Hoggin The Beaver 2004 was just a one night stand.
We didn't call it Hoggin The Beaver I, because we didn't know whether there would be another at the time.
We started the weekend on the Saturday morning July 10th 2004 at the Little Chef at Newark, Nottinghamshire, with a great turnout of 37 people. John Harrisons of Lowdham gave us a van for the weekend so everybody that turned up could off load their camping equipment and lighten the load.
It was time for Sam to take her first ride out, EVER!!!
With a very nice ride along the River Trent through to Gunthorpe and then on to the Vale of Belvoir. Meandering through the lovely stone built villages, Harby, Eastwell, Eaton, Branston and Knipton to mention a few, set in some of the most beautiful countryside in England. It took us about an hour and a half to get to the old main entrance to Belvoir Castle and we managed to keep the Castle out of site right up till that moment. We went in through the old main entrance to the castle, to the rear of Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir and Denton. We had been given the keys so Mark my brother, white van man, could do the honours and have the gate open ready so we could keep on rolling. That was the surprise of the weekend, actually riding through the castle grounds, going up to the castle?s front door for a quick photo shoot was a mistake and we did apologise later that week and all was forgiven. Sally Ann, the car park lady put a good word in for us and that people visiting the castle that day enjoyed looking at the bikes. (foot in the door there then) Photo shoot over and it was time to move on.
The castle caterer had parked his burger van on the lower car park for us so we could have a bite to eat. Time marched on and it was off to the Dirty Duck, also known as The Rutland Arms, in Woolsthorpe By Belvoir, to claim our tents out of the van, that?s if Mark hadn?t sold them.
The weather was being kind to us and we were soon having a beer or two.
After dinner it was off to the function room and more beer.
Kev French supplied us with his own band for the night (Jester) and Barry his guitarist did the disco for us. The usual raffle at the half way point, raising money for Cancer Research UK. That got us off the mark and with only 37 beavers we all managed to raise £300.00 in total.
We had no burger bar to fall back on, so most of us had ordered breakfast in the pub for the following morning and that went down a treat, even Jethro turned up, what a surprise!
After breakfast it was time to say thanks to everybody for their help, support and generosity and a safe journey home. Absolutely knackered we went home and didn't bother with any beaver that night. Later that week, still on a high from the weekend, not marijuana, next years planning soon got off the ground, with plans for a full weekend for HTB II.
And that is how it started...
