Well, what can i say? I was shocked when Charlie et al agreed to pop over to my home town for a yarn and chat following the request of potential venues for his book tour. I had initially planned to go to the Clitheroe with a few others but while at a punk gig locally it dawned on me i had a perfect venue, and hopefully the crowd....
Loads of emails passed between many, dates set and blah blah blah and then Charlie finally made it over to the UK and it all felt a bit wierd and scary, ive organised gigs before but many moons ago and alot has changed socially and professionally in how stuffs done these days.
John granted me to use Retrobike as kind of official hosting and the venue looked after us with IT, PA, whatever its called these days and i just sat and waited for the day to come. Many failed communications due to Charlies international phone and my limited use was so scary that at one point i thought it would never happen! But alas, facebook, email, home phone lines and luck enabled everything to kinda go as planned. The flyers were done, advertising done, books delivered, bikes dropped of and just the chilled build up i thought id have.......
I was informed about the chaps sorting the Notts gig had arranged a small social ride on the Monday morning so prebooked a possible space. But, ill communication meant i only got hold of Charlie at 9.05 in the morning ad theyd set of to clipstone already........lets just say the turbo on the ibiza was on contsant boost and i arrived just a they were off loading bikes from the cars and sorting kit, job done and panic over,
There i was, introducing myself to charlie and joe, talking about skateboarding, lending tools and making new acquaintances and it didnt quite hit me i was with two of my heros and im follwing them down one of my local routes, skipping around roots, jumping shit and having a rite good time!!!! The Notts lads were great, full of fun and enthusiasm and we talked about all sorts and goes to show that a common interest on off road bikes, beards, tea and trails is all we need to smile. I will always remember chasing Joe down a section and him tweeking the bike as he launched of a drop and having Charlie follow me along the singletrack talking and telling stories at every oppotunity! The ride was ace and words cannot explain how great i felt and still do. Then....................i lost my phone, i'd chased a lad on a marin team ti down the downhill section and while jumping the phone decided to have a rest in the bushes, feck. half hour later, retracing tyre tracks and asking folk myslef and an old Giant rep who told of stories from BITD who had joined my search helped track it down again, panic over. Got to the carpark and everyone had gone!!! Sheeeeeeeeeeeeet i thought but then noticed a note from Charlie saying they'd had to sort a tyre as theirs was toast and they would catch me in Scunthorpe. Again the FR was on constan boost to get home and i ended up leaving late, arriving before them , having a shower and meeting them at a pub to take them to mine. Oh, and Regan had popped up and was now my plus 1
, happy days and over an ale we sat and talked about everything, literally. Charlie and Joe have the most incredible stories from thei adventures and i could listen to them for days and days!
So much so we arrived after some of the crowd had already arrived at Cafe Indie and were suitably nealry late haha. The crowd took the seats eventually, we got the IT sorted and i stood there and introduced them to them all, words were hard to find but kinda knew what i wanted to say and i think.......introduced two of the legends of MTB with enough dignity and style...
The talk and presentation was frickin awesome, everyone was glued and hanging of every word and the feedback from them was great, except no quetions were asked, strange for a group of northerners not to ask owt or have an opinion, even when i tried starting the wheel size debate ha. I wont talk much on this, buy a book or get to one of the remaining gigs, you will not regret it and will be worth all the money and effort, end of.
Afterwards we all had a chat, beer, sold signed books, talked about old bikes and had a great time. Then that was that, done.....finished. The night in my opinion had been successful and Joe and Vharlie were very happy with everything and how it had gone, even though my laptop, interweb and cable issues slowed down the video ...... :facepalm: I treated chalrie, joe and regan to some local fish n chips, we drank more ale at my house until late and talked, talked and talked, it was ace and i feel so privilaged to have met them, looked after them to a small extent in my home and they were very gratious and generious. Although i was buggered trying to blow 2 air beds up at 12 midnight after drinking ......
This morning they talked and entertaind my 6 year old who will never forget these crazy characters, i showed them the mess in my workshop and the bikes etc and then made their way even more ooop north to site see and visit old friends.
I am so lucky and so glad to be able to have been part of them spreading the love and book and history to folk, i will be riding this trip for very long time
Anyways, thankyou Charlie and Joe, your both absolute stars and thankyou to thse who made the Retrobike gig with me, heres some pics, theyre not great as neither are my skills but hope you get the general jist of how cool these two are :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Loads of emails passed between many, dates set and blah blah blah and then Charlie finally made it over to the UK and it all felt a bit wierd and scary, ive organised gigs before but many moons ago and alot has changed socially and professionally in how stuffs done these days.
John granted me to use Retrobike as kind of official hosting and the venue looked after us with IT, PA, whatever its called these days and i just sat and waited for the day to come. Many failed communications due to Charlies international phone and my limited use was so scary that at one point i thought it would never happen! But alas, facebook, email, home phone lines and luck enabled everything to kinda go as planned. The flyers were done, advertising done, books delivered, bikes dropped of and just the chilled build up i thought id have.......
I was informed about the chaps sorting the Notts gig had arranged a small social ride on the Monday morning so prebooked a possible space. But, ill communication meant i only got hold of Charlie at 9.05 in the morning ad theyd set of to clipstone already........lets just say the turbo on the ibiza was on contsant boost and i arrived just a they were off loading bikes from the cars and sorting kit, job done and panic over,
There i was, introducing myself to charlie and joe, talking about skateboarding, lending tools and making new acquaintances and it didnt quite hit me i was with two of my heros and im follwing them down one of my local routes, skipping around roots, jumping shit and having a rite good time!!!! The Notts lads were great, full of fun and enthusiasm and we talked about all sorts and goes to show that a common interest on off road bikes, beards, tea and trails is all we need to smile. I will always remember chasing Joe down a section and him tweeking the bike as he launched of a drop and having Charlie follow me along the singletrack talking and telling stories at every oppotunity! The ride was ace and words cannot explain how great i felt and still do. Then....................i lost my phone, i'd chased a lad on a marin team ti down the downhill section and while jumping the phone decided to have a rest in the bushes, feck. half hour later, retracing tyre tracks and asking folk myslef and an old Giant rep who told of stories from BITD who had joined my search helped track it down again, panic over. Got to the carpark and everyone had gone!!! Sheeeeeeeeeeeeet i thought but then noticed a note from Charlie saying they'd had to sort a tyre as theirs was toast and they would catch me in Scunthorpe. Again the FR was on constan boost to get home and i ended up leaving late, arriving before them , having a shower and meeting them at a pub to take them to mine. Oh, and Regan had popped up and was now my plus 1
, happy days and over an ale we sat and talked about everything, literally. Charlie and Joe have the most incredible stories from thei adventures and i could listen to them for days and days!So much so we arrived after some of the crowd had already arrived at Cafe Indie and were suitably nealry late haha. The crowd took the seats eventually, we got the IT sorted and i stood there and introduced them to them all, words were hard to find but kinda knew what i wanted to say and i think.......introduced two of the legends of MTB with enough dignity and style...
The talk and presentation was frickin awesome, everyone was glued and hanging of every word and the feedback from them was great, except no quetions were asked, strange for a group of northerners not to ask owt or have an opinion, even when i tried starting the wheel size debate ha. I wont talk much on this, buy a book or get to one of the remaining gigs, you will not regret it and will be worth all the money and effort, end of.
Afterwards we all had a chat, beer, sold signed books, talked about old bikes and had a great time. Then that was that, done.....finished. The night in my opinion had been successful and Joe and Vharlie were very happy with everything and how it had gone, even though my laptop, interweb and cable issues slowed down the video ...... :facepalm: I treated chalrie, joe and regan to some local fish n chips, we drank more ale at my house until late and talked, talked and talked, it was ace and i feel so privilaged to have met them, looked after them to a small extent in my home and they were very gratious and generious. Although i was buggered trying to blow 2 air beds up at 12 midnight after drinking ......
This morning they talked and entertaind my 6 year old who will never forget these crazy characters, i showed them the mess in my workshop and the bikes etc and then made their way even more ooop north to site see and visit old friends.
I am so lucky and so glad to be able to have been part of them spreading the love and book and history to folk, i will be riding this trip for very long time
Anyways, thankyou Charlie and Joe, your both absolute stars and thankyou to thse who made the Retrobike gig with me, heres some pics, theyre not great as neither are my skills but hope you get the general jist of how cool these two are :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
