CLOUD 9 PADERBORN

   

Jonno	Shelly n Simon	Dia

Friday afternoon, wet and cold, the thought of a muddy German Scooter Run was not exiting most! I arrived at Dave Bellis's house to be welcomed by a fair sized group of club members who had braved the conditions. It wasn't soon before Pauline Bellis welcomed us all into her home providing hot brews and dry towels to the rather damp AFSC members. My first memory of this run will be watching Craig and Steve Evans standing at the door looking up as the rain sleeted down onto the road creating rivers of mud, not the best scooter riding conditions and every one was a little down as we dressed into Gortex for the ride towards RV1. A quick dogs leg to pick Ted and Urte up then onto the cream parlour (RV1).

Ted	Matt	RV 1

Here is were I witnessed a miracle, as if on cue the sun appeared, so it was off with the water proofs as we parked up and watched as the rest of The AFSC members arriving and filling the small ice cream pallor's car park with at least 17 scooters! Brilliant turn out and a sight that made the locals stop and stare. Swelling the numbers were Mac, Urte, Matt and Shane Hayter, fantastic! We also had two very welcome guests from the UK, Sue from Birkenhead cloud 9 and Shelly from The Blues SC who had travelled all the way from the UK to attend the run with the AFSC. "Exellent to see you both" As soon as the last scooter arrived the moral kicked in and the laughs began.

Sue n Shelly	Shane	Mac

A short and uneventful ride to The Cloud 9 run site, as per normal drills, the advance party had secured the area and gone firm, well there was nothing firm about the ground at all! The run site was perfect for live stock and the Cloud 9 along with The Jetsons were desperately trying to dry up the entrance and walk ways but it was inevitable that the mud bath would commence. I can honestly say that this was the worst weather I have ridden in yet the atmosphere both on site and within the club was almost tropical! I think it was a case of 'we are all wet so lets party"

Simon Brunskill's SX	Craig's AF250	Steve Evans's AFSC Racer

We threw the tents up in record time, even Steve Evans coped admirably, well done Steve! Making sure you square your admin away before partying is the sensible thing to do, this was the last sensible thing most of us did all week end! Dorothy from The South Palatine Scooter Club came over to welcome us complete with her own take on rocket fuel, Snaps and Space Dust later, you could feel your teeth starting to go numb!

Dia	Simon Cuerden's GP	Corrrrr!

Friday evening blended and bended into a whirling mix of dancing and talking, at one point I remember dancing on a table with Shelly and Sue, I also kinda remember "Destination Zulu Land.........whaaaaaaaaaa whooooooooooooooo"

The Cat Pack

Waking up in a tent in the middle of a cow field freezing yer bollocks off and dodging the puddle inside your tent is a weird experience at 43 years of age! And before any one asks, it was rain water and not the "Midnight Fireman" The mud in the field had turned my docs into Platform Soles, my tongue had stuck to the top of my mouth and I could taste liquorice? Climbing out of their tents were the rest of the crew all looking like extras from Shaun Of The Dead! Dave Bellis had pulled yet a another blinder out of his hat and a full English breakfast was available to all on site! Black pudding, sausage, bacon, fried egg and beans is a kill or cure and watching the silver service breakfast was superb! Out standing Dave!

Dave n Steve

Saturday was the first football game of the UK season and Everton were to play Manchester United so it was a short ride back to Dave's house for a bit of a warm and Sky TV. Shower and shave, Pauline instead on washing my jeans so I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around Dave and Pauline's house semi naked! Man U thrashed Everton, Dave left early to go back to the run site and Pauline hadn't given me my strides back! I was getting a little worried :-)

	craig ol red eyes	best of British

On my return to the run site the custom show was just ending, a brilliantly trick Lambretta with Liquid cooling superbly hidden under the left hand side panel complete with fan and pump caught my attention. The Nitrous vespa was on show, ridden to the run and a gaggle of rather sad standard Vespas that had seen better days, I am not too sure, but i think it was a piss take? You tell me. It was nice to see Rossi's scooter, complete with an airbrushed Viking theme, quite brilliant!

The Cloud 9 and The Jetsons Scooter club's did them selves proud in their organisation, the weekend went off without a hitch, the weather was never going to do anything but chuck it down so the best was made. The usual fun games were held, I missed these due to Pauline still not giving me my pants back! Cold beer was flowing in abundance, hot food BBQ was available throughout, but the best was the camaraderie. Not just from our club, we have all kinda grown to expect the AFSC to be like we are, the German clubs were out in force with the hard corps faces showing their ubiquitous presence. We had the usual "Hand bags, push me pull you' but don't we always? No one got hurt and it was all done at a respectable death o'clock in the morning so no harm done. Ace to see so The Liege Scooter Tribe coming across from Belgium, great to see every one.

This was my last ever Germany Scooter Run, I am to return to the UK late this year, so I would like to take this opportunity to say farewell to the many friends that I have met over the last 12 yeas as a regular rally goer on the German scene. I have the utmost respect for the german Scooterists and I am proud to have been part of your brotherhood.

Yours Simon Cuerden.

	Simon Cuerden

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