It was a glorious sunny Sunday morning on 25th May 09 as Julie and I arrived in Ripon, not a cloud in the sky and warming up nicely thank you! We basked in the early sun and waited for rest to arrive.

Lynne plugs into the day

Lynne and John came first on their purple trike, Lynne was very excited today because we were going up to Hartlepool to see the “monkey hangers” and visit those colourful characters who speak in that wonderful sing song accent “Wayaye man, ya knaaw wat a meen”?
Barry and Tina followed a minute later with Russ, Tom and Michelle.  Barry was smiling and laughing as he landed as usual,he was fired up already! Today was going to be another fun day I could sense it, no stress, no arguments no politics, just a group of friends doing what we like to do, ride bikes.
Today was to bea funny formation too, 5 then 7 then 5 then 6 then 5!  (Read on you must) At 09.45 hrs it was 5…..4 solo’s and 1 trike all of the 1800 variaty, 2 black, 2 red and 1 purple, all sleak, smooth and beautiful with lovely womanly curves. Today we will be getting a bit of a wiggle on me thinks!
The obligitory five minutes of muck slinging and rib taking took place between the alledged grown ups, isn’t it funny how the closer the friendships are, the more descriptive the greetings become? Today would be a plus too, we would all get a fair crack at the far off ice cream parlours as Mick Gordge put in a “no show”.
It was time to prise the prospective biker bird off  “Purple Amethyst”  and send her on her way as we donned lids and zipped jackets, Engines purred quietly into life, (no 1500’s today so no barking coughs in evidence). 

Leaving Ripon market square

 We pulled from the square and headed off toward Thirsk waiving goodbye to the “hoiked off” lady and her hubbie. “I want one I want one! she burbled at hubbi, who nodded quietly in agreement.
In no time we slipped onto the smooth A19 northwards towards Middlesborough and our destination at Hartlepool a few miles to the north. I sat at the back as

Tom and Michelle on their new ride

“The Sweeper” eyeing up Toms new black 1800, Russ sat behind the gleaming “Purple Amethyst” which in turn sat behind Barry as he and Mistress Garmin ordered us northwards. We skirted Middlesborough, Julie picked out some familiar sites from her native city, over to the right we could see the Transporter Bridge in its light blue lattice structure looking very regal, easily the most beautiful structure amongst the surrounding square boring grey carbunckles that made up the city skyline.
A police motocycle cop latched onto us and pulled up at the side of Tom when we stopped at some traffic lights. The cop was obviously drawn to Tom because he was dressed in a matt black Darth Vadar helmet, camo jacket, jeans and cherry red Doc Martins with a split in them. Cop…”where are you all going then?”  Tom…”What? Hang on, let me turn me music down..fumbling for the switch somewhere on the dashboard, Cop…..”I said WHERE are you going?” Tom replies through Darth Vadar helmet ”Oh er, we are all going to a museum” Cop… stares at Tom as if hearing a fib blinks then says..”Er right then, am gannin doon this other road now, bye bye” Well confused he was!

So, you ride bikes then Tom?

Our destination hove into view as we threaded our way through the new roadways and roundabouts before performing a combat turn (360 on a roundabout) to land in fine order amongst a huge classic car show in the car park of the Hartlepool Maritime museum.  Our bemused bike cop turned up as we unplugged and unhooked, we smiled and

Let me tell you about my OTHER bike

nodded at each other.
Now then folks, I’m not a car person as you know, I don’t own a driving license even, but the cars on show here were beautiful and showed just how bland and boring the cars are these days, lime green Corsairs with tail fins, and go faster cheat lines in chrome Ooer! Cortinas, Zephers even a piggin Datsun or two! Yellows, greens powder blues and lush red paint schemes. Barry was having a throb as he set his eyes on an old “Landi” What the hell is a landing? I ventured but he was gone, drawn

What do you mean OTHER bike?

dribbling towards it. This was a magical

special wonderful gathering, of old cars, memories of my childhood came back and the days of cruising with my Dad on Sundays, first in an old blue Austin A90 then a huge off grey Austin Cambridge, he changed it for a little Austin 1100 cos Mum hated climbing up into the Cambridge. They were brilliant day’s I’ll never forget them, perhaps that’s why I get excited at our Sunday rideouts with me new dad Barry?
Barry then led us to the foyer and todays cut price entry, it’s a fine day indeed as we saved a few more pennies, remember

folks its not the money! Tina led the girls on a tour around the toilets no doubt noting another entry in her notepad for her Bogs and Bidays of Europe book due out upon her retirement….I’m hoping to get mine signed!
The museum is extensive, the largest exhibit being the HMS Trimcomalee, the oldest British warship in the Uk built way back in 1817, it was brought to Hartlepool in 1987 and took ten years plus a huge amount of money to restore.

HMS Trimcomlee

 The guide on board answered all questions, even showing Tina the toilets on the bows (Tina scribbles madly in her notebook). The captain had his own private toilet down below. It was a curious and interesting time going up and down the decks.

The Captains table

The Captains table was a proper masterpiece to see. Some odd facts were shared with us, did you know for example that they carried on board goats, chickens, pigs and such for eating and that if suddenly they came upon an enamy ship all the animals were thrown overboard the reasoning was that in a cannon fight the animals might run amock on the decks in a panic!

Gary the goat with Julie

An image flashed before me, imagine the poor lookout who shouts down “Enemy ship on the port bow”, only to follow minutes later with…..”Erm sorry guys, false alarm, it’s one of ours…..Hey why are you all looking at me like that”?
It was soon time to get back to the bikes, Steve and Jane had rung earlier to say they were on their way from Scotch Corner so we headed off to greet them in the car park, sitting there too was Jimbo and Susan, they had come down from Redcar to join up with us, we had increased to 7 bikes now! Steve and Jane have this habit in 09 of appearing from Scotland for a couple of minutes then scooting back northwards, I think they are taking “Ostrisyzation” to a new level!
I’d suggested to Barry about going across the Middlesborough Transporter Bridge and a route was picked using Garmin, however Jimbo agreed to come with us on the back roads to the Transporter Bridge, brilliant, you can’t beat some local input. Barry handed over the captains hat for an hour as we readied ourselves, we said goodbye all too quickly to Steve and Jane, until June as that is and the start of our European Tour of 09.

Winding our way to the bridge

Jimbo picked his way through some lonely industial back roads towards the bridge, performing a U turn here and there as roads appeared to be shut, Mistress Garmin was “umming and arring” at these road closures so THANKS YOU VERY MUCH Jimbo for leading the way for this part of the ride.

Jimbo leads the way

The bridge is worth a mention so here goes.
The Middlesbotough Transporter Bridge was built in 1911 and is 850 feet long and 225 feet high it carries a small section of road suspended on cables and pullies to and fro across the river Tees (Take note our Barry) in 90 seconds, it can carry a total of 200 people or 9 cars. It is one of two working examples in the world, the other runs over the River Usk (Take note again our Barry) at Newport in South Wales, that’s a Grade I whilst this one is a grade II listed building. It has been in several films including the last series of “Auf Wiederesehen Pet” in which it was dismanteled and rebuilt in the USA, so good was the series that the BBC had to put out a special announcement that the bridge was still alive and working here in Middlesborough!  It was well worth the 60p per bike to indulge in a bit of British Heritage.

Barry can hardly hold it together!

We cruised quickly through the quiet city centre heading out towards Stokesley onto the B1257 down to Helmsley zooming between the green valleys of the Cleveland Hills and into Bedale. I wonder if anybody else spotted that green telephone box on the right near Fangdale Beck?
It’s a great ride on this road, its very smooth, silky, curvy and used by lots of bikers on Sundays, I love to ride it midweek when its even quieter and empty of those busy little “pocket rockets” piloted by would be Rossi’s and old men who should know better! This road is mostly devoid of houses, people, cats and dogs and old ladies lying in wait, there’s not a great deal of traffic that uses it, mainly local, every one else uses the nearby A19 and A1. We upped the pace a tad and really enjoyed the road, the brutish “Purple Amethyst” began to pull a lead on Russ as he hacked away behind, John and Lynne were really enjoying their new wheels, it was quite impressive to see it hugging the tarmac, they bounded along soundly as the gap between them and Russ seemed to increase, I never thought I’d see a trike do that!
The clouds began to gather now in the afternoon as we jogged briskley along before stopping for lunch in the market square of Hemlsey,

Fast roads towards Helmsley

more friends joined us now as the white wing of “Two Dabs and Lorraine two RR’s” arrived from the Pickering direction. Now we were up to 7 bikes, even though it was getting on for late afternoon there were still a large gathering of bikes in the square. Colourful leathered bikers mixed with the green tweed and thick brown wrinky tights of the local nobs, the old guys pointed and asked questions and regaled us about their youth on old British bikes in golden days of old. We chatted and mooched for a while before hitting the road again but not before thanking Jimbo and Susan again, we said goobye and thanks to both as  we 6 bikes left the square.
We headed up the hill past Duncombe Park and the site of the famous Farmyard Party held every summer by MAG Yorkshire. We made swift progress up the empty hill and rode towards Sutton Bank, “Two Dabs and Lorraine 2RR’s” waived goodbye as their “Snow princess” curved left onto the wriggly road towards Sherrif Hutton and York on little exciting B roads, we on the other hand  headed on westward toward Thirsk, and the dipping sun. Dropping down off the table top that is Sutton Bank we twisted slowly down the side of the hill, the far away views were fantastic, even in this late afternoon as the warm orange sun began to melt into the distant hills it’s job done for another day.
Thirsk was our last tea stop, we had really enjoyed todays rideout, we giggled and laughed at the fun we had just like that bunch of school kids after a great day out in the woods. Do you realise how few muscles you use just to smile as opposed to all those you use to project frowns and disdain? The weather was brilliant, the company good and the marvelous way others breezed in and out of our day was quite satisfying, it was almost a rideout visiting friends and family.  Jimbo and wife have already said they will see us on the next rideout for tea and scones at Langley Castle, are you coming too?
Lateronthen folks……………………………….The SCRIBE