Salvos Tin Food & Blanket Run - Sunday 19th April 2009

After waking at 6 30am listening to rain on the roof, I didn’t think the ride would be on. As per previous events, the weather hasn’t been kind to us. 

By 7:00am the blue sky was trying to break through and it was time to get moving and roll the BOY out (Steve’s baby). 

We arrived at Hexham Macca’s around 8:15am and were pleased to see others continually rolling in to end up with 22 bikes & 5 passengers.

It was good to see Greg with his bike up & running again after his mishap at the Penrith AGM and also Mick with his BRIGHT RED Goldwing & his Gaywing Hat.

After a bit to eat we left around 9 am and headed over to the Sandgate Markets where a few more of our group had already arrived.

It was great to see how many others braved the day’s uncertain and unstable weather conditions. The numbers raised with riders from Lake Macquarie Ulysses, The Long Riders & some others turning up. Not as many bikes this year, only about 130-140 in total.

At 10am, after a short rain shower, it was all go go go and off to the Bar Beach car park to meet up with the Salvo’s. A few more bikes had already arrived before us.

Howard gave a speech and thanked us for our donated goods, then asked for Mick & Sharon to climb onto the back of the ute to say a few words. Mick presented Howard with a cheque for $1000 and also announced to everyone that in 2011 Newcastle will be hoisting the AGM for that year. Sharon let everyone know that she had Ulysses forms available if any one wanted to join.

The finial count was around 170 bikes, not a bad day, it is school holidays after all and the weather wasn’t as good to us as it could have been.

Mick suggested that we go to Minmi Hotel for lunch. Some of the Lake Macquarie mob also came with us, around 10 of them. All up about 40 of us turned up for lunch. It ended up a fairly good day all round even a wedding party braved the rain and held the ceremony at the back of the pub. Newcastle’s biggest cop Tony Tamplin was the celebrant. 

After saying bye to all it was time to go home.

Your good friends, 
Christine Tapping & Greg Ford