Round Britain Ride for Spinal Research and Children in Need

This is the first posting on this blog for our ride. We are doing this to achieve three things at once:
1. To celebrate the 30th Birthday of the founding of the KAMG (Kent Advanced Motorcyclists Group) - we were the first such Motorcycle Training group to be formed within the IAM when we were formed in 1980. We were the first, there are now nearly 100 such groups around the UK, and we are going to be meeting up with representatives of as many of them as possible during the ride.
2. To raise money for our designated charities - Spinal Research and Children in Need. See our JustGiving site, http://www.justgiving.com/Round-Britain-Ride-for-Spinal-Research
3. To publicise the IAM campaign "Be a Better Rider", aimed at encouraging motorcyclists around the country to take advanced training, to improve their skills, allowing them to ride better, and have more fun, in greater safety.

The ride runs for a week, from Saturday 12 June 2010 to Saturday 19 June, starting and finishing at Brands Hatch. We'd like to see as many of you as possible en-route. Please come and see us, wave or hoot, ride with us, and above all, contribute money to Spinal Research - visit the Just Giving website mentioned above.

The itinerary is:

Saturday 12th: 09.00 depart Brands Hatch, 13.00 Sammy Miller Museum, New Milton Hants, 18.00 Bristol Cribbs Causeway.
Sunday 13th: 09.00 depart Bristol, 11.30 rendezvous on A470 at Newtown in Central Wales. 15.30 Cat and Fiddle, Macclesfield, 18.00, Urmston, Manchester
Monday 14th: 09.00 depart Urmston, 12.00 Daryl's Cafe, 14 Church Street, Windermere, 18.00 Dumfries, 20.00 Stranraer.
Tues 15th: Irish Contingent - Stranraer ferry - N. Ireland "round tour", return Stranraer; Scotland Contingent - 09.00 depart for Kilmarnock via A76, 15.00 Fort William, 16.00 depart for A96, Stoneyfield.
Wed 16th: Irish Contingent - depart Stranraer, via Thornhill and Lanark to arrive Edinburgh - Saltire Suzuki, Dundee Street, around 14.00;
North of Scotland Contingent - depart Inverness via Braemar - Hungry Highlander - look out for us around 10.30 - 11.00, then on to Saltire Suzuki for 14.00 or so.
Both groups together then from Edinburgh to Moffat - the Buccleuoch Arms Hotel overnight.
Thursday 17th June: 09.00 depart Moffat. 11.00 The Meet Cafe, Denholm, Hawick. 13.45 Tea Rooms, Allendale. 15.00 depart Allendale for Scotch Corner overnight
Friday 18th June: 09.00 depart, 10.30 - 11.30 Helmsley, 13.00 - 14.00 at Humber Bridge, 15.00 - 16.00 at Squires Cafe, Leeds, 18:00 Lincoln, 20.00 Peterborough
Saturday 19th June: 10.00 depart Peterborough with Journalists etc, for Ace Cafe. 12.45 - 14.00 at Ace Cafe. 14.30 - 15.00 IAM HQ, Chiswick. 16.30 - Arrive Brands Hatch, END