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to the Archive indexLast year's event was re-arranged due to severe storms, but the third Autumn Jaunt attracted much better weather this year, with a very good turnout of eighteen riders. We all assembled at Bourne Vale Sports Club by 10:30 and, along with the usual Anglian regiment, other welcome members attended. Ralph Richardson (RM8) and Alex Lees (RM9) came across from Bedfordshire, with Dave Selby and Jim Betteridge (cycle) coming up from East London. Young Martin Gates turned up for his maiden run, with his dad acting as shotgun. The start was delayed for 15 minutes as one of the riders had mislaid his keys, until David Evans came to the rescue and found them. Along with Steve Cobb, he suggested the hapless rider was a teaser, or something like that.
We finally departed, with organiser Pete Green (Wisp) taking the controls. He was closely shadowed by his son Neal (Wisp). The rest of us formed an orderly queue behind. Mark Daniels's superb Lynx was running very well in the dry conditions, as was yours truly's Flandria "hill climber". Neil Morley's M40 and Terry Keable's RM6 were also running well. About three miles from the pub stop Pete Green and his followers lost contact with the rest of us, and it was then up to Steve Gleed to pilot us to his local, the Carrier's Arms in East Bergholt. The organiser and his companions arrived ten minutes later, having twice got lost as I understand...
David Whatling then appeared, having experienced fuel starvation (to his bike). Shortly afterwards, the final rider, Dave Selby, arrived on his Cyclemaster. The pub landlady was asked to select her favourite bike while we were enjoying a tasty lunch. Would the winner be David Evans's immaculate MS50D, Mark Daniels's outstanding Lynx or your reporter's dazzling Flandria? No, the recipient turned out to be Laurence Coates's... er... Mobylette! The landlady told me she chose the Moby having never before seen so little metal surrounded by so much corrosion!
At the start of the return leg, Messieurs Evans, Cobb and Colley zoomed out of their respective Puch MS/VS bikes, being closely followed by Pete Smith's rapid New Hudson. Martin Gates's little Garelli also was going well, while the Bedford lads were jockeying for position on their Raleighs, sometimes exceeding 25mph! By 2pm we had all arrived safely back at the start, following a terrific run in excellent weather. Thanks Pete for a very enjoyable day.
Riders and machines:
Peter Green - Raleigh Wisp,
Neal Green - Raleigh Wisp,
Laurie Coates - Mobylette,
Neil Morley - Mobylette M40,
Steve Cobb - Puch MS50,
David Evans - Puch MS50,
Jeremy Colley - Puch VS50,
Terry Keable - Raleigh RM6,
Ralph Richardson - Raleigh RM8,
Alex Lees - Raleigh RM9,
David Whatling - Raleigh,
Pete Smith - New Hudson,
Dave Selby - Cyclemaster delivery bike,
Steve Gleed - Zündapp,
Martin Gates - Garelli,
Mark Daniels - Elswick-Hopper Lynx,
Paul Efreme - Flandria.
First published, December 2003