Earlier this year our esteemed partner Nick Forsyth came across the UK200Group’s fundraising idea for The Alzheimer’s Society, whereby a “Not The Olympic” torch was to be transported around the country between member firms of accountants and solicitors, using any means of transport except the modern car.
“What a good idea”, he thought, “I’m sure John and Nigel will love to have a quick ride on their old motorcycles, why don’t I volunteer them for the task”. Which he duly did! 
And then he asked, nay told, us what we had to do – it would just be a matter of getting on our bikes with the torch after the Professional Breakfast at Great Tey, then zooming off to Wisbech with it.
Problem number one – Nigel’s 1974 Norton Commando was undergoing some tender loving restoration, however there was plenty of time, it would definitely be ready before the day of reckoning, 6thSeptember. And it was, just – but then horror of horrors, the alternator rotor disintegrated on its maiden voyage after the restoration, just a few days before the due date for our ride. Never mind, I agreed to lend him one from my stable, as long as he was adequately insured. Having advised me that his cover would be third party only, I told him that I was quite happy to go forward on that basis and that he shouldn’t worry if by some unfortunate circumstance he should damage the bike, because I would simply kill him. No illusions, no couched terms, quite plain speaking I thought – and he agreed to these terms.
On the Sunday, I took a 1953 Vincent Comet (500cc) to Nigel’s home on a trailer, so that he could familiarise himself with the bike before our ride on Tuesday. It all came flooding back to him, the way that these old bikes all have their own quirks and starting routines. Tickle the carb, on with the choke, find top dead centre, engage the valve lifter to get the piston just over TDC, then depress the kickstart lever firmly. No-one was more surprised than Nigel himself when he actually managed it, and tootled off up the road for a quick ride, waking all the neighbours as he went with that definitive thud-thud-thud exhaust noise that only a big single can make.
In the meantime, Nick, the instigator of all this, had decided that he would not be joining us – something about him being needed at the office (yeah, right, like they couldn’t do without him for a day – he was just frightened off by the rain and don’t let anyone say any different). Just to rub it in he gave a weather report (using the torch) to the breakfast guests!
So, at 6.45am on Tuesday, I turned up at Nigel’s house to collect him and the Vin to transport them to Great Tey for our breakfast meeting and ensuing adventure. I would be riding my 1954 Vincent Rapide (1000cc), which I had put in the back of the car the night before as one does, and there would be a spare bike coming with us too, on the back of a trailer, just in case – a 2004 Kawasaki ZZR600. Chris Harman, our Tax Partner would be driving my car and towing the trailer with the spare bike on, and our Senior Manager, Sean Wiegand would be bringing up the rear and doing all of the photography during the day. Chris had great confidence in my Vins, so much so that he felt the need to bring along his own fire extinguisher, and asked if I was carrying a full toolkit in the car.
I had already warned everybody that my twin cylinder Vincent was suffering from a whiskering plug every twenty miles or so, so they should look to be stopping on a regular basis so that I could tinker with it. Gary Lewis, a motorcycling IFA from Maldon, joined us for the first leg of the journey to Long Melford on his recently acquired 1974 Triumph Bonneville (650cc). The Torch was delivered to us on horseback, and we set off at about 9am from The Barn Brasserie to much acclaim from the assembled crowds. Within about a mile, I could sense a misfire, but as the other cylinder seemed to be coping well, I just carried on and the first leg was completed with me just firing on one. These old Vins are very forgiving like that!
The weather was, to put it politely, inclement, and we did stop early on in the first leg for Nigel and I to don our waterproof trousers – Gary had come already prepared. So Chris then lead us through the back roads of the county towards Long Melford, Sean overtaking us every now and then to take photographs from in front, and the first leg went very well. We got to The Bull in good time, having arranged to meet Ian Garmston and Gordon Johnston from Newmarket Rotary Club and St Neots Rotary 
Club respectively, as they were due to escort us along more byways ending up at Newmarket for lunch. A quick drink, a bit of a natter, “goodbye” to Gary, and we were off – Ian leading us on his Honda Goldwing trike (sporting a very strange helmet) and Gordon taking up the rear on his Yamaha FJR.
Ian had picked a cracking route which, although very wet, was quite picturesque and much more interesting than using the main roads. We went through Cavendish, Clare, Stradishall, Wickhambrook – and many other villages whose names escape me. When we stopped for one of my regular breakdowns just past Stradishall, I took the opportunity to get a message to a friend who lived in Wickhambrook, and he came out to wave us on. Thanks for the encouragement Pete!
So, the next major stop was at 12.30 pm at The Heath Court Hotel in Newmarket. We were welcomed by Newmarket Rotary, and had a very pleasant lunch with them during which we gave a brief talk about our exploits and were pleased to receive donations from the club, and from Gordon’s colleagues at St Neots also. The group photograph which has been published in several newspapers and can be found via the Lambert Chapman website homepage (after clicking on the “Flickr” logo) shows the wealth of support that we received at that stop.
After lunch we were joined on our ride by Ray Black, another Newmarket Rotarian, also on an FJR, and Ian lead us off towards the fens at a modest pace. During the lunchbreak, I had carried out more essential maintenance, mainly being another session of spark plug cleaning, and noticed that Nigel had been riding with the choke on for quite a while – his fuel load was not dangerously low, but I thought that a top up would be beneficial. So Ian lead us to a garage, where we filled up – two bikes filled up for less than £20, not bad! 
We carried on up the road, and Nigel drew slowly to a halt at the side of the road after less than a mile. Lots of scratching of heads as to what might have happened, then I noticed that he really should have turned the fuel tap back on………
Ely Cathedral loomed in the distance during this phase, and looked magnificent even in the rain – enough to bring a smile to the face of any bedraggled biker. No doubt Nigel was humming “High Hopes” by Pink Floyd at that stage or “Jerusalem” but it was “Highway Star” all the way for me!
Another break was by this time necessary, and Ian took us to a Little Chef for a quick cup of coffee, another plug cleaning exercise, a bit of oil, and a general comfort break before leading us away from his patch and bidding us farewell on our last leg towards Wisbech.
Chris and Sean took the pathfinders role, and we headed off at a slightly faster pace, as by this time we were running a little late, and knew that Ian Groome would be waiting for as at Bowser Ollard & Bentley, our UK200 solicitor contacts in Wisbech. Sure enough, they had a reception committee waiting for us when we eventually arrived at about 4.30 pm. My last breakdown was about 200 yards from his offices! The reception committee posed with us for some publicity photographs as we handed over the torch, and Ian kindly gave us much needed rest and recouperation facilities in his Grade II listed offices before leading us across the water a couple of hundred yards to our next dinner engagement with Wisbech Rotary Club.
Yet more food – lovely! Another friendly bunch, and another donation for the cause, to round off what had been a long, damp, but fruitful day. I loaded up two of the bikes onto the trailer, again putting one in the car, and we got ready to head home – no way were Nigel and I going to ride home in the dark, we may have been hardy bikers in our youth but by this time we needed a bit of comfort.
One final breakdown as my car decided to show off its flat battery, not a problem, we were equipped to deal with that in the blink of an eye. Ian kindly guided us on our way, and we all managed to get home without any further dramas by midnight.
Funds are still coming in, and I am pleased to report that our efforts have so far brought in more than £3,000 inclusive of Gift Aid. There is still time to give more…….please feel free to visit the Justgiving website, under the UK200 section.
