March 2010

Up early to get up to Stop 24 to meet Ian Gardner. As we had plenty of time I had a bacon sandwich and a coffee. At the Oakdene we met another group from the SOC Kent Centre.

Then it was zoom to Bracknell for the first refuel and then onto the airfield to book in. It was all a bit haphazard and pretty disorganised and we lined up and they never even looked at my registration card just whipped a fiver off me and said that the special wristbands had run out. How to get one now? The organisers are working on a way to get those that missed out on the special wristbands.

We were put on the back of a huge line of bikes. One half of the group went round the left side of the runway and we were on the right.

As we inched forward it seemed that it didn't matter how long you had been waiting, the riders on the left seemed to leave non-stop. This was evidenced as one of the Oakdene team, Brian Squibb, was home at 1645 or so about the same time that we got to Swindon on the way home!

In the end it was worth it to say that we had been there on this run. "I WAS THERE!"

Sometime in the future everyone you meet will claim "I was there on the first Afghan Heroes Bike Run".

We will nod and simply smile because WE WERE.

Even after all the waiting and messing about. What made it worthwhile were the people of the villages, Malmesbury and Wootton Bassett that came out to wave and cheer us past!

Would I go again if they do it next year? Of course. Bring it on.

Loads of pics courtesy of Nedine Blackman O'Brien's photo gallery website - http://feraphotography.co.uk/Wootton_Bassett.html#220

More photos!