UK & Ireland exclusive: Ladies of Harley

All the latest news and updates from the Ladies of Harley

In just three years, the interest and participation in the Sparkle and Twinkle Tour (S&TT) weekend has grown tremendously. When Jo Green and I came up with the idea of a weekend of riding for female H.O.G. members we didn’t anticipate how significant on their riding calendar it would become for ladies.

This year saw a total of seven tours exploring the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland during one September weekend. Between six Sparkle Tours for female riders and one Twinkle Tour for female pillion riders, 70 Ladies of Harley visited a total of 21 dealerships and they most definitely ‘shared their spark’.

Each tour was unique and ladies embraced the camaraderie of the weekend. For some it was the first time riding within a group or perhaps riding without their partner. 

Each tour captured the key element that we all enjoy, the freedom of riding our Harley-Davidson® on the open road. That meant exploring sweeping coastal roads with clifftop panoramic views and switchback mountain passes, riding through stunning countryside, passing through historic towns and tunnels, crossing a few bridges and a dam. 

But there’s something unique about being on one of these tours - for each lady who has participated there is something just a little bit more fulfilling for them. Requiring H.O.G. membership guarantees that each female rider will be sharing their weekend with fellow Harley-Davidson riders and for single ladies, it’s an opportunity to experience group riding - something that isn’t always easy to do if you’re not part of a H.O.G. Chapter. But it’s the inspiration that is shared, the encouraging support of ladies sharing their riding experiences that many value most. Even some basic maintenance tips get shared too! Friendships are founded, much laughter is shared, and plans are made to meet up at a H.O.G. rally, dealership or an event in the future. And these connections stand the tests of time and distance. 

Anyone who has organised a riding weekend away for a group of friends or for fellow Chapter members, will assure you that planning is key. The Sparkle and Twinkle Tours are no different, following key guidelines and criteria. Each organiser follows a structured plan to ensure consistency between tours and guarantee that Ladies of Harley can ‘share their spark’ during the same September weekend. With a range of riders in each region, the number of participants varied in each tour but for each lady knowing that she was part of a bigger national event was definitely out of the ordinary. And a most memorable experience.

Share the Spark 

Elaine Shepherd
National Chapter LOH Officer, UK & Ireland
ChapterRepLOH@harley-davidson.com

 

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What a crazily busy year it’s been! The last few months my feet haven’t touched the ground as I have spent most of my time on the back seat of our beloved Harley-Davidson. The highlight was trip to Milwaukee to experience the H-D 115^th and H.O.G. 35^th Anniversary Rally. 

After collecting our bike in Manchester, New Hampshire, and travelling through 20 States, visiting many dealerships (where we inevitably spent longer than planned because everyone wanted to hear about our adventure!) we reached Milwaukee on the day the Rally started. The place was buzzing with the noise of Harley’s, people laughing, chattering and sharing experiences. One couldn’t help but become infected by all that is Harley-Davidson. Even the hotel where we were staying was promoting the brand! Members of staff and those working in Starbucks were wearing Harley t-shirts which certainly brought a smile to our faces each and every day.

Finding our way around Milwaukee was easy. We just had to follow the noise of the bikes and listen out for music. This year the Rally was divided into areas so that it became more of a rally for the people of Milwaukee too and they certainly enjoyed every minute of it. 

The community in general just wanted to talk to Harley people and were interested in everything. We enjoyed many engaging conversations. Boy! What an amazing event it was. From the museum, to the powertrain plant, Flat Out Friday, to all the dealerships that took part, meeting Willie G, Nancy, Bill and Karen Davidson who signed our cuts and the Parade of Flags on the Sunday and all the street parties that took place - Harley-Davidson certainly knows how to put on a party!

We left Milwaukee after five nights there, and journeyed on long, straight roads with no-one but ourselves, giving us time to reflect and plan where to visit in 2019. Lovely gentle winding roads that took us around Lake Erie, stopping off at the magnificent Niagara Falls with dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, and for the final part, we continued up, down and around mountains, finishing off in Boston – 4,612 miles clocked up and added to our Mileage Program totals. Next was a couple of days sightseeing and fun at a baseball game before flying home. 

Five days later was the Twinkle Tour. I was excited to be part of this as we were meeting up with the Sparkle Tour ladies on the South East Tour in Eastbourne on the Saturday night. A day spent travelling to Eastbourne with like-minded ladies is always a treat, and then to meet up and spend the evening with even more ladies was fun. Jo Green who led the South East Sparkle Tour had a few games up her sleeve to get all the ladies mixing and what a night we had! Fun and laughter were indeed the order of the night.

Leaving Eastbourne the following morning we headed to Rye, not to the harbour as we would normally do but to the Old Town, where we meandered through the streets, had coffee and then rode to our lunch stop at Bewl Water. After a leisurely lunch we rode on to Maidstone Harley-Davidson, and although we were a complete surprise to Carol who works in the boutique there, she made us very welcome and sorted out some goodies for us to take away with us - a very special end to our Twinkle Tour weekend.

My final rally of the season was the Blazin’ Big Top Rally, hosted by New Forest Branch, which was one that I was really excited to be attending, as I had missed out on last year’s fun. The weather for the weekend was set to be fine and with our costumes packed for the Saturday, we set off for a leisurely ride to Hayling Island. 

On arrival the venue was already in “Big Top” mode. Very, very, tall circus people met us and were performing their acts as we rode along to park and pick up our rally bags, and find out where we were to be staying for the next few nights. The atmosphere was bright and bubbly and big grins could be seen on everyone’s faces as the party mood was taking effect. 

The weekend was very well organised with ride outs for everyone to take part in. A bike show had been organised on the sea front on the Saturday afternoon with all proceeds going to charity, and the entertainment on all three nights was first class. I certainly recommend attending this event after my experience. 

Ride To The Wall (RTTW) at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire is another event that appears annually in my calendar as a “must do”. It is held on the same weekend every year and every year there seems to be more and more bikers attending to pay their respects to those who have given their lives for us. Despite the wet and dreary weather this year the event was yet again a moving and emotional experience. Massive thanks have to go to the organisers for putting in their time and effort to create such a special event.

My final event to share was a Bike Safe course held by the Metropolitan Police. This was a full day course and one that I believe everyone should consider taking part in - whether a rider or a pillion rider, whether you are new to riding or have been riding for many years. Everyone can learn something and it always leaves me with some food for thought moments. Most of the morning is a classroom-based session on riding techniques and observation and then there’s learning out on the road. The police officer rides behind, observing and then provides feedback at several points during the ride. A written feedback form is given at the end of the course. As scary as it may seem, it’s really so much fun and no one should be intimidated. After all we’re never too old to learn! 

If you have been able to keep pace with all of this, you’ll know how much I’ve enjoyed this riding season!

From the Rear Saddle
“The Dudette”
Lorraine Seedhouse
National Chapter Associate LOH Officer, UK & Ireland
chapterrepassociateloh@harley-davidson.com 

 

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Sparkle Tour 2018

The weekend of September 14-16 saw the Ladies of Harley return to the roads for the Sparkle and Twinkle Tours! Here are just some of their remarks and stories…

Sparkle Tour South West
The last four years have been so inspirational for me as a female Harley rider.  Firstly our successful 'Iron HOG Challenge' with Elaine Shepherd, Gill Mogg and Jean Harding.  Such amazing support from so many people and dealerships. This encouraged me to be more involved and want to ride more. I was then lucky to attend Tour1's 'The Battlefields Tour' for female riders, which was a very humbling, emotional and inspirational experience.  Then came two years of 'Sparkle Tours', created by two amazing ladies, Elaine Shepherd and Jo Green. I loved every minute of both weekends and I'm loving being part of the Ladies of Harley with all the rides, events, gatherings and new/prospective members to encourage.

As the 'Sparkle Tour' started growing year after year I felt a real pull to be part of an incredible, inspirational idea. I had a conversation with a fellow Road Captain, Steph Pocock, about organising and hosting a South West Sparkle Tour. Steph felt the same way and South West Sparkle Tour was born. 

Planning the route was based around visiting dealerships during the weekend. We decided to start at the Swansea dealership. In 2017, Lynette Ballard was so supportive, along with Black Mountains Chapter Wales, that it felt important to ask if we could start our tour at Swansea, which we did. We had an amazing send off with bacon rolls, welsh cakes and hot drinks accompanied by balloons and huge sparklers as we left.  

Our Tour was in the South West area, so we included a stop at Riders of Bristol for breakfast. Next we went to Riders of Bridgwater for lunch, which was amazing. Plymouth H-D’s reception was unbelievable! Lots of people greeted us and gave us wonderful gift bags as we arrived, all in pink – gin, a Plymouth H-D poker chip, lip-salve, hand gel, a Kit-Kat and sweets, plus lots of cake and a hot cuppa. We had fantastic support at all the dealerships from H.O.G. members and dealership staff, including a great discount on purchases too. Thank you to all involved.

All twelve ladies on the South West Sparkle Tour bonded very quickly and have all made incredible, inspirational and supportive friendships, after spending a weekend together sharing a mutual love of riding Harleys. Whenever I think of the Sparkle Tour and the Sparklers (name for the girls) I smile from ear to ear - so many memories, an amazing weekend, exceeding my expectations, all beyond words. 

Emma North was my 'Sparkle Star' - her pink t-shirt, tutu and leg-warmer idea was amazing. This made us bond immediately, making us all feel part of one amazing group of ladies. Emma also has the most infectious, funny and charismatic personality, encouraging the best from all of us. 

All the ladies contributed in their own special way, including pink feather boas everywhere, singing songs, sparkling with gems and supporting each other so well. Thank you to Steph for being absolutely amazing in every way and to Jules Butler-Waddon for being a superstar and as roadcrew at the back of the ride, as well as leading and supporting Emma into Torquay.

Being part of H.O.G. and a female, qualifies us to be part of LOH, whether you ride your own Harley or sit aboard your partner/friends Harley as a pillion rider or just loving being part of the massive H.O.G. family. Sparkle (for riders) and Twinkle (for pillion riders) Tours are amazing, inspirational and positive, plus you make the best memories and fabulous friendships along the way. 2019 is already shaping up to be yet another amazing Sparkle Tour year, so make sure you're part of one of the terrific tours. 

Loving the comments & continued love from the South West Sparklers.  

Debbie Atterton
Bridgwater Chapter 

What can I say about my first Sparkle Tour, indeed my first ever tour on my bike? The Sparkle Tour represents everything positive about women riding bikes. It was perfectly organised by Debs and Steph. An epic adventure for me personally. All the ladies are amazing, inspirational strong women, who I was honoured to ride with. Debs, Steph and Jules also helped develop my own riding skills and have encouraged me to go further with it, which I am excited to do. I have nothing to compare this trip to but everything that comes next for me will be compared to the 2018 Sparkle Tour that’s for sure. Finally, we all embraced the pink tutu’s and all cwtch’s (welsh hugs) all round . . Lots of love and respect to all you Sparklers 💖💖💖💖 - Emma North

This was my first Sparkle Tour and it was better than I imagined. Really well organised, fantastic riding and I felt part of a very happy family. We all had a laugh and got to know some new friends. Thanks again for all your hard work Debbie, Steph and Jules. I love looking at the photos - they make me laugh! - Vicky Studley

This is the third Sparkle Tour I’ve joined and I was blown away by how quickly and how closely the group bonded. So many wonderful, inspiring ladies. The huge amount of planning and attention to detail really paid off. It was all so seamless, allowing the Sparklers to really relax (maybe not Debs and Steph though!). Thanks and roll on next year! - Martine Garland

This was my second Sparkle Tour and, of the two, the best! I have to admit I was scared stiff as to how I would manage. Tiredness is such a huge issue. I was blown away by the love and support I got, not just from the Plymouth posse but from the whole ride!  Excellently planned and managed and just a fantastic time. Roll on next year! 💖 - Gill Chapman

My first sparkle tour. I am amazed that I have completed almost 700 miles just five months after getting my licence! It would not have been possible without the organisation and wonderful moral support I received from all the South West Sparkle team and riders who looked after me, encouraged me and physically helped park my bike when needed. An amazing route, perfectly organised with plenty of stops for cake and giggles. We rocked the pink in our tutus, leg warmers and t-shirts, true girl power; we had waves and chats to girls young and old who were all taken with the power of the sparkle. Who knows, we may have influenced a new generation of lady riders on our way around the South West. Love and sparkles to all 💜 - Sonja Beddow

Extremely well organised, brilliant roads, scenery and the weather was kind. Twelve strong females all enjoying the freedom that only bikes can give you. I just didn’t want it to end. We had plenty of positive attention along the way with our pink tutus, pink shirts and pink leg warmers. Very special Sparkle Tour for me, made special by all the inspirational riders. What a brilliant weekend we had. A big thanks to Debs and Steph, also Jules and of course the ever bubbly Emma. Bring on next year - Julie Wilkinson

This is my first sparkle tour and my first weekend away from my Harley riding husband, as we have ridden together for 11 years. What an amazing experience and to be with a group of ladies! Lovely to be able to make new friends and share our passion for bikes. Just getting to meet amazing people was brill. I have never smiled so much and my jaws where aching with laughter. Many thanks to Debs, Steph and Jules. If it wasn’t for all your hard work and planning such an amazing weekend, it wouldn’t have happened. Many thanks from me and my bike. Hope to see you all again soon 🤣💕 - Sarah James

 

Sparkle Tour North East 2018
The initial thought to hold a Sparkle Tour North East was prompted by the previous North Tour in 2017, which was hosted by Lorraine McGuire. This was the first experience that Trish Gillespie and I had had  riding purely with a group of female riders and it proved to be such a memorable weekend, we wanted to do it all over again! 

However, we also wanted to stretch ourselves and look in to organising the event ourselves. With the support of the H.O.G. UK LOH we did just that. This is a snapshot of a wonderful weekend spent with a fantastic group of ladies.

The sight and sounds of a group of Harley-Davidson® motorcycles as they travel around the countryside always turns heads, but 13 women (made up of members of Geordie, St. Leger, Aire Valley, Red Rose and Birmingham Chapters), on Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the North East of England was special to say the least. We were also joined (for the second year running) by John Johnson of Hadrian Tours who kindly provided the support vehicle for the weekend. 

The Sparkle Tour North East started early on the Thursday night when most of us travelled to Leeds and met up for a meal prior to starting the tour properly the next morning. The staff of Jennings Harley-Davidson in Leeds were kind enough to look after our bikes overnight and give us a great send off on Friday morning.

After a comprehensive briefing, Trish Gillespie led us out of Leeds. We travelled through Harrogate and across beautiful countryside towards Masham in North Yorkshire where we stopped for ice cream (an alternative breakfast) at Brymor Ice Cream Parlour. The staff were so welcoming, as were two gentlemen in a refuse truck who were kind enough to take the necessary photos of our group. Girls will be girls and we also visited the indoor play area but then, why wouldn’t you? A great first stop of the day!

We then travelled across the rugged but stunning Yorkshire Dales. Although the weather was dull, it remained dry and the dramatic sky afforded a perfect backdrop for some of the photos which were taken by our then appointed tour photographer, Mandy Cape (who resolutely refused to be in any photo apart from the odd selfie). 

The second stop for lunch was at Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle. The jaw-dropping elegance of the museum again allowed a perfect setting for our photographer. As a group of lady bikers, we caused quite a stir, but the staff made us very welcome and the food was excellent.

Ruth Neal then led us over Hamsterley Common towards Consett and up to the ‘Angel of the North’ before visiting Jennings Harley-Davidson, Gateshead, for afternoon tea. It was great to see some of the Geordie Chapter there to meet us before we left for our overnight stay at Slaley Hall near Hexham.

Slaley Hall provided an excellent opportunity to unwind and chat about the fantastic days ride. The hotel spa was perfect to help us relax and by the time we got to the bar later that evening, those of us who had never met before (let alone ridden together) felt like old friends. 

Saturday morning was damp but after the customary photo shoot and briefing, it was my turn to take us through Hexham and up towards Alston. We rode past the burnt down skeletal remains of the Hartside Bikers Cafe and over Hartside Pass with a few challenging roads expertly managed by everyone. Our first stop of the day was at Reghed Visitors Centre which features a dramatic journey back in time through 2,000 years of Cumbria’s history. We were also met by Mandy’s dad who joined us for a snack in the lovely coffee shop. 

From Reghed we headed towards the Lake District, with stunning views opening up across Lake Windermere as we crossed from the A66 towards Kirkstone Pass, which is a mixture of narrow, windy and single track roads. Apart from the odd sheep, and a few cars, the ascent was relatively straight forward but the view from the top was hampered by rain and thick fog, but that didn’t dampen our spirits. This is Barbara Wyatt’s back garden country and she took us over the Pass and on to beautiful windy roads down to Bowness-on-Windermere where we stopped for lunch.

Bowness was very busy with tourists who appeared to find 13 lady bikers quite fascinating. We were hijacked by a bride who was waiting to have her wedding photos taken on the lake and also a news photographer and his wife. We are looking forward to seeing their photos!

Before stopping for the night in Lancaster, there was a short stop off in Morecambe to visit Eric! Well his statue... It was great to see Gordon and Nicola Dick, as well as Mike and Hilary Dall who kindly came down to meet us.

Saturday night was spent at the Holiday Inn, Lancaster, with another chance to relax in the spa before a great meal. We did attempt to FaceTime with some of the other Sparkle groups and managed for a few seconds before the connection let us down but we kept up with the photos from around the country throughout the weekend.

Sunday morning dawned all too soon. Unfortunately the day brought heavy rain for the first four hours, which was testing for all of us. We initially stopped at Bowker Harley-Davidson in Preston where we were greeted with a warm welcome and a chance to buy some extra wet weather gear before Sandy Greenham led us back towards Leeds via the lovely countryside of Longridge, Clitheroe and Skipton. At one point the group became separated for 20 minutes because of the horrendous weather and traffic but the first group found a safe place to stop and the sound of the second group heading towards them again was amazing. 

Andie Hannan finally led us in to the Leeds dealership to a fantastic welcome from members of various chapters and a lovely lunch before we sadly had to go our separate ways.

The weekend went all too quickly but the memories will stay with us forever. Beautiful roads, fantastic scenery, as many smells as the countryside could throw at us and brilliant visits all contributed to a wonderful weekend. There were too many ‘best bits’ to mention here but the most memorable part of the tour will be the friendships, old and new, that developed with like-minded ladies with a passion for motorbikes and the laughs and various challenges that the weekend brought for all of us. 

We can’t wait to start planning for Sparkle Tour North East 2019!

Dawn Beattie and Trish Gillespie

“Thank you to all involved especially Trish and Dawn, another great trip with great ladies who all sparkle in unique ways! They kept sharing their sparkle, even in the rain!” – Ann Cozens

 

Sparkle Tour Scotland
Alyson Jamieson was the driver of the support van provided by Edinburgh Harley-Davidson. Here is her view of Sparkle Tour Scotland from the behind the wheel…

“On a wet and dreich morning, we congregated at Edinburgh Harley-Davidson where bacon rolls and coffee were provided. As we were leaving, the sun broke through and stayed with us for the next 48 hours. The dealership provided Sparkle Tour Scotland with a spare bike and the Edinburgh Harley-Davidson van, fully fuelled up for the entire 420 miles and I had the pleasure of following the ladies on their ride, driving the back-up van.

Scotland was at her glorious best that weekend and the idea of following some of the Scottish coastline, visiting castles - a mix of ruined, empty and lived-in - was simply inspired. The ladies on the ride had an absolutely fantastic weekend and the camaraderie that built up among the six ladies led to firm new friendships being made. The laughs, scenery, twisty roads and weather just made the weekend brilliant from start to finish. Even the rain on our last day couldn't dampen the spirits.

Lorraine McGuire who planned and led the Sparkle Tour Scotland 2018 did a fantastic job and Jean Ann, her “last man” has also to be commended.”

Alyson Jamieson

 

Sparkle Tour Northern Ireland
I had only ever heard stories of Achill island but it has always intrigued me – what exactly was the attraction of travelling to this remote island off the west coast of Ireland? Not exactly the Bahamas! And after last year’s success I felt we needed another special destination and one that most people hadn't heard of.

Achill Island, the very west point of our island, adjoined by a land bridge to the mainland of Co. Mayo, full of history, folklore and tradition – what’s not to love?  

So, I travelled down to Achill for the first time in February to 'scope out' accommodation and to see if this was a mad crazy idea or otherwise! I was absolutely blown away by the spectacular landscape and understand why it has long provided inspiration for writers and artists. It really was breathtaking.

Needless to say a few landscape photos posted on Facebook had the girls inquiring. 

My main priority was to book the accommodation so I met the lovely owners of the homely B&B, Achill Lodge, and reserved the whole house for our venture.

I planned the actual route to Achill in August as I knew a ‘recce’ for a 230-mile journey would not be easy. I took one route down and returned by another and checked in to every likely petrol stop factoring in the smallest tanks. I brainstormed with others and decided on the route – it was all coordinated via google maps and sent in advance to my Road Captains, Dionne Darragh and Nicky Hamilton, and basically anyone else with a sat nav (contingency planning!).  

The first leg of the route was the safest and quickest route to factor in the possibility of some volatile weather and to make good time. I knew that the approach to Sligo over the mountains would be a beautiful sight to behold after a good chunk of motorway and the last leg to Achill would be challenging for even the most experienced riders. The last thing I wanted was for everyone to be navigating narrow twisty roads at dusk with crazy sheep wandering about!

I arranged to meet with Shaun Campbell, a former H.O.G. Road Captain for New Island Chapter in the USA. He has lived in Co. Mayo for 12 years. We met at this year’s Hog ’n' Bog rally and I asked him if he fancied taking a bunch of ladies on a ride out since he was familiar with all the local routes. He was delighted and said yes! We are very grateful to him for all the planning. He made day two of the Sparkle Tour another very memorable adventure.

I arranged evening meals at the Achill hotel on the Friday night and Nevins Inn on the Saturday night, all with coach travel to and from our B&B. There was much boogieing on the dancefloor I believe! 

This was a synopsis from Dionne Darragh my Road Captain: 
"It really was fab from start to finish – we take you for granted Judith. I know you wanted so badly to make the headline this year. As always the tour exceeded expectations. The most memorable moment for me has to be the first sip of wine on arrival, the feeling of achievement and the excitement to arrive at our destination! 

The biggest achievement has to go to June Carberry-Craig who had only passed her test. But, that’s what the weekend is all about. Coming together, supporting each other, making friendships and having a laugh along the way.”

Judith Ringland
Belfast Chapter

 

Sparkle Tour South East
The Sparkle Tour South East started with a real 'bang' at Reading Harley-Davidson with DP, Mike Wilson, giving us a sparkly welcome with some AMAZING fireworks and confetti cannons. We set off after the workshop team had made sure all the ladies had correct tyre pressures and oil levels and were waved off by Thames Valley Chapter Director, Nick West, lots of Chapter members, supporters and partners.

14 ladies, 10 bikes and 2 trikes from 4 Chapters (Thames Valley, Oxford, 1066 and Chelsea & Fulham) set out to visit a total of 5 H-D dealerships (Reading, Guildford, Shaw, Maidstone and Lakeside) over three days. The aim was to ride through both scenic country parks and challenge ourselves to taking on the Dartford Tunnel and the Queen Elizabeth Bridge. 

Staying by the seaside in Eastbourne on the Friday and Saturday night allowed us to meet up with the ladies of the South East Twinkle Tour on Saturday night to add to the fun! We also helped Sue Moyler celebrate a very special 60th Birthday.

We rode a total of 340 miles and were totally blessed with super riding weather and great welcomes from all the Dealerships. New friends were made, challenges dealt with and lots of laughs had along the way before we arrived to a great welcome and an ending at Max's Diner in Horsham.

 

Sparkle Tour East
What happened on tour… stayed on tour…! Well most of it!

One of our participants had to travel more than 150 miles to the start point and others had to complete their week’s work so the Sparkle Tour East was planned to set off from Norwich Harley-Davidson on Friday afternoon at 4pm. Prior to the start, we enjoyed tea, cake and a ‘carnival’ atmosphere provided by the dealership. 

Before we departed from the pennant-decorated car park, a farewell party of partners and members from the Iceni Chapter and team from Archant Dialogue (the agency that produces H.O.G. international communications) bid us a fond farewell. 

The first leg of our journey took a more unusual route to Newmarket and our first night’s stopover at The Bedford Lodge Hotel. This beautiful spa hotel is set in equestrian surroundings, close to our planned second stop - Newmarket Harley-Davidson. As we were only a small group of six ladies it was possible to allocate key duities; these included time-keeper, social media manager, flag bearer, tail gunner and yours truly leading the crew. Angie, our new friend, was left to simply enjoy the tour. 

Props were allocated for our Sparkle weekend over dinner. As our tour planned to culminate at a ‘Forties’ event on the North Norfolk coast, ‘Rosie the Riveter’ bandanas, part of the necessary accessories, were provided and immediately put to good use - although some of us struggled with wearing the head scarf!

Following breakfast, Saturday morning’s arrival at Newmarket Harley-Davidson saw an abundance of bunting, flags, refreshments and party poppers ensuring the party mood continued as our adventure began to unfold.

A scenic ride to the third dealership, following an “overly detailed tour” into Cambridge, the route then took us to Sycamore Harley-Davidson at Uppingham, by lunchtime. An amazing welcoming party and delicious burgers provided by the staff and Rutland Chapter members was very much appreciated by us all.

As time was ticking on we completed the journey to Nottingham and the Robin Hood Harley-Davidson dealership in time for a cuppa before they closed up. Then on to the Orchard De Vere Hotel in Nottingham for our second jovial evening and well-earned rest. 

After a leisurely breakfast on Sunday morning it was sadly time to say goodbye to our new friend, Angela from Nuneaton. The remaining Sparkle Tour party now headed back East to the seaside town of Sheringham, which was hosting its annual 1940s carnival day. Iceni and Fenlander Chapter members had met for a joint ride into the event and the two chapters together provided us with a warm welcome home.

Betty St Quintin
Iceni Chapter

 

Twinkle Tour South East 2018
After months of planning and praying to the weather gods the Twinkle Tour was finally here; there were 10 couples taking part in the tour this year so, with a great deal of excitement, we left Lakeside Harley-Davidson bound for Eastbourne where we were meeting up with 15 ladies taking part in the South East Sparkle Tour.

Our first stop was at Penhurst House and Gardens for coffee. Sadly we did not have time to explore the house or gardens but they both looked fabulous. It was decided that I would arrange a ride out to Penhurst for next year when we could explore the grounds and the house at our leisure. 

Onwards to Rykers Café for our lunch stop where the weather was being very kind as was the traffic. However, joining the M25 changed all that! It was queued with four lanes of traffic. Fortunately we were not on the motorway for long. Rykers Café is never dull and we all managed to get something suitable to eat. It was so warm ice cream was in order. At this point Royston, who had accompanied us thus far, left us.

We were soon on our way to Guildford Harley-Davidson where some of us participated in a little retail therapy. We only stayed for 30 minutes and after a coffee and a stretch of legs, we were on the final run to Eastbourne. The roads and scenery during the ride were amazing.

At last we got our first glimpse of the sea. Not far now I thought. The Hotel Lansdowne Best Western was right on the seafront and we had pre-arranged for secure overnight parking for all the bikes. Once we unloaded we were off to find our rooms, clean up and get ourselves ready for the night ahead. Our room was lovely, plenty of space and a glorious sea view. I love the sea so I was very happy indeed.

The guys were going out into town for their evening meal and by the sounds of things on their return to the hotel they had fun. The ladies however met up in the lounge with the ladies of the south east Sparkle Tour. The hotel staff were fantastic setting up our tables in areas where we could all be together. We all wore something sparkly and the evening really did sparkle; there was an added celebration as one of the ladies on the Sparkle Tour was celebrating her 60^th birthday. 

So the wine and prosecco flowed and the birthday cake was fab. After our meal there were drinks in the bar and games in the lounge; we even had sparklers out at the front of the hotel. It was a great night and fun getting to know other LOH members from around the country who made us feel so welcome.

Sunday morning saw me bleary-eyed hunting for coffee and before I knew it we were all loading up at the front of the hotel and being waved on our way by the Sparkle Tour; such a great bunch of women. Our first stop of the day was Rye, a beautiful little town with many of its original buildings as well as its castle and gatehouse. Again it’s somewhere I would like to go back to and explore more of.

No rest for the wicked - we were off for our lunch stop at the Waterfront Café Bewl Water; the largest reservoir in Kent and gorgeous. The bikes received a lot of attention from other visitors with some children sitting on a couple of the bikes and having photos taken by proud parents.

Sadly we had to leave Bewl Water. We headed off on our final leg of the tour to Maidstone Harley-Davidson. Once again the ride and the scenery we were riding through did not disappoint – until we reached Maidstone.  The traffic was horrendous because they had closed the M20. Didn’t they know we had planned this route out months ago and done two recces, one earlier that week? Hey-ho, with high spirits we made it to the dealership and received a warm welcome along with some free goodies; so a very big thank you to them. 

This was the end of the tour and we all made it back to our respective homes safely and not a drop of rain in sight. I had a fabulous time and I think everyone on the tour did too. Riding, laughing, eating and drinking together creates such an amazing bond and happy memories. Look out for news on next year’s Twinkle Tour. It’s always great fun.

Ceri Lowen
Lakeside Chapter