The Blanket & Tin Food Ride for the Salvation Army 20^th April 2008

Sunday morning started with 27 Bikes & 15 passengers braving the over cast conditions and the rain to meet at Hexham Macca’s for coffee & breakfast at 8am.

Mick grouped everyone together afterwards to explain what’s happening. Chris asked everyone if Warner’s at the Bay was ok for lunch and of cause we all said yes.

We left Macca’s at about 8.55 am with Mick as the ride leader and we all headed off to Sandgate Produce Market Car Park to assemble there by 9 am.

Trip and some of his fellow Salvation Army members met us there; they were selling the 2008 T Shirts and ride badges plus other bits and pieces from past years.

We spent the next hour and a half wandering around talking to different people and checking out all the different types of bikes. What a great crowd of people and bikes.

The Poker run was postponed for another 3 weeks due to the weather.

The word was finally called and we all got onto our bikes at about 10.30am and headed off to Newcastle’s Bar Beach car park where Trip and his crew were waiting for us. The NBN News crew was also there to take photos and video us donating our food, blankets and money (hopefully, we’ll on the news tonight).

The final count of bikes was 120.

The count also included Ulyssians from Lake Macquarie & some of the Scooter Club who also braved the weather as well.

Trip congratulated everyone for braving the elements asked if anyone who had any donations of food & blankets to put them into the back of the Ute.

Mick was then called up to speak for us. He presented Howard Mole with a cheque for $1020 & $20 cash. Trip thanked him very much for our generous support and presented him with a purple flag.

Trip remarked on how good Mick looked with it, remarking about his manhood, so Mick made a comment on the bright orange outfit Trip was wearing & nicknamed him the “Orange Wiggle”.

It was then noted by more than a couple of us that Trip slipped somewhat and dropped the “F” word after this bit of playful bit of stirring.

The Scooter Club were also presented with, yes, a purple flag. The girls were ecstatic.

More photos were taken and then the rain came and came down heavily. Everyone raced to their bikes to get their helmets & gear on.

With the rain coming on so quickly their was a lot of confusion and no one was exactly sure which way we were supposed to be going to get to Warners Bay. There were bikes going every which way.

Doesn’t matter though, we arrived at there although some riders, not naming anyone in particular, got lost and then whined about it, on and on and on.

Wendy, Peter, Bev & Ash joined us later for lunch. They didn’t brave the rain and came by car to the pub. Clive went home to pick Jan up and he came back by car too.

About 20 of us finally ended up there and for lunch, a chat and a good time.

All in all we still had a great day despite the rain and anyway, for those of us traveling to Townsville in a month’s time we need to get used to these conditions cause theirs no guarantee of fine weather for the entire time away.

Many thanks to the committee for the organization of the ride.

The first timer.   Photos and ride report by Christine Tapping