WITH A GLORIOUS START TO THE DAY THE SUN PROVED TO BE THE STAR OF THE SHOW.
THE WEATHER COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ANY BETTER.

WITH ANTICIPATION AND ENTHUSIAM THE CONTESTANTS EITHER IN TEAMS OR AS INDIVIDUALS GATHERED ON THE FORECOURT OF
THE LAGUNA TRIUMPH ASHFORD BASE WAITING FOR THEIR STARTS.

WITH 100 MILES AND 3 HOURS OF RIDING AHEAD OF THEM THEY LEFT AT THEIR ALLOCATED TIMES @ 15 MINUTE INTERVALS

IVOR AND PEARL - WHAT DIAMONDS (ON THEIR SPRINT)
DEE - THE EPITOME OF A GIRL ON A MOTORCYCLE AND IN ALL BLACK LEATHER ON HER STREET - (STREET BEING A BIKE!!) - WHO WRITES THIS STUFF?
AND ALISTAIR AND SALLY - A JORDIE (PITY) AND HIS LASS THEY RIDE EVERYWHERE - (AGAIN ON A SPRINT)
THEY ALL DEPARTED AS THE FIRST TEAM IN THIS HISTORIC EVENT.

AS THE FIRST TEAM TO BE FLAGGED OFF THEY RODE INTO THE DISTANCE AND BEYOND, AWAY ON THIS GRUELLING TREK NOT KNOWING WHAT LAY AHEAD OF THEM BRAVE SOULS INDEED.

NEXT TO LEAVE AND WITH NO LESS BRAVERY WAS MATT AND WITH HIM HIS YOUNG SON, ETHAN, WHO, CLINGING TO DAD WHISPERED DON'T WORRY - WE CAN DO THIS
AND WITH A NOD OF THE HEAD, A CLENCHED FIST AND A BIG SMILE THEY LEFT
THE GLEAMING THUNDERBIRD SPORT SHONE.

NEXT UP WAS THE BIG ONE - NIGEL OR BIG NIGEL THIS GUY MEANT BUSINESS
HUGE (NO - GIGANTIC) ASTRIDE OF HIS STEED THE MUSCULAR GS1200 WOW AND WITH HIM AND NO LESS IN STATURE
WAS RICHARD - RICHARD THE TIGER LOUT (OR IS IT LION HEART )
THESE BOYS WERE OUT TO WIN - GUIDED BY THEIR ELECTRONIC AIDS
AND PROGRAMMED - AND WITH A SWITCH OF THE ON BUTTON
THEY LEFT - ONE IN ONE DIRECTION AND ONE IN THE OTHER WHO KNOWS WHERE THEY'LL END UP AND WILL THEY SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN.

WITH A LITTLE MORE GRACE AND NEXT IN LINE WAS RICHARD AND JUDY
SORRY JULIE - THIS HUNGRY YOUNG PAIR MOUNTED NICELY ON THIS BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED HONDA CBR600F (NICE TEXTURE) THEY RODE OFF INTO THE DISTANCE
NOTHING WAS GONNA GET IN THEIR WAY
THEY MEANT BUSINESS - THEY WERE NOT TAKING PRISONERS
THE HUM OF THE HONDA DISAPPEARED OVER THE HORIZON AND THEY WERE GONE - GOD SPEED, AND FINALLY AND WITH NO LESS IMPORTANCE WERE SIMON (WITH DAUGHTER SADIE AS PILLION) ON THE BLACK BONNIE AND WITH A SURPRISE LAST MINUTE ENTRY WAS RICHARD, RICHARD III (NOBILITY IN OUR MIDST! ) NAAAAH - MORE LIKE A TRUE BANDIT - THE LIKE OF WHICH, HAS SELDOM BEEN SEEN IN THESE PARTS (AND THANK GOD - YOU CRY) ALTHOUGH THESE GUYS WERE BRINGING/TAKING UP THE REAR THEY WEREN'T GOING TO BE LEFT BEHIND NO SOONER HAD THE ENGINES STARTED AND THEY WERE GONE GOOD LUCK!!!

IT WAS GOING TO BE 4 HOURS BEFORE THEY HAD ALL COMPLETED THE COURSE AND I'T HANGING AROUND
SO I PISSED OFF TO THE PUB THE HALFWAY HOUSE IN CHALLOCK TO BE PRECISE
THE HALFWAY POINT OF THIS ILLUSTRIOUS EVENT I MEAN - WHERE ELSE COULD I GO??


EVENTUALLY I DRAG MYSELF AWAY (AND AFTER GREETING HALF OF THE FIELD) I HEAD BACK TO LAGUNA TRIUMPH IN ASHFORD PREVIOUSLY THE STARTING POINT AND SOON TO BE THE LONG AWAITED FINISH LINE

ON THEIR EPIC ROUTE WERE 9 CLUES THAT HAD TO BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING, TENTERDEN - SANDHURST - BEDGEBURY PINETUM - LEEDS - CHALLOCK - WILLESBOROUGH (THE WINDMILL) - PORT LYMPNE - NEW ROMNEY AND BACK TO ASHFORD

SOON THEY STARTED TO ARRIVE BACK PRETTY MUCH IN THE ORDER THEY LEFT, EXCEPT FOR MATT - WHO UNFORTUNATELY HAD TAKEN A WRONG TURNING ALONG THE WAY AND THAT DELAYED HIM SOMEWHAT, AND WAS TO COST HIM DEARLY IN POINTS

WHAT WAS CLEAR - THEY ALL RETURNED SAFELY INTACT AND ALL WITH A DIFFERENT TALE TO TELL - AND ABOVE ALL THEY WERE SMILING.

THEY HAD NOT BEEN BEATEN - THEY HAD ALL TRIUMPHED
EXCEPT THOSE WHO HAD HONDED BMWED OR SUZUKIED

THIS HAD BEEN A TRULY GREAT R.A.T. EXPERIENCE TO SAVOUR

BUT THE DAY WOZ NOT DUN YET (pauls texting thumb)

BLESS THEM “SALLY AND ALISTAIR" THEY HAD US ALL BACK AT THEIRS FOR A BAR BEE - GOOD FOOD - GOOD WINE - GOOD COMPANY WE ALSO MADE A LITTLE BIT FOR THE KENT AIR AMBULANCE.

EVERYONE ENJOYED IT AND NO DOUBT WE SHALL BE DOING IT ALL AGAIN

BE PART OF IT !!!

THANKYOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
PAUL

The characters and events portrayed in this review are true and any similarity to persons living or dead is purely intentional