Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Rides, Rallies, & Events Great North Air Ambulance charity ride

As some of you guys are already aware, Smith (Alan) and myself are undertaking a charity ride in aid of the Great North Air Ambulance at the end of the month. We’re due to head North early on Tuesday 28th August, basically John o’Groats to Land’s End and back with a twist in that we’ll be diverting to visit the many Triumph dealers who have already kindly offered to donate prizes to our raffle on our way. It works out at about a distance of around 3000 mile and plan to do this in 5 days. The raffle will be drawn on our return and basically anybody who has donated £5 or more will be entered.
Many thanks to all who have already contributed to this worthy cause at the Farmyard. If anyone else would like to, they can do so by a PayPal donation to the email address in my profile. Please include your name, address with postcode so I can list you on the sponsor form and also send your prize if you’re one of the lucky winners! BTW also indicate whether you’d like me to tick the Gift Aid box so they can claim back tax and increase the value of your donation if you want.
Also if anyone else is free around those days and would like to hook up with us for some the ride PM me your contact no., can’t say exactly when and where but we’ll try and get in touch while we’re heading your way.
Cheers,
Dave.

Post again Dave nearer the time to remind us all, or better still bring your sponsor form to the BBQ, you never know you may get another donation off my Mrs...

Thanks Ray. Still hoping to make it to your BBQ, won’t bore you with the details but with one thing and another it’s looking a bit touch and go at the moment... Saying that if there’s a way I’ll be there mate!
Sponsorship for the ride is looking fairly good up to now but I’ve exhausted family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues etc. So I thought next plan of action, why not approach the rest our Bros and Sisters on the site? Just looking at other ways to raise a bit more for cash them. After that I’ll have to resort to harassing strangers!
I realise it relies on trust but I can assure anyone, any donations will be listed on the official sponsor forms that are supplied by the GNAA, so if you feel you need to, you’ll be able to check back with them.
A problem the GNAA are now having to deal with is that unfortunately under EU legislation they’ll shortly have to upgrade their current helicopters to new at a cost of around £3 million a piece! So the more support the better really...
Nuff said. I’m sure many of you already donate to many good causes but if you can, please feel free to donate something for this one...

Here, here. You never know when you may need them

My thoughts exactly Ray. As we know their purpose is to attend the inaccessible scenes where the conventional ambulance will struggle such as remote or congested RTAs, or indeed rescuing the occasional delinquent rambler or rock climber. As you say hopefully not, but you never know if you might end up relying on these guys someday…

BUMP

Can't seem to find any info on the Midnight run to Hartside Cafe so if anyone has any info please forward it on..

Last year Adey and I attended after a run through the Lake District and also to Gretna it was a fantastic day out..

Just to bump this up......

Good luck to you Daffydd and Smith.

Let us know when you are in the area.

Mal and I met Dave and Alan on their quest today at Forton Services, rode with them to Youles at Blackburn and then left them as they head to Rochdale.

Very nice meeting you both again, and a safe journey as you both head to Lands End.

Anyone know of Smith and Dafydd's route/ timescale/ schedule?
Mike

Hi Mike their route/time/schedule could be anything as they seem to be changing it enroute, I think this is down to Dave and the satnav, you could always bell Dave and ask him whereabouts he is and where he is likely to be. PM me if you want his mobile number

thanks Ray, will bell Dave tomoro morn(I've got his moby no)and see where he is and maybe meet up for my B'day ride out...... got a pass out from the missus and no work until monday!!!
Sorry didn't make the b-b-q. did it go well??
Cheers, Mike

PM sent Mike

B
U
M
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We took advantage of the break in the weather and decided to move the ride forward to start early on the Saturday. Rode up to Middlesbrough to meet Alan then headed oop North. Our route was based on visiting as many Triumph dealers who had agreed to donate a small prize to our raffle. Our first stop was M&S Newcastle, onto Edinburgh Triumph then Shirlaw’s MCs in Aberdeen. Shirlaws recommended a great campsite at a place called Alford about 30 miles west of Aberdeen so we rode over, Alan explained our cause and managed to negotiate us some free camping. After setting up for the night we decided to check out the local hostelry as you do. A great night was had, the beer flowed and we met some really good folk, who as well as donating on the night, have decided to hold there next charity dance for the GNAA!
Needless to say we had a late start Sunday and after deciding we might be safe enough to ride again set off for the 200 mile run up to John O Groats. Must say the best roads and scenery I’ve ever ridden to be honest. There was one road however through the Cairngorms that was a bugger, patches of loose gravel everywhere, Alan nearly came a cropper. It’s probably at that point we decided it might be a good idea to replace Alan’s rear tyre, ahem. We reached JOG around tea-time, in the mean time Alan’s rear pads had worn down to the metal also. I should say despite a fairly recent service where it had been said that tyres/ pads should last the ride, Alan admitted he'd rode a few miles since then...
Conditions were fairly bleak at JOG so after a bit of deliberation we decided B&B was the way forward. That night we met a guy and his daughter who were doing JOG - Lands End on a Goldwing, coincidently we met up with them again later at Lands End.
Due to Alan’s problems we took it steady down to Triumph Glasgow the monday morning, caught some heavy rain through the Northern Highlands and were delayed at Loch Lomond due to a ditched logger and two artics managing to jam themselves together. Big tailback, the police had asked some bikers of the Celtic Thunder chapter to sort out parking for the rest of the bikers so we reached the accident parked up and bided our time for a while, we didn’t mind, it was a glorious afternoon.
Reached Triumph Glasgow around 4.30 pm. They kindly changed Alan’s pads without charging labour and had a look at my spungy front brake too. We decided to head on down to Carlisle and stopped the night at a B&B there so we could catch KC Superbikes first thing to get Alan’s tyre replaced.
KCs kindly moved their bookings around and only charged Alan the price of a discounted tyre. I got in touch with Ray while we were waiting and met up with him and Mal near Lancaster for a short but rather fast (sorry lads!) ride to our next stop, Philip Youles at Blackburn. We parted company with them at around lunchtime and headed first to Robinson & Sons at Rochdale, then on down to BS Bikes Ltd. Stoke on Trent arriving around closing time. While we were there they recommended visiting Wylie & Holland, Telford also which we decided to do first thing the next morning. So we rode toward Telford and managed to find another great campsite in a beautiful small town called Much Wenlock and again managed to negotiate free camping. Wish I’d had chance to take some pics there to be honest but it was getting dark, well worth a visit though.
The next morning after leaving Wylie & Holland we rode down to our next dealer – Robert Bevan & Son, Cardiff, took the opportunity to lube our chains there before heading on to Bridge MCs, Marsh Barton Exeter. After visiting Bridge MCs we decided to make the final run to Lands End. After taking a few pics headed back up to Penzance and found a great B&B to stop the night. We treated ourselves at a Chinese, came as a bit of a shock though when we realised the price for the set meal for two was priced per person, doh!
The next morning, we headed off to GT MCs St. Austell. We agreed to part company there as unfortunately I had to get back due to other commitments. So I left Alan and started my 400 odd mile journey back up to York - the A30 had been closed however, and there were road works on the A38. Being the only two direct routes out of Cornwall, the traffic was chaos. Ended up on a long diversion that probably delayed me a couple of hours. Arrived back home at around 10 pm after a couple of small delays around Bristol and Birmingham also.
All in all a fantastic ride! Clocked around 2100 miles and we'll raise the best part of £2000 for the GNAA. Here’s a link to a few pics:

John O Groats - Lands End

Didn’t get chance to take many unfortunately as we were on the road most the time. Alan’s going to post some more pics when he gets back. He managed to visit four more dealers yesterday and plans four more today on his way back. Thanks Alan for a great few days riding and companionship, had a great time mate. Also many thanks to all of you and the Triumph dealers who have contributed to our charity ride, much appreciated.

Great Photo's Dave, and a well earned rest I think

Well done Dave ,Alan (hehheh, couldn't resist). looks and sounds like you guys had a great trip and raising $4300(i dont have a quid key so thats the Canadian conversion )for a very worthy cause is awesome .you guys deserve a good few pints of Newcastles finest cheers lads

Well done from me to you both as well, some nice photos there as well Dave.. looks like you had a great time.... Dave

Well done, hard work but fun and for a good cause,
Regards
Neil

A big "WELL DONE" Alan & Dave sonds like you had a good time as well! A good cause and don't forget the late givers..... me, will be in touch and drop a few quid of to you soon Dave.
Cheers, Mike

Good one.

And glad you had a good time AND good weather.

Had a great time Gina, couldn't have been better. A great few days riding and for a great cause. Really was a blessing the weather held out for us, would have ended up being more of an endurance test otherwise!
Have updated the pics to include Alan's:

John O' Groats - Lands End

BTW There's still time to make a contribution via Paypal if anyone suddenly feels the urge...

Look forward to the next meet,
Ride safe y'all,
Dave