Embedded Files
Newlands Natter with Solent
Tuesday 18th August
Ten Howlers starting off from several different locations enjoyed a rendezvous with half a dozen from the Solent Branch at Newlands Corner.
Pam from Solent had advised us of the anticipated timing that Jim, leading their group, would arrive so within a short time our groups numbered sixteen.
It was lovely to see Brian again and hopefully we will get meet him again for a local run!
Commandeering some picnic benches for our burgers, chips and teas, we chatted, exchanging news and swapping ideas and suggestions for branch runs.
We're certainly making the most of this long hot summer.
OTO was out for a run too!
HOWL at the
Butchers Hook Café
Tuesday August11th
Vaughan lead eleven Howlers and friends on a brilliant ride through the leafy Sussex/Kent lanes to the biker-friendly Butchers Hook Cafe in Heathfield.
Vaughan’s friend, Keith on his splendid CBX1000, had no problems coping with the winding route.
This, our second run in two days was at short notice, but that only served to increase the turnout.
They have their own biking regalia and a serious butchers shop as well, so the food and welcome were of the highest standard.
Unlike the previous Sunday’s run, the cafe didn’t run out of food -
in fact I returned home with supplies of locally made sausage and Cornish Pasties
Anne's commentsafterwards -
''Didn’t get home until 6.30 but had great fun getting nearly lost 😁
Thanks for a great ride out and an excellent venue.
I will be going again probably with a cool box in my top box - those sausages were really nice''.
Anne had a bit of trouble controlling the parasols in the breeze!
Chocks away!
Sunday 9th August
It was ‘Chocks Away’ as ten howlers met in Earlswood common ready for Michael’s ride out to the Wings Museum in Haywards Heath. The museum is a fascinating collection of WW2 aircraft artefacts supported by welcoming staff welcoming staff.
There were guns found on the Normandy beaches after years of being submerged, now covered with barnacles and marine deposits. You were able to sit in the cockpit of original fighter planes.
Dan was interested in the displays showing the harmful effects of radiation in Atomic Bomb test – hope this doesn't have a lasting effect on him!
There were scenes of how hard life was for the civilian population and grisly scenes(not shown here) of life in the concentration camps
The serious side of Vaughan ...and the light-hearted side
We moved on to Brighton city airport (aka Shoreham Airport) with its nostalgic Art Deco terminal - it was like being on a Hercule Poirot film set! At the ‘8 Cafe’ we took shelter from the sun Despite our advance booking we literally managed to clean out their food stocks - which explains why after a long wait and non-appearance of their ‘breakfasts’, Dan and Gary had to settle for an early ‘lunch’ instead!
Vaughan and Deborah had a little play with the kiddies’ toys!
Thanks go to Michael for organising and Peter and Nicole for making sure nobody went home hungry by inviting us back for afternoon snacks.
A glorious day with an interesting Museum and above all wonderful company. (And Jon stayed cool in his new mesh jacket).
IWKR
(International West Kent Run)
Sunday 1st and 2nd August
Eighteen Howlers met up for the IWKR event, held in the beautiful grounds of The Friars at Aylesford (near Maidstone) in Kent.
We met up at Clacket Lane services, then Vaughan led the convoy on while Karen took some pics from the back.
Charles and Tom had made a long weekend of the event arriving on Thursday and joining in on the hundred mile Saturday run for older machines.
Charles won yet ANOTHER award for his 400/4.
Tom rode the 400 Dream on the Saturday run
The rest of us day-tripped and soaked up the sun with a cold drink and an ice cream. Jude road tested her new mesh jacket and so was pleased to be the coolest kid on the block.
Great turnout – great day out.
HOC Classic Show at the
Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum
26th July
Thanks go to Chris Mabey for his many pics and video please subscribe to his channel
After getting most of the show set up the day before, the team arrived bright and early at 8am to put the finishing touches in place.
Before we knew it, concours bikes were rolling in, keeping the parking crew busy until 11.30am while the booking-in team barely had a moment to breathe.
We even signed in James Hillier without realising who he was – his helmet was a very effective disguise!
Visitors arrived in droves, with the café, snack shack and ice cream bike all doing a roaring trade. Honda UK's display, hosted by Dougie and Kathy, attracted plenty of attention, while Salisbury Wheels, Belstaff, Claire Jones Mindset Coach and DocBike all added to the bustling show atmosphere.
Throughout the morning, Sammy Miller entertained the crowds by interviewing Allen Millyard, James Hillier and Dave Hancock, firing up some incredible bikes and sharing their history.
Then came one of the day's highlights. Sammy, James and Allen took to the mini GP circuit around the car park, delighting spectators with a parade of iconic machinery. James rode the Honda RC191 (with a few very tasteful wheelies!), Sammy piloted the Honda RC93, Jim (Sammy’s mechanic) took out the V-Twin Lilac Honda, and Allen gave his famous AM Engineered V-twin several spirited laps (2x SS50cc engines conjoined) . It looked like the riders were enjoying themselves just as much as the crowd.
Allen Millyard has converted his SS50 into an SS100 - The world's smallest V twin!
After the action, it was time for judging and an important celebration – cutting the Honda Owners Club's 65th birthday cake, beautifully made by Vera from the café.
Sammy wielded the knife for the first slice before Jennie expertly tackled the rest. It disappeared remarkably quickly. You can see Allen certainly enjoyed his!
With 71 concours entries of an exceptionally high standard, the judges certainly had their work cut out.
After much deliberation, the winners were announced.
Huge thanks to our sponsors: Honda UK, Sportsbike Shop, Kickback Show, Fletchers Solicitors, Henry Cole and Sammy Miller.
The whole event had a real festival feel, with plenty to see and do, fantastic classic Hondas everywhere you looked… and just one cheeky Suzuki trying to sneak in!
Special thanks go to Allen Millyard and James Hillier for giving so generously of their time, chatting with visitors and posing for photos throughout the day. Thanks also to Sharon for all her help, and to Sammy for making the event so memorable.
Most importantly, thank you to our incredible Classic Team.
Their hard work, enthusiasm and countless hours behind the scenes made the day such a success and showcased the club at its very best.
What a day!
...but the biggest credit must go to these two indefatigable organisers - Jude and Sharon - without whom the show would never have happened 👏👏
Thanks again to Chris Mabey for his many pics and video please subscribe to his channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CmbDfAa8AQ
Potjie cauldrons and more
at our Braai
19th July
Fifteen Howlers delved into the Potjie Pots for a sumptuous feast at Suzie & JC’s
- a traditional South African Braai with three varieties of potjie cooked in cast iron pots for six hours – picture in your mind three witches’ cauldrons stewing over a wood fire .
This was served with homemade South African corn bread made with beer and rice. For dessert, homemade milk tart, mint crisp and ice cream followed the main course.
Jo had made a birthday cake for Karen and Dan, and Jude had made personalised branch birthday cards!
The food was proudly prepared by JC/Andre/Marlene/Leroy and Suzie. Thank you all for a memorable afternoon - what a great bunch of bikers you are!!
Honda Day at The Ace
11th July
Mark Wilsmore, owner of the Ace is always very hospitable to the HOC and on this occasion was ably assisted by Lawrence.
Mark revived The Ace Café in 1997 after a closure of more than 25 years. It had originally opened in 1938 near Wembley on the North Circular Road but closed in 1969 and became a tyre fitting shop.
So, Eleven Howlers enjoyed a day in the sun meeting up with members from Wilts, East Midlands, Essex and North London.
Working as a well-drilled team with Graham and Sarah, the club stand was swiftly assembled in all its finery - and it (largely!) stayed in place on a breezy day.
We signed up four members in our area.
Howler, Gary Clarke was presented with a 65th anniversary T-shirt and cap from Sarah as part of the prize for designing the winning logo used on this year’s regalia.
Tom was able to show off his latest acquisition - a Royal Enfield Interceptor.
And Jo showed off her 1100 Rebel
The classic and customised Hondas on display attracted constant attention - probably more so than the shiny new machines
A troop of about thirty Monkey Bikes, buzzed in and then buzzed out to make way for a flotilla of Gold Wings.
This iconic venue provides a perfect setting for a bike-oriented day.
Special thanks to Steve Cribbin for his help transporting the Gazebo
HOWL at Brooklands
5th July
Fourteen Howlers plus friends enjoyed sunshine and ice creams on a great day out with a bumper crowd of 3000 others at Brooklands Motorcycle Day.
The Brooklands motor circuit opened in 1907, was the first purpose-built banked motor race circuit in the world. At that time, Britain was subject to a blanket 20 mph (32 km/h) speed limit on public roads and there was concern that Britain's infant auto-industry would be hampered by the inability to undertake sustained high-speed testing,
The oval banked track was nearly 30 feet (9.1 m) high in places and could host up to 287,000 spectators in its heyday.[4] Along the centre of the track ran a dotted black line, known as the Fifty Foot Line. By driving over the line, a driver could theoretically take the banked corners without having to use the steering wheel.
Racing stopped upon the outbreak of World War II in 1939. The site was turned over to wartime production of military aircraft. Enemy bombs damaged the track and a new access road to the Hawker factory was cut through bisecting the circuit
During our visit.hill starts, club stands, static displays and vintage parades took place around the iconic banked circuit.
We met up with existing HOC member Paula who joined us on her brilliant much modified CD200.
Some found the Hillclimb more difficult than others!
Thanks go to Vaughan, Deborah and Ian whose membership allowed us all to gain free entry as guests instead of the normal £24 admission.
Pizza on the Piazza
2nd July
In order to fit in with England’s promising World Cup schedule, we rearranged the date for a ‘Pizza on the Piazza evening’ at Rykas.
An impressive turnout of 16 HOWLers answered the call on a balmy summer’s evening. Great to see so many converge from different directions.
By the time you read this we’ll probably have consumed another Pepperoni or two and the heat and football enthusiasm will have waned! …
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