Remembrance Ride
12th November 2006
Peter ‘Scottie’ Scott leads the ride out from King’s Road.
Another beautiful autumn day dawned for our annual pilgrimage to Tilford, where we laid a wreath at the war memorial near the village green.
Over 30 riders from Chelsea & Fulham were joined by some Meridian friends. Learning from last year, where we barely escaped Fulham before the roads were closed for the ‘official’ Remembrance Day parades, we had set the time of briefing and departure to an early 9.30am. I had the honour to be ‘last man’ sweeping up along Scottie’s well-reconnoitred route into the Surrey countryside. We made it to our coffee stop in time for the 11am two-minute silence, traditionally concluded by Binyon’s ‘For the Fallen’.
We were then joined by about 30 of the ‘official’ Surrey H.O.G. Chapter, including their oldest member, a spritely 77 year old Johnny Ellis on his immaculate Anniversary Road King, and Scottie led out a now awesome 65 bikes for our official wreath laying at Tilford. Contrary to expressed opinion, we had not chosen the route for the fabulous beauty of the autumn leaves.
On arriving at Tilford, both Chapters assembled at the War Memorial before a joint wreath laying. Having been volunteered to do the words, I had chosen one of Rupert Brookes’ sonnets, (Blow out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!) and it is sheer coincidence that it ends in the word ‘heritage’!
More thoughtful after our brief ceremony, people then quietly made their way to the nearby Spotted Cow, where a great barbecue and Sunday roast has been laid on for us. The whole car-park was full of Mr Harley’s and Mr Davidson’s finest, as we ate, drank, and chatted with new and old friends.
Thanks to all who came on the ride, Scottie for arranging and leading, and the generosity shown in our whip-round for the wreath.