Newsletter for the riders, crew and supporters of RockRide2

Dear RockRiders,

The Autumn chill is on us but things are really heating up for the RockRide!

Emma, Ingo and Garry have been getting stuck into fundraising and training, Tony and Bill have reconnoitered the Route to ensure that everything is in place and that the RockRiders safety is well taken care of. RockRide2 is being launched to all the Masons of Buckinghamshire and Middlesex, we have a great team working hard on our options for a homecoming celebration and the fundraising to cover our costs is well underway.

I hope that you enjoy this the second RockRide Reporter and if you want to see more in the next issue please keep the contributions coming into me.

Thanks and best regards

John PowerCommunicationsRockRide2

October 2013

Newsletter for the Riders, crew and supporters of RockRide2October 2013

The RockRidersDr Ingo Reiss has his training well underway, recently he took part with 120 other riders in an arduous 120km ride for the fight against blood cancer. The proceeds from this ride went to DKMS.

DKMS belongs to a network of organizations under the umbrella of DKMS Stiftung Leben Spenden (DKMS Foundation for Donating Life). All DKMS organizations are actively committed to the fight against blood cancer, other diseases of the hematopoietic cell system and in the case of DKMS LIFE, against other cancer diseases as well.

Emma Johnson gets 10 out of 10 for the most unusual way to warm up for Rockride2. On the 11th of November she will take part in a fire walk to raise funds and awareness for The Bob Power memorial fund for Against Breast Cancer and the IHG Shelter in the Storm Appeal.

Please show Em your support by going to www.rockride2.com and donating through her Just Giving page send her messages of support and better still, hot-foot it (sorry!) to the Holiday Inn Colchester on the 11th and give her your support.

Garry and son Conor McCormick launched The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal at RAF Honington and told guests that “Every Poppy helps.”

The fundraising target in Suffolk for the Royal British Legion is £625,000, which will go towards the Legion’s national target of £37 million to continue its vital work delivering direct, practical care and support to the Armed Forces community.

With Garry’s dedication we are sure that RockRide2 will make a Significant contribution to that target!

Newsletter for the Riders, crew and supporters of RockRide2October 2013

Sierra Grazelema

On Friday 4th October, Captain Bill Holland and Tony Cersell travelled by Ferry from Portsmouth to Santander and Spain in order to drive the RockRide 2014 route ‘test’ the event plan and secure good accommodation stops for the riders and support team, a group of 34 people. This is Tony’s report.

Preparing the Ground: RockRide2 Recce. 4th October 2013

Passing through Madrid they picked up our Spanish team member, Ricardo Mozas, and continued on to La Linea on the Spanish/Gibraltar border where they arrived on the evening of Sunday 5th July. The border was quiet on that Sunday, however before leaving on Monday morning were very surprised to see the very large numbers of Spanish workers crossing the border into Gibraltar under stiff controls from the Spanish police.

During the whole trip Bill Holland was to take in excess of 700 photographs of landmarks, signposts and road junctions as he mapped the route in true Army fashion. This data will be printed and laminated for the motor cycle support team to use to guide the Rockride cyclists between towns and villages along their route

The initial part of the journey for us passes through the Sierra Grazelema, a terrain of outstanding natural beautyand one which will present a serious challenge to the RR2 riders with steep climbs up to 1200 metres and equally steep descents. Having crossed the first part of these mountains the riders will experience a rapid descent to the busy town of Ubrique, famous in Spain for breeding bulls for the Bull ring, then the journey continues on through the Sierra Grazelema to our first overnight stop in the Casa Rural of Al-Qutun in Algodonales, Andalucia on 1st

June 2014 www.al-qutun.com

We continued on along roads that the riders will cycle on Day 2 of their journey passing through the Spanish countryside toward the town of Montilla and the second mountain range of the journey, the Sierra de Andujar, and the Hotel Alfar www.hotelalfar.com situated on the Cordoba to Malaga road. We will stop here on 2nd June 2014.

After leaving the mountains the terrain changes, as they will now find themselves in the rolling countryside of Andalucia with Olive trees stretching for as far as the eye could see. The riders will journey across this vast region on good quality roads, the countryside being peppered with white house of the many villages established by the conquering Moors in the thirteenth century. Eventually arriving in the coal-producing region of Portellano the riders will stay overnight in the Hotel Godesa in Argamassilla de Calatrava on 3rd June 2014.

Still a considerable distance to Madrid, Spain’s capital, the journey continues towards Aranjuez and Chinchon where the riders will stay on 4th June 2014 at Pico Vivero www.anranjuezrural.com Chinchon has the most beautiful mediaeval square, which was being set up as a bullring for the following week. Over a beer, Ricardo, Bill and Tony wondered whether the riders would take the time to stop and enjoy this beautiful old town!

Sierra del Moncaya de Agreda

The next challenge will come from the Mountains to the north of Madrid. The riders will cross the plateau upon which Madrid is situated, a distance of 20 miles at a height of1000 metres above sea level, as they by-pass the city and then continue northward to the town on of Siguenza where we have found a new Casa Rural which offers excellent accommodation at the end of 5th June 2014www.barbatona.com

The route to the Pyrenees is now relatively straightforward with one more overnight stopover in the town of Agreda to approach which the cyclists will have to traverse the third mountain range, the Sierra del Moncaya de Agreda on 6th June 2014. The exact location has yet to be decided but will probably be the Hotel Dona Juana, which was used in 2010. Then it is onwards to the small town of Ronces-Vallees high in the Pyrenees where we will spend the night of 7th June 2014. This small town sits directly on the Pilgrims route, originally walked by Santiago di Compostella and today many pilgrims can be seen walking the route and wearing their large seashell to identify themselves. The Rockriders will cross the Pyrenees at the high pass of Ibeneta at 1100 Metres.

Newsletter for the Riders, crew and supporters of RockRide2October 2013

Preparing the Ground: RockRide2 Recce. 4th October 2013 (Cont)

Avenue in Cognac Region

The downhill descent in to France from Ronces-Vallees is steep and care will have to be taken by the riders should the road surface be wet. Once into France however the scenery changes as they continue to ride northward leaving the region Pyrenees-Atlantique and into the Landes Region of France. We have found a very nice equestrian centre for our stop on 8th June 2014 in the small town of Cassen, www.laligue40.fr

On the 9th of June 2014 we will stay at a Gite in the Bordeaux region, which has yet to be decided

The 10th of June 2014 will see the group stay at the Gite Moulin de Prezier in the Cognac region of France www.moulindeprezier.fr. This old building stands in its own grounds and will provide a quiet rural setting for our overnight stop.

Two more overnight stops to go before the group arrive at the Normandy coast and the ferry to Blighty.

The equestrian centre at La Coudre near to le Mans will be our home for 11th June 2014www.legrandsaule.fr this equestrian centre can accommodate 16 people with additional capacity nearby.Then on towards our final stop before the ferry at La Cassine in the town of Rouesse-Vasseewww.gites-la-cassine.com on 12th June 2014

The journey towards the Normandy coast and the ferry port of Ouistreham is reminiscent of the Devon /Cornwall countryside. The arrival in Normandy will see the riders pass through the town of Ranville, a scene of serious fighting following the D-Day landings on 6th June 1944. The Ox. and Bucks Light Infantry, under the command of Major John Howard, were landed from Gliders by the Army Air Corps and led the assault on Pegasus Bridge, a critical target spanning the Caen canal. As in 2010 we will have the opportunity to visit the museums and other places of interest in this region before we take the Ferry home on 13th June 2014.

Café Grondree Pegasus Bridge

A night spent on the ferry in only a recliner seat is not conducive to good quality sleep but nonetheless at 7am on 14th of June the riders will set of for the Homecoming event somewhere in mid Bucks. Although back on home soil the challenges of cycling are by no means over as finding a route out of Portsmouth is not easy. I recall that in 2010 a local early morning cyclist acted as our guide otherwise we might still be there!The journey through country lanes of Hampshire enabled us to compare the poor quality of UK road surfaces to what we had been used to in the previous days and additionally the riders will need to be alert to the British motorist who perceive cyclists to be something of a road hazard, unlike their French and Spanish counterparts!

The final major challenge the riders will face is crossing Reading, a town not designed with cyclists in mind, on a Saturday morning. Then it’s on towards the familiar North Bucks towns of High Wycombe and Aylesbury towards our Homecoming event on June 14th.

Acknowledgements: Tony would like to express his thanks to our French and Spanish supporters, Olivier Chevalier and Ricardo Mozas, for their help in planning the route for RockRide2 and identifying accommodation for our large group of riders and support team along that route, Their ‘local knowledge’ has proved invaluable.

Newsletter for the Riders, crew and supporters of RockRide2October 2013

RockRide Golf Day Boosts Operational Funds

The Golf Day was held on Wednesday 2nd October 2013 at The Three Locks Golf Club, Great Brickhill, Milton Keynes and 9 teams consisting 36 players took part in a very enjoyable day’s golf. The weather although dull at the start soon perked up and stayed dry throughout the day.

Our grateful thanks go to all of the teams who took part and helped us raise the funds, those generous benefactors who provided the prizes and promises and to Peter and the Three Locks Golf Club for hosting this very enjoyable event

After the buffet a raffle was held which raised £740. This was followed by an auction of promises which raised £1175. The total money raised for the event was £3011.00Congratulations go to The CBS Insurance Team captained by Alan Sokolowski who were the winners of a great competition and the team entered by A. Goodman & Son captained by Chris Goodman who were the gallant runners-up.

Prior to a suburb buffet, kindly provided by The Three Locks Bistro, Rockride’s chief organiser Tony Cersell gave an overview of the history of the event and explained that next year there would eighteen riders including four lady riders raising funds for fourteen separate Charities and thanked all the teams for their support. He thanked Peter Critchley(owner of the golf course) a member of Brickhill Lodge No.9668 for allowing the use of the Course and the joint organisers from two Bletchley Lodges represented by Bob Goodman also of Brickhill Lodge and Colin Cruse and John McKeever of Grand Union Lodge No.9641. Flying the RockRide Flag

The Worthy Winners!

Gallant Runners-up

Newsletter for the Riders, crew and supporters of RockRide2October 2013

Events

Please support these events, not only will they be great fun they will also greatly help the RockRide.

The RockRide Ball

The 2nd of November is nearly upon usFor tickets please visit

www.rockride2.com or Call Emma on 07702 678972

RockRide2 Pegasus Bridge Dinner

Friday 6th December 2013John Howard Barracks Milton KeynesBlack Tie and Evening Dress please

For Tickets and more details please email Trevor At tstubbings@btconnect.comOr visit www.rockride2.com

RockRide Casino Night

A great fun casino night is planned for the 17th of JanuaryAt the Beaconsfield Masonic Centre

Please get this in your diary it will be a great night

More details to follow on www.rockride2.com