Thursday: Heavy congestion and a breakdown (our van) find us after 3 hours at the Cross Keys PH in Dorset for the third rally at this venue. Already there were Pete & Anita, Lorraine, Cliff and Roy who were already basking in the sun. Soon pitched, bike unloaded, food ate and off to the pub for a chat and some Dorset Bitter.
Friday dawned with the arrival of Chris plus caravan and shortly after the first ride out commenced. After a 100 mile ride out the previous Sunday, my bike was all ready to go – NO! The general consensus was fuel problems so sent the ride out off and stripped the carb. “99% carb problems are electrical”, a great man once said (was it you Tim Berry?). So after removing a dead insect from the float bowl and a complete clean; the bike starts ok. By this time hosts Claudia and Tim and Road Captain Ron had arrived and were preparing for the first official ride out to the Sixpenny Brewery in the New Forest. After a fuel stop gremlins returned to my bike and with Pete kicking and me twiddling the ignition key, the bike starts!   Back on site we prove with a multi meter, that the switch is faulty but ok with the lights on position. Sorted! Early afternoon in the sun and a mooch in Wayne’s pop up shop. Just what I needed, another leather jacket 😊. Good parts available as well. Later at the pub with Cliff entertaining us in the marquee on his guitar until the cold pushed us inside.

 

Saturday & Sunday Ron took us on brilliant rides around the New Forest visiting the memorial and hangars for WW2 gliders, the grave of TE Lawrence and crossing a converted runway now a New Forest road. Obligatory visits to an ice cream parlour, a biker’s café/cake shop and a pub with ice creams overlooking Weymouth and Chesil beach. Most outstanding was the wildlife. New Forest ponies, cattle, sheep, donkeys and pigs roaming free. I saw a moose which turned out to be 2 hikers with bed rolls across their rucksacks. Deerhunter Phil had a moment with some ponies and Donna & 2 Sus’ in the car a near miss with a Doberman. With Ron’s local knowledge we saw hardly any traffic in what was a grid locked Dorset Bank Holiday weekend. Back on site Saturday afternoon a jam session with ukuleles saw myself, Cliff and “chunking” and “voice of an angel” Sofia (Tim and Claudia’s daughter) playing with a choir of nefarious supporters.  Later in the marquee the band “Out of Order” played a great set with enthusiastic support. The raffle did well and also regalia. We had a good selection of bikes with Chiefs including Tony’s 40 military, Joe’s 101 and Wayne and Donna’s 741, very nice, a couple of Hondas and a few ‘Hardly Ablesons’. Sunday evening Viv the landlady, opened just for us for food and drink. Cliff led a sing song with his uke and harmonica and Ian soloed on his harmonica.
Monday, most people were packing up including us and we were away by early p.m. Another good Dorset rally and the first time we have not had to be dragged out of the mud by the Hippy Slug.

Well done Claudia, Tim and Ron

 

Chairman - Fred Woodgates

HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY
It was Brian “RAT” Barrett’s 80th birthday just after the Easter weekend.  Wednesday 24th to be exact.  As we were all getting together for the Easter rally in Dorset we thought it would be nice to surprise Rat and celebrate it with him a few days earlier over the Easter weekend.  A special cake was organised, complete with Rat and Rat poo!.
Not wanting to spoil the surprise, we met up with Rat at Ardingly to see if he was going.  He was all set to come to Dorset, but it was subject

to the weather.  After braving the wind, rain and mud last year, Rat was holding out for better conditions.  As it turned out, the weather was blisteringly hot but Rat could not make the rally.
What a shame, but the cake was already made and residing in Dorset.  There really was no option but for all us Indian Riders to assist Rat by eating his cake in his absence.  We did take photos of the before cake and the after (half-eaten) cake.  Very nice it was too
Many Happy Returns Rat from all the Indian Riders Members.