Hastings Run     by Hank Russell

On Monday 1st May, May Day about 20,000 bikes went to the seaside for the day.

This traditional run is from Locks Bottom nr Bromley in Kent to Hastings via the A21.

Some members from Centre 14 decided to mix it with the plastic rockets and cruise to Hastings in comfort and style. Steve, Nick and Anne, Hank and Colleen, Bob and Babs met up at a garage just north of Tunbridge wells at about 10:00 oclock.

By 10:30 the road was just one seething mass of bikes all moving southwards interspersed with frustrated car drivers. There were bikes of all sorts. Sports, Classics, Café, Streetfighter, Trikes and quite a few Virago/Stars.

The first 5 miles or so were very slow but it soon thinned out sufficiently to make a reasonable pace and the majority of our group were parked up on the promenade and enjoying refreshments in a seafront bar terrace by 12:00 0clock.

Colleen and Hank decided to take a detour that took them to Rye then back along the coast to Hastings pausing for lunch at a nice little pub in Winchelsea before joining the rest of the crew on the seafront at about 2:00 oclock.

Every car park in Hastings had been closed to Cars and was by now crammed full of bikes. From the cliffs to the pier the promenade was just one solid mass of hardware. The beach area was full of riders chatting and drinking tea and eating ice creams and fish and chips.

After refreshments and a quick look at all the bikes, we all went our separate ways. Steve, Bob and Anne back via Brighton, Hank and Colleen via Eastbourne and Beachy Head and Babs back up the A21.

A good day out. The weather was kind and the company excellent……………………Hank