Author: Aynsley Brown

Sadly, due to the current Coronavirus situation; our UK government’s guidance, your committee’s responsibility and common sense, we have cancelled our meeting on 4th & 5th April this year at BoA.

There are no plans to re-schedule this event. The next club weekend event at Bradford on Avon will be on 12th & 13th September.

This would be bad in any year but especially so in the centenary year. We are very sorry for the disappointment and any inconvenience thus caused.

If you could please take a ride on your Moulton during Thursday April 9th to commemorate Alex Moulton's 100th birthday as your part in the 'Moulton Ride Around The World' but only if you consider it is appropriate and safe to go out.

Please keep yourself and your family safe, follow your government’s guidelines.

Mark Taylor

I received some bad news this morning; due to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation Rolls Royce & their Heritage Trust have closed their doors to ALL visitors during March & April which includes our visit on Sunday 5^th April.

At the time of writing this, Saturday 4^th April is as planned & printed in our magazine. However this may change due to circumstances way beyond our control.

We will endeavour to keep you informed during the coming days in this rapidly changing situation.

Mark Taylor

There will be NO camping at The Hall.

Saturday 4th April. Gates at Holt Road, Bradford on Avon BA15 1AH open at 9am.

Admission: £3.00 for EVERYONE over 16 years old. Entry is restricted to Club Members only or family members living at the same address as a Club Member. (This is to comply with HMRC rules about the Club's Tax liabilities as a Mutual Association).

We welcome anybody who is not a member and can offer a Weekend 'Taster' Membership for £5.00. (This will expire at 23:59 hrs on Sunday 5th). If you decide to join the Club, the Annual UK Membership is £22.50 and the £5 Weekend Membership fee will be deducted from the £22.50.

Car parking on the Hall grounds will be in the upper car parks.

PLEASE use the lower car parks for loading and unloading and park back up the hill.

This year we will have our Bring & Buy sale for all things Moulton on the Saturday morning 10 - 12 noon, as in previous years. This will be held in the Courtyard outside the Moulton Bicycle factory.

If you want to sell anything Moulton - from a pair of mudguards to a trailer full of stuff, it's FREE!

There will be Tea & Coffee. Lunch is up to you! Bring it with you or go into Bradford on Avon for something!

After the break for lunch, we'll be heading off on 2 different rides at around 1:30 pm: A short 10 mile ride along the Kennet and Avon Canal (really easy, unless it's muddy!) and a longer 25 mile one mainly on road. (This could change due to weather considerations on the day, no one will know the routes exactly until Saturday morning).

In the evening I suggest we meet up in one of the pub/hotels in Bradford on Avon, The Swan Hotel or the Dandy Lion (opposite the Swan Hotel).

SUNDAY 5th April

On the Sunday we are going to visit Alex Moulton's initial place of employment, the Sir Roy Fedden Heritage Centre at Filton. It is now within a Rolls Royce aerospace establishment. The Rolls Royce Heritage Trust (RRHT) manage the centre which displays aircraft engines from the piston engines developed during Alex's time to Concorde & Harrier engines. This place is not normally open to the public, we have a special invitation for the day.

The ride is around 26 miles from Bradford on Avon, Rae Marshman will be leading a ride starting at 8:30am. The aim is to go through the RR gate at 11am; if you are late, you have missed it. If you or your bike don't feel up to a 52 mile day then you could make your own way by car (car share?) or public transport (train or bus) to the venue but you must ensure you arrive at the right place at the correct time.

Unfortunately there is no provision for food at the centre but just down the road is the “Aerospace Bristol”, now the home of Concorde where there is free admission to the cafe. If you want to see their displays you have to pay. As an alternative there is also a café on the disused railway platform near Kingswood for food and drink on the way back to BoA.

Then there is just the ride back to Bradford on Avon.

Before the weekend, if you and your family members intend to come to the Rolls Royce Heritage Centre you MUST let me know before Sunday 15^th of March to be included on the list.

Please refer to the guidance in the club magazine regarding getting onto the list and where to meet at Filton. These strict rules are imposed by Rolls Royce & MOD, not your club.

All we need now is good weather!!

Mark Taylor

Initial plans for the club weekend in April are as follows, they may change……

Saturday 4th April 10:00 – 12:00 bring & buy sale of all things Moulton in the grounds of The Hall, Holt Road, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1AH. After lunch you have a choice of two rides; a short 10 mile or a longer 25 mile ride. We should meet up somewhere in BoA during the evening to be sociable and have something to eat & drink.

Sunday 5th April a visit to Rolls-Royce at Filton where Alex Moulton began his working life as part of the team developing aircraft engines under Sir Roy Fedden. We are going to the Sir Roy Fedden heritage centre which Alex Moulton opened, situated on the former airfield site to the north west of Bristol.
The Sir Roy Fedden heritage centre is within a secure Rolls Royce aerospace manufacturing site not open to the general public, there maybe a few security stipulations; more details in the next magazine.
The site is around 25 miles from Bradford on Avon - there will be a guided ride from & to BoA or drive (car share?), there is a train service but that's up to you.

Let's all hope for good cycling weather over the weekend – look forward to seeing you.