Kent meet next Sunday 11th

[alan c]

Hope you all had a good easter break ?

Thought we could meet for breakfast at a Maidstone Cafe (Albie,Oz,Ryan please advise) and if weather ok maybe a run to Hastings ?
Let me know your thoughts and ideas ??? :thumbsup:

Cheers

alan

[scrapps]

Sounds good to me. not sure if the monnie will be fixed or if i will be on the ss (Mot dependent)

[Albie]

I dont know many cafes in maidstone other than the Market hall with the dogs where J.P got his initiation. Hastings will be ok or Rye if you fancy. I may be on the little ss too so I wont be fast as you guys.

[alan c]

Fast as us ? dont know what you mean ! :dizzy:

[gary tompkins]

May have to meet you there in car

Trikes in several bits at present sorting stuff for May and WDW Misano run

[J.P]

I'll be there in some way, took the Sprint to work on Bank Holiday Monday rather than the train and hit one pot hole (there are a million in London) so hard that I've torn some muscles in my lower back. Oh the pain !

This is a perfect example of why electronic suspension adjustment is a must for modern motorbikes. At the flick of a switch changing the riding mode from sport to full enduro mode for London pot holes !!
BRING ON THE MULTISTRADA !

[jimbo696]

I hope to be there..... I have an Easter egg run, early pm...

[scrapps]

I have the ss booked for a MOT wed so should be able to come on that(if all ok) as the monnie needs to go for some tlc.(got a ickle cough)

[ryanhorton1973]

Hi. I will try to pop down to the cafe in St Peter Street sometime this week to check the opening hours for Sunday. If not then the market place is not a bad place to meet (as long as you aren't allergic to dogs !). As soon as I find out about the opening hours I will post them up and let others decide where to meet. I am working in Birmingham all weekend so won't be able to make this one :grump:

[ladybird]

My mother is coming to visit in the evening, I will most likely have to spend all day cleaning and tidying ....

[scrapps]

My mother is coming to visit in the evening, I will most likely have to spend all day cleaning and tidying ....

oi LB sod the cleaning and come to the cafe you can clean later.

[J.P]

You don't know how MUCH cleaning she needs to do....

[BigOz]

I haven't visited any cafes in Maidstone so I'm not able to suggest anywhere, I'll see what google digs up.

Andy

[gary tompkins]

Hi. I will try to pop down to the cafe in St Peter Street sometime this week to check the opening hours for Sunday. If not then the market place is not a bad place to meet (as long as you aren't allergic to dogs !). As soon as I find out about the opening hours I will post them up and let others decide where to meet. I am working in Birmingham all weekend so won't be able to make this one :grump:

Oh dear god - please not the market!

We had to shout at each other from 3 feet to be heard last time :thumbsdown:

Surely there must be a pukka cafe to be found somewhere near there?

[alan c]

I dont fancy eating my breakfast with a load of dogs :dizzy:

we can meet somewhere else, just thought Maidstone more central ?

any ideas !

[jimbo696]

Why don't we meet at Laguna in Maidstone.....then find a cafe.....

[alan c]

Hi Jim, would rather know a decent cafe in area, dont want to be riding around looking for a cafe.

if not could meet at Nells or Oakdene as usual ?

[gary tompkins]

Alan,

I thought the plan to move the Kent meets about, included local members getting of thier arses to find suitable venues? If that isn't happening (and I'm buggered if I'll ride all over the county to find one for them) then I suggest we stick to a single popular venue.

[alan c]

Steady Gary :spin:

[Albie]

I dont mind heading somewhere coastal for brekkie as its meant to be nice. There is a cafe near me by the medway tunnel but cant see the point .

[alan c]

Thats why i thought Maidstone would be good as central point, better for Scrapps and Jim etc to meet and we can get on A229 to Hastings or Rye ?

[Albie]

I know theres a cafe on the hastings road but not sure whether open on sunday. There may well be one at Staplehurst.

[alan c]

Thats ok if everyone is going for ride to coast, but some only going for breakfast ?

[scrapps]

Ok this seems to be getting harder to sort than we thought.
Like many others I like the idea of moving venue but I do not use cafe's often to be able to recomend one.
I do go to H's cafe on a wed night for the bike meet but not many others.
How about ashford as we could go via there to rye? But I don't know any cafe's in ashford sorry.

[gary tompkins]

Steady Gary :spin:

Steady my arse :p

Ok this seems to be getting harder to sort than we thought.
Like many others I like the idea of moving venue but I do not use cafe's often to be able to recomend one.
I do go to H's cafe on a wed night for the bike meet but not many others.
How about ashford as we could go via there to rye? But I don't know any cafe's in ashford sorry.


H's cafe may be an option Scrapps - and an easy run on the A260 from there to south coast if it's any good?

Straight forward to find on the A2 near Sittingbourne and it's open Sundays too

http://www.kent-motorcycles.co.uk/cafe.asp

[jimbo696]

Hs cafe is great but not really central...it is south of Canterbury...not near Sittingborne really..
I will look at some cafes in Ashford.

[jimbo696]

This is the place I was thinking of.... Headcorn Airfield...I am told it has a good cafe..

http://www.headcornaerodrome.co.uk/facilities.html

[Shuffy]

This is the place I was thinking of.... Headcorn Airfield...I am told it has a good cafe..

http://www.headcornaerodrome.co.uk/facilities.html

It's quite a good place to go as they do a lot of parachute jumping form there and there's a small aircraft museum as well (it used to be a fighter base during the war). It's been a while since I've been to the cafe, so I can't vouch for the breakfast, but it is quite interesting (if you like planes that is!!).

[J.P]

fine with me.

[J.P]

I'll be in the car whatever.

[jimbo696]

I am OK about anywhere really...I just thought that this place sounded good and there are some nice roads round there if people don't want to go to Rye after.....

[Spike]

I know I'm not down sarf anylonger but what about Bluebell hill used to be a great cafe

[Albie]

sorry guys cant now come. Due to a wedding in 2 weeks time it clashed with my working weekend and I have had to bring it forward to this weekend with a swap. Looks like all my bike riding wil be Arrow Mill then. Hope you get a cafe sorted.

A very good cafe on the A2 at Hartlip/ Newington is the Tuck Inn open on sundays too and a hard carpark.

[ryanhorton1973]

Sue's Cafe in St Peter street is not open on Sundays I am afraid. The only other place near to Maidstone that I can think of is up Bluebell Hill (I think its called Mickeys Diner).
I don't know of any other cafes in Maidstone but I would recommend that you may want to try The Society Rooms (It is a weatherspoons pub) as the breakfasts are cheap and they open early on Sunday. The poscode is ME14 1RF. You can park nearby on nice solid concrete so no problems there. It is opposite Maidstone East Station and is just round the corner from Hein Gericke.
Hope this helps with a solution to a Cafe shortage in Maidstone. As I said on an earlier reply to this thread I will be working in Birmingham all weekend so will not be out. Have a nice ride if you go anywhere and I will see most of you at Arrow Mill.

[alan c]

Thanks Jim, Ryan and Albie for info.

Can you please post up if you are up for breakfast and if you fancy ride out after then we will sort out best place to meet ?

Alan c - breakfast and ride

[J.P]

Alan c - breakfast and ride
J.P - breakfast

[Shuffy]

Alan c - breakfast and ride
J.P - breakfast
Shuffy - breakfast

[BigOz]

From Heacorn Aerodrome (I had no idea there was a cafe there) which is just off the A274 it is easy to get to the A28 or hang a right in Biddenden along the A262 back to the A229 and get to the south coast either way.
At the moment I don't know what I will have time for as I might have to work, It depnds on what I get done on Saturday.

[gary tompkins]

Alan c - breakfast and ride
J.P - breakfast
Shuffy - breakfast
GT - breakfast (possibly in car)

[scrapps]

I am up for breakfast at any of the cafe's.
(Can't cut/paste on iPod)

[jimbo696]

Alan c - breakfast and ride
J.P - breakfast
Shuffy - breakfast
GT - breakfast (possibly in car)
jimbo b'fast...(if the meet is Ashford area....as I have an event to go to in the afternoon)

[alan c]

As most people are only doing Brekfast i suggest we go back to plan A and meet at Nells cafe 10o/c ish.

No point meeting in Maidstone or Ashford if not going to coast.

cheers

alan

[Half Pint]

i'll have to see how the gardening goes on Sat, railway sleepers being delivered....

if all is well and the weather is good i will try to join you all.

[J.P]

You'll have to get up early and work till the Sun goes down...

See you all at Nell's.

[scrapps]

Ok i will have to try and find a B,road route as i am not just having a 40 odd mile run down the motorway to the cafe.
its a shame we could only come up with another cafe in the same area. maybe with a bit of time and some research we can find one this way.
I will keep a eye out for one on my way to nells :idea:

[J.P]

Got to be one on the coast we could find?

[scrapps]

The one in tankerton on the downs is ment to do a stunning breakfast. I will see if they are open sunday am.

[alan c]

Thanks Rich that would be good.

i was just trying to move the breakfast meet around a bit as it is unfair for yourself and others that live further away to kent coming up.

i think it will take a bit more planning, if people could just keep a look out for good cafe,s that are open on a sunday, we could then try them and move around a bit.

Thanks

[BigOz]

There seem to be a cafe or two in Tenterden which might work as a good start for a coast ride some other time, I'll check them out when I'm next out see if they do a good breakfast and open on Sunday, there are free bike parking bays there too.

Andy

[jimbo696]

I will give it a miss....The road to Nells is too tedious...Have a good brekkie and ride safe..

[alan c]

That sounds good Oz, perhaps we could ride there from Nells to have a look ?

Sorry Jim i know the A2 is boring, is there not an A road route ???

[BigOz]

At the moment, this might change, it looks like I should make breakfast and have time for a ride Tenterden is OK with me, I just met my parents who live in Headcorn and they said the village tea rooms do breakfast I've asked that they check they do on sundays too.

Andy

[jimbo696]

Alan,
I dont know of a better road than the A2 then M2 to get to G'end!? A2 only goes as far as S'borne I think??

[BigOz]

This cafe in Tenterden looks OK (http://www.ifancyafryup.co.uk/cafes/england/kent/tenterden/the-whistlestop-cafe.html)

This one is more coastal (http://www.thelodgeatwinchelsea.co.uk) open "all day 7 days a week" and has breakfast on the menu. It is just down the A259 (the road from rye to Hastings), not too far from an intersting hairpin Ferry Hill in Winchelsea, it caught me out the one and only time I've ridden it, it is down hill if you are comming from Hastings If I remember right, I think I turned in way to early but nothing was comming the other way which was nice.

Andy

[alan c]

That looks good Oz, think we will try that next month :)

[Shuffy]

Sorry I couldn't make it this morning. Junior was poorly all night and then Jude felt rough just as I was about to go, so I was left holding the baby (literally). Anyway hope you all enjoyed a Nell's Special!

[alan c]

Good to see everyone this morning, Oz and i went for a little ride down to Tenterten to check out another Cafe, then back via Headcorn so Oz went to visit parents and i headed home via Maidstone. The cafe opens at 10o/c on Sundays and the breakfast was £5.75 inc drink. There is a good bike bay on high st and a car park oposite the cafe. it would be a good place to meet if we want to do a coast run.

Roll on Arrow Mill :ukm:

[BigOz]

Home now,

Alan, The MotoGP is earlier than I mentioned it is starting now!

Scrapps here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuJi0HzJgJ8&feature=player_embedded) are the Clip ons that can be moved round the fork leg to reduce the reach I mentioned.



Andy

[gary tompkins]

Good link Oz - I like those apex bars a lot :thumbsup:

[scrapps]

Cheers for the link oz they are great looking bars.I bet they are not cheap but prob worth the money if you stuggling with your riding position.

[J.P]

Thanks for another good brekkie fellas.

[BigOz]

I asked a friend with a Tom Tom about importing between google maps and Tom Tom and there are a few answers including a piece of software called tyre (http://www.janboersma.nl/gett/index.php) the software is freeware and aparantly works quite well.
If you don't want to go with that there is an online converter here (http://www.houghi.org/tomtom/index.php).
As these are both non-comercial check the route file you get as is might not be the route you were hoping for.

Andy

[alan c]

Thanks Oz, just downloaded but cannot get to grips with setting route (dont forget my age :rolleyes: and my computer skills :dunce:) i will have another play later, need to go and take my pills :thumbsup:

[gary tompkins]

Let me know how you get on with the anti-retard pills Alan. I lost Sandra's trike keys somewhere indoors yesterday, and jeez was I in the dog-house this morning :hissy:

Luckily I managed to track down her spare set... after about 2 hours :fou:

[alan c]

Who is alan :dizzy: