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East London & Essex Section Notes

(as appearing in Jampot magazine from 2024)

Any section member having information for our section notes or an article for inclusion on this web site can email me (Colin Atkinson) on btsc.moto@btinternet.com

April 2024

At the 22^nd February club night our section mid-week meets and runs which start in April were discussed and it was decided that the mid-week lunch meets would alternate between Stapleford and North Weald airfields with those at North Weald ones starting half an hour earlier so that we might get there before the café’s usual lunch time busy period. As for the runs, it was suggested that those regulars taking part should take it in turn to decide a destination and route in order to share the organising load. The first lunch meet (Stapleford) on 3^rd April will have probably taken place by the time this is read so the next one will be at North Weald from 11.00am on Wednesday 1^st May. However, these notes should be in time for our first run which, weather permitting, will be on 17^th April starting from Crown Corner at 10.30am. The destination has yet to be decided.

March 2024

At the club night on 25^th January there was much discussion amongst those riding to the ‘International’ as to the booking of accommodation for the out and back journeys and also about the accommodation at this year’s Jampot rally and Roy was able to confirm the Jampot bookings for those who had already booked their rooms at the priory. During the evening Roy took a phone call from Peter Berry and we were pleased to hear that he now has had the metal cage removed from his damaged leg and so far the ulceration which it caused for so long seems to be healing quicker than he expected. On the 8^th February club night we heard that Roy had visited him and said that although he cannot use his leg properly yet he can stand on it for short periods. We all wish him well and hope that this time he really is on the road to recovery after such a long time. On the same club night Lin Brown gave the good news that John Hodges is now feeling a lot better and is looking forward to getting back on his bike again. At this time of the year with so much rain and winds about we look forward to April when we will be starting our midweek lunch meets and section runs again.

February 2024

On 20th December section members said farewell at Corbetts Tey crematorium to Graham Bister, who passed away on December 4th and we extend our condolences to Graham's family at this trying time.

On Wednesday 27th December we held our final section run of 2023 when myself, Roy, Dave Walling and Steve Carvosso rode from Crown Corner to the Rosey Lea's tea rooms at The Squadron, North Weald airfield where we met up with Geoff Gibbins who had driven there for the occasion. After last year's problem with getting a table there we arranged to arrive earlier this time and it worked as for a while we were their only customers. However it soon started filling up and proved we had made the right decision to get there earlier this time and have a table where we could all sit together to chat about bikes for an hour or so.

The following evening we had our last club night of 2023 at The Woodman. As we expected, numbers were down this time but nine of us sat down to have a nice meal in pleasant company. Since then it seems like it has rarely stopped raining for long and the second of my only rides out so far this year was made through flooded roads in places. Even so we have been very lucky in this area so far when I see what some throughout the British Isles have had to endure. Closed and just passable flooded roads might be a nuisance on a journey but a flooded home is something else entirely and my heart goes out to those affected. What a terrible way to start the new year it must be for them.

January 2024

It’s unfortunate to have to start the first notes of the new year with sad news but we have heard from his son Richard that Graham Bister sadly passed away on 4^th December after several weeks in hospital. Graham had been a long time section member and before his health deteriorated he took part in most of the local section runs and events either on his 650 AJS twin or his Velocette Venom, which he actually preferred. We will remember Graham especially for the fact that he never liked to reveal his age, although as he liked talking about his National Service days with the RAF it sort of gave it away. His late wife Joan once said jokingly that, “He thinks he is Peter Pan”. In his healthy days he was usually laughing and also had a repertoire of the most appalling jokes which he loved to repeat at the slightest opportunity especially once he realised he had a reputation to uphold. We extend our condolences to Graham’s family at this sad time.

Section members helped man the club stand on both weekends at the NEC motorcycle show recently, with Dave and Lin Walling holding the fort on the first weekend and Dudley Woods, Alan Jennings, Lin Brown and Roy doing so on the final weekend.

On Saturday December 9^th we had our section End of Season Dinner at the Plough Motel at Bulphan where around 22 of us enjoyed a pleasant meal and company. Dudley Woods was awarded the Clubman of The Year award for providing back-up services for most of the club events during the year and Dave Walling was presented with the Piston Broke award for his problems on the run to the International in Slovenia. There was some feeling that Dave was rather unlucky to get this award mainly because he was at the dinner to receive it as his bike troubles (mainly clutch) might actually have not been as many as those of someone who wasn’t ….Eh Steve!

Colin Atkinson