M swan song

Ride-outs & Events
1

boys and girls: The time has come for me to say goodbye. I’m leaving London for a new adventure. Some of you will know the torment that made this decision and some of you will not. I’m sad to go but at the same time, I’m excited to start a new chapter.
Irrespective, since I joined LB, you’ve all been amazing. Right from the the first people I met, Gavin, Sarah, Frenchie, Jaime, Claire, Fat Alan, Alba, Mian, Rixxy, Sarge, Boris the Blade etc. I’ve made some good friends here, I’ve had some great times, I’ve had some amazing experiences, I’ve learned and maybe I’ve even taught. I’ve smiled, I’ve laughed hell, I’ve even loved.
To my friends, you know who you are, we will keep in touch, to the rest, well, I’m sure I’ll stop by from time to time to see how you’re all doing. And to Mian, you’re a prick, you already know this more than most and, even though you ‘don’t ride in a group’ or ever knowingly have a working bike, you’d better be in on this…

So here it is, sometime over the next month or two I’ll be off, there will be no fanfare and there will be no party, there will be no tears and there will be no parade (well, I hope there won’t be anyway). I’m going to slope off quietly such is my style but, I have a lot to deal with in the mean time and as such, I won’t be around a whole lot.

Before that however, I would like, in light of my first ever LB rideout, to propose this:
A little jaunt from the tea-hut at Blackheath all the way to Finchingfield via High Beech, right through the land known as ‘Art’s Back Yard’. A redux of an eventful jubilee weekend ride where I really learned what this community was all about. This will be a special one for me since it will more than likely be my last in this neck of the woods.
I propose this now because soon the weather will turn, the roads will become with wet leaves and mud, the wind bitter and the rain will start to sting. Riding will be less fun than we have grown accustomed over the summer.

So how about it? Sunday, October 5th at 10:30am, Blackheath tea hut, hitting High Beech at around 11:00 to pick up anyone in that vicinity, on to Finchingfield via Art’s preferred route for lunch at Bosworth’s and then back to London. Newbies should definitely play along with this since it was this, well this was the very ride that ingrained me into this community.

So what do you say? Are you in?

2

I’m in

3

dude…i’m gonna miss you.

i’m in.

4

Only met you once or twice on rideouts but all the best mate, hope the change in scenery works out for you.

I’m up for the ride so count me in :slight_smile:

5

Bollox your thread put a lump in my trousers I mean throat
I’m going to try to be there I’m sure Mrs wise can mange for a few hours
Will you be bringing the ticking bike

6

Yeah, I’ll be there. I can lead people from the Ace to High Beach if that’d be useful.

7

you faggot, if this is a big elaborate ploy to get me actually riding a bike then I’m going to spank you so hard.

I’m in, even if I have to bring the C90.

8

I’m in as well.

9

Only a recent acquaintance but it’s been good. I’ll try and be there!

10

If you’re in need of a runabout then pop over to mine and grab the cb500. Works out well as I’m 10 min from the hut :slight_smile:

11

Sorry but I’ve got to work, have a great day and good luck with your new adventure

12

I lent him my CB once. It came back bent.

13

Yours was the first ride out I ever went on, so I’m definitely in :stuck_out_tongue:

14

I won’t be able to come on your ride as I’m doing Bikesafe that day, but wish you good luck for your next venture, where are you off to?
You might be back at some point, you never know :wink:

15

Sorry to see you go, mate.

I should be up for the ride out.

16

Mian - it would literally be worth leaving just to see you even just one time, on a bike rather than carrying pieces of a bike :laugh:

Slan - you’ve come a long way since then :slight_smile:

Jaime - that’s bloody brave of you…what if he’s carrying tools? :crazy:

Wise – yep. tick tick tick tick boom :crazy:

Sam – I’ll bring me sunglasses :cool:

Alba – yep, I’ll miss you too :crying:

Art – thank god you can make it, you know how I sometimes get lost in your backyard :doze:

Big red – that would be awesome sauce :rolleyes:

Dangerous B – will be good if you can make it :slight_smile:

AdrianD – coolio :slight_smile:

Hogtrumpet – be good to see you :slight_smile:

LStar – it’s pretty doubtful, unless it all goes very verywrong! :Whistling:

I’m going back to the north west, it’s not home but its a place I know. I was only supposed to be here a couple of years, i stayed for 13. It’s my time, i have an amazing opportunity and something is happening in my family right now that I cant be away from. I miss them. I miss the sea and I miss the beach. I will miss London but this feels like the right thing for me to do. I go this weekend to sign a lease on a business premises so, as scary as it is in some respects, the roller coaster has already started and I don’t want it to stop :cool:

I will only be an hour and a half from the roads of north Wales in one direction and the lake district in the other so its not all bad :slight_smile:

17

It will be said for you to leave, but at least its for all the right reasons…to go Up North :smiley:

18

I cant miss out on a swan song :D, this tea hut, is it on the heath ?

19

well thats good news then! nice place to come visit :smiley: :smiley:

20

Good luck TheO :wink:

I’ve been missing more rides than making them recently, but if I am free on the Sunday I’ll come along, probably meeting at High Beech (no sense going Sarf I don’t have to!).