Outside the main hotel - The Evans Hotel, Llandudno

Well Folks, it’s over for this year. All the hard work and effort has really paid off with a very successful Light Parade in Llandudno.

I cannot claim any of the kudos for the organisation of this event because I didn’t really get involved in it.

I was away for effectively 3 weeks immediately up to the day before the parade – so I delegated all the hard work to Chris, Nigel and the team of organisers that assisted them.

I can honestly say that their work has paid off, with many new Wingers and existing Wingers praising the organisation and running of the whole day.

Goldwings North Wales are indebted to those Wingers and non-Wingers, family members and friends who attended and helped out with all the tasks that they were asked to do.

Wings Lined up on the prom.

It goes without saying that they did a magnificent job as they were well briefed as to what was required to be done in the various positions.

There are quite a few aspects of the day which I observed and still marvel at: Nigel without a camera, Ed with a camera and flash and not under a visitor’s bike assisting with repairs or advice, the quantity of GoldWings that turned up and lined up on the Prom, people in shirt sleeves at 8pm on 1st October in Llandudno, the crowds of people lining the streets in Llandudno for the parade, the crowds of onlookers waiting on the Prom at the end of the parade to see the static light display.

Excellent memories from the whole day!

The Parade has started!

All of these are my immediate recollections of the day.

There are many other good memories as well like the lady who came specifically on a coach trip to Llandudno from the Midlands so she could see the GoldWings and, as it turned out, to ride on the back of a trike during the parade.

Another notable feature of the day was the number of more mature people who came to look at, and in many cases to sit on, the GoldWings.

The fascination with trikes was tremendous, particularly when many realised that they were quite stable when on the move and did not need to be held up and balanced like a solo when going slow or stationary.

The Wings on Parade

I think the trike dealers will be fielding quite a few enquiries in the near future as the interest from the public was very strong indeed.

Without any doubt the event was well blessed due to the unseasonally warm and calm weather on the day which swelled the number attending and onlooking significantly.

I don’t recall ever being comfortable in shirt sleeves after dark in October before except when abroad on holiday.

Bad weather could have completely spoiled the event by reducing the number of Wings attending and by keeping the crowds of public away from the area. Fewer people attending the event would have seriously reduced the total raised for the RNLI.

Even a bride on her wedding day had to have her picture on a Goldwing

It was good to see Barry Walton from Appleyards in attendance with some display Wings for the public to look at.

He had brought down the wings but no chrome due to a restriction on trading on the prom.

He kept his super cheerful head on all day, and between him and Tina, kept the kettle constantly on for his Yorkshire tea with Yorkshire water brews that they made throughout the day. An excellent ambassador for all aspects of Winging and he will be very welcome at all our future events that he wishes to attend.

Many thanks must go to all the Wingers who attended and were very helpful and talkative to the members of the public on the Prom throughout the whole day.

The Chair of the Council being 'chauffeured' around

The interest in the Wings was tremendous from the public and I think it was one of the busiest static daytime displays I have ever seen.

This was followed by the lining up and the running of the parade itself. It was pleasing to see the number of people who had come to see the Wings parading the streets.

The route was ideal for the number of Wings present and, despite there being no road closure order, the parade was pretty well together for most of the whole route with only the odd car or two able to get out into the parade itself.

At this point I was wondering who in their right mind would drive a car out of a side road into a small gap between Wings trying to look like a mobile disco light shows all by themselves and with enough flashing and strobing lights to make some people think a major disaster had taken place somewhere.

A happy bunch of Wingers being rowdy in the street.

Many drivers just abandoned their cars at junctions and were busy filming the parade on their mobile phones. I saw several junctions completely blocked by the crowds standing in the roads taking pictures.

The only time it looked even busier was after the parade when the Wings were lined up for the Static Light display.

At one point it was a serious worry that we would not be able to get the Wings off the prom for the deadline time when it needed to be cleared, all due to the very large crowds in attendance.

The Chair of the Conwy County Council – Councillor Brenda Taylor, and The Mayor and Mayoress of Llandudno joined in the Parade and were taken around on three trikes. They were very pleased with the whole event.

I have no idea who this is putting up posters

I also think they were surprised by how many people came to the town to see the Wings and the Parade.

I hope that they are inspired to support any future parades that we can arrange as the venue lends itself well to such events.

At the end of the day initial counts showed that over £2700 had been raised for the RNLI by the Parade. This will be presented to the RNLI at a future date when all the sums are finalised.

Dave T

Note: you can find many photos and videos of the event on its official website: http://www.goldwings.org.uk/

Llandudno from the Orme

I am pleased to announce that Chris Phillips, Rides Co-ordinator for GoldWings North Wales, has worked diligently to secure the next great venue for a GoldWing Light Parade – Llandudno on the North Wales Coast.

By a carefully and fully considered approach, he has managed to secure the welcome and backing not only from Conwy Council but also from Mostyn Estates, the landowners of the majority of Llandudno, including the North Shore Promenade. The event is intended as a fund-raising event for the RNLI, who have an active Lifeboat Station in the town.

The date was chosen as 1st October 2011 for this display.

Prom and Cenotaph

It is at the end of the season as far as the majority of GoldWing events are concerned. It also is three weeks after the Scarborough Light Parade, hosted by Yorkshire Wings of GWOCGB, and it was a suitable date for the Conwy Council to be happy to back it.

Llandudno has many positive features for holding a Light Parade.

The town is away from main routes across North Wales so as not to cause any traffic issues, but close enough to arterial routes in North Wales to make travel to the resort easy.

The town is compact enough for a light parade to be able to keep together without serious hold-ups associated with other venues, and without the necessity for a road closure.

Goldwings on Llandudno Promenade

The suggested route for the parade through the town centre does not require a large number of marshals to ensure the route is easy to follow.

The event will run from the Friday evening with Saturday seeing a static display of GoldWings on the promenade from 11am to 4.30 pm.

The Evening will start with a muster of GoldWings on the Promenade at about 6.30 followed by the Parade leaving the Promenade at 7pm.

At 7.45 pm the Goldwings will re assemble on the Promenade for a static light display which finishes at 8.45pm.

If the Wing can't get up the Orme there is another way..

Accommodation has been secured at a GoldWing friendly hotel in the town, with nearby secure overnight parking. There is a two night package which has been secured with the hotel for Dinner Bed and Breakfast, with evening entertainment, at a favourable rate.

Negotiations are ongoing to try and secure a camping area for those hardy souls who really do want to camp in October.

For the most up-to-date information please see the Llandudno Light Parade Website

Chris, who is the Event Chairman for the light parade, will be available to deal with enquiries in the near future when all the fine details have been finalised.

My thanks go to Chris for arranging this and being the Event Chairman, and to Nigel for all the work done to ensure the web-site is sorted out quickly.

Dave T

A good old Charabanc

I went to Llandudno to drop the Mother -in-Law off yesterday, Saturday 2nd May. I had to go in the car as she didn’t fancy being a pillion passenger on the trike. In fact she has never been on a bike or a trike in her life and at 80 plus she says she doesn’t want to start now.

I have been to the Transport Festival on previous years so I know it is a good event, which attracts all forms of engines, buses, cars , lorries, motorcycles and many other forms of transport.

On top of that, the town closes down the Main Street and sets up all sorts of entertainment for the thousands of

Steamers on the Parade

visitors to the Extravaganza, which lasts over the weekend.

Having dropped off the M-i-L at her home, with the wife to sort her out,  I abandoned ship and went into town to see the parade. From previous years experience I was struck by the larger crowds this year watching the parade.

Following the parade passing my vantage point, I decided to walk down to the main field for the Festival in Craig Y Don, where all the vehicles would be displayed.

I think that the number of exhibitors this year must have been up on previous years as the field was huge and fully packed out.

Coaches on display

I enjoy looking at all forms of transport and this year I was struck by the quantity and quality of the exhibits to see.

There were some superb goods vehicles on display from small delivery vans (steam and petrol) up to some of the great Scammell heavy lorries. There were some American lorries there which were dwarfed by the Scammells. It was also good to see that the lorries were seen carrying loads, which were disguised living quarters.

The section where the buses and coaches were displayed bought back nostalgic thoughts, as I recognised a large selection of the buses from my childhood and later years.

A moped similar to my first motorised two wheeler

I must admit that I fancy a ride in one of the early open top charabancs that were on display.

Moving on,  I came to the bicycles and motorcycles section, and on looking around for a Capitano Moped, similar to the very first powered two wheeler that I owned,  I find Bill Squires with his white monster parked up in the “Mopeds under 100cc”  section. He and 5 or 6 other Wing owners from GoldWings North West were displaying their Wings and having a good time talking to the crowds.

Big mopeds on display

After helping Bill out by chatting to some of the interested passers-by, I managed to carry on and have a good look around the car section where I spotted many older cars that I grew up with and learnt to drive with.

All too soon, my afternoon was over and I had to leave the field to get back and pick the wife up and make our way home.

Next year I might just buy a motorhome and go and display my trike at the field and find any excuse to stay there for the weekend.

Dave T

Mr Squires chatting to interested parties