Ace Café Run
14th April 2004
Its like a C&F joke. We got lost between Warr’s and the Ace Café! Just when you think you have everything running smoothly something bites you on the butt. It was cold but thankfully not raining when the bikes assembled.
Briefing was quick and we took off for the Ace. The confusion arose when a marker on the Shepherds Bush roundabout mistook Conor McAnally’s Road King for Steve ‘Smiley’ Beauchamp’s newly customised Dyna with the Ape Hangers and took off, leaving half the crew behind. Same thing happened a bit later and some of the riders got to the Ace by virtue of a nice lady in the street saying “they went that-a-way!” It was quite biblical in a way. The last was first. Smiley had a nice hot coffee and sandwich before anyone else. And the first was last - Road Captain Peter Scott finally got in after rounding up the strays and emanating some helmet steam.
Many of the riders went on the MAG sponsored Fred Hill Memorial Run to Lambeth Bridge. The Police-escorted ride boasted quite a number of C&F Marshalls and was led by a very determined Scottie and ran without stop from the ACE to the Bridge where photos were taken for the press and black balloons were released to symbolise all the prison terms served by Fred Hill in his fight against compulsory helmet laws.