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THE TORTURED MANIACS SC
15th ANNIVERSARY RUN
Bösel 24 – 26 Jun 05
By Dave Gibbs

The last week or so has seen Germany basking the same tropical temperatures that most of Europe has been experiencing. This was in stark contrast to the weather conditions for last years’ TMSC Run, when I set off in torrential rain. The difference in the weather was not the only thing that contrasted with last years’ run. This time I was not alone, with my wife Julie driving the back-up car and one of the club’s newest members, Rob McLauchlan, riding his PX. We set off from Herford at 1600 hrs with our only concern being how we were going to keep cool for the journey (even the breeze was warm!). Unfortunately we had only been on the road for a few minutes when Rob’s rear tyre decided being flat was ultimately more desirable than being inflated and left him with the prospect of changing his wheel in temperatures well over 30ºC. Of course, these things are always easier to sort out when there are two of you and we soon had Rob’s spare fitted. After another brief stop to top up the air in the replacement tyre we were on our way again. The route to Bösel is almost due north from Herford and doesn’t require any Autobahn riding at all, which is always a bonus! A steady and uneventful ride (with a minor detour after my map-reading skills deserted me!) later and we arrived at the run site. Something that often impresses me about the German runs is how much organisation goes into them, especially considering that none of the clubs have huge membership numbers and it must be difficult to judge how many Scooterists will attend. The TMSC had really gone to town for their anniversary run and included in the €10 admission fee was a superb programme and a very smart patch as well as the guarantee of two excellent nighters, camping by the lake and a bar that never seemed to close!

We met up with Craig, Steve and John (who had managed to camp in exactly the same spot as last year) and were greeted with the customary and very welcome can of Warstiener – thanks Craig! Tents were duly erected and admin sorted amongst the usual friendly banter and consumption of alcohol. Borgo and Marion wandered over to say hello, demonstrating the true international flavour of the AFSC and we’d only been at the site for a few minutes when Si Cuerden arrived, swelling the club’s attendance further and bringing with him his usual mix of wit and repartee. TMSC had decided to make the first night’s entertainment an outdoor event and as the DJs spun the discs, the prospect of getting any sleep with the speakers ‘pumped to the max’ seemed highly unlikely! Of course, this did nothing to dampen the spirits and everyone was soon partying like it was going out of fashion. The usually reasonably priced beer flowed, acquaintances were renewed and made and the night flew by until 4 in the morning, when I decided enough was enough and wandered off to the tent. I was rudely woken later that morning by a storm of biblical proportions and kept my fingers crossed that the lightning wouldn’t choose our tent to strike and that the lashing rain would keep out. Thankfully the tent remained lightning-free and dry and I went back to sleep, relishing the thought of a lie-in.

Saturday morning and there was still some rain hanging about but it soon stopped and the sun tried its best to break through the clouds. We had every intention of visiting the nearest swimming pool to get a shower and stop off for something to eat on the way back. Craig managed to find the pool, only to discover it was closed, so we ventured into the nearest town to find a restaurant with a decent toilet and sink. Fed and washed, we got back to the site to be greeted by Gaz Powell and Si Brunskill, who had arrived in our absence. Simon’s was just a flying visit whilst Gaz was joining us for the rest of the rally. As the afternoon carried on, John, Si, Gaz, Craig and I went for a short ride and a cup of coffee and it was then that I discovered the rear bracket holding my exhaust in place had snapped. Si told me there was a spares van on the site and when we got back, he introduced me to the guy whose van it was. An hour later, the bracket had been welded and I fitted it back on the scoot feeling very relieved. A huge thank you to the bloke who sorted me out, and it’s also worth a mention that he wouldn’t accept any payment whatsoever! A firm favourite at Bösel is the ¼ miler and during the afternoon several riders put their trusty steeds through their paces. My personal favourite was a blue small frame whose rider popped a superb wheelie and later on kept us all amused as he attempted a repeat performance and narrowly avoided ending up in a hedge! Another hotly contended event during the afternoon was the custom show, with some superb scoots on display and plenty of evidence of the German Scooterist’s technical abilities.

The Saturday night do was moved inside and the cooler evening lead to the log fire being lit in the hall. Trophies were handed out, a lot top tunes were played and plenty of alcohol was consumed during what was a cracking night. One of the DJs even ventured into a ‘Mod’ set with The Small Faces, The Who, TSC and Weller featuring. Needless to say, I was chuffed to bits. The night flew by far too quickly and it was soon time for bed.

The ride back was excellent, with great weather, little traffic and both Rob’s and my scooters running beautifully. We made it back in 2½ hours, which was a lot less time than it took us on the way there!

My thanks to the TMSC for an excellent weekend and congratulations on 15 years as a club.