Postman Pat is Alive and Well in....Levin!

Sir Al being congratulated on his recent Harley ownership

Some say it was the thought of champagne, others say it was the Jacinda effect whilst a few say it was the uniform and cat, but what is certain is that Kerry, aka 'Pat' won the prestigious Gover Trophy from some very stiff opposition. Murrayfield Cafe was the chosen venue for this important competition which pits the best restorations of the past year against each other. Graham had ridden down from the metropolis of Bunnythorpe on his Indian Enfield whilst Ian had ridden the short distance from his home in Levin on his BSA Bantam. Brett had his recently restored Triumph Bonneville sparkling in the sunlight and Kerry had also brought along his recently restored 1941 Rudge postie bike. 

The event had started back at Memorial Park where those that wanted to ride down from Palmerston North met. As it was a fine day there was an excellent turnout with a mix of classics and moderns. Graham led the way on his Indian Enfield out through the city and to Murrayfield via the Tokomaru/Shannon scenic route. It was a leisurely pace well suited to the classic bikes on the run and for those of us on moderns we got to see more of the countryside than we usually do. We were greeted by some of the early arrivals and and everyone was soon perusing the bikes entered for the trophy. It wasn't to long until we were called into the Dinning room to get on with our breakfast.

And what a great feed it was. Plenty of eggs, bacon, sausages, tomatoes, potatoes and of course champagne. To top it off some everyone was presented with Karn's world famous Christmas cake. Whilst this was going on everyone got to vote on which bike deserved the Gover Trophy. And so it came to pass with Kerry picking up the most votes and much to his delight he got to take home the trophy. 

This was a great way to finish off a very memorable and successful year for the club. With Covid having such a dramatic effect on everyone and everything at the beginning of the year, the successful running of the National Classic Motorcycle Rally in November is a huge tribute to a wonderful group of people. For a while there it was uncertain if it would run, but as certainty grew it came together, much to the appreciation of a large number of other classic motorcyclists around the country.

All in all the end of year has ended up reflecting the sentiments of the last line of Postman Pats theme song. 

“Pat feels he’s a really happy man.”

I am sure I heard Kerry humming the tune!