ON THE ROAD
NOT THE NATIONAL ROAD RALLY 2025
Following the sad cancellation of the National Road Rally this year, our NRR-style road run for members on Sunday 20th July proved successful, with 8 of us taking part.
Setting off at 9am from the Flower Bowl petrol station between Northchapel and Petworth, we rode past Goodwood and through the Chichester area before a loop back to Petersfield.
After a coffee at McDonalds, we continued past Winchester to Eastleigh, and so on some great roads through the New Forest (ponies and all!) to Alderholt, where we enjoyed an excellent lunch at the Churchill Arms.
Unfortunately, Brian had to leave us at this point and head off home, as he was struggling a little after having been very unwell for some time.
From there, we progressed to Shaftesbury via Zig Zag Hill, and then on to Warminster services. Our next visit was to the Three Magpies pub at Seend, near Devizes, another favourite National Rally location.
On to Pewsey for a top-up and so to Sherfield-on-Lodden, our final waypoint before the finish at our Rallying Point, The Ely pub on the A30 near Blackbushe, where we enjoyed a meal together, having covered well over 200 very pleasant miles.
AND THERE'S MORE!
Witley members also enjoy some other outings from time to time, with occasional visits to the Blackbushe Airport bike meets on Wednesday lunchtimes, or a ride to other cafe destinations such as Billy's on the Road at Five Oaks near Billingshurst.
Recently, 9 members joined in a visit to the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum near Chichester.
This is a great museum based at the site of a famous Battle of Britain fighter station, full of history with very informative displays, enthusiastic volunteers and some fine aircraft including the English Electric Lightning. It's very well worth a visit.
Some of us also had a go in the Lightning simulator which proved rather challenging to control!!
If you would like to take part in any future Witley Road Runs, please email us or contact us via our other socials.
NOT the National Road Rally
Tangmere Museum run
NATIONAL ROAD RALLY 2024
Witley MCC was represented once again in the ACU National Road Rally, on 6th July.
This year we opted to enter for a Daytime Gold Award. With our commitment to the Brooklands Motorcycle Day (running on the Sunday) we felt that the best compromise was to ride a shorter distance on Saturday for a change.
Gordon Ayshford (Moto Guzzi), Gordon Kerr (BMW GS), Shaun Smith (Vespa 300) and Laurie Richards (BMW F800) completed a route of around 300 miles, stating at Petworth and visiting Funtington (Chichester), Liss, Otterbourne (Winchester), Alderholt (Fordingbridge), Shaftesbury, Warminster, Devizes, Cricklade, Burford, Pewsey, Sherfield on Lodden and finishing at Peasmarsh by 8.25pm.
Aside from the inevitable minor navigation glitches (no sat nav!), it all went smoothly although Shaun on the Vespa did end up with rather a stiff neck!
NRR WEBSITE...
NATIONAL ROAD RALLY 2022
The Witley MCC team of Gordon Ayshford, Ian George and Laurie Richards completed the 2022 event with Platinum Awards.
The Rally ran over two separate days once again this year, with the Saturday session running from 9.00am to 10.00pm, and Sunday from 6.00am to 6.00pm.
With no overnight running or manned controls again, we felt that the event was definitely lacking something and we do hope that in 2023 things will start to return to normal.
Once again Saturday took us west from a start at the Guildford control, via Glastonbury to Minehead, Lynmouth, Bideford, then on to Bude, Padstow, St Ives and Land's End! An extended version of last year's West Country jaunt. Traffic was a problem as regards timekeeping though, and we might try to avoid that part of the country in future.
Having reached Land's End on the exact minute planned on our route card! (having run late for most of the day), we had a night ride to Truro to the Premier Inn, arriving at 11.15pm. After variable amounts of sleep, we set off again around 5.15am Sunday.
Our start control was at St Blazey, near St Austell, from point which we returned home via Okehampton, Dorchester and Petersfield to name but a few. Total mileage was about 650 with 24 controls when we got back to Harley-Davidson at Peasmarsh. Good to start and finish near home!
The 2023 Rally will take place on July 1st/2nd; if arrangements are more 'normal', Witley aim to host a control again, and we hope that a few more Witley road riders might join us in experiencing the highs and lows of the National Road Rally!
HIGHWAY CODE CHANGES
*IMPORTANT* The Highway Code has undergone a quite significant revision and the new version takes effect from Saturday January 29th.
The problem is that it hasn't been publicised to any great extent by the Department of Transport.
Bearing in mind that some of the changes affect your priority as a driver or motorcyclist at junctions, it's probably worthwhile to check it out.
There is a wide range of opinions about the new Highway Code. Cyclists are very happy (it's largely due to pressure from cycling groups that this has come about) while motorists are less so, with the Alliance of British Drivers pointing out that with only a minority of drivers apparently aware of any changes, confusion and accidents are more rather than less likely.
There's nothing on the NMC or BMF websites, can't see anything on AA or RAC either.
As far as I can see you can't actually buy a copy of the New Highway Code, and The Government's THINK! website hasn't been updated since last August, but you can at least get an idea of what's supposed to be happening on 29th January here...
Table of changes...
Good luck everyone. Ride safe!
LONDON DOUGLAS CLUB RALLY
On Sunday September 5th, Barry and I went along to the second day of The London Douglas Motorcycle Club Limited 2021 Rally held at Stow on the Wold.
We took Barry's S6 1930 Douglas with us. There was a vast array of different Douglas models and also some Rudges on display.
A good number of their members had camped and there was a really nice family vibe to the event. Our Douglas won the best pre-1945 unrestored award!
The afternoon mainly consisted of good old fashioned family Gymkhana games (on motorcycles), awards and raffle draw. Barry and Douglas joined in with the games and won the "slowest" race.
Having spent the previous day at Beaulieu walking MILES around the auto jumble, the rally made for a very pleasant day, taking in the sunshine, admiring the Douglas and Rudge motorcycles and having the odd drink or two from the rugby club's bar.
A very enjoyable motorbike weekend.
Rebecca Brockman