Head for the border and help raise vital funds

The peace of Cleobury Mortimer in Shropshire will welcome the sound of ageing British singles and twins and a range of foreign bikes to the Borders Classic Show at the town’s Lacon Childe School on September 11.

This show is a friendly gathering of clubs, individual owners and jumblers to enjoy excellent catering and fascinating sights and sounds. The doors open at 10am, with breakfasts cooked in the school kitchen for early arrivals. There are two halls of bikes, jumblers under cover outside, and at 2pm the noisiest bikes fire up for the SWATS megaphone award. It stands for She Would Appreciate That Sound, and is in memory of ex-deputy head Valerie Reynolds, who used to collect entry money and enjoy some of the not-quitelegal exhausts that made her smile.

There’s an array of trophies, the biggest for the Visitors’ Favourite, voted for by the public. Entry is just £5 and profits are shared between the school’s Parent Teacher Association and the Midlands Air Ambulance. The day ends at 4.30pm, after the prize-giving. And the ride through Shropshire roads, some of the best riding roads in the country to and from the show, really is the cream on the experience. If you want to enter your bike, forms are available online at www. bordersbikeshow.com