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2011
VMCC
Coventry
to
Brighton
Run.
A thank you to John Lycett who sent this
report on the Coventry to Brighton run. He is too modest to have mentioned
that they got an award for the greatest combined age of driver, passenger and
machine. His B.S.A. three-wheeler must be very very old as both Judith and
John are quite youthful.
If anyone has a suitable photograph please send it to me for posting on this
page. Eddy.
"What a glorious sunny morning when we were waved off by the Lord Mayor of
Coventry for the 50th Coventry
to Brighton Run, with the rider of the oldest bike, a 1920 Henderson carrying a
letter of greeting from the Coventry Mayor to the Mayor of Brighton. Our
favourite make was well represented with 9 Vincent's amongst the 80 plus
runners. Talking of runners, poor old Ian Alexander, who with his wife Kathy had
done all of the hard work to organize the event, in the end could not take part
on their lovely Shadow/Steib outfit because of trouble in the sparks department.
The first pre-arranged stop is at Sturdy’s Castle, just north of
Oxford
for tea, coffee, bacon sandwich etc. Several
of the section, (let out for the day), accompanied us as far as the lunch stop
in Twyford including Maurice who was on his brand new Moto Guzzi.
A tea stop was taken at Newlands Corner, (yes I know it’s all eating) then on
the pretty rural lanes, admiring the bluebells and primroses to
Brighton
. On arriving at the seafront the
bikes were lined up on the prom and the Mayor of Brighton was there to review
the troops (as it were) before we crossed the road to the hotel. This hotel is
ideal as once all the bikes and three wheelers are safely parked, the short
entrance to the car park in the shape of a cutting through the rock is
blocked off by a couple of substantial following vehicles, making it all secure.
We enjoyed a good evening meal and a drink before retiring.
Next morning, another sparkling sunny day bode well for a fine ride home, a good
substantial breakfast and we lined up for the judging before the off.
Most of the awards went to Vintage Club members but Hugh McAllister won the
trophy for best Vincent, and his wife June, the award which, I can never figure
out how it is judged, the best pillion passengers award.
We stopped for lunch at Worplesdon, then onward.
We were stopped by very heavy stop go traffic through
Henley
, where we saw Rob and Valerie stopped in an awkward spot trying to get some
grip out of his clutch. He was successful as he arrived at the little tea rooms
shortly after we did. Our engine was
so hot that we dare not stop it any more, but drove on until we could get some
cooling air.
Judith and I were travelling in style in our 1932 B.S.A. three wheeler, nowadays
on doctors orders, but as it’s a “V” twin it serves us very well."
John Lycett.
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