THE LA GROTTE RALLY WAS ON FRI-SAT 19th – 20th SEPT, OUR CLUB HAD A INVITE TO STAY AT CLAIRE & SPOCKS HOUSE AT CHAILEY-EN-BIERE WHICH IS HALFWAY BETWEEN PARIS & THE RALLY SITE AT SAVIGNY-SUR-CLAIRIS.

AS USUAL WE TRIED ALL THE USUAL DISCOUNT OPTIONS ON P&O NORTH SEA, BEST WE COULD DO WAS A 5 DAY RETURN, BUT STILL EXPENSIVE, SO MUCH SO THAT SOME MEMBERS JUST COULDN’T AFFORD THE FERRY, OTHERS WENT THE DOVER ROUTE, (THE GOODS NEWS IS WE MAY HAVE A NEW BOOKING SOURCE FOR NEXT YEAR).

WE ARRIVED AT ZEBRUGGE ON THURSDAY MORNING AFTERA QUIET CROSSING, WHY P&O CHARGE SUCH HIGH PRICES & ONLY HALF FILL THE BOATS IS A MYSTERY TO ME.

WE HAD LOTS OF TIME TO REACH CLAIRE’S PLACE SO WE GOT THE FIRST 100 MILES UNDER OUR BELTS, THEN DID A BIT OF N ROAD SIGHTSEEING, WE ARRIVED AT CLAIRE’S AROUND 5.30pm. WE WENT OUT FOR A MEAL, HALFWAY THROUGH HAY’S & BALDY KEV ARRIVED, FROM THERE WE WENT ON TO THE EXPENSIVE IRISH PUB, THEN TO BED.

NEXTDAY I HAD ARRANGED TO MEET BEER KEV & ANNE-MARIE IN FONTAINEBLEAU AS THE DAY WENT ON IT WAS CLEAR THEY WOULD BE LATE, WE SENT THEM A TEAXT MESSAGE TO MEET AT COURTENAY.

WHEN WE GOT TO COURTENAY IT WAS STRAIGHT TO THE PUB (THERES A SUPPRISE) THE WEATHER HAD BEEN HOT SO A BEER WAS WELCOME, AS THE DAY WENT ON MORE OF THE CREW & FRIENDS ARRIVED. WE WENT ONTO THE RALLY SITE AT SAVIGNEY-SUR-CLAIRIS WHIHCH IS THE SAME SITE AS LAST YEAR, IT’S AN OPEN FIELD SITE, BUT LA GROTTE MAKE THE MOST OF IT, THE TALK WAS THAT NEXT YEAR THE RALLY WILL MOVE NORTH OF PARIS, I HOPE SO.

QUITE A FEW OF THE BREDA CLUB WERE AT THE RALLY AS ONE OF THEIR BEST MEMBERS BENNIE THE COLOURED GUY DIED SUDDENLY & AS LA GROTTE WAS ONE OF HIS FAVOURITE RALLY’S THEY CAME IN HIS HONOUR.

FRIDAY EVENING WAS THE NORMAL MEETING PEOPLE NIGHT, NOT MANY PEOPLE THERE BUT STILL ENOUGH TO MAKE A PARTY. ON SATURDAY WE WENT TO CHARLIE’S MUMS RESTAURANT WITH THE GERMANS FOR A MEAL, SOME THEN DID THE RIDE OUT WHILE OTHERS HAD A BEER OR TWO IN THE TOWN.

SATURDAY NIGHT WAS QUITE BUSY AS THE SITE FILLED UP, THEY ESTIMATED AROUND 450, THE GROUP WERE GOOD & THE BEER FLOWED, ABOUT 12.30am I WENT TO THE BAR FOR A BEER & LORENE FROM LA GROTTE GAVE ME A HUGE GLASS, SO ME BEING JARVO, I GAVE HIM A BEER TICKET & ASKED HIM TO FILL IT UP WHICH HE DID WITH NO QUESTION ASKED. WE MANAGED TO DRINK IT BETWEEN US.

SUNDAY MORNINGARRIVED & WE SET OFF FOR ZEBRUGGE AT 11am A RUN OF 280 MILES, AS IT WAS SUNDAY WE WENT BY THE PARIPHERIQUE, IT WAS A GOOD CHOICE AS WE GOT STRAIGHT THROUGH WITH ONLY ONE MINER HOLD UP. AS WE HAD MADE GOOD TIME WE DECIDED TO COME OFF THE MOTORWAY & DO SOME N ROADS, WE WENT ALONG THE N17. AROUND 2.30pm WE WERE READY FOR A BEER& SOME MUNCHIES, I HAD COME THROUGH A TOWN CALLED PERRONE ON THE WAY OUT, SO WE CALLED IN THERE FOR A BEER ON OUR WAY BACK,WE PARKED OUR BIKES IN THE SQUARE, WHEN WE WENT BACK TO OUR BIKES BEER KEV’S HELMET HAD BEEN STOLEN, BEING A SUNDAY WE HAD NO WAY OF GETTING HOLD OF ANOTHER, SO BEER KEV WORE ANNE-MARIE’S & SHE WORE A IMPROVISED SO THAT, WE HAD 130 MILES TO GO & THE TIME WAS GETTING LATE, SO IT WAS BACK TO THE MOTORWAY & GO FOR IT.

IN BELGIUM THE PETROL STATIONS SHUT DOWN ON A SUNDAY, I THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE ONE THE MAIN FERRY ROUTE (WRONG!) WE WENT FOR AS LONG AS WE COULD & I DECIDED WE MUST LEAVE THE MOTORWAY TO FIND FUEL. WE TURNED TOWARDS LEPER & WENT TO A TOWN CALLED NENEM, LOADS OF GARAGES, BUT THEY WERE ALL SHUT, BEER KEV WAVED A BIKER DOWN & AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT ACROSS THE ROAD WAS A GARAGE WITH A 24HR PUMP, THE GUY FILLED US UP WITH HIS PETROL CARD & WE GAVE HIM THE CASH (PHEW!). WE THEN HAD TO GO FOR IT AGAIN, FASTER & FASTER WE WENT AS TIME RAN OUT, WE MADE THE FERRY WITH JUST MINUTES TO SPARE (NEEDED A BEER). THE NEXT MORNING ANNE-MARIE BLAGGED A BRAND NEW HARD HAT OFF ONE OF THE CREW TO RIDE HOME IN.

ALL IN ALL A GOOD RALLY, SUPERB WEATHER TILL WE GOT OFF THE FERRY IN HULL, WELCOME HOME!

JARVO.