|
The
name Hog in the Bard came about after we had discussed a change
of venue for Sherwood Chapters first official ride of the year,
always on Easter Bank Holiday. After deciding it would be a good
idea to meet up with other Chapters, possibly on their first official
ride too, we needed to get somewhere central. Stratford up on Avon
seemed to be the ideal place. Darren James (SRC) came up with the
name, so that’s where Hog in the Bard started, where all good
ideas come from, over a beer as normal.
Our
first Hog in the Bard was a great success with Peak Riders,
Rutland and St Ledger joining us (Sherwood) at Leicester Forest
East services on the M1. After a short break at Draycot Waters we
arrived in Stratford with well over 150 bikes. We realised we were
going to struggle parking, so by chance we saw a traffic warden
who advised us to park on the grassed area adjacent to the Holiday
Inn Hotel, Sorted?, well kind of, out came the operations manager
and a few kind words were expressed by him. Did he have a choice?
I here you say, Darren and I assured him we would leave it better
than we found it. That was probably the best thing that could have
happened. The year after was going to be the same venue so we had
to be ready for more bikes so again 2/7ths of The Magnificent Seven
went to Stratford to talk with the Holiday Inns ops manager and
agreed on using their car park for guaranteed parking, something
quite rare in Stratford, all for £2 per bike. The moneys raised
would go to the Holiday Inns nominated charity, Whizz-Kids. Well
you can’t get farer than that I guess that’s what having
a foot in the door means.
2008
saw Hog in the bard II, not so many bikes this year as Easter
was early and winter was definitely running late. After a very cold
ride with everything Mother Nature could chuck at us (who actually
decides to keep moving Easter?) We handed over £137 that year.
Hog
in the Bard III advertised in Hog Tales for the first time meant
we had a lot of interest from a lot more Chapters and HD. The credit
crunch didn’t have an effect on the amount of Chapters turning
up and the weather certainly helped out for once, there must have
been at least 215 bikes on Easter Monday and with an
official photo on the steps of the hotel with a more official
handing over of the charity money to the manageress on duty, a staggering
£431.37 from Great Western, Fenlanders, Rolling hills, Peak
Riders, St ledger, Birmingham and of course Sherwood
Now
for Hog in the Bard IV Easter Monday April the 5th 2010 parking’s
already agreed so watch this space and Hog Tales.
Ride safe
Pete....Director Sherwood Chapter
|
