24th Reading Toy Run - Keith
Thoughts of a Toy Run virgin…..
The weather was not promising on the day of the Run, but an hour before I needed to set off for the rendezvous at Maidenhead the clouds parted and the sun started to dry the wet roads. I took that as a good omen for the day ahead and rushed to get the trike ready, adding antlers to the tinsel that I had already adorned it with.
A good number of chapter members were already there when I arrived, and more joined before we all, some 15 or so bikes and trikes, set off for Reading, ably lead by Colin and shepherded by the road crew. The little convoy attracted even more interest than usual from passing motorists, largely because of the Xmas decorations that we were all bedecked with! Lee and Lou eased their car past us on the M4 so that Lou could photograph us all individually, I look forward to seeing those pictures.
So we finally arrived safely at the meeting point in Reading, where we were directed to a rapidly-filling car park, to wait for the off. Kathy and I were asked to park our trikes with a motley assortment of quads, sidecar outfits and, remarkably, a boat – yes a BOAT! – while our two-wheeled contingent gathered in a far-flung corner.
Santa outfits seemed to be the favourite clothing of the day, though notable exceptions included a Xmas pudding, Buzz Lightyear (?!), assorted elves, and one rider in a most amazing Xmas tree outfit that was covered with hundreds of sweets and chocolates! Two ladies on scooters were struggling to fit themselves into very large Xmas carrier bags - one each I hasten to add – to add to the variety of creative attire on display.
At the call of the megaphone we fired up and set off. It became clear very early that this had been planned with military precision, with Police and marshals closing every junction and allowing us to run every red light. I wasn’t prepared for just how many people had come out to stand at the roadside and cheer us on, though I understand that this event is something of a popular spectator sport for the residents on the route. We honked our horns until they wore out, then we waved ‘til our arms ached! What a buzz!!
We finally arrived, somewhat breathless, at the Dr Barnados home in Wokingham, where the organisers somehow found room for the record number of bikes that had come along. We queued patiently to hand our presents in, and the sheer number of toys that filled the room was amazing, I swear there was a pile of soft toys as tall as Nij!
Once the chapter had gathered we set off again, heading for a local pub for an excellent roast dinner, with a selection of waistline-busting puds for those who still had room left!
A huge thanks to the road crew for getting us there safely, Don W for sorting out the pub, everyone for their company, plus, of course, the organisers for a fantastic event.
Next year will be the 25th Toy Run. No doubt the organisers will be thinking of some way to celebrate that anniversary, I hope that we can get more Chapter members there next year.