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Riders' Final Instructions for the 2009 International West Kent Run
Thank you for your entry, especially if this is your first visit to the West Kent Run.
Please help us. There will be almost 600 riders and passengers this year. Everyone can have an enjoyable weekend if we all help one another. We hope you will enjoy the best ever West Kent Run.
Please be patient, especially
at the coffee and lunch stops on the West Kent Run. Serving food and
drinks quickly to such a large number of people will be very difficult.
Please be careful when driving / riding / parking at the Friars. There
will many more people than usual including young children.
Please be thoughtful with whatever you do, especially early in the
morning and late at night.
The Friars at Aylesford
is accessible from the M20 (Junction 6 - A229) and from the M2 (Junction 3 -
A229). Brown signs will lead you to the site. Follow the signs for
easy trailer and caravan access. The Ordnance
Survey Map reference is:- Landranger 1:50,000 Sheet 188.
TQ 724 591 (Entrance)
Contact details: The Friar at Aylesford. Aylesford Kent ME20 7BX
(www.thefriars.org.uk)
Please do not run your engine or ride your bike around the site except to enter and leave. The Friars is a very tranquil place and it is important that we respect this.
If you are staying in one of the rooms please do not park your motorcycle in the 'old quadrangle.' This is a specific request from the Friars. There is plenty of parking space in the 'new quadrangle' or over in the main car park. As in previous years, you may take your car into the old quadrangle temporarily to make unloading your bags easier but please do not park your motorcycle there.
When you arrive
Thursday / Friday arrivals:
Saturday arrivals for the run:
Signing-On
Social runs on
Thursday, Friday and Monday.
West Kent Run on Saturday morning.
Timetable
Wednesday /
Thursday
Thank you to all the helpers who come to set the event up. We
should like to begin on Wednesday this year.
A working party will prepare the field. If you can spare a few
hours, from 10.00 it speeds all the tasks. Work will continue
on Thursday.
An evening social run is being organised on Thursday and will return at 20.30 for a barbecue. Start time will be displayed during the day. The cost of the barbecue IS NOT included in the event entry fee. If you wish to eat, a modest charge will be made.
Friday
The working party will continue to prepare the field from 10.00.
Another team will be putting up the route arrows. If you can spare
some time to help please contact Alan Abrahams or Ron Wright.
A social run will leave at 10.30 and will return at 15.30. Pub lunch at midday - you buy your own. Bob Mitchell will lead the run.
The Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling and the VMCC President, Colin Seaton will join us for our evening reception from 19.30. in the marquee. Food will be available to ticket holders. Tickets are free but must be ordered, in advance, from Alan Abrahams. There will be a band to encourage wild dancing until about 23.00. Please be quiet on the camp field thereafter.
Saturday
Signing-On begins at 08.00 in the start area. Please park your bike
on your start number. Oldest machines start first at 09.00. Please
be ready when the marshalls call you to the start. Dennis
Bates will provide a commentary. The Mayor will start the first machines.
Parental Agreement forms will be available at the start to Sign-On youngsters.
If you wish to ride with a friend on a later number please wait to one side for
them. Please do not wait on the road outside The Friars. Ride at
your own pace. There is no time schedule and it is not a race. In
your riders' pack you will receive coffee, lunch and tea tickets. Ride
carefully and please be ready to stop for horses. Petrol is
available on the route after 2 miles (in Burham). Please do not run out
of petrol.
If you break down, stay with your
machine and wait for the recovery vehicles. They will follow the
entire route. Do not leave the route or they will not find you.
The recovery truck will be the last vehicle to leave The Friars,
so it may be some time before it reaches you. We also have some riding
marshalls and they will try to help you where possible.
We shall also have a riding
paramedic in case of emergencies.
Brian Miles can be
contacted on 07714455671(mobile). Please make a note of this number.
Please take your time on the Run - it's not a race. There are no prizes for
being first back. There is plenty of time to enjoy the coffee (Brogdale - the National Fruit Collection) and lunch (The
Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway) stops. The entire route will be
marked with bright orange arrows. Each arrow will have a number that
corresponds to the illustrations on the route sheet. You are sure to meet
horses en route. Please ride slowly past them. Be prepared to stop
and stop your engine if necessary. If a mad woman stops you, demanding to
know who you are and why 400 motorcycles are using her road - please be polite
to her. Give her my phone number - better still - make one up.
At the coffee stop (Brogdale, near Faversham, which houses thousands of varieties of fruit trees) and the lunch stop (The Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway, between Sittingbourne and Hollingbourne. It is a 2 foot gauge railway.) please follow the marshalls' instructions. First riders will reach Brogdale at about 10.15. First riders will reach Bredgar at about 12.00. The last rider should leave Bredgar by about 15.30. If you are amongst the first to arrive at coffee / lunch please go and take your refreshment promptly so as to ease the inevitable queue. If you arrive in the main body of riders - please be patient.
At the lunch stop there will be two locomotives 'in steam' for your enjoyment.
Signing-Off
The Signing-Off table will be manned (or womanned) from 15.30. As in previous
years the souvenir pennants will be available to collect on
Sunday. We want to encourage as many people as possible to
display their machine on Sunday as part of the show to the general
public. Signing-Off
will finish at 17.30. We have made arrangements for the tea to
be available for you all, but the last teas will be served at 17.30.
The evening celebration begins at 19.30. Food is available for ticket holders. Tickets are £7 each and must be ordered, in advance, from Alan Abrahams. We have another band to encourage more wild dancing until about 23.00. When the music finishes please be quiet on the camping field as others may be sleeping and some families will have young children.
Sunday
The show field will open from 09.00. We ask that you
display your machine to the public. The public attendance helps to
pay for the weekend and it is important that we offer them value for
money and display as many bikes as possible. Please keep your riding number on your bike. The
event officially finishes at 16.00 and we ask you to display your
bike at least from 10.30 until 16.00.
The gymkhana will run if the ground is not too wet. Please listen for loudspeaker announcements. We hope to repeat the childrens' bicycle gymkhana too.
Concours judging will begin at 11.00. Our judges (Cyril Branch and 'new boy' Bob Mitchell) will look at all machines displaying their riding number, including those being displayed on Club stands.
The event closes following the prize-giving. Prize-giving will begin at 15.00. We hope that you will all be able to attend. It is always disappointing when prize winners are not there to receive their awards.
Monday
A
social run will leave at 10.30 from the main car-park. David
Brindley will lead the run.
Food
There is a cafeteria next to the events field. It is open during
the day for drinks, light meals and ice creams.
Breakfast will be served in the Brothers' Refectory each morning. Bacon rolls etc will be available from the catering caravan on Saturday morning.
On Sunday fast food items will be available from vendors on the field.
Children
Well behaved children are always welcome at the West Kent Run !
Please be aware that the site is open to the general public at all
times. Children must not be allowed to ride any motorcycles (or
other, powered, machines) at any time or in any place throughout the
weekend. They are welcome to bring their bicycles - perhaps
they would like to enter the bicycle gymkhana..
Torches
A
good idea for campers ! The camp field is fairly well lit but may be
uneven underfoot.
Flags
Please bring a national flag to display on your bike. The
spectating public along the route love to know where you are from.
Campers
Toilets and showers will be available. Please be very careful when
moving about the field. Be especially careful in the dark. Water
buckets will be placed around the site for use in case of fire – please be sure you know
where they are – in case of emergency. A skip will be on site for
all your rubbish.
If you
have a room
Please be sure to shut all doors securely so that strangers cannot
get access to the accommodation. PLEASE DO NOT PARK MOTORCYCLES IN
THE OPEN COURTYARD IN THE OLD BUILDINGS. You are welcome to park
machines, sensibly, in the courtyard in the NEW buildings. Please
do not park cars and trailers in the courtyard – move them to the
main car-park once you have unpacked.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not take your room key home with you. Leave it in the lock of your room OR place it in the box in the Reception area in the old buildings OR give it to Alan Abrahams (or leave it somewhere sensible at his tent – where he will find it.) All rooms are STRICTLY non-smoking All rooms are simply furnished and have a wash basin. Toilets, showers and baths are close by. Bed linen is provided and the beds are made up ready for you.
Queries
If you have any further queries please contact Alan Abrahams
Remember please !
· No dogs are allowed at the Friars
· Do not run or ride your machine around the site except to enter or leave.
· Do not let children ride motorcycles at any time.
· Close all doors securely so that strangers cannot get access to the accommodation.
· Hand your room key in.
· Enjoy yourself.
The Friars is a tranquil place and it is important that we respect this. We want to be invited back !