The variable wet weather going about the country certainly deterred a few people from attending this year's event, with heavy squalls reported from both Norfolk and Essex - but in the eye of the storms, Suffolk enjoyed a very pleasant sunny day! Despite the prospect of rain, the run still attracted 26 fearless participants, while the jumble worked its usual magic of doubling up the total attendance.
TigerMan pitched in a corner of the car park again, but we never even got to see how it was building up outside, since all the stalls in the hall were kept pretty busy from the moment the doors opened at 9:15, right up till the run set off at 11am. There was the wider regional catchment effect again, with Peter Lawson (Puch Maxi) up from North London, Mike Daborn (Honda PC50ohc) from Surrey, regular St Neots boys Alex Lees (Norman JDL) and Ralph Richardson (Rudge a/c), several from across Norfolk, a chap down from York (sorry, lost your name somewhere) and quite a few new faces - but nothing prepares you for the surprise of a member flying over from Northern Ireland just to attend Peninsularis Jumble as his first NACC event! Nonchalantly saunters up to the stand "Hello, I'm John Maconaghie" - gobsmacked! John had previously taken a few parts by mail order, but sure sprung that one on me. I guess that takes the long distance biscuit from the occasional Dutch visitors?
The ride was pretty good on the outward leg, the nice sweepy bit between Nacton and Levington always being popular, and the long burn down the passing place road to Trimley. The two Pauls' bikes both spookily expired at the same point, Paul 'I wasn't thrashing it' Nelmes's run of bad luck continuing as his hitherto reliable New Hudson JDL inexplicably seized up into Falkenham, and was instantly joined by the Ariel 3 (Paul Daniels) suffering a puncture within yards of the same spot. Both were salvaged by Dawn and Val in the back-up van.
Through Kirton and down the dip, onto Newbourne where Andrew Pattle (James 2F) set up a phototrap outside the Fox, to catch action shots as riders sailed by. The halfway stop at Waldringfield Maybush followed the promised formula of lunch and ale on the terrace in the sunshine, to a backdrop of boats bobbing on the river, only the St Neots boys claimed they were short changed on this point, since the boats weren't bobbing enough! Maybe next year's event can be carefully timed to coincide with the optimum local tide tables? Neil Bowen left the village hall on Yamaha SS50, which had mysteriously transformed to a Triumph TR6 sportscar by the time he arrived. This was put down to a dark cloud on the distant horizon and a slim chance that the glittery Fizz might possibly become exposed to moisture!
On the return route, the line of bikes trailed in procession through the green and twisty, single-file, undulating lanes of the outbound Martlesham dogleg, then back along the wider, sweeping inbound leg. Across the open field road, down to Newbourne, then on to Brightwell, down past the church, swinging through the bends, and up the hill on the far side - all superb riders' sections, where the fast boys galloped off, led by speedy Martin Gates (Raleigh Super Tourist), chased by David Evans (Vespa Bravo), Neil Morley (Moby M40), and Steve Cobb (Phillips Gadabout).
Roger Howe (Royal Enfield 125) returned to the hall with the gearbox shrieking, and sounding like something nasty going on in there! The café and jumble reopened for the afternoon session, and busy on the literature stand, Andrew managed to sell out all printed copies of the new IceniCAM 2nd edition, and all the extra copies of the first edition!
Finally revived again after two years following a catastrophic self-destruction wiped out the mag set, the best part of my ride was completing the event with no problems on the rebuilt Mercury Mercette, the only rumble of thunder all day coming from the 46cc 4-stroke motor.
Other riders - Brian Barley (Tomos A3M), Dave Jockel (NSU Quickly), N.Jones (Moby AV89), Bob Vince (Bown a/c), D.Freeman (Yamaha PV), John Daborn (Moby N40), Carl Harper (Honda Vision), Tom Lucas (Lomax), Dave Watson (New Hudson a/c), David Whatling (Berini M13), Steve 'Wally' Wright (Vespa Lui), Laurence Coates (Honda PC50).
| CAMmag Home Page | List of events |