St Nicks Rally & Whitstable Toy Run

-
Things have been very quiet lately. I haven't had much opportunity to get out for a ride and hopefully that will be resolved tomorrow if the weather holds off. Forecasts are for half a month's worth of rain in a weekend; so not looking too clever.

On the horizon though are two regular runs I go on. Sadly, they are always the same weekend! So about of a double header!!

Firstly,  the Sinterklaastreffen. I have been most years since 1984, missing a few due to being in Czech working or bike breakdowns and last year snow. We used to go for the weekend, but once our favourite (and quirky) hotel, the Polaris,  closed, we started only going over for the day and sometimes, not even joining in the run itself!

So what does the St Nicks Rally (as we call it in English) entail?

For the day tripper it is an early ferry across to France and then a ride along the coast to Ostend. It's about 60 miles from Calais to the parking up place in Ostend. It is usually either very cold or simply wet.

St Nick comes ashore from a fishing boat, along with his two (non PC) blacked-up helpers called Piet. He gives away sweets before setting off in a sidecar outfit for a ride around the city ending up at a children's home where toys are distributed. Halfway around there is usually a stop for soup! Don't get stuck with the ladle!!

For the weekender there are bands and other live entertainments on Friday and Saturday in the marquee.

Last year we had a lot of snow and I decided not to go. 

 My ticket is booked for this year with "My Ferry" (the re-badged Seafrance) at the princely sum of £14.50 return for a bike and two people. Gotta grab that with both hands.

Secondly, the Whitstable Toy Run. This year is the 30th Anniversary Run from Gorrell Tank Car-Park by the harbour in Whitstable to the Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital at Margate. It's the Sunday after the St Nicks Saturday!

I have put both on the Kent Centre FB page to see if there are any takers!!

Fingers crossed that someone else signs up for one or both the events otherwise it will be a lonely weekend!

Comments

Trobairitz said…
Fingers crossed you don't get all that rain that is forecast. Makes for miserable riding for sure.
1 November 2013 at 18:28
InvictaMoto said…
Rain is horrible but snow and ice is worse.

Have done share of freezing.
1 November 2013 at 18:49
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Givi Tank Bag?

-
Image
I currently use an Oxford magnetic tank bag. It's a small enough for those days when you just need somewhere for your spare specs and wallet but it also expands. But it is the magnets that are my concern. No matter how much you wipe the base of the bag, the magnets will start to scratch the paint.  So before the Spain trip last summer, I started to look at the Givi tank-lock system. In the end I shelved that as I had only recently bought the new top box and and inner bag! So with Spring approaching (sometime any way!) I decided to have another look. Prices don't seem to have changed much, and when Googling, the overseas shops seem to have prices about 20% cheaper than here. With postage taken into account they are still cheaper. So, I ordered the Givi 3D604 bag from Motocard . Delivery takes about a week and that's okay as I don't intend to use it for a while.
Read more

Vimy - Part Deux

-
Image
A tale of up-cocks and the need to buy a map. What could possibly go wrong? No satnav and no paper map? Nothing of course. Once I was on the A26, cruise set to 110kph, plain sailing.  Junction 6 for Béthune is soon passed. I had expected 6.1 to be close by. It isn't. Doubt sets in. Next is the A21 signed to Lens and Douai  (pron doo-eye) and yes a D road as well.  Souchez is on the right of the A26. So track right on a new road. No signs of life, no signage... Not good. Arrive Barlin. New supermarket. No maps. Ask idiot-villageur for directions. Follow them and find myself in Mont St Eloi where the abbey was shelled and the structure remains. A sort of bombed shell. No access though. Not today anyway. Head off towards Arras expecting to see a signpost. None. Enter Arras and buy a map at Auchun. It seems that at Mont St Eloi I was about 4 miles away as I stood in the sun. By now the hour ...
Read more

The Start

-
Image
A new era. A new bike. A new blog. A natural progression. The Explorer part of the title comes from the new lady in my life. The Non Dora part is so I don't infringe any copyright, but I bet that a couple of umlaut will do the trick. Döra the Explorer. In fact Döra the Explorer sounded like a good title.  I was going to name it after my mascot, Baloo. Baloo joined us back in about 2005 on a trip to France. We parked up at the Eurotunnel Terminal at Calais and failed to notice him on the beak of the GS. Whether he had been there longer I have no idea but he was there when we were on the shuttle itself heading for home. I kept him and cable tied him on for safe keeping. I need to find somewhere for him. He has been there now for about 70000 miles and is part of the biking family. Maybe the blog should be Baloo the Explorer? The photo is taken from the Triumph Configurator website and shows Döra as she will come from the dealers, La...
Read more