problem was the speed bumps which
tended to scrape the bottom of the bike, this did not
put John off as he just scraped two furrows out along
the granite cobbles with his centre stand. Outside the
Main Door to greet us was Pony Moore and with him the
International Vice-President Pat FOX. Having parked
our bikes in a secure parking area we unpacked and were
then allocated our rooms, we were greeted and given
a goody bags with a welcoming letter from the Chief
Constable of Nottinghamshire by Members of England VI
welcoming committee. Waiting were our good friends from
Belgium IX Chapter Ronnie and Carmen whose chapter ran
the Flanders Field Rally we recently attended. Of course
I should not fail to mention Ken and Diane and Graham
and Jackie, who had organised the event and made us
really welcome. Steve and Leone who we had recently
rode with to Croatia with, Steve parading with a pair
of shoes for some reason I failed to find out why, were
also in the foyer, Leone having attended on her own
BMW.
After a quick change into shorts and t-shirt we all
decended on the Health Suit, (Yes even John) where there
was a lovely array of a steam room, sauna, jaccusie
and swimming pool. For the really fit, in the Gym there
were all the other paraphernalia bikes, running roads,
rowing machines etc. Having tried every-thing out for
about an hour and a half (not in the Gym mind) we decided
it was time to have a well earnt drink at the Bar. Here
we sat and met lots of fellow Knights from Germany,
Belgium and different parts of the UK and Scotland.
A quick change and down for Supper, it eventually arrived
only an hour or so later than programmed, but was well
worth the wait. The soup was so good I had two bowls
full, there must have been at least eight Choices of
Main Course, of which I had a sample of each, also a
salad was provided for the likes of Cookie. We also
had to sample each of the eight puddings, it would have
been rude not to, all were delicious and well worth
the wait. After a Bit of Socialising at the Bar, we
went for a walk around the grounds where we spied a
Deer, Rabbits and a Hare. Ronnie and Carmen had decided
to sit outside on the patio and had the company of a
little mouse who would come out of his hole and make
his way under the table to pick up any scraps dropped.
Poor John and Tina
having picked up a bug had a very traumatic and restless
night. Saturday morning birds singing, squirrels and
some strange water fowl on the lawns we managed a Fat
Boys breakfast, (well one of us did) we all got ready
for the Ride Out, there were two rides, one going via
Snake Pass and the Other via the Cat and Fiddle, we
decided on the Snake Pass Ride along with about twenty
odd other Knights. We rode through some nice villages
and into the grounds of Chatsworth House the Home of
the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire in the Heart of the
Peak District, The House and grounds looked magnificent
as the weather had picked up by then. Off through some
more picturesque countryside and a stop for a well earned
drink at the Yorkshire Bridge Inn. Off again and around
the Ladybower Reservoir in the Upper Derwent Valley,
these are famous for 617 Sqd RAF (the Dambusters) who
practiced there raids there prior to attacking the Ruhr
Dams in Germany. (There is a Museum but we didn’t
have time to stop). Up the Glossop to Ladybower road
built by Telford in 1820, Snake Pass and a few other
places before stopping at the now famous Bikers Pub,
‘The Cat and Fiddle’ for well earned Lunch.
Shortly after arriving we were joined by the other members
of the second rally ride out. Back in the saddle and
we soon passed through Ashford in the Water, Cromford,
Matlock Bath all steeped in History, I won’t bore
you with the facts. At a set of Traffic lights at a
T-Junction, a few hundred metres from our tea stop,
we were joined from our left by the second ride out
as if planned to perfection, and all rode into the ‘Hurt
Arms’ The current Meeting Place of England Vl,
(they even have their own Blue Knights Printed Menu,
the food and the prices looked really good). After a
well earned drink we all set off again, both ride outs
together, to ride the eight miles or so back to Eastwood
Hall en mass. The ride out was a journey of some 135
Miles through some of the most picturesque parts of
Derbyshire and the National Park of the Peak District,
well worth a visit if you are ever up that part of the
Country.
Another Steam, Sauna
and Swim and it was time to get ready for the Formal
Evening Dinner. I had the pleasure of sitting at the
table with Pat FOX the International Vice-President,
Pony MOORE UKIC International Rep, Graham and Jacquie
BUXTON UKIC President, as well Dougie and Marcella our
Belgium friends from Scotland 1, John ended up with
Chunky and his Missus President of England VI, and a
Bunch of Firemen, I think Tina was in her element, (or
would have been if she could have persuaded then to
do the Full Monty, but alas not). The three Course Meal
was to Die for. A Charity Auction then took place for
three items, I ended up bidding against Cookie for one
item but thought better of it as I had to ride home
with him the next day and I didn’t want him sulking
all the way. (Seriously though, it was for a 21st Birthday
present John was bidding, and when I found out I stopped
my bids). After the Raffle, or I think that is what
it was a mixture of a raffle and the 100 Square game,
this was soon over and we got on with the serious part
of the Evening the Group, Disco and Drinking. The band
‘Stockholm Syndrome’ started up and within
a few nano seconds had emptied half of the room, where
we had all retired too and assembled at the Bar where
the Music was pitched at the right level, don’t
get me wrong the Band were really good but too damned
loud. Chunky did his bit on the Disco front and all
too soon it was time to hit the Wooden Hill.
On the Sunday before we departed for home Ken had arranged
to take John and I to a local Motorcycle shop so as
we could size up the model of Helmet we would be using
on our ‘Up and Down Ride’ later this year,
and as Pony and Pat FOX needed to get to the Motorway
Graham BUXTON offered to show us the way, as it was
on the way to the motorway killing two birds with one
stone, you might say. Pony bought a Clock for his BMW
and Pat and he departed, John persuaded the shop assistant
to get a helmet out of the Front Window Display for
him to try on, on the pretext it could be a Birthday
present from Tina, having sized the helmet, he made
his excuses and we all left. We had a great ride back
down the Fosse Way, the weather was good to us with
hardly a thing on the road, we soon made up time and
distance riding in tandem, so to speak, and before we
knew it we were back at Stow on the Wold again having
another Cream Tea. Tina and Lesley then decided to do
a bit of sightseeing, another name for shopping, whilst
John and I stood by the bikes chatting to quite a few
visitors as they stopped to admire the bikes. A young
lady with one of those tricycle Ice cream bike thingies
pitched up near to us, so John and I decided to have
a large 99, well it would have been rude not to do so
wouldn’t it?. Off again and at the M4 junction
John and I parted to make our merry ways home. I clocked
551 Miles over the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed every
minute of it. The Robin Hood rally raised £540
over the weekend for their Charity ‘DIABETES UK’
I never did get to see men running around in Green Tights over the weekend, very disappointing.
Muddy
Secretary/Treasurer. PHOTO GALLERY