Ah the joys of long summer nights, and yes despite the cold and thunderstorms we have been suffering in the South it is summer, chrome and motorcycles everywhere. So where is your erstwhile reporter this evening?, the village of Cassington in Oxfordshire where the villagers open the village to all sorts of motorcycles on the last Monday of June.
I have only heard good things about this, as it has been going for many a year now. So, I booked a few days off work to go and got the ok from my good lady as it was on her birthday, promising to take here out the next day. The bike night was originally organised by the local British Bike Club and British bikes are given preference to the static display on the village green, the rest of us being sent to a large field.
Cassington is a classic English village with a village green, two pubs and a church so it seems the perfect place for bikes to descend on. To say I was impressed with the traffic management was an understatement, with the event starting at 4 they change the flow of the main A40 to ease the stream of bikes in. Then there were the ever smiling marshalls directing me to the Big Bike Park (playing fields) being early I had a ace spot where I could easily find my bike. later in the evening the field was rammed and there were a few baffled folk hunting bikes.
Following the big signs it was a pleasant stroll along the lanes and fields to the
main village, and i was very grateful on a warm evening to have stored jacket on
the bike. Around the green with the classic and vintage bikes which also had leafy
trees to gain some shade from the sun there was a selection of places for snacks,
drinks and ice-
The great value barbecue run by the local school was doing great business and with all monies going to charity I didn't see anyone ask for change. Bike parking was a donation too and most seemed happy to put in more than the minimum suggestion of a £1.
Plan for the evening for most was just watching the steady stream of bikes in and out and drooling over some of the more exotic vehicles. one such was the Millyard Flier created by Alan Millyard a superb 5L V twin which I have seen so many photos of , but had never realised the sheer size of, its massive and very impressive. A very clever fellow and looks far too much like a standard bike that confuses some classic nuts.
Simple as it may seem, simple things also made this event so good, plenty of decent loos, happy and courteous people and no pushing of goods. With the soft summer light against the warm Oxford stone it also gave the whole event a soft glow.
After walking around the show I then headed back to the Big bike Park where they were still filling up and spent as long looking around the field and then with the marshals giving us all a smiley wave I headed home .
having heard so much of this meet, Cassington you did not disappoint a fabulous night out
