Essex Border Patrol

[BladeBaiter]

Hi Lamble,

I would've PMed you but I dont have that facility.

I had a good ride out yesterday, doing the section of this run between Epping and Manningtree. Fantastic roads! and 95 miles of them.

Your recommendation of the Cafe in Manningtree looks like a good place to spend lunchtime. I breifly looked for it yesterday but couldn't see it. Could you give further details, how to find it please, or do I just need to clean the flys off my visor?



Keith

 

[Tricky]

Bentley

Spanfly/Lamble

Am going tonight about 7ish........see you there


PS Weather's good so will be big turn out

mob is 07734210211 if we can't find one another

 

[Lamble]

Grande Tourismo d'Essex

Your recommendation of the Cafe in Manningtree looks like a good place to spend lunchtime.


Keith

Bladee, it's actually the station cafe at the railway. It's the last privately owned cafe on any railway line as far as I know and as a recommendation, it was voted plymouth argyle fan club cafe of the year in 1979...michelin star my ar*e.

 

[Lamble]

GT d'Essex start point and time?

Bladee,

If you started in Epping, does that mean you've found a suitable start point?
And, what time do you think would be appropriate to kick this all off, so that we hit the marks for lunch etc...

I'm guessing that non-GS ers will be able to join in too.

Finally, as long as we post Ables usual disclaimer with the final details, I'd suppose there'd be no problem?

If you want to try a full test run prior to the 30th, give me a shout...but not this weekend, or the next, as I'm still mid house move.

07974 565712.

 

[BladeBaiter]

Hi Lamble,

Yes, Start from the green at the eastern end of Epping High Street.

Meet at 09:00 for a 09:30 start.

Coffee/Fag break on the green at Cavendish, lunch at the Railway Cafe in Manningtree, more Coffee/whatever at the Cabin Dairy in Burnham-on-Crouch and Fish & Chips at the Mermaid, under the arches, Westcliff-on-Sea.

Full directions, etc are being produced in a Word format for printing (and it will have Able's disclaimer, which I haven't read yet; where can I find that?)

Thanks for the offer of riding the route with me beforehand; Kim and I were just saying that we should do that sometime; I have ridden the route in sections so far but it will take a whole day and two tanks of petrol to do the whole thing at once; If you are still up for doing a reckie, (it needn't be a weekend for me, I work funny hours and have days off during the week sometimes) let me know when you have a spare day for it.

07704649190

BTW Where are you moving house to?

Also, yes, non-GS riders are welcome of course, otherwise I'd have to exclude myself. (R1100RS)

If everyone who has said that they are coming actually turns up on the day, there should be about half dozen of us, which I think is an ideal number, for keeping together safely, for negotiating the narrow, twisty roads and town centres (no by-passes, no A roads, well one little one and don't even think about the M word) also six is not too many to get a table at the Cafes.

If there's two or three of us we'll still have a great day; if there's thirty of us the cafes will just have to cope (with all that extra revenue)

Looking forward to it.

Keith

 

[Lamble]

GT D'Essex try out ride

I'll have a few days in the week free next week, although I'm not sure which yet...I'll let you know on Monday.
The move is from Layer to Mersea Island...well just off it actually, out in the water, on a houseboat.

I'll give you a call on Monday evening when I've sorted out the diary.

 

[BladeBaiter]

Kim and I have idley dreamt of living on a houseboat; we would love it, one day. We rode down to Mersea Island last Tuesday evening and Kim said over the Autocom "This is nice here, - and they've got houseboats!" She might've been admiring your new home and not known. Small world, huh?

Next week is good with me. I am free all week until Friday.

I shall e-mail you with the details that I've produced so far. You may not agree with some of the ettequette/protocol that I've put down but it's only a draft copy, it's all up for discussion/change. See what you think and let me know.

Keith

 

[BladeBaiter]

I'll try and attach it here

No I won't e-mail you, unless you post up your e-mail address, I haven't got that facility.

I'll have a go at attaching the doc. with this message, then anyone can check it and discuss, whatever.

Keith

P.S. No I wont, I cant do that either

Will anyone who would like to view this Word doc. please e-mail me at:

[email protected]

And I'll send the doc. by return of post

Got there in the end.

 

[Lamble]

Charity Fatigue?

There will be a fund raising exercise set up for families of the London bombings and as I was due to be in Aldgate at the time the bomb went off, "there but for the grace of God go I".

Should we look at perhaps asking for donations as part of the Essex Border Patrol, or is everyone tired of giving cash handouts and would rather do something else to help...any ideas?

 

[BladeBaiter]

Charadee

Seems like a good idea to me Lamble;

How about we pass the hat round before and after the ride.

Keith

PS. Any objections or alternative ideas, anyone?

 

[BladeBaiter]

Hi folks,

A change is to be made to the Northern section of the route, between West Bergholt and Manningtree. This will by-pass Colchester and take in more of Dedham Vale (Constable Country), which will mean less Town Centre traffic to contend with and more twisty green lanes.

I suppose that I will have to get on my bike to suss out the best roads through that way. Oh, the chores that I have to do for you lot!

I shall amend the route document accordingly (soon).

Cheers

Keith

 

[BladeBaiter]

The latest draft of the route (with the changes through Dedham Vale) is now available. I have already sent it to those who had the old draft. If you still want one e-mail me at [email protected] adding Essex Border Patrol to the e-mail subject.

See you on the 30th

Keith

 

[BladeBaiter]

Stop this Snowball!!

I'm sorry but this event is in danger of being cancelled!

Since the "for charity" tag has been added, numbers of people wanting to come on the ride has Snowballed. This has been compounded by some inappropriate promoting on a regional scale.

I do blame myself for being so lax, letting the event "evolve" and organising it with the spirit of inclusivety (All riders are welcome).

I would be happy to do the ride, if the numbers of people coming were as they were this time last week (about 20 - 40 max.) but if this snowball keep gathering more riders, I dread to think how many are going to be on Epping Green on the morning of the 30th.

If I get to the Green and the place looks like the gathering of the clans then I will have to make some on the spot decisions regarding my options:

1) Wave, ride past and go home.

2) Start the run, ride like a demon and lose them all That's not really fair, is it?

3) Change the route to a lap of the M25 (then do option 2, off at the next junction )

4) Ask for everyone's attention, tell them the run is cancelled, wake up in a hospital bed.

5) Ask for everyone's attention, say that, rather than run a Charity Parade for 200 miles at Carnival Procession speeds, it would be better to split into small groups, each group with a leader, and set off on seperate rides in different directions.

I like this last one. How about you?

There are plenty of good roads to be ridden in that corner of the county: Epping Forest, Ongar, Stamford Rivers, High Beach.

By the way, it's up to you but, I'd like you GSers to ride with me, as per plan "A".

Actually doing the ride-out, in its original form, with over 100 riders is not an option! The lanes are too narrow and dangerous and none of the catering establishments or petrol stations could cope. Besides that, the police would not allow it.

You may think that 100 is a lot to expect (and I really hope that you're right) but one enthusiastic promoter estimated a thousand, and he was serious (seriously mad as a box of frogs, I'd say)

One good thing that has been arranged by Steve Fearn is that the Essex Air Ambulance Run, Sunday 4th September, has agreed to cater for as many thousands of bikers that Steve can invite, and that they will also donate some of their monies raised to the London Bomb Charity (The Lord Mayor's Fund)

If anyone knows of any other "clubs" who have been invited, please tell them what the situation is: That is, if they turn up they will be parted with their hard earned cash, in the name of charity, and then they will be sent off to have a ride-out of their own.

It's still on for now then; see you on the 30th

Keith

 

[BladeBaiter]

This thread is continuing on the South East forum, please join us there for more info, etc.

 

[doctor]

How did your ride out go?