Whitley Road Safety Run

Malcolm Bridges has sent the following report and photographs. Well done lads.👍 Eddy

On Sunday 7^th August Mick Leach, Andy Roberts, Dave Chapman and myself set off from Tutbury on the 70 miles up to Whitley near Warrington in Cheshire for the VMCC Cheshire Cats section, Whitley Road Safety Run, it was a 25year rule event. On arrival at the village hall there was a welcome cup of tea or coffee and biscuits, after signing on we were given a question paper to answer, nothing too taxing, and a route sheet to follow with an estimate of just over 50 miles in total. There would be other waypoints to answer more questions and be ‘observed’ I didn’t see any observers.

The start was to be at 11:00 am and each rider would leave singly at 1 minute intervals related to your signing on number. When we signed on there were two people at the desk and Dave used the opposite queue to us which meant his start time was about 20 mins from ours and he hadn’t got a route holder. After speaking to the starter he agreed to let him leave with me. Mick and Andy left first, Dave and me a minute later. Now the fun starts. All went well for a few miles until we rounded a corner and saw some bikes parked behind a car. I had missed the check point so a quick ‘U’ turn and we were answering 2 more questions. Off we set again and a combination of my odometer and the route setters not matching coupled with my ‘route roller’ choosing to self-advance caused my only navigational error of the day but I eventually got back on the right track. My apologies to the ‘Post Vintage’ rider who followed us thinking I knew where I was going. It was a surprise though to see three riders coming towards us shortly after this but I was confident I was right now approximately 13 miles out. At something like 20+ miles another surprise was the sight of Mick and Andy heading towards us in the opposite direction but I was confident we were still on route so confirmed by seeing other riders going our way we carried on. Later the route told me we were almost at the canal-side Shady Oak Inn for the half-way refreshment stop. Now relaxed and taking a little too long looking at the route while turning right I noticed I was running out of road and decided the best way was to take a slight off-road diversion, I stayed upright, phew! I think Dave thought that was the route and tried to follow me. We were closely followed into the Inn by Mick and Andy. Mick confirmed he had also missed a turn and was retracing to a known point but seeing us decided to turn and follow others to get back on to the route. While at the stop we had to again report in and answer two more questions.

So, after some refreshment we decided to set off for the second part of the run back to Whitley but first Dave’s Commando needed fuel and he was led to a local petrol station by another rider. The return to Whitley, ably led by Mick, was uneventful and the days run was complete. A good tour of this part of Cheshire, it passed by Oulton Park race circuit and also Maxton Engineering for those who follow motorsport. After more tea or coffee and biscuits and the return of all riders there was an award presentation. Dave was runner-up in the ‘Post 1960’ class, I was runner-up in the ‘Classic’ class and Mick took the ‘Under 300cc’ class Trophy and because of this we also got the ‘John Rhodes Trophy’ for the best Team. Sadly Andy, on a ‘Modern’, machine wasn’t able to get an award. The 70-mile return journey was a repeat of the mornings route, A49, A51 to Stone then the usual cross-country route toward Uttoxeter, over to Kingstone, Marchington and Tutbury. A great day’s riding with thanks to Mick for encouraging us to join him and leading the way. Malcolm.