HU Autumn meeting - Who's going then ?
 

I'v just noticed that the registration for the HU Autumn meeting is now open !!!

2nd September in Bristol...

Well, me and greenmanalishi have just signed up.. I'm looking forward to this.

See you there....

Just Signed up see you all there

Early Birds = mouthfull of worms..!!
 

A tad early this but nothing like a bit of commitment eh..! Can't get to Lumb Farm (out uk) so looking forward to this also, a prime chance to show off the efforts made and test the pre-trip bike, hoprfully encourage other trip (xllentadventures.co.uk) members to attend and have a "Gaggle" of XL's in the camping field....!!!!!! All the best Gabe..

Mez

I'll be doing the full size range this year

Small - my Cornwall meet in Feb
Medium - Booked in for Bristol
Large - Barring disasters I will be at Ripley too.

Mark is certainly booked in for Ripley, I know he is keen to go to Bristol but had still to ask the question last time I spoke to him.

I also have clearance for a 6 week trip in 2013 :D although if Mark's Olympic tickets don't come through that might become 2012. Just got to work out how far we can reasonably go in 6 weeks.

I'll be there for my first HU event, can't make Ripley which is a bummer

Yup just signed up for my first meet .... its only about 5 miles from me so it would be rude not too, offered to help out on the trail ride outs too:mchappy:

How different is this one to the Ripley event?

It's going to be a lot smaller.... Smaller the better IMO !

September you say?
 

I'll be back so I'm definitely going - in fact I might even be giving a talk.

Looking forward to seeing some familiar faces again as I've missed Ripley, see you all there. Sounds like quite a few of the Cornish Meet will be there as well.

Onen hag oll as we say in our part of the worldbier

drinking rice beer so I'm looking forward to a real beer and as for a glass of wine...I dream!

Damn it, I said I'd try and make it to Gabe and Charlotte, but I'll be chancing my luck seeing if the Stelvio and Transfagarasan are still open....

:DTime off work booked, fees paid, grub ordered, see you there.

Alec

Autumn Meet
 

I'll be along! :D

Me too hope fly!:angel:

Long as you don't mind old'uns and first timers combined in one personage.

And me +1. :thumbup1:

Just signed up - missed Ripley this year!
 

Just signed up for the Autumn meet - need to make up for minor disaster taking she who must be obeyed as a pillion to France for the first time two weeks ago. Weather and location in Brittany amazing - 3 and half hours of driving rain from Portsmouth to home in the driving rain damn nearly got me divorced!!!! :thumbdown: Won't be doing that again..... Will it be sunny in September then????:thumbup1:
See you there. Bruises should have just about faded ...:mchappy:

Speakers
 

Any updates on the speakers for this yet? when i signed up austin vince and walter colebatch were on the list but they seem to have gone from the list now?

Finally pulled digit out of port and registered. I will be a virgin (well, you know :oops2:) so treat me gently Kirky!
Look forard to meeting some of you. I'll be on a wobbly bike of one sort or another.:scooter:

Hi All

Just signed up :-) will be my first HUBB meeting.. So Im really looking forward to meeting you all... chatting and drinking :-)

Cheers
Geordie aka Will

Speakers List In Progress
 

Previously a lot more people were listed as having been at Ripley and 'hoped' to be at this one too, but we've since updated the meeting page to just show those who are confirmed. I don't know the score with Austin and Walter specifically, but there are certainly still more to come.

It's worth keeping a regular eye on the page for changes and extra info. For example, a 'Money Market' is a new idea and there's a very important note about NOT arriving on site before the Friday.

I'm also new here but I'm really hoping to make it to the meet, living as I do, only about 20 miles down the road. However attendance will take serious negotiation as I only get back from a 2 week trip to Europe on Friday lunchtime - so I'll have to see !

Just signed up. I'm coming along and giving a talk on my trip to Africa. Bringing my wife along for the first time so if anyone wants to ask someone how/why they can let there husband disappear for year off traveling around the world on a motorbike - just ask!

Registered last week, finally paid this morning... looking forward to a good weekend.

Hope there isn't a lot of booze around... I only drink booze when I'm alone or with somebody.

bier

+ 1 more and will be arriving on my :scooter:

We're coming
 

Me and Iain (patta) will be there.

One thing though (and this might be in the wrong thread) we didn't receive an email confirmation. We registered on the day that the site was down for a few hours so I wonder if that had anything to do with it. I got the confirmation from Paypal that we've paid but nothing else. Can anyone check to make sure our registration has been received pleased?

See you there!

Debz

Hi Debz

just checked my email and got confirmation within a few minutes of registering.

I would try and register again.....

Paid last week and have got paypal confirmation straight away..

Hope you's are all ok

Cheers
Geordie aka Will

We're booked in. We can't get there until early Friday evening though.
See you there
Paul and Vanessa

What time does dinner start on friday please ? :drool:

All booked in :D
This will by my man's and my first meeting, will be getting there on Friday evening bier .....can't wait

Debz and Ian, yes we do have your confirmation - all ok! Please check your spam filter. Sometimes that gets it. :censored:

Something might have gone wrong, but it's 100% at our end - we received the email (sent exactly the same time yours was sent) and the database was also updated. Susan will forward them to you to be sure.

have fun!

Thanks for that Grant.

We always have fun at HU meetings so no worries there:D

Debz

Hey guys. Sorry for the slight delay in getting some responses. Hope all is good. I am just checking through the thread....excellent to see so many people registered! Lets just keep the positivity flowing for dry weather.

Ok, so we dont have exact timing and schedule nailed down, and we wont until a day or so before, but in respect of the evening meal on Friday, we are working on having it run from 6:30 - 7:30/8:00.

As for booze, there will definitely be enough of that available. There will be a bar open from around midday until midnight. We also have fire pits sorted for the night time, when the presentations stop.

I am pretty sure Grant has just updated the registration page in respect of presentations - the list keeps growing!

Cant wait to see you all. Any more questions then please do raise them, and we'll come back to you as quickly as possible.

Big love
Char (and Gabe)

apologies
 

Hi Gabe, Char

With everything I have on at the moment I doubt I am going to make it up the road. We got the keys for a new (to us) house a couple of weeks ago and have been flat out since then trying to get it ready to live in before school (paid work) starts again for us in September. It has been sitting empty for a couple of years and was a bit of a mess so there is a fair bit to do. As things are looking pretty tight it really wouldn't be diplomatic for me to go off for a weekend. I'm currently registered but not paid.

I will be hosting another Cornwall mini-meet at some point, probably in the new 1/4 acre back garden with a pub 150m down the road. Hope to see you then.

Iain

Hi Rossi
Thanks for letting us know. Shame you cant make it, but totally understand - the best of luck with getting the house sorted - its no easy feat moving house eh. Have a great rest of the summer, if we can we'll see you at the Cornwall meet but Gabe and I are off on a three and a half month bike trip on 17th September, so it maybe next year now!
Can you PM me your full name so we can take you off the registration. Thanks ever so.
Char

I booked and paid ages ago.

I don't think I've ever had a confirmation either.

I paid for me and my mate greenmanalishi from my paypal account. I was hoping the gate crew would have proof of this.

Ted

Hey Ted. Just to let you know, all is fine. You and greenmanalishi are down as having registered and paid! Good news! Sorry you didn't get any kind of confirmation.
See you in a few weeks.
Cheers
Char bier

Just booked and paid bier

I've just booked myself and my mate Jamie. Two first timers here but can't wait!

Will be there too.
C

So, how many are booked in up to now ??

Is it going be "mental mental chicken oriental" ? :D

Bristol Meeting
 

Could you please let me know where and when you will be meeting in Bristol , Thanks

Looking forward to another H/U meet ,traveling this time with my son and his mate on 100cc two smokers from southampton so if thers a jam somewhere its likeley to be us:scooter:

One week to go
 

:D
Bonjourno, bonjourno, bonjourno!
Just a little note to remind everyone that its only one week to go until the FIRST EVER Autumn HU meet.

Things are really hotting up for Gabe and I; this being our first big event, and there is masses to be done. But after months of planning its fab to see it finally coming together. PHEW!

Its going to be a brilliant little weekend, and it will be dry, wont it!

Thank you to everyone that has volunteered to help out - we would be seriously flapping now if it wasnt for the extra hands at the event. And Thank you to all the great presenters that are going to be there!

Looking forward to seeing you all. Please do not turn up before 12:30 on Friday. The morning is for set up only, and we need that time for ourselves!!!!!!!

Lush!

See you all then

Char (and Gabe)

BBQ question..
 

I've just noticed, it says...

NO barbecues, fires etc in the camping fields AT ALL!
Camp STOVES OFF the ground are fine.

Are BBQs off the ground (on legs) OK?

If not, is it too late to book food?

:helpsmilie:

funfunfun
 

hi all, :cool4:

me and nikki will be there, realy looking forward to meeting poepleand having a chinwag beer.

we will be on our trusty steed :scooter: you can`t miss it, dirty green bee-m-wobble-u

see you there :clap:

Sorry no BBQ
 

Ant, awesome. See you there.

Ballisitic, I'm afraid no to any kind of bbq. It's the regulations of the farm owners, and we have to abide by them. Camping stoves are fine. And its not too late to register food, not at all. Just make sure you register before Tuesday night, when registration closes. Or, you can book on arrival but it will be at a slightly higher cost, and to be honest, from my perspective it would be a great help if you registered in advance (helps with numbers!)

Any probs let me know.

Cheers all bier

Char x

yup
see you there
half a ton of kit for sale coming up too

TED: are you bringing up your special brew ?:funmeteryes:

Totally missed anything about registering for food, doh.
Could you point us to info / where to regsiter for food pls (or respond/PM im guessing?)?

UPDATE : OK just seen the food section on the reg form (again doh). Whats the best way to register for food now weve already signed and paid up for the event?

Ta
Steve

Food
 

Hi Steve
You should just be able to register for food on the registration page, without having to actually register for a ticket again. Have a try and let us know if you have any problems. We need numbers by Tuesday, otherwise it will be payment for meals on the door and they will be a little more expensive.
There will be an full english each morning (meat or veg), and then a hot meal each evening (Fri and Sat) - the choice will be meat or veg. :thumbup1:
Do let me know if you have any problems registering and I'll make sure you are down manually.
Cheers
Char x

I am so excited I can't wait for next week! Looking forward to chatting the weekend away, and I've managed to convert someone.bier Yay!

Ride
 

Hi all.

Just offering those who may want go on a little trail ride over the weekend I know the lanes locally very very well. I'm happy to lead a run if people want me to.

This will not be an officailly organised HU ride out just and informal run around the countryside of somerset.

Thanks

Might be up for a ride, depends how bad my hangover is :thumbup1:

Steve

I personally can't seem to work out how ???

How much is the chow anyway ?? I too was hoping to cook on raised bbq. Drat...

Don't paniiiiiicc....!
 

Guess we're all getting a bit antsy/worried about registration/food orders now! I too haven't had any confirmation....but more importantly...can't remember whether I ordered food or not...can you help please Charlotte...??
Richard Meek

Hi All, signed up for this a while back, and as a newbie, looking forward to meeting some fellow adventuers.

Am also up for some lanes if it dosnt rain as on a GSA.

Can anyone tell me how to change my username, a pm would be appreciated.

Thanks, Tommy

What kind of time should we aim to be there on Friday? It's our first meet so don't want to be too late!

Just got back from the autumn meet and had a very good time. I found it more intimate than Ripley and actually spent more time talking to people as a result. It was well organised, thanks to Gabe and Charlotte, with some interesting, amusing and informative talks.
If it takes place next year I would recommend it. :funmeteryes:

not so sure
 

Everyone was friendly but compared to Ripley it just seemed very expensive for what we got.
Real back to basics camping muddy portacabin loos (with no hot water)
Didn't start 'till late on Friday and finished the next day.
No techy talks just trip talks.
Because I didn't buy the all in full meal package I wasn't even able to buy a breakfast on Saturday morning.
Sorry, would'nt go again

Agree 100%. I much prefer to see 1 or 2 talks and spend the rest of the time chilling and getting to know new people.

We actually passed on Ripley this year and signed up to the Autumn meet on a whim. So glad we went:)

Cheers to Gabe and Charlotte (and all the volunteers) for a great weekend.

Steve & Sas

My first meet and thoroughly enjoyed it. Met some great new peeps and had some good laughs and chats. Enjoyed the talks, t'was a very chilled atmosphere with beerio consumed!!

Some very curious bods wondering who's was the strange looking black Beemer (G640X Country hybrid ;-) )

My mate Kev should have set up a Tipi sales counter, due to all the enquiries he had.

The food was plentiful and nice, but for the cost, should have at least included pud and a drink(I didn't bring my stove for a brew unfortunately). The camping field was great and plenty of room, loos were fine and the venue was bang on.
bier


I did my bit behind the bar, but big thanks to Gabe and Char for organising the event.

Thoroughly agree with this sentiment and Gabe and Charlotte and all the gate/registration, tech, kitchen helpers and the owners of the farm did a super job getting it together and making things run smoothly.

Shame you thought it expensive. What's earnt at these meetings goes towards running the website.

I thought the camping was good. The portaloos worked, had ample paper and soap. That the floor was muddy is unavoidable cosidering they were in the middle of a grass field and it rained over night. There were more facilities in the "barn" including showers and hot water.

There were tech talks: planning and preparation, Stans paperwork, maintenance, which bike. There were various talks running concurrently in 2 venues between 10.30am and 11.30pm on Saturday: About every continent, on everything from a c90 in the snow of Germany to a 12gs in Tibet and everything in between.

Everybody who arrived while I was helping on the gate/reg/welcoming team on Fri (between about 12 and 6) was offered the opportunity to purchase breakfasts/dinners from Sat morning onwards (including all who hadn't pre-booked them). We assumed that those who didn't want these were self-catering. The kitchen crew and helpers were volunteers and weren't a commerial money making venture.

I really enjoyed having space to chat to people. Also liked the raffle prize I won:helpsmilie::rofl:. No mention at all of adding insult to injury :cool4:

I'll be there next year.
Chris

Big Thanks to Gabe and Char for organising a great weekend. Everyone I talked to was really friendly and all had a different story to tell.

Here are a few photos from the unofficial trail ride on Saturday.
http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...t/P9030080.jpg

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...t/P9030081.jpg

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...t/P9030082.jpg

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...t/P9030083.jpg

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...t/P9030084.jpg

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...t/P9030085.jpg

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...t/P9030086.jpg

Hope to see you all at Ripley next year (I haven't yet been there so am looking forward)

Each to his, own, I was happy that there were flushing toilets, that is all I need in life :-)

I think Jean and I will be back next year, and will offer present again (if people are interested).

A big thank you to Gabe, Charlotte and all the other volunteers that made my first HU Travellers meeting one to remember; I am definitely coming to another meet.

It was great to meet so many people that have that "you can do anything you want" attitude and most have the T-Shirt to prove it!

The seminars were great; nice and personal. Thank you to all those that spoke and further fueled my growing obsession to "get up and go" . . .

All I have left to say is Ed . . your seminar was a laugh, good on you for your spirit and Dennis . . . . I'm ready to go! :scooter:

Thanks again and hope to see my new-found friends at further meets. :mchappy:

£35 for two nights camping and quite a lot of talks. A good bonfire too with a good selection of stalls. I think that's actually not too bad. You pay a lot more to do a lot less in some places.

I find it incredible that someone would class the camping as back to basics. They had hot showers and very clean toilets in the bar. The other toilets were also very clean and all had paper in them. I don't know what kind of camping you're used to but it seems you must have been camping in the Hilton's back garden.. God help you if you ever go travelling....

You didn't book food so why would it be available for you ?? This was quite clear on the event page wasn't it ??? To be honest, the food looks pretty crap for the price (£7 a meal ?) but the local cider and ale was cheap at £2 a pint.. FANTASTIC !!!

This was a first time event by a couple of guys who obviously put a lot of effort and time into putting on this event and it is appreciated by 99.9% of people who went.

I REALLY enjoyed it and so did everyone else that I talked to. Nice one Gabe and Charlotte. I can't wait to go next year. Much more personal and chilled out that Ripley.

As a first time effort.... BRILLIANT !!:funmeteryes:

I had an excellent time! Thanks very much C&G - great stuff.

What a great weekend!
I met such interesting people and learned a lot, (and even managed to pass on a couple of tips from my experiences).
The presentations I saw (six, I think) were informative and entertaining.
Well done and a BIG THANKS to Gabe & Char for running this event and of course the thanks go to all the team of volunteers for working so hard.
Can't wait for another one!
Steve/Moose

Did you and Mat every get around to meeting ? :-)

No criticisms from me either (except maybe one - I was paying £2.50 a pint! beer) - and not even damning with faint praise by slurring "good - for a first time effort" through beer goggles. It was just - good :thumbup1: It was well organised with just the right amount of hand holding, an interesting and varied selection of talks / workshops and clean, hygienic facilities. The few niggles I had were all of my own making.

Half the enjoyment on events like this is in the people you meet and the informal conversations you have at the bar etc. You learn as much off the record as on and the atmosphere over the whole weekend was great for that. I lost count of the number of people I just started talking to and picked up loads of ideas. If it runs again next year I have a couple of suggestions for talks but I'll make those in private. Overall though, a brilliant weekend.


A couple of pictures -


http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r.../IMGA0881a.jpg



http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r.../IMGA0875a.jpg

We had a great weekend. The site was ideal. The organizers did a fantastic job of pulling it all together and coping with the unplanned. I hadn't realised when I booked that the kitchen and even the bar was being run by the organizers and the volunteers. The presentations were good, with some of them being excellent. We met lots of new people as well as old friends and the chatter went on well into the early hours on both nights. The atmosphere was like a smaller version of Ripley. Well done Gabe and Charlotte and all those who played their part.

Yep, we had a great time too. Enjoyed meeting new folk and catching up with old friends too. Didn't have the food so can't comment, but had plenty of the ale, which was really good and not bad at £2.50 a pint!

Well done to all involved :clap:

And Chris, cheers for the lift and hope you enjoy and can learn from your prize :innocent:

Debz

Really enjoyed my first meet, thanks to Gabe and Char for all the hard work.

Hope you do another next year!

Loved it...! Shame about the journey home!
 

A terrific weekend....and how hard Gabe and Char and the many volunteers worked!! Suitably "Unusual/quirky" venue which was just right. Naturally folks can think of ways to improve the event another time...but absolutely full marks for getting this one off the ground and creating such a friendly atmosphere.
I'd suggest there should be food of some kind for sale ....especially at lunchtime....maybe even the local burger van! I went to too many talks....not wanting to miss anything...and maybe missed out on some socialising...although met a lot of people nevertheless and swapped details with some.That nitwit talk on Apricot yoghourt had me in stitches...wonderful stuff....but loved them all really. ( I've joined the 'Ela fanclub!)I got some excellent tips and information and left a happy man........until a very sharp object knackered my back tyre( the R65 Boxer) on the M5 in scary fashion....many attempts at fixing and sourcing a replacement when that failed and finally driven home ignominiously by a very nice man from the AA.....Although he says he wouldn't be available if it happens in Mauritania next time....just home in the Norfolk uplands...and well ready for bed! Once again...Many thanks to all who made the meeting possible.....Richard

Pipe-smoking thoughts
 

I concur. It was pitched at the right level and with enough facilities to separate and elevate it above proper on the road travel! (Mind you the first challenge was to find the place)
Well done to all the organisers and helpers - Splendid effort, thank-you!

It was my first such HU "do" and i don't do groups of people well, so spent a lot of time smoking my pipe. (I can't be the only pipe-smoker surely?)

I have some ideas for improvements but no criticisms whatsoever. One idea would be for newbies such as myself to make themselves obvious. That way we could bolster each other's courage in the face of lots of multi-stickered, metal- panniered "bikes of many miles". Perhaps a big board for posting ideas, meetings to discuss possible trips and so on?

Last thought. For such a group of independent, self-reliant and able, nigh on unique people to get together, it pays testament to our triumph of hope through adversity. Hmmm. More baccy called for to ponder that one!

See you again i hope. Anyone ever around the Malverns area, get in touch, crash, whatever.

Travel well.

Ste

Fantastic
 

+1 on everything Ted said, Back of Beyond, the Ale was £2.50 a pint, the Cider was only £2. Having said that Cider was the most deceptively fearsome bowel bashing drink I have ever tasted and I have tasted most ales and ciders from the northern hemisphere!

All in all a fantastic weekend and I would have put my name down for next year on the spot if I could have done so. Small enough to be cosy and large enough to be diverse without getting lost amongst a myriad of talks that you cant find enough time to fit in. Given the choice between this one and Ripley I would rather come to this one. This in no way implies any critiscism of Ripley it is fantastic but I feel it is a victim of its own success, too big for me at least

Great to see so many of the people I have met at other meets and to catch up on the gossip and find out who has gone where. To the one or two detractors, bring your own food and use the indoor toilets and showers in the barn.

Finally to everyone from the organisers to the volunteers a big thank you from me.

GM

I bought a fake moustache and beard from a joke shop !!

Swerved ;)

Meeting Video
 

We've put together a quick video that hopefully gives a flavour of the meeting.

You can watch it on YouTube here....

Just watching the video, 2.58 in and you appear, Mat is in the next frame. Spooky.....

Yes I made it on to you tube :-)

Brilliant weekend, it was my first and hopefully not my last !

To me, wandering round the camp site looking at others bikes tents and equipments was the highlight.

Just that you could chat to like minded people and swap info was great.

Thanks Gabe and Charlotte

Oh and I went self catering, as I do at all the rallys I attend..... much rather spend my money on petrol :-)

Cheers
Geordie aka Will

And beer ? surely ???

This feedback is fabulous people. Thanks so much. It’s all being taken on board, and from the positive side of stuff it’s just so amazing to hear all these great things about the weekend. If this can become an annual event we’ll be sure to reference this thread as much as possible to make the changes that you want.


I wanted to say a few words about the food. First, that I am really very sorry that there was any kind of dissatisfaction. We ummed and arrrrhed about doing food, and decided, what the hell, lets give it a go - none of us having cooked for in excess of 100 people before. So we gave it a go because we wanted to make the event as good as it could possibly be. There was nothing professional about the set up, and we tried our best.


Everything was cooked from scratch by us; fresh and home-made. I am sorry that perhaps the portions were not big enough, or you felt it was over-priced, or perhaps it didn’t even taste that great. We will change all that we can. I can only say it was a huge learning experience, and a tremendous amount of hard work.


Perhaps in hindsight we took on way too much. All I can say is everyone that prepared, cooked and cleaned in the kitchen had the most honourable intentions, and worked damn hard.


All the volunteers that helped out over the whole weekend were absolutely amazing – so willing to help out, and always happy! From an organisers perspective, when you are panicking about everything going well for everyone, it makes a world of difference to have fabulous people always asking if you need help. The event would have failed on the day if it wasn’t for those people – and you know who you are! So, thank you.


Right, well I’m off. Gabe and I have 9 days to prepare pretty much everything for our motorcycle adventure.



Big love
Char

Had a Fantastic Time
 

Wow, what a great weekend, loved it all...
choice and range of talks, lots of places to just sit and chat, huge camping area so that we could spread out a bit, the showers were nicer than the ones at Ripley, great bar, fantastic team of volunteer helpers who seemed to be on duty at all hours. I also really liked the quirkiness of the venue.

As my bike is in Mexico I had no transport- many thanks to Mark Manley for the lift from the A303 on the way up and also many thanks to Paul who gave me a lift on his VStrom down to Plymouth - much appreciated, especially as he has never taken a pillion before:clap: I did promise to be still and not fidget.

Gabe and Char, you did a fantastic job and both deserve medals.:clap::clap:

Have a great time on your trip to India.

See you all next year at a repeat of this year's event:innocent:

Terrific time
 

What a fantastic meet. I really enjoyed the slower pace and having a moment to stop and talk properly to people for more than a passing moment.

The talks, as ever, we rather good - well most of them were, one was a bit dodgy but that's because the presenter was drunk.

Gab and Char you did a wonderful job - I can't believe this was your first time organising something on this scale - I know how much work is involved and it's a bit like watching a swan swim a calm river.... it's looks wonderful above the surface but no one has a clue how much paddling is going on underneath!

Hope your trip goes with a blast and we look forward to seeing your talk when you return.

Thanks again to everyone that made this event happen :-)

m

P.S Ted.... I tried to find you........ we seemed to have missed each other. Shame that.

Chris proudly posing with his sought after raffle prize

For Sale: Unused motorcycle "sidestand in the mud" support. Better than a TT-Cameltoe. :oops2:. Especially useful for the road from Moyale to Isiolo.

In late '99 I used my LP guide book (a similarly useful tome)...

http://www.thebrightstuff.com/picsFo...abit_Kenya.jpg

The floor in the bog was muddy here too...

Well I enjoyed that, even the part where I whizzed into Bristol to get a "missing" cable was fun. I was just about to get ticketed by a parking warden lady, when I pointed out that Santa Claus was getting in a jeep across the road, as he drove off the spare tyre cover had Santa Claus written on it, so that was proof. The warden chuckled and didn't ticket me, in fact she insisted I park up on the pavement. That just doesn't happen in a car does it?

Anyway, to the technically competent guys who helped "thanks". To the hardy few whose adventurous nature took them from the snug comfort of Tiffany's presentation to the cold extremes of the shearing shed, I extend a hearty thanks and hope that the presentation taught you a lesson (it certainly taught me one). And to the organisers and fellow attendees, my warmest thanks go to you all for making this such a seriously and sometimes not so seriously great time.

The coincidence of a shared Tom and Dom was too much, so here's a clip for you Dom.

http://youtu.be/T1VoKGtET_w

What a great weekend...
 

Was my first HU meeting and despite a bad start with my bike dying on me had a fantastic weekend...

Big thanks to Gabe and Char for organising it and finding such a lovely venue...all that hard work really paid off a :thumbup1:

Bring on Ripley next year :D

Video of my talk
 

Amazingly the video of my talk has kinda turned out okay - and despite the amount of beer I went through it's good enough to post here.

Feedback very much appreciated as this was a practice and warm up for Ripley next year.



Watch the video on YouTube - 7 Day Adventures - YouTube

Adventure biking doesn't have to mean taking a year off work and saving £25k. In this presentation I explore the amazing possibilities of short adventures to Eastern Europe, The Balkans, North Africa and Russia - not to mention the USA and how you can travel the world, 3 weeks at a time. Thrown in are some stories of my adventures and how much it all costs.

Thanks for that Matt, an enjoyable 40 mins.

I'm a slippery one at times :rofl:

I was half asleep under a tarp in the field during the day and getting merry on loopy juice cider around the fire at night.

Next time dude. :thumbup1:

That was brilliant. :D

For those of you who came to my talk on "Africa" and Steves talk on "Tea" we both travelled with the same American called Tom. A couple of years apart.

Anyway - I had a great time and would like to thank all those who made it happen

Could I just make a plug for presenters. These meetings only work if we have presenters and to do that people have to volunteer. If you have been on any sort of trip then PLEASE volunteer to do a presentation at the next meeting.

Ride safe

Dom

PS I FINALLY got my UK registration plate when I got back from the meet. It's taken over 2 months but now my Alaska BMW is now a UK BMW and road legal.

Well done to the organisers, speakers and volunteers. Everything was of so much a higher standard than I imagined, toilets, showers, bar etc. Sure they got the pricing on the grub a little on the strong side (£7.50 for a breakfast plus another quid for a a cup of tea to go with it) but hey, it tasted really good and was served punctually and with a smile. You gotta cut these guys a bit of slack, it must be a steep old learning curve your first time out. I thought the venue was great although I did wonder that given the farms eco credentials should I feel a little guilty with my 30 year selfish obsession with burning as much fossil fuel as possible in the petrol tanks of my motorcycles. Nah!
I didn't attend any of the talks on the Saturday daytime as the opportunity to explore the north Devon coast was too much to resist so my Bro and I knocked out a cheeky 200 miler; however those that I did go to in the evenings were first class. Particularly Matthew's '7 day adventures'. (In the shearing shed, Priceless!). Apricot jam/yoghurt guy which was it?, your presentation was great too. Not many there but I think you were up against motorcycle travel royalty in the other presentation room. Never mind, I laughed like a drain, glad I was there.
I loved getting to talk to so many of you ( Altberg Hogg guy, Harley riders, and dude with the spooky R80/XT lovechild bike who knows the Picos like the back of his hand, to name but a few. I loved seeing the variety of bikes you all go adventuring on; you may have seen me on my XT with the white long range tank. It's nothing to shout about as it is getting on a bit now and bares the scars of quite a number of 'offs', my body has a few scars to match. It is a real handful off-road when loaded with camping gear so I am in absolute awe of you GS riders who ride those enormous bikes off-road. You are motorcycling gods as far as I am concerned.
Surely given the geographical location of this venue, by that I mean its accessability to such a large number of the UK motorcycle adventuring population (South West, Wales, London, Midlands) and the excellent organisation by Charlotte and Gabe, this event is bound to grow in the coming years to rival Ripley. What do you think ?

No thank you :)

All the best meetings ive been to are the smaller ones (Spain, Belgium and now Bristol). imho the size was about right, maybe 50 more but not much more than that.

Steve

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"this event is bound to grow in the coming years to rival Ripley. What do you think ?"

It probably will but I hope it doesn't. If I knew for sure this would be on next year I would give Ripley a miss. Ripley is fantastic but too big to give everything attention.


A better idea IMHO would be to have a spring meet on the same scale as this one, a lot further up north?

A consideration if this event got much bigger would have to be the catering, either have volunteers working over a longer spread of time to provide food for all, or bring in some additional catering. The Ripley kitchen is larger and has pro staff to cope with the larger numbers.

I liked the size and the venue and catering was acceptable considering it was volunteers, although personally if they could let me know what the menu is next time, sausage on Sat morning, sausages on Sat evening and sausages on Sunday morning, then I get home and guess what? Sausages are the only things thawed in my fridge and before you say takeaway, this is Upper Cwmtwrch.

That's a good idea...

Having three spread North, middle and South actually makes very good sense.

Oi, A lot of us live further north! :-) Ripley is more central and accessible by more of the country. Brizzle is either a boring 2.5-3 hrs on the motorway or 5.5 via the borders. (From Liverpool/Manc), but a far better ride :-)

Aye but to quote Ted "it always rains in Scotland" ......