Hookwoods - lets try again.

Grizz

EXCITED MEMBER...!!!!
UKGSer Subscriber
Joined
Feb 27, 2004
Messages
9,428
Reaction score
300
Location
Rochester, KENT.
Meeting up with Lebowski and others today at Hookwoods in Surrey for a bit of a play.

Lebowski mentioned before the place was Championship standard..... looking at the video clip I can see why.

Seems there are more tame places to go as well on site, so I guess thats where I will be found


Video shows a bit of madness by much more proficient youngsters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsXGFFGzpTw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdCPJgxsKA0



More good stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNXUWovXqjc




Right, here I am again.
Had about 90% of this entry done last night at 11.30 when we had a power failure. So here goes again.

I nicked Nicola's car to tow the trailer yesterday as she had given me both Friday and Monday off to go out and ride with Lebowski, Steve and Pete.
They were camping with assorted dogs and wives etc, but I was going to be in bed last night.

Waiting at the services, I parked up nice and straight, the little Peugeot 1007 diesel tows beautifully.

P1010660.jpg


We met up at Clackett Lane Services, had some McD's refreshments and then set off for Hook Woods, which is about 60miles or 100km from home.

When we got there I joined the club for £10 and paid my £15 day fee to ride and use the whole place all day, keep in mind I left early just before 6pm, so the other guys could have had another 2 hours riding.

P1010666.jpg


Something for the more sensitive and sensible amongst us.

Bluebells were abundant in the woods and I did try to miss them wherever I could.

P1010671.jpg


Hookwoods caters for pretty much every level.
I also have to say that the Porta Loo's I used were clean, so taking your lady out for the day could be considdered.

Jim, who owns the place was helpfull, and I suspect he would even have coached me if I asked. Fortunately I had both Jon and Pete to teach and encourage me.
The forst 90 minutes were spent in one area, then we had a drinking break, and off to another area where we all played according to our respective abilities.
Jon and Pete were goading each other into doing more and more complex sections, with the girls pannicking at times. (well, they were making the right concerned sounds)

Chris was waiting for his wife to get there on her Honda TransAlp, and had to look after rescue dog Delilah the Rottweiler. So I gave him the camera to just do a happy snapper session while walking about.

P1010677.jpg


P1010681.jpg


P1010682.jpg


P1010687.jpg


P1010688.jpg


Pete and Jon both have an innate ability to identify where you are screwing up or missing a trick, and were on hand often to guide me.
As the afternoon progressed I did feel more and more confident.

P1010689.jpg


Jon at this point was offering to stand against the tree, in case I overshot, which he said would not happen, with the back wheel flipping the raised front wheel down when over the treestumps.

P1010693.jpg


P1010698.jpg


How it should be done...... Pete getting it up.

P1010699.jpg



P1010701.jpg



Delilah, what a nice dog.

P1010703.jpg


Got home at 19.15 and by 19.45 I had a hot bath, followed by a lovely dinner.


Sunset was great too.

P1090283.jpg



Looking forward to Monday's Wobbler at Canada Heights.

I trust that Jon will add some pics that his missus took of the mad stuff they were doing.
 
Hook Woods brings back memories. I haven't ridden over there for some years. Does Jim Connor still own it? My son had some training from his son Sam over there.

Did you venture into the Sand Mountain area? I saw Fujinami practising over on Sand Mountain.... straight up the steepest bit, 180 degree mid-air turn at the top and straight down.... frightening.
 
Hook Woods brings back memories. I haven't ridden over there for some years. Does Jim Connor still own it? My son had some training from his son Sam over there.

Did you venture into the Sand Mountain area? I saw Fujinami practising over on Sand Mountain.... straight up the steepest bit, 180 degree mid-air turn at the top and straight down.... frightening.

Yes Jim's still there and in fact he's really putting a lot of effort into the place. There's now a Hook Woods trials club, to get around the insurance issues and once you join you can ride pretty much any time.

We were watching his sons yesterday trying to get up the latest of their climbs.... A huge one, maybe 80/90 feet(?) with giant slabs of rock all the way up... Jim sitting at the top asking if we wanted a go....

:eek:

I think we showed Grizz Sand Mountain, it's still there but the area has just been redone by Jim to make it more rideable at all levels. I would have loved to see Fuji playing there....

It really is a fantastic place, something for everyone there and Jim and Elaine's hospitality really make the place worth driving the 80 miles to get to from us.

MD, I take it you're in the Lot at the moment? Much trials riding there?

Jon

:)
 
Thanks for the update Jon. I haven't been following trials so much in recent years (since my son packed it in) and I don't ride trials at all now.

I wasn't sure if Jim's sons... Sam and Tim were still doing trials. I got the impression they were more into enduros.

At the moment I'm in the UK but we tend to split the Spring/Summer/Autumn between UK and the Lot... we stay in the UK for the winter though. Off to the Lot again in a couple of weeks.
At the end of August there is great trial in the streets of Cahors. All the big names there... Bou, Fujigas, Raga, Cabestany, Dougie... Alexz Wigg one time. Last year we followed Jack Challoner around.
 
Sam and Tim are (I believe) riding mx at the moment, although Tim still turns out for some of the SE Centre rounds and the odd Combine. Jim still rides the odd trial too....... always with a smile on his face.

One of the boys is doing the SSDT this year, but I didn't ask Jim which one.

Jim and Elaine really are lovely people, they always remember us, ask after my other half and take the time for a chat whenever we bump into each other. Whilst his lads have acheived a lot of success and Jim no doubt rubs shoulders with some of the sports greats, he makes sure us beginners are welcome and his centre has rideable areas.

It's a shame you don't ride now, I would imagine there is some beautiful places there. Maybe in a year or so I can think about entering some of the 2/3 day trials they have over there.

Cahors? Yes we managed to miss it by a day last year! We were visiting friends at the end of a 2 week break and couldn't stop on for it.

:blast

I saw some of the videos and it did look very good.

Very tempted to do the 2 day in Andorra in July, slight matter of no spare cash is holding me back at the moment though!

Jim keeps threatening to get a website sorted for Hook Woods, when it's up I'll let you know.

:beerjug:

Jon

:)
 
Cheers Jon. :thumb2

As an aside.... I've still got one of Sam's old Bultaco jackets that Jim gave me... I use it when I'm bushwacking.

My board name... MasterDabber... was given me by my son, he said I was crap at trials but good at dabbing. :mmmm :blast
 
Meeting up with Lebowski and others today at Hookwoods in Surrey for a bit of a play.

I nicked Nicola's car to tow the trailer yesterday as she had given me both Friday and Monday off to go out and ride with Lebowski, Steve and Pete.
They were camping with assorted dogs and wives etc, but I was going to be in bed last night.

Waiting at the services, I parked up nice and straight, the little Peugeot 1007 diesel tows beautifully.

P1010660.jpg

I passed you on the M25 late on Friday morning on the way home on the bike. I thought it looked strange as I have never seen a 1007 towing a trailer before.
 
Were you on a 1200 GSA ?
Thought I saw one sneak past on the M25.

The 1007 tows like a dream, the trailer and bike are light, but being a diesel, it has great torque.

This is our second 1007. Nicola had a 55 plate one, and the diesel on a 08 plate was the newest we could find, she would love a Smart car, but these are great, four seater with enough space for two teenagers and shopping in the back. I fetched 16 - 2.4m lengths of decking and some 2x4's last week in is as well.
 


Back
Top Bottom