The Gathering Of The Clans 2008

For a week now, the weather reports made dire reading. Icy winds, leaden skies, snow!!!
I wondered if the day would be that bad, Jane says "What are we going to do if it snows?"
"Ride slower", I said
Sunday morning, a quick peek round the curtains, and yes snow everywhere.
With the sky totally clear of clouds, and white everywhere, "Its not going to be very warm, better wrap up well today"
Bike fired up Ged and Megan arrive, and off we go.
My right thumb was numb, but the beautiful sunshine more than made up for it.
We got to the Cafe at Gunthorpe, just as everyone else left, no chance of a warm then.
John took us along a fantastic series of roads to the gathering, dry roads, temperature slowly rising, this is great stuff.
At the OK Diner, everything was coming together, good food and drink.
More riders arriving all the time, it is an exciting time, new friends and old,
all coming to welcome in the new season.
Then heading south, come The Yorkies.
Brave souls, thanks to you all for swelling our numbers, must have seemed a long way this cold morning.
At 11am we set off for the Goose, although there were only 48 bikes made it,
it was a very impressive line along the A1.
The route for this years Gathering, was fantastic, almost exclusively along wide open, traffic free country roads.
This must be where they film those car adverts.
Not a cloud in the sky, empty dry roads, rolling hills, sweeping bends,
biking nirvana, you should have been there.
We all made it safely to the Goose, even if a few needed a quick re-fuel on the way,
Ged ran on fumes for the last few miles, good bikes these Virago's.
Marvellous buffet put on at the Goose, hot tea and coffee,
brilliant, thanks girls, you did us proud.
Terry

Photographs