CLOUD 9 SC PADERBORN RUN FRI 6 – SUN 8 04
By Dave Gibbs
One of the best things about the German Scooter Scene (and there are a lot of good things) is that you get to travel to a lot of different places that you wouldn’t usually visit. So it was that I managed to escape from work at a reasonable time on Friday afternoon and set off to Sennelager. A last minute chat on the phone to Dai the previous night had meant I was on my way to meet up with 10- other members of the club before riding the remaining 25 km to the run. The weather was blistering as I set off with Julie following in the back-up vehicle and I wondered how much hotter it was going to get over the weekend. An hour on the Autobahn (knuckles suitably white!) and I pulled in to Sennelager and waited for the others to arrive. A few minutes later Dai, Jonno, Weggers, Borgo, Marion, Mark Sillett, Mick Fullbrook and Aggi turned up with Dai very kindly getting the kettle on. First time for everything Dai! There was plenty of catching up to do on the two weeks since HiH and time quickly passed until Craig and Ian arrived having ridden from Hohne, respect guys! A bit more chatting (to say the least) and we set off to cover the 25 km to the rally site. The Cloud 9 movers and shakers had found a site well away from anyone who might get upset with the rally-goers. The usual marquee had been erected and the rest of the site marked off to separate those in cars from those on scoots. We arrived with Weggers in front (he was made up) and it must have looked pretty good to see so many scoots turn up at the same time. Dave Bellis was already working hard on the gate (well done Dave) and he’d also supplied some very familiar-looking tentage! Mention must also be made of AFSC members Rosi and Sven Fuhrer who also worked hard all weekend and The General who I met for the first time and had me laughing in a matter of minutes. The scoots were lined up and tents put up as quickly as possible. Even in the early evening the sun was still beating down and it wasn’t until it finally disappeared that the temperature cooled. Familiar faces from the German scene were all round the site and soon the beer was starting to slip down very easily and quickly! The DJ was keeping everyone on the edges of their seats by not putting in an appearance when he said he was going to and various suggestions were starting to be made for alternative entertainment, some of which are better not repeated here! Luckily there was plenty of talking and drinking to keep us occupied, so no one was complaining too much.
This is a good place to mention that Elaine and Lisa had both decided to forego the Friday night in order to watch the final episode of Big Brother. Now far be it for me to sit in judgement but what the **** is that all about? Hope you had a great time girls!
Eventually the DJ arrived and there was some frantic setting up before the sounds finally began. For the next few hours (the do was still going strong when I left at 4 the next morning) those present were entertained with a superb mix of rally sounds and the English element were chuffed (and not a little surprised) when 3 Lions was played. Thankfully no one mentioned 1966, even if there was more than a little temptation! Now one thing I always find surprising on the German scene is that one minute you can be listening to some top Northern Soul sounds and the next minute a tune comes on that immediately prompts the question, why? Friday night was no exception, when suddenly the air was filled with the immortal classic ‘The Unknown Stuntman’, which was the theme tune to a TV programme from the early 80s starring Lee Majors and sung by him. How this song has come to find a place on the play-list for German rallies is a mystery to me, but if anyone can let me know I’d appreciate it. The night was a great success from everyone’s perspective and a big thanks must be given to the Cloud 9 members who worked so hard behind the bar and at the barbeque outside. Loved the steaks! After 8 hours of almost uninterrupted drinking I eventually reached alcohol overload and stumbled my way to my tent.
About 5 minutes later (that’s how it felt) the sun was beating down on my tent and turning it into some sort of cooking appliance. Paracetamol were the order of the day as a very large drum was being banged in my head. I wasn’t the only one as there were others in various states of suffering. Jonno had a very good nights sleep, unfortunately he didn’t make it to his tent, choosing to sleep under the stars. No change there then! A shower and food were the first priorities and Julie and I rode into the nearest town to find MacDonalds and after filling our faces the local swimming pool supplied a well-needed shower before we headed back to the site. Nutty had arrived during our absence (great to see you again mate) and Jonno’s good lady had delivered more beer. Temptation got the better of me and I started on that slippery slope to another hangover with the help of Mr Fosters! The afternoon’s entertainment began with a slow ride competition. Weggers was ‘persuaded’ to have a go by Dave Bellis, but unfortunately his efforts were a little below standard. A rolling road had also appeared and the sound of screaming 2-stroke engines competed with the laughter of those watching the slow riders. The next competition was the beer barrel throwing with some truly outstanding performances from those taking part. The area was then cleared for the custom show and a superb display of scoots followed. The show consisted of every genre from street racers to beautifully restored classics and everything in between. On a personal note I would like to thank Cloud 9 SC for the Best Lambretta award. I was well chuffed! The next event was bingo would you believe. The sight of about 60 Scooterists (girls and guys!) playing bingo is one that will stay with me for many years to come. Dave Bellis did a sterling job of calling the numbers in German and English, although the pressure showed at times “two and four, forty two”, “on its own number eighteen” - nearly right Dave! With the afternoon entertainment over, it was time for the evening to begin in earnest. There had been a steady flow of arrivals throughout the day and the marquee was packed. Nutty looked resplendent with his new tan, pity about the sunglasses outline mate! Another mix of sounds kept the revellers entertained, as did the conversation and light-hearted antics among the faithful. Among the AFSC there were a lot of conversations on the subject of policemen (don’t know why!) and Ian Botham, with Julie’s help, has adopted The Sweeney as his source for quotes with the immortal line “shut it you slag!” top of his list.
Another highlight included Mick Fullbrook’s dancing, which although I didn’t see, was apparently ‘unforgettable’. Weggers had a great time, sleeping the whole night away when he went to his tent for a power snooze. 12 hours sleep – good drills mate. The only sour note was the number of wasp stings suffered over the weekend. Lisa ended up with her arm in a sling, (hope you’re feeling better babe) and Ian, Mick and Julie all fell foul of the striped bastards! We’ll have our revenge! For me the night ended at 3 am, when I managed to get back to my tent unscathed and even someone burning out their tyre (another German scooter scene favourite) at 4 didn’t wake me up. Another hangover and high temperatures greeted the morning and tired but happy Scooterists made their way home.
A huge thank you to Cloud 9 SC for hosting an excellent run and making the AFSC feel so welcome.
Ravey Davey