Article in issue 234 of 100% Biker

Time, it’s not tangible, but sadly it does rule us all to an extent. Though famously in the film Easy Rider, Wyatt (Peter Fonda) throws away his watch to show he isn’t worried about time, but he does have a deadline to reach Mardi Gras, which would have required some time planning for a 2000mile journey, especially with such a small fuel tank.

In the simplest way time can be recorded by sunrise and sunset and then by the seasons, and I do not think we will get into that argument when do the seasons run from. But since the introduction of moving vehicles and ships, a more accurate method was required and so in the late 19 century time zones started to help travellers navigate accurately with the Greenwich meridian as the prime time line or GMT.

And I suppose as time became recorded more accurately, we could than have speedometers in our vehicles, speed limits and speeding fines… hmm maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Anyway back to a vague plot and in 1916 the idea of British Summer Time when clocks are moved one hour forward of GMT started, its reason being to help workers be more productive in the evenings and the idea has been controversial ever since, but as most countries in the northern hemisphere have some sort of Daylight saving time it continues.  With the clocks changing at the last weekend of March and October respectively, the easy American mnemonic for knowing how the clocks change is “Spring Forward, Fall Back” (sadly Autumn in this case doesn’t work).

So what better way to the start of British Summer Time and a lack of hours sleep than at the appropriately named Kickstart Summer Motorcycle Meet raising funds for Southampton Childrens Hospital Charity for the new Emergency and Trauma Department, near Southampton (where obviously the passenger ships which started this whole time things are based). And did I need an alarm clock, oh no, our neighbour oblivious of time started hammer drilling at 7.30 on Sunday Grrrr.

After the previous few weekends events being spoilt by snow and ice, it was great to be back out on the road and so it seemed was every other bike, classic car, steam trains, families taking Aunt Agnes out to look at daffodils.

Thinking I had headed out early, by the time I reached the venue I had to park up miles away it was that busy, probably from many others who needed that much needed ride. This boded well for the day as there were some great bikes lined up.

For a first event you really would have thought that this was a regular event due to the support, from Attitude cycles, Blood bikes, the local Harley and Honda Dealer, vintage speedway, several other local dealers, hoola hoops and a stunt rider. I did feel sorry for Ellis Gregory the stunt rider as he was in the smallest area, but still managed a few neat tricks.

With a DJ providing enthusiastic encouragement, raffle, bands, burgers and smiling people it was a great event. The fact that attitude cycles was there also meant many of customers came along on their builds a treat for the eyes and ears. It was as ever just as good to waste time standing and watching which I did.

You could tell how much I enjoyed the event as when I wandered back to my bike it was all alone as the crowds were dispersing yes time had escaped me. I hope they managed to raise a good amount for the charity and it was certainly worth the 4 hour round trip ride to get there.

And I was even back in time for tea, or was it dinner time?