Weekend of motorcycling and sightseeing

WELLS Classic Motorcycle

Club’s 12th annual Tortoise and Hare event was held over the weekend of July 14-16.

Campers started to arrive on the Friday afternoon in preparation for a weekend of motorcycling and local sightseeing.

Saturday morning saw the Social Scenic Run to Westonsuper-Mare which attracted some of those camping plus some local riders, all enjoying the scenery on the way there and back over and around the Mendip Hills.

On the Sunday morning (July 16), Wells Football Club was the starting venue for the annual Tortoise and Hare run which again included a ‘Snail’ section for low-powered machines.

The club welcomed more than 125 motorcycles of all ages, these making a fine display of machines for this popular West Country event at which much-needed funds are raised for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and EVS Freewheelers (The Blood Bikes).

Entries were attracted from various parts of the country, from as far afield as Surrey, Berkshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Hampshire as well as many local riders. The bikes entered ranged from Vintage to an NSU Quickly plus many immaculate classics and some desirable modern machines.

The Mayor of Wells, Tanys Pullin, arrived in style on a Harley Davidson Trike and was ably assisted by Town Crier Len Sweales as they flagged off the groups onto their various run routes.

The routes took the entrants over the western and northern side of the Mendip Hills to Farrington Gurney Memorial Hall, where all the entrants met for tea/coffee and biscuits. The entrants then took various marshalled routes over the eastern side of the Mendips as they made their way back to Wells for the lunch break with the Mayor as pillion passenger on the Trike.

This was followed in the afternoon by more scenic routes over the southern Mendips for both the Tortoise and Hare, while the Snail group, which was well attended for this year, took in a short route around the Wookey/Godney area.

All the groups returned to Wells Football Club for tea and cake and the presentations of the various class awards plus the raffle prizes, presented to the winners by Mayor Tanys Pullin.

For event pictures and club details, go to: www. wellsclassicmotorcycleclub. weebly.com

The date for next year’s event is still to be confirmed.