VRA (UK)
Northern
VRA International Rally 2011 Geetbets, Belgium
Having arranged with Bulldog to stay overnight with him in Warwick (thanks again Paul), we set off on Tuesday morning just before 11 am and headed south on the M6 from Lancaster. Onto the M56 for one junction before joining the A49 and heading for our first stop at Whitchurch, where we had a Full English breakfast at the bikers café and fuelled the bike for the next leg of the journey, A41 through Much Wenlock and Bridgnorth, then on through Bromsgrove and Redditch to Warwick.
As usual I turned left instead of right in Warwick and had to turn around. As I did so we heard a shout of “Oi! Where are you going?” It was Paul in his car, just heading home from work. A few minutes later we were stopping outside his house as he walked back down the road towards us, having parked at home and set off to see where we were.
A relatively quiet evening followed, sampling Paul’s Chinese cooking and home-
Up and out by just after 7am on Wednesday, bikes loaded, we fuelled up at Tesco before heading for The Sheaf & Sickle to meet Wardy & the Midlands group. Then it was on the road in a group of about ten bikes for the ride down to Folkestone. As has become a VRA tradition we then had a number of stops in various services, both for coffee and comfort breaks and to meet additional members of the party before heading on mass to the terminal. We booked in with relatively few problems and joined the queue just in time. The Royal Cotswolds contingent were already in the queue.
As we queued on the ramp down to the platform it soon became evident that all was not as it should be! With still 15 or 20 bikes in line the train loading staff were already asking for 2 and then 1 bike at a time, and with 4 bikes and a trike still on the platform they gave us a firm wave that said “that’s all folks” and shut the doors, leaving us sat wondering what to do next. Queenie, at the front of the small remaining queue, had a few words with one of the staff who was about to depart in his car and he reluctantly agreed to find out where the next train would be loaded and lead us to the appropriate platform. If Queenie hadn’t stopped him, we would have been left on the platform without any information at all!
After a little confusion and another wait, we were directed onto the next train, leaving about 45 minutes later than planned. Arriving at the services at Calais we were met by the rest of the party, who had waited for us. We then waited a little longer for another straggler on the next train, before setting off, in a now quite large group, to travel to the Biker Loft near Ostend, our stop for the night. We had a bit of traffic and some road works to contend with, but the group stayed together pretty well and we arrived at the Biker Loft at around 6pm without incident.
Booking in took a few minutes and then we were able to get a drink and select meals
which we then cooked in the well-
There was no great rush in the morning, as most people weren’t leaving until 10am, for the long tour, or 11am, for the shorter, scenic route. Not wishing to visit war graves and memorials, we elected to join Jean’s group, having talked to him the previous evening and discovered that he intended an hour of motorway riding to meet SEVRA at the services, followed by a minor roads route of around 60 miles for the final part of the journey to the rally site. So a small group, around 10 bikes, assembled shortly before 11am and set off with Jean leading. We then waited at the services for almost an hour with no sign of SEVRA and finally decided we would have to leave without them.
Jean lead us for a short distance to a café by a disused canal lock, where we had
a drink and snack before departing. There followed a couple of hours of slow riding
on minor roads through a variety of scenery. Small housing developments, farmland,
industrial units, a real cross-
After a few more miles it suddenly became clear that the group had split and we at
the rear end had no idea where the front half of the group had gone! A few minutes
of head-
It didn’t take long to register, collect our T-
Friday dawned a bit damp and threatening rain, so the planned trip to Waterloo was
postponed after a brief discussion during breakfast and we walked into the nearby
town, where we found a couple of cafes and a supermarket. While some of the group
went into a pub/café for a drink, the rest of us tried the small bakery/confectioners,
where we were well looked-
The weather having improved a little after lunch, we decided to take a chance a go for a short ride. While the group was assembling, one of the Belgian members helped Si with a route to a small nearby town (I still don’t know where it was!). So once again Si was our leader with his satnav programmed and we followed him without incident to the aforementioned town.
After being advised by a local, we parked the bikes on the cobbled square and set off for a look around. We soon found a small café/bar, where we were able to order tea, coffee, hot chocolate and various cold drinks. After consuming these and sitting for a short while, we all chipped in to pay the bill. There being quite a bit of change left when the waiter took out the correct amount, he was very happy when we said what was left over was for him. As we left he presented Si with a small glass tankard.
Purchasing ice-
Friday night is party night in the VRA! Too many shots had me leaving the marquee for some fresh air, only to be plied with more alcohol by Tiny and Zara (it would have been rude to refuse!) The band was excellent, the company was great, we danced, drank and talked until I had to go to bed about 01:30 (lightweight!). The band played on until about 3 am, but with ear plugs in I slept through it all. Saturday morning found me feeling a little under the weather, but not as ill as Dawn! Having fallen into the VRA drinking trap on Friday night, Dawn was not at all well and had to miss the ride to Waterloo. However, consolation was found in the company of others who also stayed, as well as another trip to the very nice café/confectioner we had previously visited.
While Dawn and friends were enjoying coffee/hot chocolate and cakes, a small group, again led by Si the satnav, headed for Waterloo, being forced to stop on route to don waterproofs. We arrived as the rain again became heavy and took refuge in the first café we saw. While the rain fell we ate and drank. Then we were able to take a stroll and take photographs with the sun trying to break through the clouds, managing to miss the rain again. After a brief visit to the museum gift shop we again fired up the bikes and followed Si back to camp.
Another evening of booze and bollox and another band, though not as good as Friday’s, in my opinion. I was still feeling a bit delicate from Friday’s excess, so was not quite the life of the party! Once the raffle had been drawn, and somehow the wrong winning ticket selected (it should have been mine!), I had to head for the tent and bed, leaving the more robust to party on.
During Saturday night I woke several times to the sound of heavy rain, which continued to fall in the morning while we were packing to depart. A small lake had formed in our tent, fortunately not affecting our gear as it was mostly stored off the ground. Luckily, we were able to pack most things while the tent was still erected, and the rain eased by the time I had to start packing things on the bike. We decided not to bring the bike to the tent as the field had by now become very muddy and slippery. So we made two trips to the bike with panniers etc. before finally dropping the tent and packing it away very wet to strap in front of the screen.
By 8 am we were ready to leave, having agreed to ride in a small group, just Malteeza with Ian pillion, myself wit Pauline pillion, and Klingon with Dawn. We stopped at the local petrol station for Si and Klingon to fill up (with tremendous foresight I had done so the previous evening!) and then Si once again took the lead for the motorway trip to Calais. The rain made the first part of the journey tiresome, but after a while it stopped and we began to dry out. Stopping at the services, we refuelled and had coffee and a snack, then pressed on again until Klingon took over the lead as we approached Adinkerke, where we had agreed to stop for Si and Klingon to stock up on tobacco. Pauline and I stopped at the Chocolate factory to buy gifts to take home and some chocolate for ourselves.
Soon we were back on the road, arriving at the tunnel terminal well before our allotted time. However, we were waved into the queue and informed that we would be on the 14:24 train, better than we had expected as we were booked on the 15:50 train and Klingon the 18:00! There followed a very long time queuing, with the bikes getting hot as the sun was now quite strong, first for ticket issue, then for French border control, then for English border control and then twice more before finally boarding the train!
Leaving the train at Folkestone, we stopped at the first services for a drink and
KFC, agreeing to then do another 50 miles before re-
There then followed many miles of road works, both on the M25 and then the M1, with 50 mph restrictions, before we got on the M6 and started to pick up the pace until we stopped for a final refuel and drink at Hilton park services. Here we agreed not to stop again, saying our goodbyes before setting off for the final leg of the trip, Si & Ian to Altrincham, while Pauline & I had a few more miles to do to reach Heysham.
Speeds increased as we neared home and the roads were dry, and we waved goodbye to Si & Ian as they left the motorway to head for home. We then continued to junction 34, skirting Lancaster and finally arriving home at around 10:30pm, having been travelling for a total of just over 15 hours.
It was another great rally, but as usual there were lots of people I didn’t get to spend enough time with, and many I hardly saw at all. There are now so many at these events it’s become impossible to spend time with everyone we already know, let alone get to know more new friends! So if we missed you, please forgive us, we’ll try to catch up another time.
Big thanks to everyone who was involved in putting on this great event, thanks to all those we travelled with during the week and all those who helped to make it so special just by being there. Special thanks to Bulldog for putting up with us and feeding us, and for not getting upset when we travelled back separately! Special thanks also to Malteeza for leading us so far and so well, I hope to repay at least part of that with some trips in England, where I can find my own way around! And finally, special thanks also to Jean for leading us (most of the way!) from the Biker Loft to the rally.
What a fantastic club we have in the VRA, long may it continue. Now we have Norway to look forward to and plan! I can’t plan as far ahead as Slovenia yet, but I hope to make that one as well! And in the meantime, there are all the UK events and rideouts to enjoy, I hope to see you all there!
Nuke