Category: Write Ups

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Remembering Malcolm Uphill Welsh TT Legend – Charity Ride – The Write Up

So where to start, we had the idea to create this event actually before we decided to create the club. The Club has now turned a year old and this type of event was exactly what we wanted at our core. Malcolm Uphill was a local legend to those bikers in the know and any fan of the Isle of Man TT, he was one of very few successful Welsh Motorcycle Racers. The Anniversary of his win, Now 50 years ago and breaking the 100mph average speed on the circuit meant this was worth the effort to make an event happen. Being a local Caerphilly man and our club being based in Caerphilly many of our members have a connection or a Malcolm story from the years gone by. His achievements in recent years are really becoming more recognised with the Weatherspoon’s in Caerphilly being named after him.

As regulars of the “Malcolm Uphill” pub we discussed a potential event with the Managers almost right after we had the idea and they were thrilled with the potential. So when we went back to them to say we were pushing forward with it we knew this is where the ride should start. A huge thanks goes to the team over at Weatherspoons for allowing us to host the start of the event and for throwing in some bacon rolls for our participants. A huge thank you also to the Caerphilly Town Mayor Councilor Mike Prew who came to meet us all and give us a send off. He was not the only Councillor in Support however, Councillor Chris Morgan from Bedwas, Trethomas and Machan Council took up position in a side car outfit for the whole event.

We were aware the weather was not going to be perfect for the run so we had our fingers crossed for a good showing, this was important because we did not want to let the Charity down. It was always our intention this be a Charity ride and we will be the first to suggest immediately Motorbikes and Wildlife are not normally associated however this is where it comes back to the main man himself. During his lifetime Malcolm was a quiet and humble man but was well known for his love of wildlife and nature. We knew he would have wanted us to support a charity that will make a difference in our local and wider area. The Wildlife Trust for South & West Wales was an obvious choice and were thrilled to be involved.

Thankfully on the day we were not disappointed and we had 68 participants leaving Caerphilly in various forms, riders, pillions and side car passengers. With a huge variety of bikes of all manufacturers and ages of bike. The ride was great with only one breakdown but thankfully he rejoined us at Brecon on another bike. The main downpour happend while we were stopped at Abergavenny. Apart from a few showers the weather turned out ok for the rest of the ride. The road to Llandovery is always a lot of fun and we were pleased to stop in the West End Cafe a favorite of Malcolm’s for more refreshments before heading back Brecon for a mandatory stop at Terry’s Van before heading back to our local Club Pub The Station Inn, this is where we meet every two weeks on a Tuesday Night and we were more than happy to fill their carpark with bikes and have a final chin wag.

The Event went very well and we plan to do it all again next year, fingers crossed for sun next time. We felt the event was a great way to remember Malcolm’s life and achievements. We are even more pleased to be able to annouce we raised £419.67 for the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales who were incredibly greatful and happy to recieve the funds. All the money will go towards covering the cost of their vital conservation work, protecting our beautiful Welsh wildlife.

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VMCC – Seaside Run – The Write Up

The Seaside run always has a good showing and seems as it’s on our door step it would be rude not to. As usual we left from The Station Inn and was soon greeted by a heavy rain shower enroute to Penarth. The carpark is normally a show in itself but we had to hide from the rain until the off. On this run you have to play by the VMCC rules so bikes older than 25 years however every year some of the VMCC members normally bring a few modern bikes due to breakdowns and such but we always abide by the spirit of the ride.

This year due to an event in Barry we knew we were skipping that this year but it lead to a number of people going the wrong way. Thankfully once we got out of Penarth the rain ended for the majority of the day. There is definately something fun about riding the country lanes in covoy on the old bikes. Nash Point is always a cracking place to be but once again we were blessed with the sun being out.

The best bit of the run tho is the sunday lunch but after a quick look at the weather we knew we were chancing our luck and a dark cloud looming above we made a break for the motorway home and not go back to Penarth like normal. We didnt get wet again and still had a cracking morning. If you missed it this year line it up in your plans next year it never dissapoints and always a good run to shakedown recent projects.

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The 39th Carole Nash International Classic MotorCycle Show – The Write Up

This event was a tad unexpected up until two weeks before although being on the waiting list I don’t think I would be wrong in saying we thought we were sitting this one out. But alas the email came with little over a week to go and when the mothership calls, we must answer. And answer we did….Hot on the heals of our award winning perfomance at Cardiff the frantic feelers were put out to club members and a hasty plan was formed. Once again a big thank you to the last minute efforts of members who went above and beyond and the kind chaps who let us take their bikes for the weekend.

Once again, the core convoy travelled up on the Friday to setup, It really does take a lot of effort to get it all in place so a big thanks to Martyn and John for their work. We were very surprised to have the blessing of such a wide-open space to work with which really allowed the bikes to breathe and shine. I rode up to join the chaps on the Friday evening, a few shandies shared as always.

If you haven’t ever been to the Stafford show it really is a monster in size and variety, if you’re looking for bits, parts or bikes this really is the one stop shop. From rare to sublime it really has it all, so we always enjoy the show and we are very proud to be part of it. Our stand was in a prime position in our hall and received a lot of interest and foot traffic especially due to the weather. So, to explain outside was a MET office amber alert for high winds and stormy weather much to the annoyance of the outside traders and stall holders. This played nicely into our hands though and was nice to have lots of chats and see a few members up for the day.

The Sunday however the weather was better behaved so it was a little bit more spread out. A lot of very nice machines on show as always and lots selling in the auction always to the dismay of sanity on some prices. Once again, we were joined by members up for the day normally with bags of parts in tow. It really was a cracking weekend and we are extremely lucky that in our first year we have managed to get to all the major Morton shows. Hopefully we get the invite in October too, but if this is a show you haven’t managed yet you really are missing out.

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The 39th Carole Nash Bristol Classic MotorCycle Show – The Write Up

So, after a false start due to the snow we finally got the year kicked off with a show. Somewhat local for us of the big shows, our excited members pulled out all the stops to make it a great one.


Due to the rescheduled show we had a belter of a stand in one of the main side thorough fairs. A big thank you goes to the Friday team who got the stand all sorted, it really does take some effort to get it all ready. We had a great selection of bikes and certainly had a lot of interest in the stand.


The show itself perhaps suffering a little from the reschedule with a few stands fewer than normal and the traders sending the B team but there was still enough there to keep everyone entertained. A great selection of bikes as always and enough moto jumble to keep most people on the lookout for parts rummaging through the bins.

The Weekend made all the sweeter by the rugby score, with smug face in full effect the Sunday went very quickly. Even with potential mechanical shenanigans in the convoy home we had a cracking weekend. There really is nothing better than some beers, bikes and banter. But beating England comes close.


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Fred Hill Run – Write Up

So Martyn quite correctly described this run as “only for the brave” and yes a run from Cardiff to Llandovery in February is asking for trouble but Cardiff MAG annual run is kind of the kick off to the new year and we wanted to support them. After a winter of commuting, it seemed like a good idea.

We met up at the Station Inn (Home to our club meetings) two Mike’s, Martyn and I answered the call, all on Honda’s. Mike Jeffs on his nc 750, Mike Shackell on his 400/4, Martyn and I on our Cx 500’s.

We trundled over to Whitchurch Village to the meeting spot to find quite a few already there would guess around 20 ish bikes possibly more and whilst cold and wet the group was in good spirits. We slowly made our way up the a470 and stopped off at Terry’s Van. The beacons were snow covered and it was certainly a lot colder there. Mike Shackell decided to call it quits there but we soldiered on to the Owl’s Nest were we were joined with numbers from other MAG regions. Whilst it was cold and uncomfortable in spots it was nice to be riding with other people and not just doing the commute. It was also nice to support the MAG peeps too. After a burger and a bit of chat Martyn and I headed home and the ride home reminded me to get proper winter boots. I feel Riding in different conditions makes you a better rider and even on well-trodden roads debris and water made it interesting. Yes, it would have been a lot easier to stay at home but the path of least resistance doesn’t make a fun story.

Few Pics from the day, some stolen from Martyn and Ian from the Owl’s Nest: