Category: News

Announcements, news items, Nacelle reports, articles

Bring & Buy Sale

The branch will be hosting a bring & buy sale at the BCSA on Thursday 13 January 2022 from 8:00pm to around 10.00pm

This is the ideal opportunity for you to have a clearout of all those motorcycle related items in your garage that you no longer need and make a little pocket money at the same time!

Plus, you might also pick up the odd item from another member which you will find useful!

Just turn up with your stuff and lay it out on table in the bar and see if anyone wants to buy it.

Wander round and look at what else is on offer .

Remember, one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure.

Food, drink and endless chat about motorbikes on offer as on all other Thursday club nights.

Some photos below of the last bring & buy sale we held at the beginning of 2020.

Nacelle Report – Jan 2022

Below is the report published in the January 2022 issue of Nacelle, which covered Branch activities in November 2021.

So here it is Merry Christmas! I hope everybody’s having fun when you read this and Covid hasn’t cancelled everything.

Members wracked their brains to answer Uncle Bob’s fiendish set of questions at our Branch quiz night. Teams of up to four competed to win the prizes on offer, assisted only by glasses of beer. There was a quick half time gap for people to refresh their glasses at the bar and then onto round two. Congratulations to the winning team of visitors from the VMCC.

Bob testing our brains at our quiz night

We had a good turn-out for our curry night that we arranged with the caterers for one of our Thursday evening meetings for members and partners. Everyone had a choice of three curries and then helped themselves from a table of side dishes. We played some Ravi Shankar albums in the background to provide the right ambience.

Members and their bikes at Alton Station

We were back on the road again with four Sunday and two mid-week ride-outs during November. We went to some new venues: the Tree House in Four Marks, the Grange near Saunderton and the Iron Bull Roadhouse in Old Basing; as well as repeat visits to Loomies and Sally Pussey’s Inn. We had a run to the Departure Lounge, but found it closed for a wedding, so went to Alton Station Café instead. For our last Sunday run the weather was barely above freezing, but that still didn’t stop six members donning their winter riding gear and coming out for the ride.

Keep on rolling! 

Ton-Up Ted

Christmas Special 2021

On the Thursday 16 December we will be having a Christmas special evening at our club night starting at 8pm at the BCSA. Its open to all Branch members and their partners and there will be a free buffet of festive food, Christmas music and a raffle. The bar will be open as usual. So come along and enjoy a yuletide evening with fellow Branch members.

Nacelle Report – December 2021

Below is the report published in the December 2021 issue of Nacelle, which covered Branch activities in October.

We met again some sunny day when the blue skies drove the dark clouds away for our October lunch time bike meet. Around 70 people rode in on their bikes in response to our open invitation to lunch on a Saturday at the BCSA. With so many events cancelled early in the summer (and all of last year), it was great to have this extra event late in the year.

Around 70 bikes came to our lunchtime bike meet

We’ve also been out motorbiking on the queen’s highway again. Despite anxiety about being able to get fuel, on the first Sunday in October we rode out to the idyllic Weald and Downland Museum near Chichester, where we enjoyed refreshments in the bucolic lakeside café there.

We also revisited some of our old favourite destinations and had Sunday ride-outs to: Popham Airfield near Winchester, the Artyard Cafe near Enstone and the Haven Café near Salisbury.

A brief stop on the ride back from the Weald

We finally held our much delayed Branch AGM, which should have been held back in February, when we were all stuck in lockdown. During the last year, two committee members had left and their duties were taken up by other members. With these changes, the existing committee were confirmed in their roles until next year’s Branch AGM, which is only four months away.  It was good to reflect on what has been a very disruptive period and start planning positively for next year’s activities.

We’re planning some winter indoor events so keep your eye on the Branch website for details.

Keep on rolling! 

Ton-Up Ted

Supporting the Thames Valley Air Ambulance

Our Lunchtime Bike Meet on 9th October 2021 hosted around 70 bikes and was a very enjoyable day out for all who attended. It also raised £200 for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance, who provide a vital life saving service.

Certificate sent to the Berkshire Branch By Thames Valley Air Ambulance

Thames Valley Air Ambulance sent us a certificate of thanks. We would like to pass on their thanks to everyone who came on the day and made a donation to this great cause.

If you want to know more about the great work the Thames Valley Air Ambulance do, just click here.

Branch Curry Night – 25 Nov

We are having a curry night at our club meeting at the BCSA on Thursday 25th November 2021.

For the bargain price of £5.50, you will have a choice of: Meat Rogan Josh, Chicken Tikka Masala or Vegetable Curry, all served with rice, naan bread and a popadom.

This event is open to all members and their partners so there will be no need for anyone to cook at home that night!

Service will start at 7:00pm. Don’t arrive earlier, the club will nor be open.

Annual Quiz – 2021

Our annual quiz for 2021 was held on 11 November 2021 at our regular club night at the BCSA. Multiple teams of three or four competed for a range of prizes and the honour of being this year’s winners. Questions as normal were set by Uncle Bob and tested our knowledge of motorcycle related facts with some other popular culture questions. We had a half time intermission to replenish our glasses before wracking our brains for the final session. Congratulations to the team of four visitors from the Vintage Motor Cycle Club (VMCC) who won. See some photos from the event below.

Nacelle Report – November 2021

Below is the report published in the November 2021 issue of Nacelle, which covered Branch activities in September.

We love the long and winding road that leads to a biker café!! Sometimes it leads to a Triumph dealer as well. We set off on a ride to Loomies Café, met some other members there and then went on the nearby dealer, Destination Triumph, to browse through the latest bikes on offer.

Branch members at Loomies Cafe on a ride-out

The following Sunday, we had a ride-out to Thruxton, and visited the Jackeroo café there. There was no racing, but we took advantage of a great photo opportunity and lined up with our bikes by the iconic Thruxton sign at the entrance.

Branch members and their bikes line up at Thruxton

The next week, the weather forecast looked wet and most people stayed at home, but five hardy members defined rain and puddles at our start point. They were rewarded with dry roads and sunshine by the time we got to the Leckford estate for a late breakfast at the café there.

We have had a number of new faces at rides and at club nights this month, so a warm welcome to Aiden, Mike, Richard, Kevin and Phil.

The petrol stations ran dry on the last Saturday of the month leaving many members with not enough fuel in their bikes to go for a run. Despite that, a few members managed to join many other local riders on a memorial ride for Ben Spiller, who passed away in April this year. Ben was a long term organizer of the annual Christmas Reading Toy Run which he founded 36 years ago.

Keep on rolling! 

Ton-Up Ted