Did we hit it lucky? You bet we did. A day that made you feel good and so fortunate to live in Scotland, God’s own Country.

We kept looking at the weather forecast all week, and as Sunday grew near, we prayed that the huge low pressure remain South of the border, at least till late Sunday. And so it did.

This was the Run which was to sponsor the older bikes and 5 worthy souls did us proud & got a free lunch, courtesy of the Club. We might as well mention them- John Copeland, Arthur Mckay, Norrie (Grumpy) McNeilly, Sam Duncan and Colin (Elliot) Ness.

Dave was the volunteer selected to run the event, and he did a great job. Some of us met at Paisley, while the rest awaited us at the calorie intake establishment, Graze, just short of Dalry.

Unfortunately Douglas experienced the recurring problem of a non start on his BMW at the Paisley Meet, so we just left him- typical!

However, we relented, & JG kept in touch with Douglas and John Taylor (hero of the day) did his white knight bit & collected Douglas on his own very rapid BMW in time to rejoin us at the mid morning stop.

We checked the bottom of Douglases over trousers, but no brown stains! If that wasn’t bad enough he travelled the rest of the day on the back of JG’s Kawasaki- now that IS brave.

The weather was absolutely perfect and the roads selected were just right. Despite the Holiday Weekend, our roads were relatively quiet

At about 1.30 we arrived at Dunure, which on such a day is idyllic. The fotos will bear this out.

Eventually, we dragged ourselves indoors  The Inn had set aside an area for us 23 bodies, and provided a fabulous lunch with loads of choices, all for £10 a head. Highly recommended.

We hovered at the pier- (it was absolutely perfect). Some of our irregulars joined us for the day, as well as JG’s old pal George, who seemed to enjoy himself and was made very welcome.

Another positive, was the speed of the ’30s Morgan. While it may not have done a steady 70, it did not hold us up-  you’ve got a gem there Ron.

Thereafter there was a scattering of riders & JG took Douglas to John Taylor’s house. Our hero then hitched his trailer to his car, collected the BMW from Paisley & drove the bike & Douglas home to Milton of Campsie. That is what this Club stands for. Thanks, John

Thanks to Dave & Aileen.- that must rank as one of the very best.

One of our Biggest Events in the year, and this time one of the most outstanding successes.

That was down to the hard work and detailed preparations by the guys and girls at the Ulster 30 Cub.

As forecast in our Diary of Events, the focus is very much on food (challenging quantities) and great comradeship.

We,as usual, met at the P & O Troon Ferry Terminal & boarded “The Express” on time, left on time & arrived on time, a fine start.

Humungous lunch at the Curran Court Hotel in Larne, before we set off on a very enjoyable route to our hotel for the weekend, the Carrickdale, just and no more on the Republic side of the Border.

This must be one of the finest hotels over there, with excellent & spotless rooms, numerous facilities, romantic gardens, swimming pool, a huge gym & friendly Staff.

The food was top notch, the bar area & lounge very conducive to gather in larger groups & move about, with live music on the Saturday night .

There is no need to detail the runs, but perhaps mention some of the highlights-

Newcastle, lovely sunshine, a walk at the beach, ice cream in hand, watching the people, some of us with dark glasses on.

The views from the Morns, the coast road to Carrickdale, the much appreciated stops in attractive locations, for instance-

Markethill, where we were entertained by the “Five Piss Artists” from Scotland, specially hired to add to our enjoyment. I am under oath not to divulge the guilty parties, however I can reveal that 3 have German blood in their veins (which partly accounts for this behaviour), one has his right hand in his pocket all day because his bawsareitchie, and the last, I can’t reveal as his parents might sue me as they employ expensive lawyers. My genteel upbringing prevents me from mentioning the Ladies Troupe in detail.

All this could have been avoided if Eddie the Tri-eagle, had exposed his Master Key in time. The KEY that opens all public toilets in NI. No kidding!. A bit too late in the proceedings.

The visit from the group from Dundalk, who have some affiliation to the Ulster30. They were great fun & John Silvester fell in love, AGAIN.

A special dancing display by Chris Aznavor who managed to dance the Argentine Tango to the music of a Military 2 Step- there weren’t too many steps, more musical stumbles or was it fumbles.

The likely lads taking the piss out of Murray, draping his Harley with rubber belts, as if his Bank Manager was amused at the overdraft explosion as a result of replacing the previous 2.

The same likely lads getting at poor Grumpy by providing a double sided sponge, one for washing his face and the other for generating a nice colour of pretend sun tan lotion

We enjoyed wonderful weather on the Saturday & dry weather in Ireland the rest of the time, more by very good luck than the inaccurate forecast. Indeed it only started raining once we were onboard. No such luck on this side. Mr Magoo made it, nae bother, with his new Eagle Eye & great lights on the KAWA- thanks for worrying.

As you at the Club are aware, next year’s event will be somewhat different and we can anticipate some “challenges” and great fun.

Take a look at Norrie’s fotos under Gallery- Irish Weekend 2012

PS- John & Cathy successfully gave indirect birth to their 3^rd grandchild- he was born on Monday, 10^th September, weighing in at 8lbs+ and his name is—— Nathan.  Well done both- special goodies on Monday!!!