

The
Flat
Tank Section weekend, Tewkesbury
- 2012
(Click the
photo to see a larger picture - then just click your back button
to come back to this article.)
Terry and Dilys, plus Jean and
I had entered this event yet again. Terry was to ride his recently
re-restored Precision engined Beardmore
Precision and I'd entered the 1925 Indian. The weekend programme
included the Road Trial on the Saturday followed by a social run on
Sunday.
Terry made it to the camp site at the Haw Bridge Inn, Tirley by mid
afternoon on Friday, 6th July. Jean and I were a bit later getting away
from home and had to pass through some foul weather conditions - at
least the Indian was tucked up nice and dry in the covered trailer. Our
first problem arose when the GPS started to tell us that there were
traffic delays ahead, the M50 was closed from junction 1 to 2. Not a
problem I thought, as we were intending to leave the motorway at
Junction 2 anyway. What I hadn't allowed for was that all the other
traffic was also having to do that . We sat in the 2
mile queue
for well over an hour and by the time we got off the motorway our time
schedule was out of the window, so we headed straight for the Lower
Lode
pub and hotel where we had a B&B room booked for two nights.
The
pub is right on the banks of the Severn and things didn't look too bad
with the fast flowing yet swollen river. We booked in and collected our
key before setting off to find Terry and Dilys. I was able to park our
trailer alongside Terry's Motor home and we were all soon in the bar
and ordering a meal. The evening in the skittle alley took the form of
a quiz - which we didn't win.
Saturday
morning dawned and on looking out of our bedroom window the slipway,
that had been uncovered down to the river for a good 20 yards when we
had arrived the day before, was filling up nicely. During breakfast the
water crept up the slipway another 2 foot or so. We did wonder if we
would be able to get back that evening and the landlady advised us not
to bring the car down to the pub but to park it up along the lane on
higher ground.
We arrived at the Haw Bridge Inn, signed on and extracted the bike from
the trailer. Not so many entries this year, a mere 29, no doubt due to
the weather and the fact that the event was on the same weekend as
Mallory Park 1000 bikes. The weather didn't look too good so it was a
case of wet weather gear and after signing on we were soon away. The
route took us out towards the Malvern hills and it wasn't long before
we were at the first checkpoint. We had to tell the checkpoint
how
far we'd travelled and what our average speed was. This system was in
place of specifying an average speed at the beginning, a better idea I
reckoned, as you didn't have to try and make up time by riding like an
idiot if you went off course or had any problems with the bike. I
estimated that the morning route was about 48 miles, we'll see how good
a guess that is when the results come out. Back on route and
we
arrived back at the Haw Bridge Inn for lunch. 90 minutes later and we
set off for the afternoon leg - another checkpoint, and after approx 30
odd miles were back at the finish. A quick check of the river level and
I must say that it looked as though it may well overflow and drown the
campsite - however, think positive, we had only had to endure one
shower so felt quite lucky, although the bike was pretty dirty.
The evening consisted of us heading for the usual chinese
restaurant in Tewkesbury, taking Wilf Banks along with us. Wilf is from
Northumbria, or some such place up North. We've known him for some time
as he also rides the Anglo-dutch events on his Veteran Rover, but this
weekend he was on a Model H Triumph.



Sunday
morning and the car was still on dry ground, although Paul Button, who
was camping next to our pub at Lower Lode felt it necessary to pack up
his tent and head home as the river level still didn't look as
if
it was receding and in fact seemed to be rising still.



At
the Haw Bridge the sun was out and things looked a lot better so I took
a couple of photos before we set off. The route was lovely, nice dry
roads and no lanes and after a fairly short time we were at the morning
coffee stop. I managed to get a few photos here - one of Wilf and his
125 Honda which had been pressed into service as the Model H gearchange
was beginning to play up and it was a case of either first and second
and no top, or second and top but no first.



Bob
Ashwin's Jarnett is an interesting special - a 500cc 1930ish vee twin
James engine squeezed into a vintage Francis Barnett frame. It was
built as a special back in the early 50's for grass track racing and
it equited itself very well, so I'm told.
From the coffee stop we set off for the rest of the morning route that
took us into some 'orrible country lanes. Not my sort of riding, they
were wet, dirty with mud, gravel and all sorts of other things. We were
up and down hills and encounted three cars - all on bends in a single
track road. I was beginning to wonder if the cars were laying in wait
for us. Just gave me that sort of feeling as each one only appeared as
we were rounding a corner. Not pleasant at all. Anyway, eventually we
reached the lunch stop and as we sat outside in the sunshine with a
drink, a Spitfire passed overhead emitting that wonderful
sound
that only a Merlin Engine could make.
The run back to the finish went via Tony Wright's house for afternoon
tea and a look around his bikes etc.





The
run back to the finish at the Haw Bridge was very pleasant on nice dry
roads. The trailer was loaded and we were
soon all packed away before retiring to the pub for all the farewells
etc. Then it was a case of head for home leaving Terry and Dilys who
were
staying another night. The drive back was a bit of a nightmare when we
were on the A449 near Usk, as the heavens opened and I found myself
driving through some horrendous conditions. I was about 50 yards behind
a Jaguar and that became hidden within the deluge, so it was a case of
slowing down and hoping that the artic that was behind wouldn't catch
us up too quickly as visibility was practically nil. Luckily the rain
didn't last too long and was over almost as quickly as it came.
Another event over with the next job being to power wash the bike, get
the tank repainted (that's all another story) and get it ready for the
Scottish events.
BP