VIP police motorcyclists get personal bodyguards so they can concentrate on looking cool

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Rise Safe Back Safe has been holding an annual free event for bikers for five years and it’s built up to be quite a show and well worth going to.  This year it was in Blackpool again but had moved away from the Promenade to the resort’s huge Central Car Park.  This turned out to be a much better venue, with plenty of space, nicely sheltered from any wind and very easy to get to.

There were lots of biking organisations present and some dealers and traders together with an impressive stunt riding display and Honda’s Your First Licence arena for children which was as popular as always.  Since Ride Safe Back Safe is a Safety Partnership scheme run by the Police there were also lots and lots and lots of motorcycle policemen around, most of whom looked relaxed and smiling, with not a single wagging finger being displayed anywhere.

But from a Wingers viewpoint it was notable this year for the bringing together, for the first time at any Event, of GWOCGB’s Lancs & Lakes Region and GoldWings North West, both of which were displaying their bikes.

Barry receives his Award

The GoldWings were all to be located in one section of the venue (this was the Event Organiser’s decision) so it brought Wingers who have known each other for years but been estranged for a while back together again, whether they liked it or not.   GoldWings North West was of course formed just over a year ago by Wingers who used to be Members of Lancs & Lakes.  Would there be tensions?  Would naughty words be spoken? Would handbags be swung in anger?

Caught in the act!

Some of those to whom the encounter was a complete surprise perhaps did take a moment to adjust but this didn’t amount to much and in no time at all civil and indeed fairly friendly relations were established.  As one Winger said to a Club-mate who was giving the impression of  building up steam, we’re all Wingers so why don’t you shut up – and very sensibly he did so.

Spot the unusual feature on this GL1200 trike?

Civility blossomed quickly into friendly dialogue and the Winger who had initially got hot under the collar ended up being the first one to float the idea of further joint ventures.   No one was picking arguments or trying to score points.  Although discrete counting of bikes to see which Club had the biggest turnout probably took place, no one was tactless enough to flaunt the result.

Cumbria Police's Ducati

Suffice it to say that there was a decent turnout from both Clubs and the overall effect was a splendid display of GoldWings which neither Club could have mustered without the other.

To do this on a GoldWing, first remove your windscreen

Also more or less coincidentally, two GoldWing Awards were handed over.

Firstly GoldWing North West’s brand new Award, the Lesley Halley Award for Outstanding Contribution, their equivalent of Winger of the Year, was awarded for the first time.  It was originally proposed as the Club’s annual Outstanding Member Award but some spoilsport thought that name might be open to misinterpretation.

Now that's a patch!

The decision to establish this Award and to name it after Lesley, a very popular and active  Member who tragically died very suddenly in January this year, had been made a while ago.  Likewise the decision that the first recipient should be Lesley herself, posthumously and jointly with her widower Barry, also a very active and popular Member, had already been announced.   But it then took a little time to get an Award made.

Clubs and their bikes side by side on display

Therein lies a tale because by strange accident of circumstances the Volcanic Ash Episode lent a helping hand.  GoldWing North West’s Chairman, Ian Duxbury found himself stranded in the Shetlands, where he had gone on business, for several days.  He couldn’t speak Shetlandish very well so he found solace in the company of the puffins  – in preference to the sheep which, since he lives in a rural area, was surprising to those who know him well.  Eventually things got so bad that apparently he even resorted  to shopping in order to pass the time.  (Now that is shameful, a Winger, shopping!)

More buttons and switches than a GoldWing

The Shetlands is probably the last place you would expect to find a well-stocked trophy shop but they’ve got a good one,  so Ian’s time up there was not entirely spent on drinking whiskey and puffin puffins and he had to stay sober enough to specify the engraving correctly.  “Leshley” was as close as he could manage verbally and his handwriting was also too slurred for reliable communication but after some practice he succeed in spelling out the letters one by one on a chart.

The RSBS Rendezvous being the first practical opportunity,  Barry was presented with the Award by Ian in the Blackpool sunshine.

Brian and his unique Ferrari sidecar enjoying the sea air

A short while later, since diplomatic relations had by then been well and truly been restored, I took the opportunity to return Lancs & Lakes Winger of the Year Award, of which I had been, very proudly, last year’s recipient.  In a way my Award had been posthumous too because by the time I was selected for it by ballot of the Region’s Members, the National Committee had summarily expelled me from their Club.

Handing back Lancs & Lakes Winger of the Year Award

However that was all ancient history on this sunny afternoon in Blackpool and as the photo shows,  I was able to present the Shield to the Lancs & Lakes Rep, Lynne Mason with a handshake and a smile.  This was all done with excellent humour all round, as Lynne illustrated by joking that after the year she’d had she might very well decide to present it to herself!

Womblemobile with admiring Groupie being chatted up

By comparison, the rest of the goings on at the rendezvous were pretty tame – just wheelies performed sitting on the handlebars in front of a row of police bikes, Wingers eating burgers, Wingers eating hot dogs, Bill self-righteously eating fresh fruit because he’s on a diet again.  Just the usual stuff.

There was however a Womblemobile on display which caught my eye as technically unusual.  It had image-reversed writing on it’s skyward-facing bonnet and this puzzled me for a while.  Then I worked out that it was probably there for the benefit of police helicopter pilots who might not otherwise be able to work out what the vehicle was through their rear view mirrors.  Can anyone think of a better reason?

This morning’s GoldWings North West Club Meeting had to be cut short so that we could get to Blackpool in reasonable time and next month’s Meeting might have to be curtailed too, so packed with events is our Season becoming.  Sooner or later however I’m sure we’ll hear the full story of what puffin puffins actually involves, possibly with a practical demonstration since I understand Ian volunteered to bring a few dust-clogged puffins home for R&R in sunny Lancashire, since he had spare room in his pigeon loft.  His pigeons, having come home to roost too, showed initial nervousness on first encounter with strangers but are now getting on well, as all fellow-Wingers should, and sharing their corn humorously, as of course I am trying to do with you.