UK 2001: First Annual HU Travellers Meeting

Slough, Berkshire, UK, 2001

After attending a few of the hugely popular travellers' meetings (reise-treffen) held in Germany, I thought that we needed one for the English speakers. So, the first Horizons Unlimited Travellers' Meeting was held in our garden.

The furthest away were the Norwegian contingent, Mads, Knut and Oystein, who took off from work a week early, caught a ferry from Bergen, and rode to southern England for the first ever Horizons Unlimited MC Travellers Meeting!

A few of the attendees: L to R. Geoff Kingsmill (Aus) Mark Svensson, (UK) Pete Thompson, (UK) Dave Isaacs, (UK in hiding) Ernie, (UK) Mads Are Heie, (NO) Knut, (NO) Oystein Grande (NO) behind Julio, (UK) Pete Ryder, (UK) Grant (CDN-Aus).

The Norwegians, an Aussie traveller working in the UK, Geoff Kingsmill, and another Canadian, Lucy Bird, made it into an international event. We ended up with almost 40 travellers over the weekend, most of whom were here on the Saturday for the slide shows, barbecue and a lot of talking and liquid throat-ease. The weather was brilliant.

The Norwegian crowd travel in style, and even allowed a lonely Brit to share their palatial accommodation...

Tents overflowed from our garden (yard) into the next door neighbours, bikes filled the driveway, and we all told lies - oops sorry - stories - until late into the night. The dead keen were watching a new Sahara trip video early Sunday morning, left by Chris Scott (Adventure Motorcycling Handbook) the previous evening.

Ernie on the 1100Gs and Julio on the F650GS heading home, Dave Isaacs watching

We had a fantastic weekend, and want to thank all who came for making it such a great event. A special thanks to all who pitched in and helped out where needed too!