MOTORCYCLES AND THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE

 

GREAT BENTLEY MOTORCYCLE MEET

Great Bentley is a quiet, peaceful, and very picturesque village, located in the Tendring area of Essex. The village has a long history, dating back to the Doomsday Book. With a population of 2,381 (2011 census data), it is the second largest village in Tendring, and it is also home to the second largest village green in England, at some 43 acres.

Every Wednesday evening throughout the Summer months, this famous green becomes home to one of the largest motorcycle meetings in the area, with motorbike enthusiasts descending on the village from near and far.

As an old biker myself ( I passed my motorcycle test back in 1976), I was very interested in going along and witnessing this hugely popular spectacle for myself, and to see what draws so many people to this Essex village every Wednesday evening. With my family in tow, I set off on four wheels (my biking days, now sadly far behind me) to drive the short distance from my own Essex home to Great Bentley.

In actual fact, this wasn't my first visit to the bike meet, and certainly not my first visit to Great Bentley. The last time I witnessed this coming together of bikers was a few years ago when I was out to dinner with some friends at Restaurant 43 which faces the green, I had intended to dine at the restaurant again on this occasion, but unfortunately, the restaurant is currently closed on Wednesdays.

My family and I arrived fairly early in the evening, at around 5:30pm, so motorcycles were a little thin on the ground to start with. We found all of the bikers that we spoke with, to be very friendly and more than happy to talk to us about their bikes, some bikers even offering us a seat on their bikes to take a photograph if we wanted. We were told by one biker that at times there can be as many as 3,000 bikes in attendance, which would be quite a sight to see. By the time my family and I had to leave for another engagement, having only been there for about an hour, there was a fascinating array of around 200 bikes, but I know many more arrived after we left.

One of the bikers that we spoke to was a young woman riding a rather handsome Harley Davidson. She informed us that she was a professional YouTuber, and that she posts You Tube videos about Motorcycles. Her You Tube Channel is: tomboy_a_bit - YouTube   Here is a link to the You Tube post that she filmed that evening: Are Bikers Good or Bad Thing? For The World Values Day - YouTube

 One of the highlights for me was the arrival of a classic BSA Bantam. The reason for my interest in the BSA Bantam is that it just so happens that in 1973, my very first motorcycle was a BSA Bantam, oh, happy memories, how I wished I still had that bike, or indeed the Triumph Trophy that I later owned, both bikes would be collectors items now.

Anyone interested in motorcycles, or even those just wanting to spend a nice evening out doing something different would enjoy a visit to Great Bentley on a Wednesday evening this Summer, there is a great community atmosphere, and a number of food and drink establishments to choose from for refreshments. You are sure to get a warm, friendly welcome, just don't forget your camera!

The post code for the village green is: CO7 8PJ