The English National Rally 2017 / Day 3 |
|
|
| In Tewkesbury | |
|
I woke up around seven o'clock. No, it was still too early to get up. So, I'd
better turn around and try to get some more sleep. Half an hour later though,
it really was time to get up and pretend I was actually awake. According to
the schedule, breakfast would be served at 8 o'clock, and I was quite looking
forward to that. 8 O'clock arrived, then half past 8, and I heard someone say
that breakfast wouldn't around until 9. Can't be helped of course, but what's
the use of a schedule if none actually follows it?
| |
|
When breakfast had finally arrived, it was a hearty English breakfast,
fortunately with enough coffee to wake everyone up. It's quite the feat to
devour such an entire English breakfast, but I managed to do so anyway. And
with that done, what was on the agenda next?
| |
 ... English breakfast ... |
 ... enough coffee to wake everyone ... |
|
The schedule called for a 'ride out'. But noone seemed to be getting ready to
get started. So much for the schedule. Still, there were a lot of things to do
in the surrounding area, such as a visit to a museum, a scrapyard with
motorcycleparts, or a visit to the cathedral of Tewkesbury.
| |
|
I tried to find out when the ferry that belonged to the 'Lower Lode Inn' would
start carrying people over. That would be at 12 o'clock. But when would it
sail back? Well, they answered, the ferry will carry people across at 12
o'clock. However, if you didn't want that, you could visit this or that. I
couldn't get a straight answer for how to get back from the other side of the
river. When on top of all that a drizzle started, I decided I had enough. I
would remain at the site of the Lower Lode Inn, near the coffee and the warm,
indoor area.
| |
|
There was talking, looking at motorcycles and playing with a dog. Or did the
dog play with us? The mutt kept bringing us the ball, dropped it in front of
someone's feet and looked at that person with a demanding look in its eyes:
throw it, oh please, throw it... Even Frans got tempted to play along, but the
little dog was as fast as lighting and grabbed the ball out of the air in
seconds, after which the whole game started again.
| |
 ... got tempted to play along ... | |
|
We got to vote as well. Ballots were distributed, and everyone had the task to
select a candidate for each of the catagogires. And there were a lot of them,
such as:
| |
|
Most beautiful CX/GL
Best renovated CX/GL
Best sound from a CX/GL
Must have arrived on a trailer
Most 'girly' CX/GL
Will definitely not make it home
Best paint job
| |
|
Who to choose with so many choices? Sure, the pink CX650c from Ireland was a
very 'girly' motorcycle, but which CX/GL was the most beautiful? And which one
sounded the best? And who didn't I think would make it home? It took some
effort, but I filled in the list and handed it in with the committee.
| |
|
Dinner was more structured than last night. This morning everyone was asked
what they wanted to eat that evening, so the kitchen crew could make sure they
had everything ready at the same time. Dinner would start at 7 o'clock. I
quickly translated that to 'will begin somewhere in between 7 and 8 o'clock,
most likely 8.'
| |
|
It turned out I guessed right. Around a quarter to eight
the food was brought in. I had to pay attention though, for in the front of
the room someone was calling out names, and with a little luck you'd get
whatever you ordered earlier today. Still, for the English 'Hans' is about as
difficult to pronounce as 'Frans'. Still, with a little bit of luck everything
worked out, and I got what I ordered: ham and eggs. For a short while, the
room wasn't as noisy as before.
| |
 ... ham and eggs ... | |
|
Not long after dinner they held a raffle, some kind of lottery. The
proceedings would go to charity. I'm not a big fan of lotteries, but well, I
was in England, so I figured I'd do what the English did. I even contributed
to the pool of prizes: an umbrella with the logo of the Dutch CX club. It'd
been the gift contributors got a few years ago. After the lottery tickets were
sold, it was told the profits this year would go to Trevor's widow, as a
contribution to Trevor's headstone. If I had known that earlier, I'd have
bought more tickets.
| |
 ... raffle ... | |
|
The lottery tickets were called out with great speed, and luckily I didn't win
any prize. Some things you can take with you on a motorcycle easily, others
are a lot harder. But because I didn't have anything to take back with me, I
didn't have that problem.
| |
|
After the raffle, it was time for voting results. The longest distance from
the continent was for Fritz and Marian, but the longest distance within
Brittain was mentioned as well. The best sound was for Fritz as well, since
what better sound is there, than a CX that works again? The most beautiful,
the one that had to have come here by trailer, the most 'girlie' bike, all
kinds of prizes and awards.
| |
 ... the most 'girlie bike'. ... |
 ... pink CX from Ireland ... |
|
When that was over, the receipts for drinks at the bar were handed out. First
though, the chairman needed to read out a list of names, the names of those
who died this year. It was a long list. In a way those kinds of lists are
aways too long...
| |
|
What followed was a toast to remember them by.
| |
|
The evening continued with talking about all kinds of miscellanious things,
and at one point I had enough. It was time to find my tent and try to fall
asleep. That worked out perfectly...
| |
|
| |
|
|