UK 2003: Third Annual HU Travellers Meeting

Derbyshire, England, June 27-29, 2003

Breaking news! Report just in from our intrepid correspondents, Sam Manicom and Birgit Schunemann (photos by Chris Bright and Andy Miller):

"What happens when you take a beaten up old, small town pub in a remote Derbyshire village and add to that a large field with African length bush grass, a blazing bonfire, cheap beer, a Tardis sized hall, 7 slide shows, around 200 overlanders "done it and about to's", and a clockwork set of organisation?

You get that uniquely typical travellers atmosphere that's an odd ball combination of mellow, and tail wagging enthusiasm.

The word had spread, and this years Horizons Unlimited UK Travellers Meeting had just that atmosphere. The eight full round the worlders, those who had experienced trans continental adventures, travellers from Luxembourg, Germany, France, Switzerland, South Africa, Holland and Canada were no more than a percentage of those who had travelled from all over the UK to make it to a weekend of mega sized full English breakfast rolls, a tad of rain, gentle sunshine, and ride outs which had even the experienced stretched.

The slide shows covered a great range of topics and included some world class photography. On night one Sam Manicom, who managed to get so lost on his trip around the world that it took him eight years to make it, started the shows as warm up act. Then Jasper Ditton, novice overlander, and Austin Vince of Terra Circa and Mondo Enduro fame had the rally in fits.

Sam Manicom and Birgit Schunemann

On the Saturday afternoon Grant Johnson gave some really valuable advice about how to make the most of the Horizons Unlimited web site and piled in with a ton of practical travel advice. His question and answer session wasn't short of questions, or answers.

The boring but important stuff

On the Saturday night, author and Sahara addict, Chris Scott set everyone's imaginations going by making the desert look easy, even though they were on two wheeled 'dogs'. Then he counter balanced that with some shots of what can happen if you are unlucky - but I don't think he managed to put anyone off! Chris is one of those blokes who make's adventures happen.

Lambeth, Scott and Glynn

Harvey Gordon-Sawyers, Chris Symes and Karim Hussain managed to make even those itching for a refill sit tight with their tales of the road from Asia, the Middle East, India, South East Asia, South America and Tunisia. They showed that you don't have to know it all to be a successful overlander. You just have to have a bike, a stash, enthusiasm, an open mind and a pocket full of common sense. Having done your homework and having a dollop of luck are the final ingredients to an adventure of a lifetime.

Harvey Gordon-Sawyers and the tent

Authors Paul Pratt, Manou Emringer, Ellen Spencer, and Dutch adventurers Rob and Dafne de Jong all made it to this the third Horizons Unlimited UK Travellers Meeting.

Rob and Dafne DeJong, Gerd, Birgit and Sam

A small part of the busy campsite...

Keeping them company were Bernd and Patti Tesch who have just this spring celebrated their 25th Overlanders (Tesch Treffen) Rally in Belgium.

Last but not least, round the worlding icon Ted Simon, who is just back from a magical revisit of his 1970s Jupiters Travels tour, made it to the rally in the final hours. At 72 not only did he make it around the world again, but he survived a crash on his way to the rally. Shaken, but typically Ted!

Grant and Ted Simon with world famous t-shirt

Ted, Ellen, Bernd, Patricia and Manou

And finally, we shouldn't forget those organisers of the 'clockwork'. Glynn, Chris, Charlie and Phil, and anyone else whose name I forgot. Thanks guys!"

Glynn Roberts, the morning after, having a tough time remembering which way the t-shirt goes on!

More pics to come - Chris Bright took heaps, but they're coming via snail mail to Canada, so stay tuned!