BIKE CAFES, PUBS & MEETS

Ace Cafe, North Circular Road, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. Tel 0208 961 1000 www.ace-cafe-london.com Open 7am-11pm weekdays, 7am-late weekends. The most famous bikers’ cafe in the world and rightly so. Even if you live in the Shetlands, you have to make the pilgrimage at least once. Home to dozens of bike club meets, great rock and rockabilly music, MCM bike quiz nights and good grub. See Diary Dates for detailed event listings.

Alton Station Cafe, Station Road, Alton, Hants. GU34 2TZ. Owners David Aylmore and Allan Jones are bikers themselves and know a thing or two about good breakfasts.

Applecross Inn, Applecross, Wester Ross IV54 74462. Tel 01520 744262. Superb views, superb food and a superb ride there. A favourite with local bikers and a must for anyone touring the Highlands. Several clubs hold rallies there and summer weekends draw hundreds of bikers to the beachfront beer garden.

Arrow Mill Hotel, Arrow, near Alcester, Warks B49 5NL. Tel 01789 762419. Open daily 7.30am-midnight. Grand setting for informal bike meets from 3pm every Sunday. Meetings continue on a smaller scale in winter and are dependent on the weather.

Barrel Bikers, Milton Keynes, meet 7.30pm Wednesdays at the Greyhound pub, Haversham, Bucks MK19 7DT. New members welcome. www.barrelbikers.co.uk

Bassetts Pole Inn, London Road, Bassetts Pole, near Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B75 5SA. Tel 0121 308 0987. Open daily 11am-11pm. Popular with bikers seven days a week in the summer but it goes crazy on Tuesday nights when the car park hosts one of the biggest bike meets in the country.

Bell and Barrel, 58 North John Street, St Helens, Merseyside WA10 2JT. Tel 01744 451081. Open until 11pm (1am Friday and Saturday). Licensees Darren and Angela Crabbe offer a warm welcome to bikers. Rock band Friday nights.

BikeSafe. Motorcycle Rider Safety. www.bikesafe.co.uk Being tailed by a cop is something most of us would be keen to avoid. However, their assessment courses and rider workshops can pinpoint your mistakes and help make you a better rider. The official website lists more than 40 participating forces with dates and details of what’s available.

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BLACK COUNTRY MAG: Meet from about 8.30pm every Monday at The Park Inn, George Street, Woodsetton, Dudley, West Midlands DY1 4LN. Visit www.mag-uk.org and go to West Midlands Branch link.

Black Swan, South Street, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6EF. 01507 522378. Normal pub hours. Bikes always welcome but the pub also hosts two huge bike nights each year. Watch this space for the 2008 dates.

Blackpool MAG: Meet 8pm the first and third Wednesdays of every month The Burlington, Lytham Road, Blackpool, Lancs FY4 1JE. Call in to pick up your MCM and check out the scene. See Bikes at the Beach for info on their Fun and Frolics on Fylde Rally. Regional rep Antony Cox email Antony.Cox@ArvinMeritor.com

Blind Beggar, 97-99 Broughton Road, Edinburgh E87 4EG. Tel 0131 5573130. Open noon to midnight (1am Fri and Sat). Bikers are a regular fixture, as are bits and pieces of bikes adorning its walls.
n Blue Anchor Inn, East Aberthaw, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan CF62 3DD. Tel 01446 750329. All are welcome to attend the bike night every Wednesday from 7pm.

BMF NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE. Meets second Monday of each month, from about 7pm, at the Dog and Rat, Broughton, near Scunthorpe DN20 0JR. Would-be members welcome. Email: poacher8509@tesco.net

Board Inn, Market Place, Hawes, North Yorks DL8 3RD. Tel 01969 667223. Gill Holden took over as landlady in October 2005 and welcomes bikers.

Box Hill and Ryka’s Cafe, Box Hill, Surrey, (off the A424 between Leatherhead and Dorking). www.boxhill.co.uk. National Trust site that has been attracting bikers since the 1920s. Ryka’s has a reputation for top burgers and is at the heart of the action. You will find it at Old London Road, Burford Bridge, Dorking RH5 6BY. Tel 07730 661013. Open (summer) 8am-9pm, (winter) 8am-7pm. Bike nights Wednesdays but even more motorcycles turn up on summer Sundays. A must visit and well worth popping in for a cuppa in autumn and winter.

Bradford Arms, Ivetsey Bank, Wheaton Aston, South Staffs ST19 9QT. 01785 840297. Open daily normal pub hours. Monday night is bikers’ night from 6pm to 11pm. Big numbers attend during peak season. Special meal offers. Occasional special events such as autojumbles.

BRITISH GP SUPPORTERS’ CLUB. Meet every Monday about 7.30pm, The King’s Head, Wickham Square, Wickham, near Fareham, Hampshire PO17 5JN. All welcome. Call Mike on 02392 357041 or email mike@bgpsc.co.uk

Broadlakes Lodge Social Club, Shenley Lane, London Colney, Herts AL2 1DQ. Tel 01727 822240. Email broadlakelodge@mickrowson.orangehome.co.uk Meeting place for many bike clubs including the Busy Bee, and regional branches of the Harley, Triumph, Scott, Virago VMCC and more. Main bike meet Thursdays.

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Buell Enthusiasts’ Group. Their meeting place is on the web and about 800 people pop along on a regular basis. However, we are not listing www.ukbeg.com as a best location. It’s just the starting point. Scores of real flesh and blood, metal and petrol meets do take place all over the country. A joint track day with the Guzzi Club and the Emma Radford memorial meeting are among the highlights.

BURY HILL BIKERS’ GROUP, meets Hikers’ Cafe, Whiteways Lodge Carpark, nr Arundel, West Sussex. Also pub meets 1st Thursday every month. Visit www.buryhillbikers.co.uk or call Ozza on 07900 408399.

Bury St Edmunds MAG meet at The Sugar Beet Factory Sports & Social Club, Hollow Road, Bury St Edmunds, first and third Wednesday at 8pm. Contact Herb 07860 690 047. Email cpi@freeuk.co.uk

Cabin Dairy Tearooms, High Street, Burnham on Crouch, Essex CM0 8AG. Tel 01621 782404. Open 7.30am-5pm weekdays, 8am-5.30pm weekends. Harley rider Colin Smith has been pouring the tea for eight years. Gets 400-500 bikes summer weekends.

Castle Inn, Coningsby, Lincs LN4 4RF. Tel 01526 342336. Roy Foster runs the club nights for the Virago Star Owners who meet there the second Wednesday of the month from about 7.30pm.

Cat and Fiddle, Buxton Road, Macclesfield Forest, Cheshire SK11 OAR. Tel 01298 23364. Email: cat-and-fiddle@tiscali.co.uk Open daily from 11am. Famous pub standing nearly 1700 feet above sea level. Heavy policing of local roads but a still popular meeting spot for bikers.

CHELMSFORD MAG (Essex). Meets every Monday 8pm the Woolpack, corner of Midmay Road and Rochford Road, Chelmsford, Essex. Club contact Tony 01245 604262. Email: chelmsfordmag@eml.cc

Chelsea Bridge. The open till late Battersea Park tea-stall opposite the old power station is a favourite when the rest of the world has gone to bed. But police have cracked down on the stunts and a long cooling off period may be necessary before the Friday night activity returns to its former glory.

Christian Motorcyclists’ Association. The CMA (UK) have about 30 branches all over England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. New members welcome at regular meetings. Call 0800 015 4479 or visit www.bike.org.uk/cma/

Cleveland Bay, Pilgrims Close, Valley Park, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Hants SO53 4ST. Tel 02380 269814. Open 11.30am to 11pm (midnight Friday, 10.30pm Sunday). Bikers’ night on Wednesdays.

Cock Inn, Hanwood, near Shrewsbury SY5 8LJ. Bikers always welcome. Rainbringers MCC meet there Fridays 9pm. For club info call Gary Ryder on 01743 860392.

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Crayford Arms, 37 High Street, Crayford, Kent DA1 4HH. Tel 01322 521467. Open daily normal pub hours. Licensee Peter French is a member of the Cobbs MCC and rides a 1996 Harley Fatboy. Biker’s nights from 7.30pm every Tuesday.

Crazy4Bikes, meet every Wednesday evening The Potters Lodge, Nantwich Road, Audley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs ST7 8DY. Call Paul Compton 07739 10373. Visit http://groups.msn.com/Crazy4Bikes/welcomepage.msnw

Crown Hotel, High Street, Manningtree, Essex CO11 1AH. Tel 01206 396333. Biker meets first Tuesday every month inc winter.

Crusaders MCC: Meets about 8pm Thursdays at the Church Inn, Bell Lane, Bury BL9 6BB. Family club with events that include rock nights and rideouts. Club president Malcolm Law can be contacted on 07976 519302.

Darryl's Cafe, Church Street, Windermere, Cumbria LA23 1AQ. Tel 01539 442894. Bikers get a discount on the big breakfast special, which Darryl Hopwood serves from 8am every day. Situated on main A591 just 100 yards from train station. Customers can leave their helmets for safekeeping should you want to go exploring the town.

DICK TURPIN DISCIPLES. Meet 7pm the third Sunday of the month at the Todber Caravan Park, on the A682 Gisburn to Barrowford Road, Lancs. New members welcome.

Ducati Owners’ Club of GB. National club with about 25 branches all over the country staging monthly meets, ride-outs, rallies etc. New members welcome. For details of nearest local group visit www.docgb.org/branches/index.htm

Durham Ox, Cromford Road, Langley Mill, Notts NG16 4EX. Tel 01773 763408. A one-time bikers’ favourite that has changed hands and opened and closed numerous times over the last few years. Nicola Smith took over in August 2006 and plans to put it back on the map with motorcyclists.

Eana Motorcycle Club, meets about 9pm Thursdays, The Sun pub, Northaw, Herts EN6 4NL. Club contact 07889 60042 or 07710 171166, email eana_mcc@yahoo.co.uk

Ebrington Arms, Main Street, Kirkby-on-Bain, Woodhall Spa, Lincs LN10 6YT. Tel 01526 354560. Open noon-3pm, 6pm-midnight and all day Sunday. Meeting place for Triumph Classic Club but all welcome.

59 CLUB, 387a Barking Road, Plaistow E13 8AL. Meets from 7.30 every Wednesday and Saturday apart from Bank Holidays, The one and only 59 Club and still going strong after all these years. Club room facilities include coffee bar, juke box and snooker. Venue available for other clubs to meet. Visit www.the59clu.org.uk email the59club@hotmail or phone club nights 07990 768627.

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Fat Bob’s Café, Boasts Industrial Park, Beccles, Suffolk. Tel 01502 713251. Open 9.30am-4pm Tuesday to Friday, 8.30am-4pm Saturdays. Plus late night bikers’ night Friday and open Sunday morning from the end of April for rideouts. All day breakfasts and daily specials, pool table and TV. Fat Bob’s is run by bikers for bikers.

First & Last Inn, Sennen, nr Penzance, Cornwall TR19 7AD. Tel 01736 871680. Last pub in England, est 1620. Beer garden, real ales, good local food and Sky Sports. Sunday’s busiest but bikers drop in all the time.

The Flowing Spring, Henly Road, Playhatch, Reading, Berks RG4 9RB. Tel 01189 693207. Popular bikers’ night second Wednesday of the month.

Folkestone MAG: Meets from about 8pm Tuesdays at the Euphoria, East Street (by the harbour), Folkestone, Kent.

Forest of Dean Motor Cycle Club. Meets about 8pm every other Tuesday, Ranx Xerox Club, Vantage Point, Mitcheldean, Gloucs. Rideouts, rallies, charity events. Visit www.freewebs.com/fodmcc

Fosse Riders MCA, The (former) King Richard III School, Western Park, A47 (Hinckley Road), Leicester. Tel 07885 254545. www.fosse-riders.co.uk Thousands of ACU National Rally riders will be familiar with the Fosse Riders’ clubhouse as a checkpoint on the annual marathon. Visitors are welcome to pop along to club meets at 8pm on Thursdays.

Fox’s Diner, Deacons Garage, Oxford Road, Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxford OX10 7LY. Tel 01865 341607. www.foxsdiner.com Open daily April to October 8am-6pm, November to March 8am-4pm. Special bikers’ nights on Mondays in summer 6pm-9pm. Sunday breakfast runs also popular. Fox’s MCC launched at the diner in 2006 and going great guns.

Fylde Coast Bike Meets. See Bikes at the Beach. All year round meet.

Geordie MAG meet from 8pm every Wednesday, The Avalon Hotel, 26 South Parade, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear NE26 2RG. Visit www.theavalon.co.uk

Glasshouse Cafe and Crafts, Main Road (A153) Tattershall Bridge, Tattershall, Lincs LN4 4JW. Tel 01526 869 018. Open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, weekends 8am-6pm. Bikers’ nights every Friday from 6.30pm. Paddock available for free camping.

GoldWing Owners’ Club of GB. There are 36 regional branches and a calendar of events that means you could be away from home every weekend during the spring and summer. Visit www.gwocgb.co.uk

GOLDWING ROAD RIDERS’ ASSOCIATION. More than 82,000 members worldwide. Events throughout the year in the UK. www.gwrra.org for main website, www.gwrra.org.uk for UK information, news and events.

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Great Doddington Club Bikers Meet, Great Doddington Club, Lower Street, Great Doddingon, near Wellingborough, Northants NN29 7TL. Tel 01933 226009 www.doddingtonclub.com Great Doddington Club is not a bikers’ club but the bikers who meet there decided that it should have one. So now it has. Already a popular music venue, bikers nights are held the first Tuesday of every month from 7pm until 11pm. Quizzes, barbecues also planned.

The Great Northern, 12-14 Halifax Road, Keighley BD21 5EH. Tel 01535 602318. Usual pub hours. Traditional pub welcomes bikers to drop in on rideouts etc. Special catering available for clubs that call and give notice. Handy for the Dales and Cumbria.

GREEN DRAGON, Flaunden, Hertfordshire HP3 0PP. Tel 01442 832269. The Old Codgers, better known as Dad’s Army or GAG (the Get Along Gang), meet here every Wednesday evening from about 6pm but you will find a member or two supping a pint at the bar most nights. For more info call Mike on 07887 751876 or visit www.bovingdon.net/bbc.asp

Green Man, Scamblesby, Louth, Lincs LN11 9XG. Tel 01507 343282. Normal pub hours Sunday-Wednesday, open all day Thursday-Saturday. Handy for Cadwell for race meetings and trackdays. Banovallum MCC meets first Thursday every month.

Green Welly Stop, Tyndrum, Perthshire FK20 8RY. Tel 01838 400271. www.thegreenwellystop.com.uk Open (restaurant, shops) April to October 8.30am-5.30pm, November to March 8.30am-5pm. Petrol station May to Sept 7am-10pm, October to April 8am-9pm. The bike park at the Green Welly is the gateway to the Highlands with fabulous riding roads in every direction.

The Grey Goose, Arnold Lane, Gedling, Notts NG4 4HA. Tel 01159 871335. Open daily 3pm-midnight. Bikers’ meet first Tuesday every month from 7pm.

Groenedijk Motorcycle Loft Hotel, Oudenburg, Belgium. Long famous haunt for British bikers at the start or end of a European tour or as a venue for a cross-channel weekend party. Some excellent bands play there and it now incorporates Belgium’s only motorcycle museum. Visit www.grd.be

The Guide Inn, Keighley Road, Hainworth, Keighley, West Yorks BD21 5QP. Tel 01535 272138. Open Monday to Thursday 4pm-11pm, Friday 3.30pm-1am, weekends from midday. Bikers’ night from 7pm every Thursday all year round. Open fires and real ale make it an excellent winter destination. Camping available by appointment.

H’s Cafe at Kent Motorcycles, Dover Road (A2), nr Barnham, Canterbury, Kent CT4 6SA. Tel 01227 832601. Café open weekdays 7.30am-3.30pm, Saturday and Sunday 8am-4pm. Bikers’ night is Wednesday night from 6pm-9.30pm. Demo rides seven days a week. Workshop open seven days a week.

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Hard Rock Cafe, 150 Old Park Lane, London W1K 1QZ. Tel 020 7514 1700. www.hardrock.com Bikers’ nights the first Thursday of the month throughout summer. An open-to-all meeting that only Harleys attend.

Harlequin pub, 136 Stamford Road, Kettering, Northants NN16 9UA. Open daily 11am to midnight. Popular meeting place for bikers – no idiots. Friday night is band night. Jam sessions Sundays from about 5.30pm. Occasional rideouts and barbecues.

Harley-Davidson Riders Club of GB (Region 13) meet every second Wednesday of the month The Red Lion, High Street, Wendover, Bucks HP22 6DU. Call 07957 373 488. See also http://www.hdrcgb.org.uk

HARLEY-DAVIDSON RIDERS CLUB OF GB (Anglia Region 15). Meet 8pm second Friday of each month at The Plough, Milk and Water Drove, Farcet Fen, Ponderbridge, Peterbrough PE7 3DR. Call Foby 01733 841097, or visit www.hdrcgb.org.uk

Hartside Cafe, Alston, Cumbria CA9 3BW. Tel 01434 381036. Open daily March to October 9.30am-5pm. Closed from late November until February according to weather. Call and check before travelling during this period. Fantastic views and great food in a cafe that stands in splendid isolation ‘five miles from anywhere.’ Used as a staging post for rideouts by numerous biking groups and attracting up to 2000 bikers at weekends. In summer. A food stop for nearly a century and a favourite with at least three generations of bikers.

Hartsholme Country Park Cafe, Hartsholme Country Park, Skellingthorpe Road, Lincoln LN6 0EY. Tel 07970 740024. Owner Paul Nicholls offers a warm welcome to motorcyclists seven days a week – 9am-6pm on weekdays and until 7pm at weekends.

Haven Arms, Havenside, Hedon, Hull HU12 8HH. Tel 01482 897695. Open normal pub hours. Tuesday night bike nights with the Holderness Hi-Siders & Lo-Riders MCC.

Hednesford MCC, Hednesford, Staffs. Meet from 8pm Wednesdays at Churchill Victoria WMC, Hednesford. Club contacts: Mick 01543 572076 or Mandi 01543 877046.

Herts and Cambs MCC. Meet Cross Keys, Caxton. Cambs CB3 7DZ the first and third Wednesday of every month. Ride-outs and touring holidays among club activities. Call Alan 07952 196258, Anne 07952 209160 or Mark 07990 542527.

Hindley MCC: Meets Tuesday evenings at The Mechanics Arms, Leigh Road, Hindley Green, Leigh WN2 4XW. Club contact Don Kirkpatrick 07745 748084 or email admin@hindleymcc.com

Honda Owners’ Club of GB. One of the country’s biggest independent motorcycle clubs with more than 5000 members and a national network of regional branches. Visit www.hoc.org.uk

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Hope & Anchor, Sluice Road, South Ferriby, North Lincs BN18 6JQ. Tel 01652 635242. Open daily 11.30am-11pm. Tuesday night bike nights.

Horseshoe Public House, London Road, Silk Willoughby, nr Sleaford, Lincs NG34 8NZ. Tel 01529 303153. Open daily normal pub hours. Bike nights began two years ago and now staged from 6pm every Wednesday. They are at their peak from April until early October but are impromptu affairs and continue all year.

Horse & Jockey, Wadsley Lane, Hillsborough, Sheffield S6 4EF. Tel 01142 348440. Meeting place for several clubs with rideouts and charity runs planned.

Hunters Lodge Inn, Bayford Street, Leigh Common, Wincanton, Somerset BA9 8LD. Tel 01747 840439. Thursday bike meets in summer can pull in as many as 500.

Jack’s Hill Cafe, Watling Street (A5) just north of Towcester, Northants NN12 8ET. Tel 01327 350522. Open 6am-10pm Monday to Friday, Saturday 6am-2pm, Sunday 7.30am-2pm. Long-established cafe that serves as the start or finish of countless breakfast runs. Biggest turnouts early Sunday mornings.

Jolly Miller pub, Hook Road, North Warnborough, Hants RG29 1ET. Tel 01256 702085. Open 11.30am-11pm (noon to 10.30pm Sun). Licensee Robert Thompson is an ex-biker who loves bikes and welcomes those who ride them.

Kilham Wednesday Night Bikers. Tel 07715 567909. They meet at the Bosville Arms, Rudston, nr Bridlington YO25 4UB. Guess which night?

KINDRED SPIRITS MCC. Meets 7.30pm every Thursday at Duke’s Head Pub, Bridgefoot, Workington, Cumbria CA14 1YF, EXCEPT last Thursday of the month when the meeting switches to Salutation Inn, Threlkeld, near Keswick CA12 4SQ. Would-be members welcome.

Kings Arms, Main Road, Newport, Brough, North Humberside HU15 2QS. Tel 01430 440289. You’ll find this pub on the B1230 between Newport and Howden. And it’s worth finding! Hull and East Riding MCC already meet here and other club dos are planned.

King Billy (King William), Commercial Street, Northampton NN1 1PJ. Tel 01604 621325. Open daily noon-11pm, weekends noon-midnight. Bikers’ pub near the centre of town that really comes alive in the evenings with plenty of live music dates and special events.

KINGS LYNN & FEN RIDERS MC, meet 7.30pm the second Monday of the month, The Chequers, Wimbotsham, Norfolk PE34 3QG and at 9am, the second and fourth Sunday at the Little Chef, West Lynn, Norfolk PE34 3LW. Call 01760 721545 or visit www.fenriders.org.uk

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Knott End Cafe, Ramsay Court, Bourne May Road, Knott End, Lancs FY6 0AB. Tel 01253 811948. Open daily 10am-4.30pm. Late night Wednesday meets.

Lanchester CenturiOns MCC: Meet 7.30pm Wednesdays at Lanchester Cricket Club, Kittswell Road, Lanchester, County Durham DH7LNP. Rideouts and rallies by lovers of bikes and trikes. Club contact Wayne ‘Dumpa’ Tilley 07739 628741.

Last Orders, Drake Street, Rochdale, Lancs OL16 1SD. Tel 01706 351624. New owner and new name for the old Mucky Duck.

Leicester Phoenix MCC, meet 9pm every Tuesday, Heathcote Arms, Croft, Leicestershire LE9 6EG. Call 078027 60527 or visit www.leicestershirephoenixmcc.co.uk

Leaking Boot, Grimsby Road, Cleethorpes, Lincs DN35 7ES. Tel 01472 691530. Cafe open for food 9am-4pm. Live bands Friday nights and weekends. Special rates on rooms for bikers. MAG meets every other Monday and Hole in Wall Gang meets Fridays.

LINCOLNSHIRE ADVANCED MOTORCYCLISTS. Meet 8pm the first Wednesday of every month at the Limes Hotel, Gainsborough Road, Market Rasen LN8 3JW (A631). Group observed rides held the Sunday immediately following each meeting at locations throughout the county. Individual assessment/introduction rides arranged to suit. Call John Cheetham on 01427 616864. www.lincs-am.org.uk

Lincolnshire Bike Nights. Graham Sugdon has been running Wednesday bike nights all over the county since 1989 and has more than 50 planned for the 2007 season. Where and when details available on website. www.lincolnshirebikenights.com

Long Riders Brotherhood – Sheffield: Meets Wednesdays from 8pm at the New Norfolk Inn, Manchester Road, Sheffield S6 6GH. Visit www.longriders-uk.com Call 07786 337342 or 07876 134658.

Lord Nelson pub, Poole Quay, Dorset BH15 1HJ. MCM stockist and good place to call for a pint during the Quay’s Tuesday bike nights. If you have a special you want to showcase give the licensee Anna Doyle a ring on 01202 776226. Live music Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Lord Stones CafE, top of Carlton Bank, Chop Gate, Stokesley TS9 7JH. Tel 01642 778227. Email jetmorgan@tiscali.co.uk Superb views at a crossroads for bikers and walkers. Free camping, barbecue and hog roasts by arrangement. Good beer at £1 per pint. Classic bikes meet 10.45am every Sunday. Private function room. MCM stockist.

LOWER LODE INN, Forthampton, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire GL19 4RE. Biker friendly pub that hosts meetings of the Tewkesbury and District MCC and a great destination for ride-outs. Also available the pub’s picturesque rally site on the banks of the River Severn.

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Lynn’s Raven CafE, Junction A41/149 Preesheath, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 2AF. Tel 01948 665691. www.lynnsravencafe.co.uk The best all-day breakfast in the business? That’s this café’s claim. It is certainly one of the country’s biggest biker friendly cafés with indoor seating for 260 and space for another 40 alfresco. Good food and good biking roads make it well worth a visit. Check website for details of rideout and special events.

Lysley Arms, Pewsham, Chippenham, Wilts SN15 3RU. Tel 01249 652864. Open 11am-11pm Monday to Saturday, noon-11pm Sundays. Summer bike nights and barbecues.

Mackintosh Arms, Aire Street, Goole, Yorkshire DN14 5QW. Call 01405 763850. Visit www.goole-guide.net/macintosh.htm Easy to see why the Goole and District MCC (the Wobbly Goolies) meet here at 8pm the first and third Tuesday of every month. It’s a great pub, with a good atmosphere, excellent real ales and live bands.

Matlock Bath, Derbyshire. A magnet for bikers every weekend throughout the year but the big turnouts are on summer Sundays.

Medway MAG: Meet from 8.30pm Mondays at the Beacon Court Tavern, 128 Canterbury Street, Gillingham, Kent ME7 5TP. MAG contact Stu Chivers 07851 145436.

Merrychest Cafe, Watling Street, Bean, near Dartford, Kent DA2 8AH. Tel 01474 8322371. Open daily 6.30am-5pm. Good food cafe run by sisters Tracey, Julie and Terry. Bikers’ nights resume next spring.

MFN Club, Shipley Gate, Eastwood, Nottinghamshire NG16 3JE. Visit www.mfn.club.co.uk. Tel 01773 530313. Owned by Malcolm Allured, former drummer with the band Showaddywaddy. Difficult to find but worth the effort! Closed now until spring when normal service will be resumed with more bike nights, more bands and more rallies. Keep checking your MCM for details.

Midway Truckstop, A41/A49 Prees Heath, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 3JT. Tel 01948 663160. Biker-friendly cafe known to many as venue for the annual Classic Bike Guide Big Breakfast. Opening times and more info www.midwaytruckstop.co.uk

Mill House, Hartford Marina, Banks End, Wyton, Huntingdon, Cambs PE28 2AA. Tel 01480 414311. Open 10am-11pm Monday to Saturday and until 10.30pm Sunday. Bikers’ night is Tuesday night.

Montford Bridge Café and Picnic Area, off the A5 nr Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Bike meet every Tuesday from 7pm throughout the summer. Good food, hot and cold drinks. Visit www.montfordbridgecafe.co.uk

Moto Guzzi Owners’ Club of GB. Celebrated their 30th birthday in 2006. A popular club with close to 3000 members and branches all over the UK. Visit www.motoguzziclub.co.uk

Nabs Head, Nabs Head Lane, Samlesbury, near Preston, Lancs PR5 0UQ. Tel 01254 852455. Open daily lunchtime and evenings. Home of the VJMC’s annual Nabs Head Classic Bike Show and a popular meeting place for bikers.

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New Inn, Five Lanes End, Burton Road, Needwood, Staffs DE13 9PB. Tel 01283 575392. www.newinn.co.uk Open daily noon-3pm and 6pm-11pm. Sunday night bike meets held through spring and summer..

Newlands Corner car park and burger bar. Opening hours a bit vague but roughly 9am-5pm every day. Off the A25 about three miles east of Guildford, at the top of the hill. Regular summer meeting place for bikes of all sorts, plus ramblers, cyclists, horse riders and old people in Nissan Micras. Nice views.

North East MAG, meet from 7.30pm every Wednesday at The Avalon Hotel, 26 South Parade, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear NE26 2RG. Visit www.theavalon.co.uk

North London Honda Owners’ Club, meet 8.30pm every Thursday, The King’s Oak, High Beach, Loughton, Essex IG10 4AE. Tel 07768 613 315. www.nlhoc.org.uk

Oakdene Cafe, London Road, Wrotham, Kent TN15 7RR. Tel 01732 884873. www.oakdenecafe.co.uk Open Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri 6am-6.30pm, weekends 6am-5pm.

Oakley Motorcycle Club, Oakley Beds. Tel 07747 144497. www.oakleymc.org.uk Club meets 7pm every Thursday at the Oakley Sports and Social Club, Church Lane, Oakley MK43 7RU. Also regular ride-outs and events.

Oasis Snack Bar, Monmouth Road, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire NP7 5LH. Tel 01873 855375. Open 9am-6pm every day (8pm on weekdays only in summer). The Oasis, by the bus station with plenty of parking, has been a bikers’ haunt for years for both locals and visitors. It welcomes hundreds on good-weather Saturdays and Sundays, and a couple of thousand over bank holiday weekends.

Oasis Snack Bar, Royal Albert Drive, Scarborough YO12 7TU: Tel 01723 507857.

OLD NICKS TAVERN, 8 North Street, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 5DX. Tel 01507 526862. Visit www.oldnickstavern.co.uk Biker welcoming pub with a packed live music programme.

Old Police Station Cafe, 17 Market Place, Helmsey, Yorks Y06 2 5BL. Tel 01439 770413. Open weekdays 9am-5pm, weekends 8.30am-5.30pm. Good place to stop for tea and a bun before or after riding the moors.

OLD SWAN, Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire NN10 8BJ. Call 01933 385378. Bike nights every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Loads of live music.

THE PAN CLAN. Honda Pan-European Owners’ Club. National club with regional branches and local meetings all over the country. All ST1100 and ST1300 owners welcome. Visit www.pan-clan.org

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Pemberton Arms, High Street, Harston, Cambs CB2 5PX. Tel 01223 870351. Open from noon all day Tuesday to Sunday, from 5pm Monday. Regular bikers’ nights.

Penny Garth Cafe, Market Place, Hawes, North Yorks DL8 3RD. Tel 01969 667066. www.pennygarthcafe.co.uk Open daily 9am-5pm. Bikers pop in every day but up to 500 summer weekends.

PLOUGH PUB, Milk and Water Drove, Ramsey Road, Farcet Fen, Peterborough PE17 3DR. Tel 01733 844307. Friday night is bikers’ night. Camping available on site.

Ponderosa Cafe, Horseshoe Pass, Llangolen, Denbigh LL20 8DR. Tel 01978 790307. www.ponderosacafe.co.uk Email: info@ponderosacafe.co.uk Open daily (winter) 9am- 4pm (summer) 8.30am-5.30 and 8am-6pm weekends. Great biking roads, and great views from the cafe complex, which sits 1400ft above sea level. Excellent value breakfasts too. Often attracts 500-plus on summer Sundays.

Poyntz Arms, Walton Road, East Molesey, Surrey, KT8 0DP, Tel 0208 9412323. Open 11am-11pm Monday to Friday, 11am-midnight weekends. Regular haunt of four or five bike clubs with bikers’ night meets from about 9pm every Thursday all year round.

Prewley Moor Arms, Church Road, Sourton Down, near Okehampton, Devon EX0 4HT. Tel 01837 861349. New owners, new name. Well, old name changed back from the Bottleneck Inn. Open Monday to Saturday 11am-11pm, Sunday noon-10.30pm. Particularly popular with bikers at weekends but welcome any time.

Pyeratz MCC: Meets 8pm Mondays at the Wood Bottom Social Club, Shipley, Bradford, West Yorkshire. All welcome. Call 01274 600377.

Rayleigh Riders Motorcycle Touring Club. Tel 01702 523190. www.rayleighriders.tripod.com Meet 8pm every Thursday The Cock Inn, Hall Road. Rochford, Essex. Rideouts 10am every Sunday from Swallow Aquatics Cafe.

Reading MAG: Meets from 8.30pm Mondays, The Retreat, St John’s Road, Reading RG1 4EE.

Redliners MCC, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. Tel 07865 079639. www.redlinersmcc.co.uk Meet 7.30pm every Thursday at the Royal Stag, Fletcher Way, Highfield, Herts. Newcomers welcome.

Red Lion, High Street, Avebury, Wiltshire SN8 1RF. Tel 01672 539266. www.redlion-avebury.com Open Monday to Saturday 8.30am-11pm, Sunday until 10.30pm. Wednesday night is bikers’ night.

Red Lion, The Bull Ring, off Louth Road, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 5HT. Tel 01507 523338. Open daily 11am-11pm. Mid-Lincs MAG meets 7.30pm second and fourth Sundays every month. Club website: www.midlincs.mag-uk.org Motorcycle youth group also meets there.

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Red Lion, Greenstreet Green (B1078) Great Bricett, Ipswich, Suffolk 1P7 7DD. Tel 01473 658492. Open noon-midnight Monday to Saturday and from 8.30am for Sunday breakfasts. Bikers’ nights introduced in 2005 when the pub was taken over by XJR1300 owner John Weaver and family. Now staged from about 6pm every Thursday outdoors in spring and summer, indoor autumn and winter.

Red Lion, Revesby, Lincs PE22 7NU. Biker friendly pub that hosts meetings and ride-outs by the Wolds Bikers.

Rivington Barn, off the A673, Horwich, Lancs BL6 7SB. Big bike meets summer Sundays. Rivington Barn Bikers www.rivingtonbarn.com

Roadchasers MRC: Meet 8pm Wednesdays, The Waggon and Horses, Chesham HP5 1EF. Tel 07980 062383 or visit www.roadchasers.co.uk

Rockingham Classics and Sports Cafe, White Buildings Garage, Braybrooke Road, Great Oxendon, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 8LT. Call 01858 439945. www.rcands.co.uk The cafe is upstairs at this classic bike and car showroom and is open 10am-5pm every Saturday and the first Sunday of every month April to October. Bacon butties a speciality.

Salutation Inn, Church Street, Nettleton, Caistor, Lincs LN7 6NP. Tel 01472 851228 Open noon-3pm, 6pm-midnight. Real ale pub hosts Ducati Owners’ Club meets the second Tuesday of the month. Harley Breakaways gather the last Friday.

Sam’s Cafe, Unit 1C, Spencer Trading Estate, Denbigh LL16 5TQ. Tel 01745 816807 www.sams-café.co.uk Open Tuesday to Friday 8.30am-2.30pm, 9am-3pm weekends, closed Mondays. Situated opposite A&D Motorcycles and a magnet for bikers since it opened in 2004. Up to 150 bikes on summer weekends.

Scally's, Carlton Street, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1UA. Tel 01934 412541.

SEAWAYS CAFE, Fridaythorpe junction off A166/B1251 on the Yorkshire Wolds YO25 9RC. Tel 01377 288203. Open every day 8am-4pm and in summer until about 8pm on Wednesdays. Great menu of snacks and meals and gateway to many excellent biking roads. Used by many organisations – BikeSafe, IAM, BMF, MAG – as well as many classic and modern clubs.

Sir Charles Napier Pub, 10 Limbrick, Blackburn, Lancashire BB1 8AA. Open every day, noon until midnight. Live band and rock DJ Fridays, Classic rock DJ Saturdays, punk and Karaoke Tuesdays and Thursdays. Red Rose MAG meet at the pub every Monday 8pm. Call 01254 52928 or visit www.charlesnapierrocks.com

Sirocco Sports Bar, 39-45 Shaftsbury Aveune, London W1D 6LA. Tel 0207 437 0847. www.siroccolondon.com MotoGP, World Superbikes and BSB on the menu for live Sky Sports screenings at London premier sports and dance bar.

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Skegness MCC: Meets first Wednesday of the month, Welcome Inn, Burgh Road, Skegness PE25 2LJ. All welcome. Call organiser Nancy Wilson on 01507 490308.

Sloop Inn, Llandog, Monmouth NP25 4TW. Tel 01594 530291. Bikers were banned from this pub. New landlord Peter Moore wants to encourage them back so drop in.

Southampton MAG: Meets 9pm Wednesdays at The Cricketers, Chestnut Avenue, Eastleigh, Hants SO53 3HN.

South Elkington Village Shop and Tearoom, Main Road, South Elkington, Lincs EN11 0RZ (midway between Market Rasen and Louth). Tel 01507 607577. Open Sunday 10am-4pm. Bikers’ special baps.

Southport Roadrunners, weekly ride-outs from the BP Garage, Preston New Road, Crossens, Southport PR9 8NV. Meet from 6.45 for 7pm start. More details 01704 212123 or email petemate@talktalk.net

Square Cafe, The Square, Broughton-in-Furness, Cumbria LA20 6JA. Tel 01229 716388. Local MAG branch meet here and it’s a popular haunt for bikers, particularly on Sundays.

Squire’s Milk Bar Cafe, Newthorpe Lane, nr Sherburn in Elmet, West Yorkshire LS25 3LX. Tel 01977 684618. www.squires-cafe.co.uk Email: info@squires-cafe.co.uk Daily 9am-11pm. Original Squire’s opened in 1954 and has been operating from the new site since 2002. 7.5-acre campsite where bikers can stay overnight or for a few days. £2 per day for use of the showers and toilet is all it will cost you. The food is good, there are many special events staged throughout the year. Wednesdays 4-11pm see up to 7000 bikers on site in the summer and similar numbers come and go between 9am-11pm on summer weekends.

Star and Garter, The Green, Chelverston, near Wellingborough, Northants NN9 6AJ. Tel 01933 623295. Open Monday to Friday 5pm-11pm, Saturday 11.30am-11pm, Sunday noon-11pm. Bike nights at the pub grew from a Rushden MAG meeting to an open house for all now attracting up to 250. Regular ride-outs and a summer bike show now on the programme.

Stevenage MCC: Meets about 8pm Mondays at the Robin Hood, Walkern, Herts SG2 7NT. Club secretary Mike Taylor 01438 354130.

Suzuki Owners’ Club. About 20 active centres and a wide variety of rallies, ride-outs, meets and events. Visit www.suzuki-club.co.uk

Tally Ho Inn, Bell Lane, Broadheath, near Tenbury Wells, Worcs WR15 8QX. Tel 01886 853241. www.tallyhorestaurant.co.uk Open daily 10am-late. Popular spot with bikers, particularly on summer Sundays.

TEESSIDE YESTERYEAR MOTOR CLUB. Motorcycles, cars and all types of older transport come under the umbrella of this 300-member club that meets on the first Monday of every month (except Bank Holidays) at Stockton Cricket Club, Oxbridge Avenue, Stockton-on-Tees TS18 4JF. Visit www.tymc.org.uk

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Thetford and District MCC. Meets 7.30pm alternate Thursdays The Ark Public House, London Road (the old A11), Thetford IP24 2JE. Live bands most Fridays and Saturdays. Club contact Alan Lockwood 01842 763744.

The Three Tuns Hotel, 6 High Street, Ashwell, Herts SG7 5NL. Tel 01462 742107. www.tuns.co.uk A famous bikers’ pub in the 80s that aims to be so again now under the management of Harley rider Sharon Collins.

Tridents MCC. Meets Tuesday nights, Clarendon pub, High Street East, Sunderland SR1 2BL. Call Phil Dodsworth on 07788 621157, email philipleedodsworth@yahoo.co.uk

TSUNAMI RIDERS’ MCC, meets 8.30pm Tuesdays, The Three Blackbirds, 118 Blendon Road, Bexley Kent DA5 1BX. Call 01474 708669. Visit www.tsunamiriders.org.uk

Tyne Valley Classic Motorcycle Club, meet the last Wednesday of every month, the Glenside, Mickley, Northumberland NE43 7BW. Rideout every Sunday. Visit www.tvmc.co.uk

Unwanted MCC meets at The Beech, Derby Road (A5151), Burton on Trent, Staffs DE13 0DL every Friday from about 8pm. Rideouts, rallies and parties are the club speciality. New members welcome. Visit www.unwantedmcc.co.uk

Victoria Bikers’ Pub, (the Queen Vic), Whitwick Road, Coalville, Leics LE67 3FA. (Follow signs from A511 for Hermitage Hotel). Open evenings only Monday to Friday from 7pm and from noon to 1am weekends. Tel 01530 814718. www.vicbikerspub.co.uk. Camping on site. Thursday is their biggest bike night of the week but there is something on every day at the Queen Vic, which is well known for its live music, ‘belly buster’ specials and great atmosphere.

VIRAGO STAR OWNERS’ CLUB (Centre 10 East Anglia) meets 1st Sunday each month, noon-2pm, Fleece Pub, Mendlesham, Suffolk (which also stocks Motor Cycle Monthly). Contact club rep Martin Yates 07702 553436 email martin@sillyhelmetcovers.co.uk Also visit www. vsco.org.uk

Virago Star Owners’ Club (Centre 14 South London and Surrey), meet 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at The Well House Inn, Chipstead Lane, Coulson, Surrey CR5 3SQ. Contact centre rep at centre.rep@vsoc-centre14.co.uk or call 07976 605902. Visit www.vsoc.org.uk/ or www.vsoc-centre14.co.uk

Waggon and Horses, London Road, Thrupp, Stroud, Glos GL5 2BL. Tel 01453 731686. Landlord Julian Ballinger rides a Ducati 900SS and the pub is a meeting place for both the UKMOC and DOCGB.

Waterloo and District Motor Club meets 8.30pm the third Wednesday of every month at the Railway Club, Melling Road, Aintree. Rideouts (early and late) every Sunday morning from McDonalds, Switch Island Leisure Park, Dunnings Bridge Road, Liverpool. Visit www.wdmc.co.uk Contact club secretary Gerry Donnelly 01514 74 4158 or ride co-ordinator Ian Thomas 07784 730895.

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Waterman, Birmingham Road, Hatton, Warks CV35 7JJ. Tel 01926 492427. Open daily 11am until late. Wednesday bike nights sometimes attract 2000-plus.

Wessons Cafe at Wessons Motorcycles, High Street, Horam, Heathfield, East Sussex TN21 OER. Tel: 01435 813999. www.wessonscafe.com Café open 9am-5pm Wednesdays to Saturdays, 10am-4pm Sundays. Close Monday and Tuesday. Popular year-round meeting place.

West End Cafe, Broad Street, Llandovery, Carmarthan SA20 OAR. Tel 01550 720694. Popular with bikers every day but particularly Sundays. Great roads in the area to explore.

West Middlesex MCC. Meet about 8pm every Wednesday, The Crown, Colham Green Road, Hillingdon, Essex UB8 3QH. Regular ride-outs, camping weekends and European biking holidays. For more call Steve on 07915 656760 or visit www.wmmcc.co.uk

West Norfolk MAG meet at The Sportsman, West Winch (on the A10 just South of Kings Lynn) every Wednesday from 7.30pm. Contact Val Taylor 07763 054 357. Email: harleybird56@yahoo.co.uk

West Yorkshire MAG: Meets 8pm Thursdays, The Three Pigeons, Sun Lane, off South Parade, Halifax HX1 2LX. MAG business second and fourth Thursdays, socials other Thursdays.

Whistlestop Cafe, Unit 1 Langbourne Road, Whitby, Yorkshire Y021 1YN. Tel 01947 606060. Open daily 9.30am-5pm. Hours extended until 9pm for bikers’ nights every Thursday during the summer.

White Swan, North Quay, Great Yarmouth NR30 1PU. Tel 01493 842027. Open daily 11am-11pm. Riverside pub not far from the more crowded seafront.

Wild Ox, A46, Six Hills, Leicester LE14 3PD. Big bike meets every Tues evening during the summer.

Willingham Woods, Market Rasen, Lincs (off the A631 towards Louth) Tel 01673 849778. Popular meeting place for bikers particularly Wednesday nights when the café/kiosk stays open late. www.willinghamwoods.com

Windsor and District MAG: Meet every Tuesday from 8.30pm, The Red Cow, Albert Street, Slough SL1 2AU. Tel 07722 538317 or visit www.wadmag.org.uk

Witney MAG: Meets from 8.30pm Tuesdays, White Hart Inn, Minster Lovell, nr Witney, Oxon OX29 0RZ. Regional rep Rob 07905 003585. Visit www.westoxen mag.org.uk

Wycombe MAG: Meets Tuesdays from 9pm, The Stag, Flackwell Heath, nr High Wycombe, Bucks HP10 9ES.

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BIKES AT THE BEACH

Applecross, Wester Ross. A long way to go for a pint and sandwich if you live in Cornwall but the Applecross Inn (see Cafes, Pubs, Meets) is a local favourite for its beach front beer garden, amazing views and the journey there through the Bealach–na-Ba pass on one of Britain’s most celebrated biking roads. Peak season weekends often attract hundreds of bikes. Rooms available and tourers welcome at nearby Applecross campsite 01520 744 268.

Blackpool area. Fylde Bike Meets, St Anne’s Town Centre, Lancs from 6.30pm Mondays all year round and regular rideouts on Sundays. Discount card available offering savings at local bike shops cafes etc. Contact rbooth666@blueyonder.co.uk or visit www.fyldebikemeet.co.uk. Or you could just suss out the area by attending Blackpool area MAG meets. They are held from 8.30pm on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at the Burlington, Lytham Road, Blackpool FY4 1JE. Visit www.blackpoolmag.co.uk

Brighton, East Sussex. The Annual Rockers’ Reunion and Brightona festival are the big ones but Madeira Drive is choc-a-block most summer weekends.

Hunstanton, Norfolk. A council ban on bike parking a couple of summers ago caused uproar at Sunny Hunny. Bikers claimed they were one of the town’s tourist attractions and they’re right. Check out the scene any summer Sunday. Also a good destination to head on those cold but bright winter days.

PAIGNTON, Devon. Weekly bike nights now been and gone for another year but make a point of dropping in on one in 2008. They are held every Wednesday. Watch this space for details and check the Bikers Make a Difference website (www.bmad.co.uk). Season kicks off with an excellent two-day bikes and bands festival.

Poole Quay, Dorset. One of the country’s best weekly bike nights featuring a Best Bike competition each Tuesday from spring to autumn and a Best Bike of the Year final. Watch this space and visit www.pooletourism.com for details of 2008 programme.

Skegness. A favourite summer Sunday destination for bikers from the West Midlands. Two big seafront car parks close to amusements, chippies and cafes. Picnic tables at Gibraltar Point for those seeking a quiet escape. Skegness MCC welcomes visitors to their meets at the aptly named Welcome Inn, Borough Road, 8.30pm first Wednesday of the month.

Southend-on-Sea. London in trunks and bikinis. Lots of bikers most summer weekends, but head there on the first Wednesday of the month and drop in on the local MAG meeting which starts about 8.30pm at the Cork and Cheese in the town centre’s Victoria Plaza.

Whitby, North Yorkshire. Not as brash as nearby Scarborough, but a great destination reached on some superb riding roads. Drop in for tea and a bacon sarnie at the Whistlestop Cafe on the harbour (see Cafes, Pubs, Meets). You could turn a visit to Scarborough into a motorcycling holiday next season by matching it up to a race meeting at the Oliver’s Mount circuit. See www.auto66.com for dates.

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MUSEUMS

Battlesbridge Motorcycle Museum, Muggeridge Farm, Maltings Road, Battlesbridge, Wickford, Essex SS11 7RF. Tel 01268 769000. Open Sundays only 11am-4pm. Tickets: Adults £1.

Brooklands Motor Museum, Brooklands Road, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 OQN. Tel 01932 857381. www.brooklandsmuseum.com Email: info@brooklandsmuseum.com Open daily 10am-5pm summer (4pm close winter). Tickets: Adult £7, OAP and student £6, children 6-16 £5, under 5s free, family (2 adults, 3 children) £20. Famous race circuit now houses an impressive collection ranging from a 1929 Grindlay Peerless to Concorde.

Coventry Transport Museum, Millennium Place, Hales Street, Coventry CV1 1PN. Tel 024 7623 4270. www.transport-museum.com Email: museum@transport-museum.com Open daily 10am-5pm. Free admission. Salute to Coventry’s central role in the history of British road transport. Completion in April 2006 of a four-year £6.9m development included an all-new motorcycle gallery and expansion of the three-acre site and collection. The museum now displays 70 motorcycles, nearly 200 cars and commercial vehicles and 80 cycles.

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Craven’s Classic Motorcycle Collection, Brockfield Villa, Stockton on Forest, York, North Yorkshire YO32 9UE. Tel 01904 488461 (or evenings) 400493. Open first Sunday of the month Easter to December. Tickets: Adult £3, children under 16 free. More than 250 motorcycles and a mountain of memorabilia.

Haynes International Motor Museum, Castle Cary Road (A359), Sparkford, Somerset BA22 7LU. Tel 01963 440 0804. www.haynesmotormuseum.co.uk Email: mike@haynesmotormuseum.co.uk Open daily April to October 9.30am-5.30pm, Nov to March 10am-4.30pm. Tickets: Adult £7.50, OAP and disabled £6.50, children £4. Tasty motorcycles, gorgeous cars.

Ipswich Transport Museum, Old Trolleybus Depot, Cobham Road, Ipswich 1P3 9JD. Tel 01473 715666. www.ipswichtransportmuseum.co.uk Open Sundays and bank holidays April to November 11am-4pm, school holidays daily 1pm-4pm. Tickets: Adult £3.50, concessions £2.50, children £2.50. About 100 vehicles on display ranging from an Ipswich-built 50s Ostler Miniauto designed to be powered by a 15-25cc model aircraft engine through to a double-decker AEC bus.

Lakeland Motor Museum, Holker Hall and Gardens, Cark-in-Cartmell, Grange-over-Sands, South Lakeland, Cumbria LA11 7PL. Tel 015395 58509. www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk Open daily 10.30am-4.45pm from March until 29 December (closes 4pm winter season – 30 October-17 December). Tickets: Adult £6, OAP £5.50, student £5, children £3.50 Family (2 adults, 4 children) £19. Ex-Barry Sheene 1979 Dunstall GS1000 Suzuki and the 125 Honda Joey Dunlop raced in the 1993 TT among the 35 bikes on display.

Lambretta Scooter Museum, 77 Alfred Street, Weston-Super-Mare, Avon BS23 1PP. Tel 01934 614614. Open Wed-Sat 10am- 5pm. Free admission, advisable to call if travelling any distance. Nigel Cox of Weston Scooter Parts opened the museum in 1986. Every model ranging from 1947 to the end of Italian production in 1970, the collection is the most extensive in the world.

London Motorcycle Museum, Ravenor Farm, Oldfield Lane, South Greenford, Middlesex UB6 9LD. Tel 0208 575 6644. www.motorcycle-uk.com Email thelmm@hotmail.com Open weekends and Bank Holidays 10am-4pm. Tickets: Adult £3, OAP £1.50, children (5-14) 50p. Excellent collection of road and competition machines.

National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire S042 7ZN. Tel 01590 612345. www.beaulieu.co.uk Open daily May to September 10am-6pm (closes 5pm winter). Tickets: Adult £15, OAP £14, youth (13-17) £8.75, children £7.75. Cars, motorcycles (including the 1961 Hailwood 250-4 Honda) and novelty displays such as the World of James Bond.

National Motorcycle Museum, Coventry Road, Bickenhill, Solihull B92 OEJ. Tel 01675 443311. www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk Email: admin@nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk Open daily 10am-6pm. Tickets: Adult £6.95, OAPs and children (4-15) £4.95. Family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) £20. World’s biggest and best motorcycle museum.

Norfolk Motorcycle Museum, Station Yard, Norwich Road, North Walsham, Norfolk NR28 0DS. Tel 01692 406266. Open daily 10am-4.30pm. More than 100 machines on display.

Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum, Bashley Cross Road, New Milton, Hants BH25 5SZ. Tel 01425 619696. www.sammymiller.co.uk Email: info@sammymiller.co.uk Open daily 10am-4.30pm. Tickets: Adult £4.50, children £2. Superb collection of more than 300 historic machines.

Science Museum, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2DD. Tel 0870 4868. www.sciencemuseum.org.uk Open daily 10am-6pm. Free admission apart from 3D Imax cinema. Blink and you will miss the motorcycle-related exhibits, but fun nonetheless.

Whitewebbs Museum of Transport, Whitewebbs Road, Enfield EN2 9HW. Tel 020 8367 1898. www.whitewebbsmuseum.co.uk Email: info@whitewebbsmuseum.co.uk Open 10am-4pm Tuesdays and the last Sunday of most months.

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