Newsletter December 2007

Another year has just gone flying past but hopefully it was one that allowed you the time to indulge yourself and enjoy some motorcycling? There’ve been some great events in the region this year and our club members have performed admirably – there’s a full report on the website so you can see what your comrades have been up to! As always though some of the best achievements go unnoticed because they are personal victories – that’s unless you tell all your mates about them!! So whether this year you competed in your first event, or perhaps you moved from Sportsman to Clubman to Expert to Championship, maybe you finally got ahead of your mates on the track, or you managed to find the time to come along and help at the club’s events…thank you for being a part of Sudbury MCC.

Important dates for your diary
Our first event of 2008 is the ‘Annual Dinner and Awards’ at The Essex Golf and Country Club on January 19th. It’s a fun, relaxed event, with good food and a (dodgy!) disco. This year it’s also a ‘Casino Style’ evening. NO that doesn’t mean you need to stump up your own cash…everyone gets given some fake cash to play the card and roulette tables and at the end of the evening the person with the most winnings gets a real prize. Novice or professional gamblers are welcome! The only trouble is the tickets are limited so it’s best to buy now rather than last minute. [Tickets are available from GH M/C’s or Jim Aim M/C’s at a very reasonable £30 for the evening, including the 3-course meal!]

The ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING will be the FOURTH Wednesday of January - 23rd January 2008 – usual venue, 8pm, White Horse, North St, Sudbury. It’s a great opportunity to put forward ideas and help your committee to run the club the way ‘you’ the members want. Please find the time to come along.

New on the website…
The dates for our 2008 fixtures have now been fixed and a fixture list posted in the FORUM on the club website. The club plans 6 events the first of which is that awesome Foxborough Endurothon. Please take a look online for more details and to see how you can do your bit to help set-up these events!
There’s also a great report on the FORUM with member’s achievements during 2007. If you think you deserve a mention then use the website to tell us what you’ve been up to…it’ll be great to hear from you!

And now for something less serious…
Back in October a few riders went for a quick blast down a beach whilst the tide was out. They’ve been doing it for years apparently, but everyone says this one was a particularly great weekend…so we thought we’d ask three to tell us more….

First we asked Jamie Roper for an ‘unbiased’ view of his Yamaha…
I turned up on Friday morning to get my bike scrutineered and when I saw the weather was awesome, I was itching to ride from that moment on. Saturday flew by and soon it was race day - Sunday. With so many riders it is important to get a good position on the start. Luckily my bike was placed in the top 100 square (because I finished well in 2006), and I was in the top 50 riders down on to the beach for the all-important start and made it into the front row. A few nervous moments and then we were off…it’s such a great feeling, 1200 riders racing down the mile long straight – I had my YZ125 pinned flat out. I took the first dune no trouble and concentrated on staying out of trouble to avoid queuing at the subsequent dunes – well at least for the first lap anyway. This paid off as I was counted round 34th on my first lap. From then the race just flew by and I felt I had a good ride. Unfortunately they ended up cutting my fun short by half an hour but I finished 42nd, and was the 2nd 125 home, loving every minute of it!

And then we asked Paul Belton for the real story…
This year we booked our camper on the ‘platinum’ campsite beside the pits and beach – right in the action. Friday morning I dragged the bike out of the camper from underneath all the essentials (!) my wife and son must have for 3 days camping! I gave the bike a quick look over and after numerous calls met up with the Sudbury lads to start queuing! We queued to get a day licence, we queued to sign on, and then guess what, we queued to get transponders. Finally after what seemed like forever, I pushed my bike through scrutineering, and into the Park Ferme. Time to relax and fortunately it was T-shirt weather so we decided to watch the world go by in a lively bar. Everyone was in good humour and by the afternoon we were rolling, ending up in an Italian for the evening - what a laugh.

We were woken up early Saturday by the sounds of the quads and sidecars getting themselves ready for their day. Everyone loved the quads, especially the youngster races earlier in the day. They were great! Saturday evening was a little quieter, discussing the day’s events over a meal and thankfully not so much alcohol for those on bikes in the morning.

Sunday we woke early and looked out to see hundreds of people preparing themselves and taking their gear down to the pits. Luckily some one had been up early and had made a claim on part of the beach for the Sudbury pits (THANK YOU!!) so it was just a case of placing my fuel and kit ready. We waited for the youngsters to race – great to watch – before getting our kit on and queuing for our bikes in the Park Ferme. Although the race was not for another hour the queue was already huge, and there was no way of getting through to the other ‘marigolds’ who were already up front. The gates were opened and then panic set in as everybody raced to grab their bikes in the hope that they might be at the front of the line on the beach. We were then held in the Park Ferme for a good 15 choking minutes and the fumes from the 1000 plus bikes were horrendous. Finally we were escorted to the start line – this is a race in itself as everyone is so fired up!

I got down to the start gates and was about five bikes deep back. We had another short wait for all the bikes to get on the beach before the gates were opened and suddenly we were off. This bit is MEGA! You can’t believe it…the ear-splitting noise of the bikes, the cloud of spray, and the smell is amazing - this is where the mayhem begins! There were already bikes broken down on the start straight – their pilots dancing on the beach trying to dodge the racers heading straight for them. The first dune and first lap were horrendous – bikes everywhere, some abandoned, others stuck, riders pushing, pulling, even rolling around on the beach! Sand roost was everywhere. I could see a few Sudbury guys ahead who had made a far better start and were pushing on while I just sat in the mayhem for what seemed like ages unable to move for a sea of bikes.
Eventually I got going and completed my first lap in around 25mins – nightmare! From then on the field was split up and I was able to get into some rhythm, lapping at around 15mins. As usual there were already plenty of dead and retired bikes. At the 1 ½ hour mark I pitted and was filled up by the superb crew, took a glug of water and a change of goggles and I was off again. I was now going well and was at a good pace (for me!). But problems were beginning to happen on the scaffold road that took the track over the ambulance crossing. The sand had been roosted off and it was now like a skating rink. It became totally blocked and the track was diverted across the ambulance path – but this caused safety concerns and disappointingly the chequered flag was waved 45 minutes early. Lucky for some perhaps as by then the incoming tide was half way up the wheels of some vans parked on the beach!

My finish result was 342 – maybe better next year - but we all had a great time and will definitely be returning next year. And luckily for me, Mel, my wife loves it - and I’ll give her a big thanks anyway as she is lumbered with all the washing.


Finally we asked Jill Hart why she keeps going year after year…
Oh no not Weston again! I told myself I’m not going this year (but I say that every year!) but Johno said we were just nipping out for 10 mins - next minute I found myself heading round the M25 and along the M4 on Friday evening along with our friend Rob and his son George. When we arrived later that night the hardcore Weston goers - Dave and Bev Roper - were out night clubbing with the youngsters. Can you believe it at their age!?! Anyway I think the youngsters ended up giving them the slip as apparently Dave cramped their style with the girls!! Who’d have thought it? Anyway we had a more dignified evening having a drink or two with Don and Cathy (Blackman) instead.

Saturday morning was lovely and sunny and Johno, Dave and Don could not wait to be marshals for the Quads and the kids races. Dave funnily enough with a mega hangover and Don keen to get his free wet suit and can of Relentless! Whilst they enjoyed themselves in the sand, us ladies followed Weston tradition and went shopping with our mens’ wallets.

Sunday was another lovely morning – that was a godsend because we had to be down the beach before 7am. We cooked breakfast all round and everybody was panicking getting ready with marigold rubber gloves being blown up and attached to their helmets. After the riders had all gone Bev, Cathy and myself headed off to the first dune. Before we got there the bikes had started so it was a quick dash (more a slow amble methinks!) to watch them come down and over the first dune. Les Rampton was the first marigold round and then we waited until we had seen all our riders round. For once it was a real treat being able to watch Weston in the warm sunshine and NO RAIN. We carried on watching from various places on the beach until they waved the red flag for the race to finish after 2 and half hours.

Off back to the Camper Vans and all the riders were coming back saying “AWESOME, BRILLIANT, THE BEST WESTON EVER”. Everyone was on a high. The bikes were washed off, with the race being discussed and plenty of cups of tea and food being consumed. And then we set off home.

So far I haven’t said I’m not going to Weston any more – I’m still a soft touch all because it was a good dry weekend with plenty of sunshine – and I expect George will probably be doing it again next year so no doubt we will be heading off down the M4 next October!!

Hopefully that gives you a better idea of why so many people make the annual pilgrimage to Weston Super Mare. All 3 articles will be forwarded to the website FORUM so please feel free to add your own stories/comments there!

Although we tend to always focus on recent events, a club like ours has a long history of motorcycling tales from former years. Our final article includes one such seasonal tale and is message from Roger Chaplin, our Vice President.

Another year is coming to its close and I would like to wish you all a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope to see many of you at the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING on the 23rd January 2008. Sadly during this year we have lost our President, Peter Smith and our oldest Vice President, Harold Clark aged 99. In the Eastern Centre we have also seen the loss of Brian Walker, a great stalwart of our Sport and Jean Clampin, wife of the EC President Derek Clampin. Our sympathies go out to all their families and friends.
Harold Clark was a former Police Inspector stationed at Sudbury who retired in 1963. In a tribute I said Harold was a very good ‘friend’ to the Club - since then I have learned that Harold was a lot more than a very good ‘friend’ as his will has pledged £3000 to the club! Thank you Harold.

After Christmas while most of you are in the comfort of a warm place, spare a thought for those whom are riding in a Trial or organizing such an event. Boxing day Trials remain a tradition and no doubt Stevie Roper will be riding, and also his dad Dave, who has bought a Trials machine. This time of year reminds me of when Sudbury Club used to run a Trial every year on the last Sunday of December. On two successive years in the 1960s we actually had snow!
In one of these years 1962 – my first season in Trials - we decided to have a huge course consisting of one 40-mile lap!
We obtained land on the south side of Sudbury, Ballingdon Hall pits, Sudbury Borough Council’s pits which were also in Ballingdon, and a small woodland area in Borley. Land negotiation has always been tricky and in the past Ballingdon Hall pits was used by the Halstead Club. Luckily the Agent for the owner was Roly Oliver at Boardman & Oliver (also my boss at the time) and so with his help we obtained the owners permission.
Would it be so easy with the council though? Our former Chairman & Secretary, John Sargeant, worked for the Borough Council and paved the way for the Club to use their pits; however we had to put our request in writing and I was asked to write this letter to the Town Clerk. The next day he rang me up at work and I have to say my knees were knocking!! Conveniently most people at work knew the Town Clerk personally, Roly my boss, being a former Mayor of Sudbury. I was in awe of these people but I should not have worried, he regaled me with a few stories of his off road riding and said yes we could use the pits.
And so the sections were made and on Saturday 29th the Route Marking was put into place. However, in the early hours of Sunday morning snow fell rather heavily and when we woke up at daylight it looked like we would have to cancel the event. Oh no the show must go on…
An early morning inspection of the route and sections were made and it was decided to run the Trial over 2 laps of 20 sections instead of one lap of 40 sections. After all the trouble we’d gone to this actually meant not using our new land at Ballingdon and Borley! Our actual start was at Babergh Heath Farm in Acton and the riders were told to turn ‘right’ at the end of the farm track (instead of left!). However one rider, Ian Lummis, riding a Triumph Tiger Cub turned left and rode all the way through Sudbury to Ballingdon Hall pits. Finding no observers he carried on to the next group of sections on the other side of Ballingdon Hill where again he found no one. Undeterred Ian then continued to the third group of sections at Borley, and again there was nobody about. Finally he continued on to the next group of sections at Acton pits and lo and behold there were riders and observers – he’d arrived at the first sections of the revised course. All in all, and despite the weather, most of the riders turned up and thanks to the ‘helpers’ the event was successful in unusual conditions. I myself rode in this event – and for a mere novice it was an eye opener and at times awesome.

I hope you enjoyed that piece of club history. I do not have to hand the final placing for the Eastern Centre Enduro Championships but I believe our members are in the top three. Perhaps some of our members will make up the Eastern Centre team for the Inter Centre Enduro event? Well done also to Chris Hockey, riding again for Great Britain ISDE Trophy Team. Unfortunately he broke a bone in his hand but finished the week in 34th place in his class and a Silver Medal. Congratulations also to Dave Roper and Jim Aim riding again for England in the OAP Motocross de Nations back in September.

Our membership has continued to thrive as last year, with over 230 members. Many thanks for the hard work the committee members have done and also the various helpers. You know who you are so I am not going to name everyone.

Wishing you a very successful 2008. Roger Chaplin