The Things We Do
INDEX
2026
- 11th April - Bikers supporting Hope to Connect's World Record attempt
- We have a new regular thing: Pub Quiz against the Harley Davidson Riders
2024
- Ted's big day out (TBC)
2022
- STOMCC is travelling to Guernsey
- STOMCC goes Rally - The Big Branch Bash
- Somersham Wheelie Fun Day (TBC)
- World Record meet of largest number of female riders at Hinckley (TBC)
- Langford Museum of Power (TBC)
2021
- Anglian Motorcycle Festival @ TTTmotorcycle Village (TBC)
2020
- Guernsey, part of the TOMCC big tour
2018
New Beginnings
After Covid the active member numbers had shrivelled and we had to rebuild our branch. We established some fixed activities, which worked well to connect members from across our rather big county:
We obviously picked up the Copdock Show attendance, which was always our big thing. We established a beginning and end of season lunch on a Saturday. With a bit of trial and error we are now set to visit either Kessingland, Sailors Home in the North East, or the Shotley Shipwreck in the South. We now have a few nice pubs across the county for our travelling HQ on the fourth Tuesday of a month during the summer month, and of course we have our Christmas do, where we put out a bit of a spread and hold a raffle.
Since 2022 we have been back to Guernsey as well as Big Branch Bash several times, trips which never got round to becoming articles. Members are always welcome to submit their stories, so they can be posted here.
Below some short articles from the beginning of our journey after the lockdowns.
Start of season lunch 2022 - View the picture album
Today was the branches season opener at somewhere other than the branch home, organised by Rika the social secretary.
Thank you all who came and made this Christmas meet so special. I so hope that all the 'Plus Ones' liked it enough that they will come back to our meets. We even were very international with a visitor from the Norwich branch, which is struggling at the moment so we invited them along; two members all the way from France; the lovely daughter of a member visiting from Sweden, and yours truly quite clearly still recognisable as German after 21 years in the country.
Andy from the Stowe Fish Bar did an incredible job putting a tasty, freshly cooked takeaway for 21 people together. I have never seen a fryer so quick. It was wonderful coming back to the pub with the food and seeing the room filled up with happy people chatting and laughing. Albeit in a new location it felt like the good old days.
We got so lucky with Jazz, our new landlady. She let me use her kitchen to put the food on platters and she supports us wherever she can. She was pleased for us, that the branch is doing well and that we enjoy being at hers.
To me this will be Christmas meet long remembered.
End of Season Lunch at the Cross Keys, Redgrave - View the picture album
23rd October 2021, a dry but rather fresh morning, 7 bikes and 1 car made their way to Redgrave. Our newest member is forgiven for not using the bike, I had said that cars are appropriate means of transport given that it's almost November.
Mr L., overly keen on his brand new Street Twin, arrived first on the scene well before the rest of us trickled in. Nice table for 9 put together for us, and although the food came a bit late, goodness they are busy there, the time was flying in great company. It was good that we had a pre-order sent through, though.
It was great to see a member from the area, too, who usually couldn't make it to the monthly meets due to distance. The food was absolutely delicious and after a hot and strong coffee for most of us, we braved the cold on our way home.
We all agreed that it was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon and that we should do it again for the opening of the season in April.
2021 Copdock Bike Show - View the picture album
The Copdock bike show was a great success. It felt good doing 'normal' things again, and we seemed to have got away with it. I have not heard any bad news in the aftermath of the show, although they had about 10k people through the door with cars queuing well back into the road to get on site.
My little 'back of the van' kitchen served us well again for coffees and teas and the mandatory bacon sarnies for lunch. As usual part of the set-up crew stayed on site, and as usual, we did it in style with fire-pit, beer tent visit and a little bit of dancing - this time the vice chair behaved and stayed off the tables, and breakfast fry up the next morning.
We got a lot of visitors on the stall, which this year we themed: 'Triumph at the movies'. We found out that almost all of the displayed bikes had a role in a movie - how cool is that! And we met some new members and associates from other branches. All great fun and worth the while!
Tired but happy, now all is packed away again for next year when we'll do it all over again.
ARTICLES
Bikers supporting Hope to Connect's World Record attempt
Guernsey 2022 - A fantastic trip to attend the Trifest
10 days, 5 People, 5 bikes, and 2 years in the making – our Guernsey trip eventually happened.
Initially planned as a joint visit with the Gloucester Meteors, celebrating the 75th Liberation anniversary together with the Guernsey branch in 2020, we now were treated to a Trifest as well.
Riders from across the UK, and some even coming from as far as Finland and the USA, made this a truly international event.
On Thursday 5th May, Paul joined Sue and Mark in Needham Market for an early start to the Premiere Inn Poole North Hotel, our meeting place for the night. Andy and myself set off a bit later in the morning held back by my work – doesn’t it always get in the way?
The hotel is about 15 minutes from the port making it an ideal rest place for a morning sailing. It has good parking, a nice restaurant and bar, and friendly staff. After a pleasant meal with banter and discussing Paul’s temperamental spark plugs, we went to bed well primed for a great holiday.
Good night sleep, breakfast, pleasant weather, bikes that start – what more would one want? Smooth ride to the ferry, more Triumphs already waiting, onto the ferry we went. Goodness how we all hate clamps, but the staff was helpful, up the stairs – and relax! Dosed up on Stugeron, Andy’s recommendation against sea sickness, we all enjoyed the trip and were greeted on the other side by the Guernsey branch.
Our little group as well as some of the Gloucester Meteors stayed at the Wayside Cheer hotel on the North-ish end of the island, with a west facing beautiful beach just across the road, providing the most spectacular sunsets. We stayed there before and we were greeted back like family. This time some of us had the chalet rooms across the courtyard, which don’t have sea views but a lovely lawn with tables and a swimming pool right in front. No climbing stairs with heavy bike gear and after a day out we just sat and relaxed over a cuppa and nice biscuits, provided by the hotel. Life is good!
Day 1: Herm Island
We took a break from the bikes, hopped on the bus that stops right in front of the hotel, and made our way to St Peter Port with the intention to enquire about a boat trip to Herm. On arrival at the ticket booth the ferry was just about to leave and so we hopped on. Not knowing what to expect we were treated to the most beautiful sceneries in glorious sunshine. And then there was a pub called The Mermaid Tavern serving a beautiful beer named ‘Sin Bin’ with a band called ‘The Travelling Wannabees’ playing. We were in heaven! Sunburnt and happy, all worries dropped off our minds and we were ready to enjoy the week ahead.
Day 2: The Bike Show and Gala Dinner
Colin Robin, who built ‘The Obliterator’, a double engine Triumph which almost killed him, is a legend on Guernsey and in racing circles. He had this dream of the biggest Triumph bike show ever happened on the island. And he made it: 171 Triumphs gathered at a quarry site.
Lots of other very interesting bikes arrived and were parked separately, big machinery was displayed together with some prime specimen of Triumph bikes. It as was a fantastic atmosphere.
For the Gala Dinner at the Peninsula hotel they had arranged transport, so a few beers were in order.
Of course, our Mr Dobbs joined us and had a whale of a time despite his friends Guy Rat and Eugene missing. We were told that Gloucester’s Guy Rat got stuck in customs for smuggling, but we have the suspicion that they forgot to invite him along, and apparently Eugene is on a World trip doing his own thing, but yet again, we think they forgot him on one of the trips and he’s actually crying his eyes out somewhere in a hotel cupboard.
The ‘The 3 Sixties’ played 60s music, a lot of dancing happened, and after being chauffeured home by Mac, another lovely member of the Guernsey branch, we happily toddled to bed.
Day 3: 77s Liberation Anniversary
Starting off with a visit to the German Occupation Museum we moved on to the celebration part of the day. Fun fairs were arranged across the island with a parade of about 150 WWII vehicles running along them. It was spectacular.
We attended the Mallard complex fair, with 5 bands playing all day long including ‘The 3 Sixties’ again, special Triumph motorcycle parking space was arranged, and then there was a baffled BBC Guernsey reporter, interviewing our very own Vice Chair Andy live, opening with the question: “So, what are we doing here?”
Response in typical Andy fashion: “We are standing here and you are holding a microphone into my face, I think we are doing an interview!”
Days…
With the official part done everything that followed became a wonderfully relaxed blur. Starting each day with a hearty full English, we looked at the map, decided on a general direction mostly guided by toilet and coffee cup signs, and off we went. Bikes parked in a preferably photogenic fashion, we then walked the most beautiful coastline. We found so many unexpected views, rested when we felt like it, ate fantastic cakes, and just had a good time in the sun. Oh yes, and we made sure Paul found the best smelling hand sanitisers wherever we went.
The only day that differed happened when Colin and the TOMCC Chairman fixed my bike. While Mark, Sue and Paul went up the Pleinmont ObservationTower, Andy and I went to see Colin in his impressive garage/workshop to investigate the weird rattle of my bike. It turned out that my exhaust seemed to disintegrate on the inside.
Colin being Colin, found me some Harley defyingly loud exhausts on the island. After many more cuppas they were fixed on my bike and off I now go, clearly audible throughout the entire continent. Such are the Guernsey people, generous, entertaining and just lovely.
But all good things must end, and so we packed up to fetch the overnight ferry with the plan to have one for the road on the boat, and to have a good night sleep for a relaxed ride home. Despite the late hour a group of the Guernsey branch came to the port to bid us farewell, and then we waited, and waited some more. Instead of 11PM we sailed at 1:30 AM. We slept rather well without the one for the road, woke to a really good breakfast on the ferry that was included in the price, got our bikes out of those stupid clamps and off home we went, blessed by great weather still.
And now it’s all a memory, one that will be much cherished. But we know, that all be well, we’ll be back. There are still a few miles we haven’t walked and a few views we haven’t seen
Mr Dobbs' Big Day Out to the Triumph Factory in Hinckley
By Rika Nauck, 2018
The branch did a bus trip to the Triumph Motorcycle Factory in Hinkley. The story is told from the viewpoint of Mr Dobbs, our knitted Suffolk Punch mascot. Mr Dobbs is not much involved with the inner workings of motorcycles but he likes a good trip out. So, he hopes that he spoke not just for the bikers but as well for the non-members who joined us for this day and who not necessarily live and breathe motorcycles and engine fumes. Read more...
All Year Biker - A shiny 23 Year old
I love it when a plan comes together! A couple of months back I've put a little paragraph into the newsletter about winterising my bike for the summer, ..., for the good reason that I hate cleaning bikes and if she is dressed in ACF-50 or XCP stuff I'm not even allowed to polish.
After her MOT my good old Legend TT got booked in for her beauty appointment with All Year Biker at the Adventure Bike Shop in Acton, near Sudbury. There are others in the county but I had a cunning plan. Bribing the boyfriend with the prospect of a fry-up, I got myself a pillion ride to the TTT Motorcycle Village in Sudbury, where there is always something to do, see and talk about, and the breakfast is just fantastic. Killing two hours waiting time was really not a problem. If you can't get a lift then there is Wally's caff, 2 minutes walking down the road, the Adventure bike shop has a lot to look at and dream about as well, and Cliff is always good for a chin-wag. So, for me, it's the prime location.
Mike did a smashing with the XCP, haven't seen my girl that shiny in years. Well worth the 85 quid (70 for ACF-50)
Links:
Adventure Bike Shop, Acton near Sudbury: https://www.adventurebikeshop.co.uk/
All Year Biker: https://allyearbiker.co.uk/treatment/
TTT Motorcycle Village: https://tttmotorcyclevillage.co.uk/
