This run was planned to stick to the faster roads around the Lake District avoiding the slow tourist filled inner roads.  As it drew nearer to the date the weather reports boded very well, with a dry, sunny and hot day promised making it feel much more like Cloggers runs of previous seasons!  And indeed, the weather gods came good on their promise and we had superb hot sunshine throughout the day providing plenty of wonderful views of the mountains, lakes and coast.

At the Carnforth Truck Stop start we had a relatively new Clogger Sam (second time we'd met him and his first proper run out with the Cloggers) and Trickster (Rik) who'd not been out with us for some time ... on his 'new to him yesterday' R1.  Along with these welcome guys we had some familiar faces:  Stuey (Stu & Lainey) who were the day's leader, Clive & Kit performing Whippets duties and Quiney (John & Sandra) doing Sweeper for Chimes (Simon), Fodder (Paul - and nice to see you again albeit for only the first couple of hours mate), Grey Wolf (Del), Jane, Nigs and Skippy.

Now, unfortunately we do have to report that Sam was very unlucky in coming off an hour or so into the ride on the A5092 not long after Penny Bridge.  We're extremely happy to say that it turned out that he was not seriously injured, the worst being a break to and possible tendon damage in one of his thumbs, although his bike took a pretty severe battering.  We've held back whilst waiting for Sam's decision on whether or not he wanted it making so public, but as he has expressed his wishes that it be properly recorded then it has now been added.  Have a look down at the end of this report for some of Sam's comments.

Early on the Sunday morning and Clive & Skip's 'Birds wait patiently in Manchester in the morning sun for the blast up the M61 and M6 to the meet-up.

As the day was somewhat event filled to say the least the break at Cockermouth was the first time that I remembered to get the camera out!  Here we have some satiated and happy riders taking a rest from the blast up the coast road:  (L-R) Sandra, Kit, Jane, Lainey, John and Stu.

Here Skip succumbs to the thousands of miles he's put in since the last run and takes a supine rest whilst chatting with Simon.

Sorry Rik, didn't mean to take you by surprise (well, ha, I did!).  This being his first proper appraisal of his R1 he was certainly  very pleased :-)

The lads (Stu & Del) getting very anorak-ish over some aspect of the bikes :-o

I suppose the gals would just have to say "Boys and their toys!".

A line-up of mostly 'Birds, but in amongst them you'll spot an R1 and a CBR600.  We'd had our lunch break in Barrow in Furness which was fortunate as the cafe in Cockermouth insisted on closing at 4 pm whilst we were sitting there!  Tables and chairs whipped from under us!

The next stop was in Kendal where Stu & Simon just couldn't resist tucking into some fish 'n chips :-> whilst Clive just pinched the odd chip.  Although it was around 6 pm the day was still just as hot and bright.  The run down Shap to this stop was even more stupendous than usual because of this.

It goes without saying that Lainey also stuffed her face with what appeared to be a battered whale!

And just to prove the point; this is what she had left after being over-faced and Clive gallantly helping out!

More well contented people simply enjoying each others company in the prettiest of settings by the river:  (L-R) Sandra, Stu, Simon, Kit, Jane, Nigs, Skip and Rik.

.... And then the church bells started to ring out calling the faithful ..... so we thought it best to move on!!!

"My thumb is broken, the other one will probably loose it's nail and is very sore.  I have a bruised right knee and a bruise inside one elbow,  That's it!  Amazing!  I have to go to the fracture clinic at 08:30 tomorrow morning 'cos the doc' at Barrow was worried that I may have torn tendons in the thumb which could mean an op' to prevent permanent damage.  Other than than .... well, bruises heal, and the leather jeans, after the nurse savaged them with very sharp scissors, would look great in a remake of the Michael Jackson thriller video!"

"The biggest upset for me was the loss of my 'Bird.  I loved that bike ..."

"I would like you to pass on my thanks to everyone, Clive.  I was touched to hear that you had all come to the hospital, but very sorry about it too, because, like I said, it spoilt what could have been a wonderful ride-out.  I'm very grateful for the tremendous support at the scene of the accident.  Even as a new member, I felt very safe, and in very good hands, so thank you all."

"I have no objection to it being included at all.  It was part of the day and the support that the Cloggers gave me was brilliant, and deserves to be recorded for posterity.  I know it was the first off, both for the Cloggers and for me, but as the saying goes ... shit happens!  I do a lot of solo riding, even late at night.  If it had happened somewhere isolated ... well, it could have had a much different outcome."

"... but I would like you to record both your gratitude to the team, and my own.  I felt completely safe with the support I received.  Sandra was brilliant ... I wasn't really aware of who else did what, but I know it was like a well-oiled machine.  When she needed someone to take my lid off, it just happened.  I think it was Stuey, but I'm not sure.  So, yes, please include it, but don't hold back on praise or gratitude!!"

"I've spoken to the farmer this afternoon," (we arranged for a farmer near to the incident to recover Sam's bike and store it in one of his barns) "and he says the back end of the bike doesn't look too bad at all."

As Sam has requested, and as something that I sincerely feel is only right and proper to say, I am personally proud of the way that the Cloggers pulled together as an efficient and no-nonsense team, each giving fully of their own skills and talents to ensure that Sam got the very best possible outcome from his terrible predicament.  In my professional capacity I have no hesitation in commending them for the way in which the whole incident was managed.  And it must be said that this was also the exact same sentiments expressed by the paramedics team who attended.  We are all extremely relieved that Sam has come through it without major injury and have great sympathy over the possible loss of his bike.

Clive