The Not The Begonia Rally – 2024
The ‘Not The Begonia – 2024 Rally’
Those members of the SNOC Branch that used to attend the August Bank Holiday Begonia Rally will recall a well-organised and good value for money plus easy to get to event. But first Covid 19, dwindling attendees and then Landlord greed stopped the fun a few years ago.
Enter the Essex crowd who offered their version of a cheap camping weekend with all the fun of the old Begonia Rallies. Their version being titled The ‘Not The Begonia – Rally’. However, anyone playing ‘Spot The Difference’ would probably not win a prize.
OK. The motorway traffic and Dartford crossing were well up to typical British Bank Holiday madness but the rest of that weekend was just pure pleasure. I turned up around Friday lunchtime, set up my tent and then checked out the facilities. The massive event field had around 2 dozen Campervans on one side and about 30 tents in the rest.
A brand new Clubhouse was near the field entrance and was blessed with 3 blocks containing Showers, wash areas and toilets. In the Clubhouse was the event kitchen alongside the bar. Free tea, coffee and squash was available 24/7. 100 yards up the main road was a Cafe, 300 yards brought you to the Black Dog Pub and a further half mile revealed a McDonalds, Costa Coffee and a BP Petrol Station selling Unleaded 99 Ultimate E5.
A late afternoon gathering revealed 55+ Norton bikers. A programme of rides and events was announced but these were all subject to the weather behaving……which it didn’t. Nobody wanted any money until the next day. The first bike run was to be that evening. Consisting of a 20 mile jaunt to Brightlingsea on the coast and a Fish n Chip Supper. After a quick look around the town it was back to the campsite and into ‘drink the bar dry’ mode.
Inside the Clubhouse I bumped into Max Groves and Paul Gibbons of the SNOC. There being no other Solent, Sussex and Bournemouth reps around. Bristol Branch had Tony Lockwood flying their flag. He had come on a 961 which sounded good. Rattling far less than my old 961.
That night we were blessed with a serious downfall of H2O but my tent stayed dry.
Mark Maes had come over from the Flanders Branch to run the kitchen. By 8.00am I was tucking into Eggs on toast with Bacon and Beans alongside. Then the Debt Collector arrived and demanded a fiver for the Breakfast and £30 for camping. Outside, more bodies on bikes arrived but most had foreign plates and were not riding Nortons.
A small group of us decided to explore the local villages on foot and discovered a Tesco store a few miles along the main road to Clacton. Then the weather started to turn so we headed to the Cafe inside a Caravan Site. So while the rain lashed down outside we tucked into reasonably priced hot food and drink inside. Two hours later we were still there enjoying afternoon tea and cake.
The rain finally eased off and allowed us to get back to the campsite mostly dry. Where we encountered a Traction Engine pulling a home-made 6” Howitzer. The gun was unhooked, set up, loaded and then fired. Fortunately missing my tent.
That evening was the NTB Rally BBQ. The cost being a Tenner each. The choice of food was massive as well as the quantity. After stuffing ourselves silly it was back to the bar to wash all the food down. A little later a band appeared and played a range of tunes from the 60s onwards.
Sunday was dry and sunny and the opportunity was taken to dry my gear then load the bike. In between chatting to the other
The NTB Rally was well organised and reasonably well attended. Around 50+ Norton bikers plus a bundle of non-Nortons. There were more camper vans than tents……sign of the times!!! It was very interesting seeing what gizmos and new gear the tenters were using. Instant chairs and tables that collapse down to just 12″x 6″ x 4″ being very popular. I took the more traditional route with a cheapo ASDA fold-up chair. At least it had a cup (glass) holder
The Friday Bank Holiday traffic was crazy with a stationary 30 mile queue on the M27 from Guildford to Seven Oaks. Report by Phil Hannam
Hayes Village Fair –
Surrey Branch at the Hayes Village Fair on Sunday 9 June 2024 
The Surrey Branch of the NOC had a Norton display at the HVF at The Warren, Croydon Road, Coney Hall, in Bromley, which is the Metropolitan Police Sport Club Facility. The Surrey Branch has now made this an annual event for the branch.
I arrived at about 8.50am, as I only live about ten to fifteen minutes bike ride away from this event. I rode my 1958 500cc Nomad desert racer to the Warren, and was directed to the playing fields were the HVF was to be staged. There was later in the day, live entertainment, as well as a very wide selection of stalls for visitors to go and view. This was all in aid of raising funds for local charities, which consisted of the Hayes Community Food-Banks, and the Hayes (Kent) Trust.
The public admission to the event was £1 only, and it was also cash only. I was informed by those at the entrance that there were many of the visitors who had tried to pay with their visa or credit cards. This was of course denied by the volunteers at the entrance, as it was a cash only entrance fee. There was free car parking for visitors on the site, and there was so many that the event was over flowing with visitors. So a very good day for this charitable event. Susi Walkden and Pam Anderson of the HVF committee do an amazing job of organising this event, every year. Susie and Pam were very involved thorough out the day, with the organisation of the HVF so they did not have time to come over to see us all. Susie did come over to see us at the end of the day, so that we could have a group photo of her with the members of the branch. The branch also made a donation, via our treasurer Howard Robinson, to the HVF charity.
The Surrey branch had twelve member’s Norton’s on display, and we did try to arrange them all in date order, but this all went out of the window, after we had so many arrivals thoughout the early morning. We could have had thirteen Norton’s on display, but one of our arrivals was too late, so he was denied entrance. The weather was good to us all, but it did get chillier later on in the day. Phil Hannam rode his 1961 650 Manxman up from Waterlooville and he always amazes us with his resilience to travel such great distances in support of the branch. Phil I suspect would have been the longest travelled to this event to support us. We had so many visitors to our stand, with so many questions, as well as the interest in all the bikes that we had on display. The day went from very warm to cold on so many occasions. As per Phil Hannam’s request we had asked our members who brought along their bikes to place some written account and history that could be attached to their bikes. These were very actively read by many of our visitors.
We then had a very amazing and an extraordinary visitor who came over to our stand, with his wife and son, who then informed us all that his grandfather had designed the Featherbed Frame. His grandfather being one Rex McCandless. He then introduced himself as Chris McCandless, and we all stood shocked at this revelation. He went on to tell us about his family and that he lived locally.
John Morgan brought along his 1959 ES2, and he was collecting for the air ambulance appeal. He came to our last club night, with a collection box, and explained to us the very important work that this service provides, for Kent, Surrey and Sussex regions. It is all run on purely voluntary donations, and on the club night the Surrey branch members were very generous with their donations. The branch also gave with the member’s approval a further donation of £100, which our treasurer, Howard Robinson gave on behalf of the branch. This service gets on average 8 to 9 call outs a day and they are based at the Redhill Hill Aerodrome in Surrey. Many years ago, our then branch secretary Steven Eccleshall arranged for the branch to attend a fund raising event at this airfield for the air ambulance. We took along many Norton’s to display at this fund raising event. The air ambulance wanted to be able to buy their own helicopter, as it cost them £500,000 a year to lease this particular helicopter.
Thus by them owning their own helicopter they can save a substantial amount of money. They were hoping to raise about one million
pounds for the new helicopter that they will then own. Should the NOC donations reach a certain monetary amount, then we will have a sticker on the side of the helicopter to signify our donations. This service is very much of a critical relevance for us as motorcyclists. The lease company does not supply pilots, and it is all purely voluntary funded. There is a pilot, co-pilot, plus the paramedics, and the cost of this service per day amounts to £51000. The Surrey branch raised nearly £300 on that evening after John Morgan’s appeal. Of the call outs for this service 28% are for road traffic accidence. One Norton owner from the Kent branch has had three rides in this helicopter. The funding drive had finished at the end of May and I am pleased to announce that the air ambulance has received enough in donations to be able to buy their own helicopter. John Morgan has delivered the donations that he has collected to Redhill, for the purchase of their helicopter.
Young Master Tate On Full Throttle
The Surrey branch had a very young visitor named Tate, whose parent brought him along to see our bike display. He had his picture taken on David Browns, Model 50, and his family explained that he wants a motorcycle when he gets older. So we have a future young Tate classic biker. His parents have given their permission for Roadholder to be able to publish these pictures of him on David Browns Model 50.
Those members of the branch that brought along their Norton’s are as follows.
John Summerfield 1929 Model 18, 4.90HP
David Brown 1958 350cc Model 50
Anthony Curzon 1958 500cc Nomad desert racer
Robert Tuck 1960 600cc 99 De-Lux
Ken Rawlinson 1959 600cc 99 Dominator Sport that is the ex Paul Smart bike
Phil Hannam 1961 650cc Manxman
David Cooper 1963 500cc 88ss
Malcolm King 1965 750cc Atlas
Phil Tuck 1968 750cc Atlas
Simon Smith 1973 750cc Commando Roadster
Howard Robinson 1974 850 Mk2A Commando Interstate
John Morgan 1959 500cc ES2
John Summerfield’s 1929 ES2 attracted allot of attention, though out the day, as this machine also came with a very extensive history which John displayed alongside the ES2. The Surrey branch would like to thank all those attended this event, and helped with the gazebo, setting up of our stand, and for bringing along their bikes for our display.
Report by Anthony Curzon